Only in Boracay: A Tour of the Island’s Gastronomic Offerings

Aside from the world-famous white sand beaches, Boracay is known for its mouth-watering local cuisine. There is something succulently special about Boracay’s gastronomic offerings that you must experience to fully appreciate! If you’re planning a trip to the island, take note of these must-try delicacies:

Calamansi Muffins

Prominently featured in local Chris Mariano’s Novella Cover (Story) Girl, calamansi muffins are definitely to die for! Fluffy on the outside and moist on the inside – highlighted by that distinct calamansi kick – these muffins are like no other! With every bite, you’ll savor its decadent, gooey goodness—sweet and tangy, and all in a good way!

Best served with tea or coffee, and while checking out the beach, they’re so good you won’t forget to buy a couple of boxes for your loved ones back home!

Where to get calamansi muffins: Try Tea Café and Real Coffee, both near D’Mall. They offer some of the best calamansi muffins in the island!

Jonah’s Fruit Shakes

Locals and tourists are raving about Jonah’s Fruit Shake. The best thing about this fruit shake is that you can be sure it’s all natural and fresh! You can still taste the “spirit” of the fruits, with their tangy and zesty appeal. Just imagine drinking shakes with fresh fruit bits, all hand-picked from the farm nearby! You probably think you have already tasted every fruit shake there is, but wait till you try Jonah’s.

Where to get Jonah’s Fruit Shakes: Well, at Jonah’s Fruit Shake and Snack Bar, of course! This is located at Station 1, near Willy’s Rock. Watermelon and tropical mango are the best flavors you should try!

The Best Halo-Halo in the Island

Halo-Halo is a popular Filipino dessert that’s usually enjoyed during summer, but it is also good at any other time of the year. It’s a mix of shaved ice, evaporated milk, a variety of fruits, jello, and sweet beans, topped with leche flan and ice cream! It’s heavenly and indulgent—with all that savory sweet goodness dripping into your mouth– you’ll definitely keep coming back for more!

Where to get halo-halo: According to most Boracay tourists, one of the most sinful halo-halos in the island—and in the whole country—can be found in Halowich, right in D’Mall. Oh, and they have halo-halo sandwiches, too!

Chorizo Burger

And finally, both locals and tourists agree that a trip to Boracay would not be complete without sampling the chorizo burger—also known as Chori. The meat is so juicy and tasty, with hints of garlic and cheese. The bun is served hot, making sure your dish is fresh, topped with that melt in the mouth goodness! It’s best eaten with beer, too. Plus, the fact that it’s made from chorizo gives it that local, grassroots twist!

Where to get chorizo burger: You can buy some at Merly’s BBQ Boracay, a stall found at Station 1. It opens from 4PM onwards—so go ahead and bring those party people with you!

Try all and enjoy!

So, what are you waiting for? Book a flight, pack your bags, and make sure you try these dishes when you finally arrive in Boracay! Enjoy!

Image sources:

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Sunscreen vs. Sunblock: Is There A Difference

During summer, the first thing that comes to mind is lying under the sun on a beautiful tropical beach. But the heat of the sun can be a little too much for your skin to handle. So you head to a grocery store on your way to the beach to pick up some sun protection. You find sunscreen and sunblock with different SPF’s all in one shelf. Confusing isn’t it? Here’s some info to guide you in your quest for sun protection.

What do those numbers mean?

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor, which is how the amount of UV radiation it takes to burn protected skin is measured. You can calculate it as SPF multiplied with how quickly the skin burns without any defences against the sun. So if you have SPF 30, you multiply 30 with how quickly your bare skin would get sunburn, like 15 minutes, so 30 x 15 = 450 minutes, or seven and a half hours of protection under the sun. This is important to remember when buying or choosing sun protection so you won’t have to lather on so much or have too little protection.

Sunscreen

Sunscreen is a kind of sun protection that is absorbed by the skin and absorbs any harmful UV radiation that enters the skin, keeping the UV rays from damaging your skin. Sunscreen uses chemicals such as PABA, or para aminobenzoic acid, to filter out harmful substances from your skin. It is advisable to lather on sunscreen at least 30 minutes before going out into the sun to give the sunscreen ample time to be absorbed by your skin.

Sunblock

Sunblock, on the other hand, does just that, it blocks out all of the sun’s harmful rays by letting the chemicals sit on top of your skin, acting as a barrier against UV radiation. Their active ingredients can include titanium or zinc oxide that gives the sunblock a thicker consistency and makes it often visible on the skin. There are some newer sunblock brands that offer creams that are less visible on the skin.

Both these variants provide good skin protection against the sun, but there are people who are allergic to the chemicals in sunscreens, and as most sun protection products are a mixture of both, it would be wise to read the ingredients list to check for the chemical you may be allergic to before buying anything. It is also good to know what UVA and UVB mean, UVA pertains to the rays that cause ’aging’, while the B in UVB means ‘burning’ and it is important to make sure your sun protections shields you against both.

image source: misstinak.com

Most experts would say that on average, you would need at least 30 SPF in your sun protection and it should be applied liberally. The recommended amount of sun protection cream applied is an ounce of cream a day. And, depending on your activity, it would be wise to reapply if you stay in the water for a long time, or you’ve been sweating a lot.

Either would be great as long as the SPF is 30 or above, but for those with sensitive skin, sunblock has less irritants you can be allergic to. SO, what are you waiting for? Lather up some sun protection for the beach!

Image sources:

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