Anyone Been To Boracay In April?

[Tukaram (Tim)]

Split from another topic:

 

This thread is now about who has been to Boracay in April, and what you thought of it.

 

 

We are in the dead of summer right now.

 

That is the second time I recall you (or someone else) saying we are in summer season now.  Are you in Australia?  Because this is winter in Philippines and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere.  Even though summer gets an early start here they don't call it summer until April hits.

 

 

Around here they say summer is January to June.  The rainy season starts around June.  July to October is cloudy, cooler, and rainy. That is why November to May is peak season in Boracay. It is the hot/dry season.

Edited February 23, 2016 by Dave Hounddriver

[Dave Hounddriver]

Around here they say summer is January to June. 

 

Well you live there so I guess its true for that area.  Yvonne wants to go to Boracay in April as she says that is summer and all the Manila celebrities go there in April.  I checked online and it says:

 

 From March until June is summer time where temperature range from  28 degrees to 38 degrees Celsius, it is the most hottest time of the year at Boracay. 

http://www.boracaybeaches.info/travel-information.html

. 

So its unusual, what you are telling us, but interesting how different areas interpret the seasons differently.

Edited February 21, 2016 by Dave Hounddriver

[ironmaiden]

Yvonne wants to go to Boracay in April

Yak! You are most likely going to be very disappointed with those dirty green beaches and the dirty water... Doesn't really smell nice either...

[Dave Hounddriver]

You are most likely going to be very disappointed

 

I shall try and talk her out of it.  :hystery:

[Tukaram (Tim)]

We love Boracay.  It is our beach of choice.  During the peak season the beach is great.  During the off-peak (rainy) season it does get some green, but not bad. 

[ironmaiden]

We love Boracay.  It is our beach of choice.  During the peak season the beach is great.  During the off-peak (rainy) season it does get some green, but not bad. 

We just spend a week over there and I can tell you it is very bad. It starts in february until the end of may I believe. The green is everywhere but if you look hard ( we walked a few km every day until the beginning of station 1 where there was a few 100 m with only a little bit of algae) you can find some acceptable waters. But 90 % of white beach is now green beach so I was very disappointed. Next time we will go back in november like we used to do, fewer people and cleaner sea. We just need a little luck with the weather then...

[Dave Hounddriver]

The green is everywhere

 

So I searched to find out what's going on and I have to laugh when I found what the tourist board is telling people about the algae.  According to some guys comments on trip advisor:

 

This was posted at a station 2 hotel.

 

Boracay Green Algae

 

Source of Boracay’s White Sand

 

Boracay’s white beach is formed in part by centuries of deposits of Boracay’s unique sand-forming green algae drying under the tropical sun.

 

Old timers in Boracay remember since time immemorial, green algae on Boracay’s beach front grew to thicknesses of up to 20cm from the water line. Local children made games of catching fish below the algae level.

 

Even now, you can witness the wonder of nature by taking several handfuls of green algae from the beach front and putting it on a dish to dry under the sun. In several days, you will see the algae turn into grains of Boracay’s fine white sand.

 

Boracay Green Algae

 

Source of Boracay’s White Sand

 

 

[davewe]

I have been to Boracay twice and both times were in April. Of course I have no other time to compare it too.

 

Was there algae in the water? Yes. Did it keep us out of the water? No.

 

The snorkeling was fun if not spectacular.

The beaches were crowded, but again I can't compare to other times of the year. They were not so crowded as to limit our enjoyment.

The food on the beach at night was good and the prices weren't bad. My wife was a very happy, lechon eating, girl.

Plenty of foreigners, particularly Chinese and Koreans. 

 

In short I had a great time - both times. Boracay is not my fave place in the Philippines and after a few days it can get to you, but it's a fun time.

[scott h]

Dave H.

 

We have been to Boracay 3 times during the months you mentioned. 2000, 2004, 2009. The first time was great, pump boat dropped us on the beach in front of hotels, walk from our medium priced hotel right to the beach, beach dining, clean water. Hot but with a breeze wasn't to bad.

 

Each time we returned it had become more commercialized, geared towards the younger generation (or those young at heart), noisier, more crowded etc. etc. etc. The last time we went we did not even go into the water (past our ankles) because of the algae.

 

I think you will probably have to go there at least once to see if it fits your style (like Disney land lol). But for us I doubt seriously we will ever return, but I am happy we went there at least once :cheersty:

[Tukaram (Tim)]

Our first trip was in July (of whatever year?). So, being the off peak season the hotels were half price - that is nice.  There was like no algae... maybe the rains washed it all away?  Our first few days days the rain was ridiculous but when the weather cleared we just stayed 4 more days. An advantage of cheap, and empty, hotels.  When it was not raining It was great. The weather was a little cooler, and the early mornings we would go crabbing on the beach. Only downside was since there were fewer tourists some fo the activities were not running (like the glass bottom boat)

 

All our other trips, since then, have been in February.  Generally around Valentine, for my anniversary of arriving in the PI's.  February is peak season so more expensive, and more crowded. The week of Valentines is one of their 'super peak' weeks so even more expensive hotel costs...  but the crowds make so much more fun we love it.  February has not had much algae on the beach, in our experience. 

 

I cannot speak for April... and this new branch of the thread seems to be dealing with April?  Anyway Boracay is our beach of choice.   A lot will depend on your tastes.  When I lived in Hawaii my beach of choice was Waikiki.  Not the best beach, but the most fun, to me.   :tiphat: