Delightful Illusions

        Boracay Island is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the Philippines. I have been in this island for 9 times already and I noticed the obvious and somehow saddening changes that happened on Boracay. This island used to be full of nipa hut cottages, no Starbucks or other buildings, no pollution, not overcrowded and boats used to land on the seashore. 11 years has passed and the beach front has been covered with hotels, expensive restaurants, prostitutes at night, overpriced merchandise and just crowded in general. It went from being virgin to over used. :(

        We went to Boracay for work this week and we were able to make use some of our time to enjoy the sunset, affordable food and just chilling around. Our accommodation, transportation and food were free so we haven't spend that much money on this trip. Haha! Anwyays, if you are interested on my trip, then just keep scrolling.

Day 1

         We left Iloilo at 6 am last Monday and arrived at the island around 12:30 pm. It was a long road trip but we enjoyed the view and it's all worth it. Upon the arriving at the port, we paid our tickets and rode the boat. 

          It was no-makeup day for me since I left home at 5:30 am and didn't have enough time to put makeup on. 

          The place we stayed in was the Boracay Tropics, located at Station 2. It was a nice resort with good ambiance, amazing pool and accommodating staff. The roomed we stayed in was spacious and comfortable and we really enjoyed the stay. 

          After taking our lunch, our activity started. We had various activities including knowing each other, mental health de-stressing and making a life tree. I appreciated the light and unburdening topics and activities on the first day. 

My group and I strolled around the beach front after eating dinner and charging our phones a little bit. There's a really luxurious hotel beside Boracay Tropics called Station X. The building was built in a circular design with a gigantic pool at the ground floor with a bar at the front part. The pool was inviting but unfortunately it is exclusive for the hotel guests.  

          The guards allowed us to take pictures but they looked at us sharply when we further on the restricted area. We backed down and went out of the area because we might cause a scene and we don't want to embarrassed. Haha! 

          Talipapas (markets) are everywhere around the island. Locals sell souvenirs, swimming accessories and a lot. Prices varies from seller to seller and it's  best to look around first for cheaper costs before you go on a shopping spree.  

The dresses they sell are really cute but didn't have a big allowance for this trip so I just looked at them. Haha! Not going to fall for my impulses; it's bad for the bank account! Haha!

          There are restaurants and places you can chill beside the seashore. It's a relaxing place to be with at night with friends and love ones. 

          There's this hotel called Mandarin Hotel Boracay around Station 2 where a pool can be seen from the outside. I love staring at this pool whenever I pass by the place because it looks so dreamy and gives off romantic vibes. I checked their rates online and they are so expensive (in my perception)! I'm dreaming to stay at this hotel someday. 

          We got tired from walking and decided to have a break and drink some milk tea. I ordered an Oreo Milk Tea in regular size because I know I wouldn't finish the large one. It's really good! 

          After finishing our milk teas, we strolled around D'Mall and went back to the hotel. We were tired from the long road trip and slept early that night. 

Day 2

          Our activity finished early during Day 2. We wanted to see and capture the sunset and so we strolled along the seashore around 5 pm. Excuse the messy hair! Haha!

The best time for swimming on the beach would be near the sunset. It's not too hot nor cold; the lighting is perfect for OOTDs and selfies, and you wouldn't get a sunburn from swimming. 

          I love the pictures I took with the sunset. It's amazing to capture and there's no filter needed. I find sunsets really romantic. :)

Bamboo Shore was an affordable place to dine and chill after that walk. We had apple flavored beer and Hungarian Sausage. 

          The sausage tasted delicious; it was grilled, covered in mayonnaise and hot chili sauce. Didn't have any idea that the combination tastes good. Each sausage costs only 75 pesos, reasonable enough for Boracay! Yummy!

          Then we went to this crepe shop called Crazy Crepes. There a lot of combinations and flavors to choose from and are amazingly affordable! I didn't want something too sweet and fattening so I went for Mango Banana Crepe. 

         My crepe was simplest of them all but it was also yummy. It has mango and banana slices with mango custard and crushed nuts. I thought it was a healthy choice for me. Haha! Visit this place if you ever have a chance. It's located at D'Mall. We went home after finishing the crepes. 

Day 3

Our third day for the activity started after lunch so we had the time to lounge around the pool. The pool wasn't deep at all; the water was stopped rising below my eyes. The water was extremely cold though. I had goosebumps while swimming. 

          I didn't bring swimsuit and wasn't planning to wear one so I swam with my sleeveless top and nylon shorts. Don't get weirded out, Filipinos swim with this outfit. It's natural for us. I enjoyed my time swimming and felt relaxed afterwards. 

          We finished late that day and didn't have much time to look around. It was our co-workers birthday though and we decided to have a quick pizza party for her. We ate Shakey's; we ordered the Grand Slam pizza which contained their best-selling flavors in a gigantic sized, perfect for 7 people. The pizza had free pitcher of Coke. 

         We strolled again at the D'Mall that night and stopped by at this craft store. The store is called Bell N Blooms. They sell personalized accessories, knitted bikini tops and eye-catching dream catchers.

