Place: Tonglen Beach Resort, Boracay, Aklan

Our second trip to Boracay was like a beautiful dream. It was over sooner than we wanted. Plus it was a stormy, windy week and we weren't blessed with enough sun to enjoy the beach. So it kinda felt like we didn't really spend 4D3N in the beach paradise.

And this is a belated post, because we went there last June, and it is only now, four months later, that I'm posting a review of Tonglen Beach Resort, the place where we stayed. But I remember when I was researching about the hotel and I couldn't find a more in-depth review of the place, except bits and pieces from Agoda. So this is for those who will be researching about Tonglen Beach Resort in the future.

Tonglen Beach Resort is a non-beachfront and budget-friendly resort located in Boracay Station 3. They boast of a swimming pool, cozy rooms, and relaxing, scenic garden walkways.

At that time, I was looking for something closer to P1,000-P1,500/night because we were on a budget, and one other requirement - that it has a swimming pool - because we're travelling with my 3-year-old nephew and I thought the pool would be safer than the beach (if ever my nephew would refuse to get out of the water).

Tonglen Beach Resort's standard room rate for 2 is P1,800/night. But Agoda was offering a free night if I booked two nights, lowering the price down to P1,2000/night. And they're one of the very few budget-friendly hotels in Boracay that has a swimming pool.

The only thing that's holding me back is the Station 3 location. When I looked it up on Google Map, I saw that it's near La Carmela de Boracay Resort. So I thought maybe it's really not that far, considering it's on the boundary of Station 2 and Station 3.

After weighing the pros and cons, I decided that the P1,200/night price with a swimming pool can't be beat and proceeded to book two rooms for three nights. As mentioned earlier, I tried to search for more reviews, but I was always led back to Agoda, where they have a handful of positive feedback.


The Resort

We arrived at Boracay on a windy, rainy Tuesday afternoon. Boat porters welcomed us with the news of forecasted storm. It was getting dark and we were pretty tired and the news of a coming storm was the last thing we needed to perk up our spirits.

It was a good thing that getting to the hotel from jetty port was easy. I just told the tricycle driver to take us to Tonglen Beach Resort and he dropped us off inside back gate (the side facing the main street, the opposite side of the beachfront). As we unload ourselves and our bags, we were greeted by a refreshing and clear blue swimming pool amid the green lawn and lots of plants. It was an impressive sight.



Our room was on the second floor of the apartment on the right.

One of the hotel's personnel approached and welcomed us. Then he helped carry our bags and led us to the reception area. As we walked from the back gate to the front gate, I got excited with the things that I was seeing. The whole compound is nestled in a green luxury of grass, plants, and trees providing a good contrast to the red-white, cogon-grass-roofed apartments, and dotted by small hut cottages. It's a far cry from Tan's Guesthouse cramped compound, where we stayed before. The whole resort has a relaxing countryside feel to it. It was truly beautiful.


Booking through Agoda

It was the first time that I used Agoda vouchers, and it was pretty straightforward and hassle-free. In fact, the receptionist was already expecting us, so all I needed to do was present my printed copies. She informed us of the available standard rooms and asked which do we prefer. I would have wanted rooms on the ground floor, but only one was available, so I chose the two adjacent rooms on the second floor instead.


Our Rooms

When we were ushered to our rooms, which are located near the swimming pool, I was delighted by what I saw. The rooms were very clean and well-maintained. Actually, they looked new (and maybe they are). In each were two single beds, which the staff rearranged so that they are side by side, making a double bed. The sheets smelled good and pillows, fluffy enough.  There was a flat LCD-TV, a personal refrigerator, a big closet, a dresser table, mirror, chair and this beautiful, rustic lighting centerpiece on the ceiling.



I want something like this.

I went to check the bathroom and saw that like the bedroom, everything was spic and span. There's water on the faucet, toilet was clean, water heater was working - absolutely no issue with the bathroom. At first, there was a just a trickle of water coming from the shower. But a few twists on the showerhead and the water flowed out nicely.

