Boracay Tourist Information and Assistance Centre Launched in Station 2

The Department of Tourism and the Municipality of Malay inaugurated last Friday the Boracay Tourist Information and Assistance Centre (BTIC), located at the beach front of Station 2, formerly Boracay Boat Station 2, in Barangay Balabag, Boracay Island in Aklan, to better address the various information, safety, and security concerns of tourists.



The Boracay Tourist Information Centre was inaugurated at a very opportune time with the unfolding of the summer season, as a lot of domestic and foreign tourists have started flocking the popular party-island in the Philippines, making it really more FUN in the Philippines and in Boracay!

Epic Boracay Experience with Selecta and Fox International Channels

Fox International Channels and Selecta ice cream partnered in an Epic Boracay Experience with Cool Decadence, a product sampling, launch and competition using the Selecta Gold Series ice cream last December 30 in the island paradise of Boracay. It was held at the newly opened Epic Boracay along Station 2.



Earlier that day, these Selecta models were giving out gold tickets which served as entrance to the hottest, rather, coolest ice cream party at the soon to be transformed dessert capital of the Philippines, the island paradise of Boracay. According to Selecta, "Summer may be over but ice cream will always remain a staple in the choice of dessert. Regardless if it’s freezing outside, Filipinos have this fondness of eating ice cream. This is relevant in the wide array of ice cream flavors that is available in the market."



Selecta Gold Series-inspired cocktails were served during the event and the after-party. Surprisingly, the drinks were really good. :)



The Selecta Gold Series ice cream competition's theme was Island Dessert. Four chefs from 5-star hotels in Boracay were chosen to compete for the said event. Competing were Ti Braz's Chef Christine San Diego, Villa de Oro's Chef Alvin Brillo, The Tides' Chef Jon Tuala, and Courtyard Birstro's Chef Salvador Mupra. Each chef randomly picked a flavor among Vanilla Almond, Chocolate Truffles, Berry Strawberry, and Hazelnut Brownie and has to stick to the theme. Plating was also judged. They were given 15 minutes each to prepare their masterful creations.



One Epic Boracay Experience: Ice Cream Tower in Mango and Caramelized Almond out of the Vanilla Almond flavor was the entry of The Tides’ Chef Eric Arevalo as represented by Chef Jon Tuala.



Taste, presentation, and the use of Selecta Gold Series flavor were the basis of judging. 50% of votes came from the judges while the remaining 50 were from the randomly-picked people from the audience. The judges include Fran Haw of Summit Media Philippines, TV personality and a certified ice cream-holic Rovilson Fernandez, and Carlos Palma of FoodieManila.



These kids can't wait to party all night long at Epic Boracay get enough of the really yummy ice cream flavors of Selecta ice cream. "Hazelnut Brownie for me!!!" says the little girl. :)))



At the end of the competition, it was Chef Jon Tuala of The Tides who emerged as the winner. With him in this photo are FIC Philippines Territory Director Jude Turcuato and Selecta Brand Manager JC Caro. The chefs were awarded with gift packs and cash prizes.



Of course, I enjoyed the ice cream myself :) :) :) My favorite is their Vanilla Almond. It's nice to know that it's already available in gold cups, which only costs Php 30 (SRP).

DJ Erwin Edralin provided chill out music that kept the crowd and the show lively. The event was hosted by the pretty and bubbly Chinggay Andrada. Various games in between the competition were played and created excitement and hyped up the crowd. They even had celebrities join the games, which created more thrill for the audience. It was even Epic Boracay after-party, as it was a big hit among the crowd. DJ Manolet Dario provided house music which kept the over 400 guests up until 4 a.m.

Calamansi Muffin of Real Coffee and Tea Cafe Boracay

Real Coffee & Tea Cafe Boracay is one of the places you SHOULD visit when you are visiting the beautiful island paradise of Boracay in Aklan. It's "where great minds meet," as their tag-line claims. But for me, Real Coffee and Tea Cafe Boracay is where the world famous yummy calamansi muffins are found. Both foreign and local tourists visit them to try out their home-style American all-day breakfast menu and cooking and, of course, their freshly baked muffins, cookies, brownies, and coffee.