          The main attraction of this store are the hand-sewn dream catchers. They have various designs to choose from and all them are gorgeous. The lady that are making them was there at the time we visited and she said that they have an online store and they have more designs on Instagram (link here).   

          This unicorn dream catcher is one of a kind and unique. It's the only piece and only sold at the store. This only costs 1,650 pesos. That's fair deal considering it's handmade and limited edition. My co-worker wanted to buy this but she decided not to. No to impulse buying. Haha! We went back to the hotel after visiting the shop.

Day 4

          We went home last Thursday early on morning, around 7:30 o'clock. We haven't able to swim at the beach but we can always come back, right? :) 

         On our way home, our driver diverted our route and went on a smoother course. He stopped our vehicle on a resort where the Jawili Falls is located. 

         There's  an entrance fee of 5 pesos if you want to climb the upper tiers. Since we don't have enough time to climb and explore, we just took pictures at first fall. 

          The place is beautiful. The water is clear. How I wished we could have swam on the first tier. 

          The Jawili Falls is located at Ibajay, Aklan. I'm planning to go back to this place and swim all day. The resort doesn't have any cottage to sleep with, so I guess this only for daytime to visit to. The water looks clean and isn't dangerous to dip into. Gosh! The water was so inviting!  

         We stopped by for 12 minutes and proceeded on our trip. I enjoyed my stay at Boracay even though I wasn't really thrilled with the major changes. I hope you liked this lengthy post and stay tuned for more. If you have any suggestions for travel destinations around Panay Island, please let us know on the comments section. I would love to explore Panay Island more. Thank you so much for stopping by. Have a great day! :) XOXO 

          Hi, guys! I'm Sylden. Welcome to my little world on the internet. Before anything else, I want greet everyone a Happy, Happy 30th! The year 2014 will be over in less than 48 hours and I still can't believe it. Haha! Isn't it crazy? How can time fly by so fast?? Anyways, today's post will be about my outfit of the day; we went to SM North Edsa earlier this day. My cousin Imred and I roamed around the Sky Garden, shopped a few things then ate at this restaurant that we just newly discovered which I will be talking about later. Today's weather is a little bit chilly, I almost froze at the mall. Haha! 

          For today's outfit, I wore something comfy yet so put together, at least in my opinion. Haha! I was inspired by Taylor Swift's style; blouse tucked in a high-waist shorts paired with flat shoes. I know that she usually wears oxfords and sneakers, but I prefer doll shoes. My top is from the brand Chelsea which I showed on my Zalora Haul. The fabric of this button down is made from chiffon; it's comfortable, thick and feels silky. I didn't even wear a bandeau or cami underneath because it not so see-through which I adore. My shorts is from ukay or thrift store and my shoes are from the brand My Tender Toes.

         I told my cousin that we should pass by the Sky Garden in going to the The Block because I was freezing inside the mall. I asked her to take a picture of me on some parts of the garden and as you can see I was seating on this fake grass that the mall has provided for the visitors. Stepping on the real grass is prohibited. Haha! Behind are giant christmas balls and trees. Aren't they cute? :)

        As we were done with shopping trip, we looked for a place to within the garden. By the way, I forgot to tell that the garden is like a kilometer long and it's full restaurants from one side to the other. The place is overwhelming. We passed by this restaurant called 8 Street Bites, the prices are incredibly affordable compared to others. We were craving for street foods so we didn't have any second thoughts on eating at this place. The ambiance is welcoming and feels like you're on the streets of New York, the staff are accomodating. If I am not mistaken, this restaurant is originated from the USA. Please correct me if I'm wrong. :)

        There is a freedom wall where the customers can write their thoughts about the food, place, people and anything under the sun. The prices of food and drinks ranges from Php 48 - 300, nothing over Php 400. Their extra orders starts from Php 29. That is crazy! Unbelievable! 

         Imred ordered Php 78 Cheezy Fries, Php 88 Nachos (cheesy) and Php 48 Frostea. Her grand to total was Php 214 only. For these servings, the prices are too non-resistant. Who could? 

          Look how generous the serving was. The tomato dip is already included on the meal. 

          Cheese overload! The taste even gets better when you it with the spring onion. It tones down the sourness of the flavor. This is definitely a must-try!

         We ordered the same drink which was the Frostea, basically an iced tea topped with fine crushed ice. It's nothing to lemon nor watery. It's just plain perfect. I am not even joking. :)

        This was what I ordered, the Php 99 Freeway Nachos . I also ordered a Php 68 Tiramisu which was not included on the pictures because my camera's battery went on empty. I was surprised to see that I finished the whole plate. I can't usually eat the entire plate of what I'm ordering on various restaurants. Haha! The nachos were topped with tomato salsa, spring onions, beans, dressing, meat and basil leaves. 

          If you ever eat on 8 Street Bites, get this first. It's delicious and you won't regret a single moment. This is heaven for me. Haha! I will be going back before I go home. I'll mark that on my "to-dos".

            This is it for today. I hope you enjoyed looking at the pictures and be convinced to try what I recommended. Haha! This is in no way a compensated feature. I love what I share. Thanks for stopping by. I'll talk to you after New Year. Take care. Have fun. Stay safe. Love you all!