They also provided clean towels, the Canadian brand. They weren't the softest and fluffiest, but they were clean and the brand is a good-quality one. You could tell from the towel itself.  (I always buy Canadian bed linens even if they're a little expensive because the fabric is a lot better than the cheaper brands.)

Back to the bedroom, we found out that the TV remote wasn't working, which was an inconvenient because we had to get up to switch channels, and the light flickered when it's turned off so we had to keep the lights on even when we're sleeping. But aside from those, everything was working fine. And I thought our rooms were lovely.

And did I say that they've got Wi-Fi? Not inside the rooms though, but it's okay because they have seats outside every room where you can take advantage of the free internet connection.



The view from our rooms on the second floor.

Other Amenities

Outside our rooms, the most notable amenity was the swimming pool. I was really glad that I chose a hotel with a swimming pool because it allowed us, my nephew especially, to frolic in the water despite the windy, rainy weather. It's dangerous to do that on the beach because of the big waves, and the ocean water was too chilly.

The pool water was clean and they replace it everyday. It was also heated, something that we really enjoyed against the cold Boracay breeze at that time. The side of the pool was accentuated with loungers and hut cottages, a making it wonderful place to relax, read or eat.

Then, who could miss the well-kept lawn and garden? It's everywhere. It didn't feel like we were in the bustling, tourist-jam-packed Boracay, because it was very quiet and relaxing inside the premises of the resort.

They also have a restaurant, but it's always empty and we wondered if we can get anything to eat inside. I also read that the free breakfast that they serve wasn't good (our accommodations didn't include free breakfast because I got them on a discounted rate), so I never suggested going inside.


The Location

Going out to have dinner on our first night exposed the disadvantage of the hotel's location. While the back gate was easily accessible from the main street, the front gate leading to the beachfront was not as conveniently situated. On Google Map, the resort seemed near La Carmela de Boracay, which is a beach front hotel, but in reality, it's not because there's no straight path from Tonglen to La Carmela. We had to passed through alleys and turned on corners in order to get to the beach front. And that's just getting to the beach front.

Going from La Carmela to D'Mall and Station 1 was a good 15- to 20-minute walk. And it didn't help that we have a toddler in tow and that it rained often, especially during the evening when we've already showered and weren't exactly looking to get wet.

But why go to D'Mall and Station 1?

Even if the shores of Stations 2 and 3 were lined up with restaurants, we still prefer to eat at D'Mall (most of the budget-friendly restaurants are there). And Station 1 offers the finest sand, the widest and cleanest shore, Willy's rock, among others. Among the three stations, it obviously occupies the best part of White Beach. And I would've wanted to book an accommodation on Station 1 but wasn't able to find one that's within budget.


The Service

The staff were very friendly and courteous. On our second day, someone knocked on our door and asked if she can do housekeeping. We weren't really ready to go out of the room so I told her to return tomorrow. And true enough, when we got back from having breakfast the following day, the rooms and bathrooms were tidied up. They didn't change the bed sheets and towels though but it's okay because they're still clean.


The Verdict

If only the resort was located at least somewhere in mid-Station 2, it would've been perfect. And I could easily recommend it to anyone. I didn't mind that it's not beachfront,  but being in Station 3, it simply felt too far from everything else. Especially if you're someone who frequents D'Mall, or if like me, who prefers the shores at Station 1.

But if you don't care about the location, Tongle Beach Resort is the probably the best that you can get for P1,200/night (even for P1,800/night). It offers tranquil surroundings, wonderful comfy rooms, warm and accommodating staff and a nice swimming pool. Truly a great choice to stay and enjoy Boracay (again, if the location is not important to you.)

---

Tonglen Beach Resort
Web: http://www.boracaytonglen.com/
Phone: +63 (036) 288 3457 or 5190

Service: Niño and Activities in Boracay

Along with "Where to stay?" and "Where to eat?", another W-question that plagues most first-time visitors is "What to do in Boracay?"