It's a cozy bahay kubo stlye cafe located in between Free Willy Dive Shop and Hawaiian BBQ in Boracay's Boat Station 1. Real Coffee and Tea Cafe Boracay was there since 1996. It's owned and managed by an American, Lee Rosaia, who fell in love with the island paradise of Boracay Philippines, and now settled in where she calls her second home. Coming from Station 2, you would see these signs that would indicate you are really near Real Coffee & Tea Cafe.



I instantly fell in love with Real Coffee and Tea Cafe Boracay's Famous Calamansi Muffins, which sell at Php 45 a piece. The texture, consistency and taste is just right for my taste buds.



A good partner of the calamansi muffins is their coffee, or the house special Real Coffee, which is basically the brewed coffee with extra shot/s of espresso.


It's best if you go there early because the place gets crowded during the day and in the afternoons. Well, since you're already there, you should also try out their Omelette. I am not sure what the name of this omelette dish is, but if you can describe it, it's definitely positively worth trying.



If you want to bring home their world famous calamansi muffin to your family and friends as pasalubong or gift, you should pre-order a day before to make sure that it is available. Freshly baked calamansi muffins are the bomb, I tell you! :)



I just can't get enough of Real Coffee and Tea Cafe Boracay's Calamansi Muffin! Tell me if you're going to Boracay real soon, so that I can, maybe, probably, ask if you can bring me home a box or two of the calamansi muffins. :)


Bloggers Stephanie (Fran's Sister), Ryan, Frannywanny, myself, and Melo, enjoying Real Coffee and Tea Cafe Boracay.

Boracay Philippines - Alta Vista de Boracay

Lost Tsinelas spent Christmas in Boracay with his family, together with a few other famous people like him who wanted to get out of Metro Manila (and their own countries), and rest on the shores of one of the visited tourist spots in the Philippines. Mark Salling, also known as Puck in the hit series Glee, was one of the people who have visited and stayed there for quite some time. It was reported that he enjoyed his stay on the island. :)

Before 2010 ended, I followed, and went on a trip to Boracay Philippines, the island paradise, as a lot of people who have went and seen the beauty of the island would say. It was my first time to go to Boracay, and I was very much intrigued what the island has on both Filipino and foreign tourists, as it is one of the top destinations of the Philippines. The next few posts would feature food and sights one would see in Boracay Philippines, and would spell why it remains to be one of the best in the eyes of the tourists who visit the Philippines.



My Boracay Philippines adventure starts with where we were billeted during our short stay in the island. We were invited to cover an event, which I will write about later, and we were checked-in at Alta Vista de Boracay. We arrived a little past midnight, which was caused by several delays, (but that's just another story all together and I rather not talk about it) so I just had a decent meal delivered to my room, and slept, to get up early and explore the island paradise.



I woke up to this sight. These several photos below were taken by the hotel lobby. Alta Vista de Boracay has an infinity swimming pool one can swim in, relax and enjoy while he or she is in the hotel resort. Too bad though, Alta Vista's location is on the mountains, a few hundred meters or, actually, more than a kilometer away from the White Beach, where all the action and the people can be found.



These next photos are taken inside the room that I stayed in. Although you can sense the woody air and old-like smell of the place, maybe because of its location (near the forest) or poor maintenance, I don't know, the rooms are really spacious and can fit a group of 4 to 5 people.



The bathroom has a tub, a cold and hot water shower, toilet with vitae, sink, basic amenities, such as tissue, soap, shampoo and lotion, and a hairdryer. It's pretty decent and big, actually. The last photo shows the balcony of the room I had. Each room or unit has a separate balcony. Cool! :)



2010 has been a blessing for me. I have tried a variety of food, been to a lot of restaurants, traveled to places, gained friends and a lot of experiences, and I simply lived life. :) I feel that I am really blessed and lucky, and I would not trade what I have now for anything in this world. Now that it's 2011, it is another year to look forward to; I wish only for the best for everyone. :)

P.S. I would like to thank FOX International and Selecta for the Boracay Philippines trip :)