where to stay in boracay

you plan to travel to boracay - travel + leisure magazine's world's best island 2012.

you booked the tickets. you've done your research on how to get there. so, what's next?

accommodation.

where can you stay in boracay? as always, choosing a temporary abode depends on your budget. boracay has a wide array of inns, hotels, or private resorts to choose from. whether you want a luxury treat or on a meager budget, boracay has a place for you. apart from your budget, two of the biggest considerations in choosing a place while in the island is the distance of the hotel to the famous white beach and of course, how far away or near do you wish to be to where the party is. with these in mind, let me direct you to myboracayguide.com.

NO. i don't own the above site nor do the site admin know me. i just found it in the course of doing research on accommodations in boracay. According to the site, there are 5 main areas to which you can select your accommodations in boracay:

1. White Beach, Station 1 - boracay's upscale section where the beach is at its widest
2. White Beach, Station 2 - where the party is at. the heart of shopping, restaurant, and entertainment in the island. D'mall is here.
3. White Beach, Station 3 - the quietest part of the beach. budget and native-style bungalows
4. Bulabog Beach - windsurfing.kiteboarding.parasailing.other water sports are here
5. Off White Beach - remote and private luxury resorts. offers shuttle services to/from white beach

now that you have a general idea of the accommodations available in the island, next thing to do is get the opinion of travelers who've actually stayed at boracay hotels. for that you can turn to tripadvisor, and as of writing time here's the top 10 (out of 123) hotels that travelers recommend:

Shangri-La's Boracay Resort and Spa ($503 up) Dave's Straw Hat Inn ($20 up) Artista Beach Villas ($120 up) Boracay Beach Club ($106 up) Discovery Shores Boracay ($331 up)

Monaco Suites de Boracay ($229 up) Island Jewel Inn ($30 up) Frendz Resort Boracay ($61 up) The Strand Boracay Resort($87 up) Two Seasons Boracay Resort ($54 -up)

below are accommodations ranked 1 to 10 for best value by travelers in tripadvisor :

Dave's Straw Hat Inn ($20 up) Orchid's Resort ($13 up) Island Jewel Inn ($30 up) Spider House Resort ($50 up) Turtle Inn ($59 up)

Tonglen Beach Resort ($43 up) Seabird International Resort ($48 up) Baling Hai Beach ($64 up) La Bella Casa($29 up) Residencia Boracay ($54 -up)

OR, you may stay at Bans Beach Resort, where my sister and I stayed last year.