This one was a little easy for me because I contacted a highly-recommended activity-guide in Boracay. None other than the famous, Niño and his partner Kuya Ron. They were refuted to offer the best (meaning cheapest) rates for activities in the island. At first, he was referred to as Mang Niño o Kuya Niño, so I expected he will be an older man who's seen Boracay rose from the sands. But when I finally met him, he doesn't look old, but not too young either so I started to call him just Niño. I never got to meet Kuya Ron though.

"Andito na kami sa tapat ng Yellow Cab." Meeting Niño for the first time.

Jovial, funny, animated guy, Niño was like a "kabarkada". He claimed to be honest when dealing with his guests, so when he said that the better Zorb is in Mt. Luho and the better zipline is in Fairways, we believed him. And he did offer the best rates, for parasailing at least.

Walking from Station 2 to Station 1, we passed by a number of guides offering us to do this and do that. From them we learned that the current market price for reef walking is P350/person, island hopping is P1200/boat (both the same with Niño) and parasailing is P1200/person (Niño's rate is P200 cheaper). Despite the almost similar rates, we decided to get all our activities through Niño because we feel secured and comfortable with him.

Place: Tans Guesthouse (Namaste) at Boracay, Aklan

There must be literally hundreds of reviews about Tans Guesthouse in Boracay, whether in blogs, forums and review sites. I guess, one more wouldn't hurt.

Photo taken from TripAdvisor

When you're looking for cheap Boracay accommodation, Tans Guesthouse would always be among the first recommended establishments. Previous guests rave about their rates, rooms and friendly staff. But initially, I wasn't so keen on booking with Tans. Our first visit to Boracay coincided with the Chinese New Year (Feb 3) and when I checked Tans website, I saw that the room rates around this season go as high as P2500 for a standard room. So I set my eyes on another cheap alternative, Island Nook.

But as fate would have it, one forum member posted that Tans quoted her P1,500/night for their stay on the second week of February. I wondered if I can get the same price given our booking dates are only a few days apart. It was then I decided to inquire.


Booking

There are three options to get in touch with Tans: via their email address, cellphone number and YM ID, all of which are posted on their website. I sent an email first, inquiring about room availability and rates. After a few days without a reply, I decided to send them an SMS. Someone responded right away. She asked for my email address where they can send the quotation. I received it a day later. And lo, I was also quoted a room on Feb 2-5 for P1,500/night.

I was already corresponding with someone from Island Nook and all I needed to do was deposit the 50% down-payment to finalize the booking. But I switched gears on the last minute and thought that Tans would be a better deal since it's closer to the beach and the quoted room rate was P200 cheaper. Island Nook then was giving me a room on the same dates for P1,700.

Included in the quotation email was the instruction on how to book a reservation (by deposting 50% of the quoted amount to the bank account, also given in the email, and sending the proof of the deposit via fax or email). I did that within the week--made the deposit, sent a photo of the deposit slip and informed them about it, both via email and SMS. Someone replied to me and said that my confirmation receipt will be sent soon. But it took days, and a couple of follow-ups before it was finally delivered to my inbox.

The room that was given to us was Room 2. Upon checking on their gallery, the room looks nice although I feel it's a bit cramped. So again, prompted by a forum post that said it's possible to ask for a room upgrade, I contacted Tans via chat this time and made my inquiries. Yes, room upgrade is possible and our room was instantly changed from Room 2 to Namaste F1 according to the person I was chatting with. I asked if it's possible to send a new confirmation as proof of the upgrade. I was told it will be sent in a few days, but it never came.

A few weeks before the trip, I chatted with the same person again and confirmed the upgrade. She said yes and that it was already logged in their system. Once more, I asked for the new confirmation letter and got the same answer. It will be sent, but I received none. So a few days before we left for Aklan, I decided to call to confirm again (di naman ako makulit no?). For the third time, they told me, yes we were transferred from Room 2 to Namaste. I didn't request to be sent a new confirmation letter anymore.

I was contemplating to extend our stay in Tans for one more night but they told me that they are fully-booked for the weekend. If we want to stay longer, we will have to transfer to another room. I wasn't really sure if we'll stay for one more night. It was just a thought, a 'what if' [we had a grand time and wanted to extend our time in beach] thought--a premonition perhaps of how I will feel about Boracay. So I figured I'll just settle it once we're there already.

Overall, I had a pleasant experience dealing with Tans reservation. I got a bit confused at first because the person I was sending SMS to was not the same person I was chatting with. But everything turned out well in the end. We got Namaste F2, which was like a twin of F1 and I was more than happy because they didn't charge us additional pay for the upgrade.


Accommodation

We arrived in Boracay at 10 a.m. of February 2. I was given an instruction through SMS on how to find Tans Guesthouse. It was simple and easy to follow:

Alight in D'Mall. Walk towards the beach front. Facing the beach, go towards the left and look for Shenna's Resort. Beside Shenna's Resort is E.S. Pascual store. Enter the alley beside the store.

Tans Guesthouse is second to the last building in that alley. I saw Ms. Jeanette on the reception booth and made my introductions. I asked if an early check-in is possible (check-in time is 2:00 p.m.). It would have been ok if only our room was already vacant. So we just deposited our luggage to them and decided to have lunch and stroll along the beach until our room is ready.

We went back a few minutes after 2:00 p.m., our feet and legs spent and tired from walking. Ms. Jeanette asked someone to accompany us to our room. She said it was at the beachfront and I wondered which alley would take us there. But when the staff led us to what seemed like a narrow, dingy space between Island Souvenir and another building (it was Sea World I think), I was a bit apprehensive. It turned out our room was behind the Island Souvenir store. And honestly, the way to get there wasn't appealing.

But when the staff opened the door, we were welcomed by a pleasant surprise. Namaste F2 is spacious, with 1 queen-sized bed and 1 single bed on the left side. Opposite the beds are the closet (with enough cloth hangers inside) and a cable TV. On the right side of the door is where you'll find a small dining table, sink, a personal ref and the bathroom. The bathroom is spacious, too with a hot and cold shower, bath tub, toilet and vanity area. The walls looked like they were newly painted and the whole room looked and smelled clean as well. For P1,500/night, on what other hotels deemed to be a super-peak season (because of the Chinese New Year), it was truly a great deal.

However, (won't it be nicer if everything was perfect?) I wasn't able to connect to their Wi-Fi. They gave me two passwords but none worked. But I wondered if it was their Wi-Fi or my laptop that's having a problem because when I got home and tried to connect to our Wi-Fi, I was also getting errors.


Breakfast Buffet

Included in the room amenities is a free breakfast buffet for 2 guests. Breakfast is served from 7 a.m to 10 a.m. at the rooftop of the Tans Guesthouse. We were given a green stub that will serve as our meal ticket during our stay. I didn't know what to do with it when we first came for breakfast, and since Ms. Jeanette was there, I thought it's ok to start filling our plates with food. Then a group came in and I saw one of them showed the green stub to one of the servers. Nobody checked ours anyway, so we proceeded to eat our breakfast. But the next day, I did what I saw and showed the green stub.

We had 3 breakfast meals in Tans. We usually come at around 7 a.m. so the chaffing dishes were still full. Among the dishes that were served in the buffet were tocino, longganisa, cocktail hotdog, fried egg, crispy daing, daing na bangus, ginisang ampalaya and beef tapa. The food was ok, it wasn't stellar but it wasn't bad either. I actually like the tocino, longganisa and the crispy daing. They also have coffee sachets but we're not coffee drinkers so we just brought bottled juices or iced tea drinks everytime.


Verdict

Many claimed that Tans Guesthouse is one of the cheapest yet decent places to stay in Boracay. And I agree. Except for the not-so-appealing entrance to our room, I have nothing but good words to say about this budget accommodation. The location was great, the room was nice, the staff were friendly and best of all, the price was reasonable. In a highly-commercialized paradise such as Boracay, those things are hard to come by. I was just too glad that I chose to stay with them.

Place: Affordable Places to Eat in Boracay

As mentioned in the previous post, we celebrated our first wedding anniversary in Boracay and Nabas, Aklan. We were there for 8 days and the plan was to spend our first four days in Boracay and thereafter, we'll stay at my husband's relatives in Nabas. So we can't splurge everything in Boracay because we have another four days to make the most out of our Aklan trip.

That's why once I got our activities arranged, I started researching for affordable places to eat in Boracay. Based on my computation, if we don't spend more than 200 for every meal, we'd have enough budget to try one of the more expensive restaurants. So my criteria for what's affordable include menu items that don't go beyond 200 and restaurants that are local to Boracay and cannot be found in Manila. That makes Yellow Cab, Andok's, Mang Inasal, Pancake House and the likes already disqualified from my options.

After Google and a few blogs, this was the list that I came up with:

1. Paluto at D'Talipapa
2. Jammer's
3. Big Mama's
4. Smoke
5. Dalisay Paradise Nest
6. Hawaiian BBQ
7. Crafty's Rooftop Bar
8. Blue Berry Restaurant
9. Bite Club Grilled Burgers
10. Island Nook

Actually, we only got to try a few. And here are my reviews for those that we were able to have the pleasure of eating at:

Place: Boracay Island

My husband and I were Boracay virgins until we decided to celebrate our one-year-delayed-honeymoon-slash-1st-wedding-anniversary in this island last February 2 to 5. And to say that we were excited was an understatement. We were exhilarated.

The days leading to our first Boracay trip were spent scouring shopping malls and buying the things that we will need: traveling bag, swimwear, toiletries, pasalubong (for my husband's relatives whom we will visit in the nearby town of Nabas, Aklan), accessories, etc. I also did a thorough research on the internet for the most practical accommodations, places to eat and water activities to make sure that we'll have a blast without burning deep holes in our pockets. (I will review these 'finds' in the succeeding posts.)

When everything looked set and covered, I braced myself for this:

Arriving at Boracay, I was surprised to find that it pretty much resembles some cities in Metro Manila. Except maybe for the terrain, the locals speaking in their native dialect and the density of foreigners, everything feels the same: sprawling establishments, busy crowd, honking vehicles, etc. I remember thinking, maybe it's because we're not yet at the beach area. So I waited for that moment.

Our tricycle dropped us at the entrance of the infamous D'mall. D'mall also turned out to be a surprise because I was expecting it to be like the "usual" souvenir shops area, with meager stalls displaying their goods. But no, it is a mini shopping mall (except that it's open-spaced) where both high-end brands and local wares can be found. The ground is paved on most parts and the whole area looks like a posh market plaza.

When we emerged from D'mall to the beach front, I was no longer surprise to see that the whole stretch is littered with different sorts of business establishments. Boracay is like someone having an identity crisis who has, so far, successfully managed to stay sane. The white, powdery sand and clear blue water will remind you that you're far from the pollution of the city, but the shops and restaurants that lined up the beach will make you feel that Boracay is a city in itself and you're right smack in the middle of it. Rest and relaxation meets comfort and convenience. The best of both worlds, as they say.

I only have one complain though. For people like us who were traveling on a budget, I find the foods in Boracay horrendously expensive. And this is despite the fact that I've listed all the supposedly affordable but still decent restaurants and we've exerted efforts to locate them. I found a few but still, at the end of every meal, I find myself trying to justify the amount we paid for the food that we just ate. Cheap by Boracay standards, but not necessarily cheap by mine.

Expect for this however, everything is perfect. The place, the people and the atmosphere. Different kinds of people from all walks of life will find something that they will enjoy in Boracay. It may be the beautiful beach, the laid-back ambiance, or the engaging vibe, the great parties, or the many things that one can do in the island. Boracay will be happy to cater to everyone.

Surely, Boracay had me smitten and it had planted a longing in my heart--a longing to go back. I'm sure it's not the most beautiful beach in the Philippines and it is no longer the pristine island that some people hoped it to be. But it has a different charm that makes people come back to it again and again. And I am one of those people. Yes, I have resolved to go back there again.

Till then, Boracay.