After going through a terrible break-up and the company I worked in marketing for going bust, I decided to quit the nine-to-five for good and head out on my first-ever solo female backpacking adventures, which, in 2014, catapulted me to the dreamscape of Boracay Island in the Philippines.
When I saw a picture of one of the most exquisite paradise islands I'd ever seen, on an airport billboard in Malaysia, I booked a one-way flight to the Philippines and ended up spending the next five years on Boracay Island!
I landed there one dark night and never did I imagine waking up to find a place so perfect I couldn't leave, and then actually getting to call it my home.
From day one, Boracay Island stole my heart and I finally realised, that, after my months of soul-searching in South East Asia, I'd found my place to call my parallel universe and my home from home: Boracay Island.
Can you see why I didn't leave...?
I hope you enjoy my memoir from 2014 about landing in Boracay for the first time and if you visit, I think you'll find that, despite it's recent troubles, this beautiful island in the Philippines remains as fun, welcoming, diverse and stunning as it ever was. I can't wait to go back...
March 2014, 11pm, Boracay Island, The Philippines
"Massage mumsirrrr", "Ride Miss?"!!
Arriving tired, hungry and hot from Manila, I caught a tricycle, then tramped through the lanes of Station Three searching for some backpacker-friendly digs.
"Only one-thousand three-hundred pesos ma'am" (about £21 back then - expensive for SEA!), yeah right.
Beach path, Angol, Station 3, Boracay Island
Upon finding somewhere marginally less horrifyingly expensive for a traveller like myself, I parked my backpack, marched purposefully up the surprisingly quiet beach path and found myself in Station Two. After grabbing a bite to eat, I called it a night.
The next morning, adventures called, so I wandered out to White Beach Boracay, the most famous of the island's beaches and winner of many global awards. Not quite believing my eyes, they slowly took in the exquisite sight before me.
Cerulean blue sea, dead calm, white oh-so-white powder sand and the most perfect Lapis Lazuli sky I've ever seen. Pure, utter heaven.
My first-ever view of Angol, White Beach
Gentle reggae floated over the breeze and a voice sang: "Ice creeeeeam, ice creeeeam... free wifi... open your mind, open your heart, open your wallet, open your pucket..." making me burst into laughter, and I sank disbelievingly into the baby-powder-soft sand.
Backpacking in Boracay
Days of blissful basking in the sun and sea followed, interspersed only with a spot of scuba diving, chilled evenings and early nights.
This for days...
Boracay Island is well-known for its parties and nightlife (top tip, you'll have some of the best nights of your live vibing with the locals and expats in Exit Bar on the beach path in Station 2!), but there's an awful lot of Zen here, too if you need it.
Then I met the Manic Monkey Crew. Ready to start getting my social life back after my sheer laziness, the suggestion of a pool party was the perfect antidote to my ever-increasing lethargy, so I donned my gladrags and hot-footed it over.
Two blue shots greeted me along with a cry of: "WENG WENG!!" (A statement, not a question), so I, being polite and British, concurred and went with the "WENG WENG!" flow. Or maybe five "WENG WENG!" flows. Who knows. (Be careful of "WENG WENG!" – oh and another Boracay cocktail to be-VERY-ware of, is the 'F*ck You Archie!'. Don't say I didn't warn you...).
That night I met hippies, backpackers, expats – even a couple of people who, it turned out, lived three miles from my parents in the UK (and went on to become some of my very closest friends – and still are today! Boracay is truly magic that way). We partied under the stars and I had the time of my life.
Hedonistic nights have since followed: tribal beach parties, karaoke, Black Moon Parties; but for me, although I love the bars under the stars, Boracay isn't just about the nightlife.
A LOT of this went down in my first few weeks on Boracay Island
Lazy days sailing the crystal waters with new friends, discovering secret rivers, mad tricycle rides to deserted beaches, beach BBQs and people I've met calling out my name for a chat have made me feel like pinching myself daily.
Here, footwear is a choice not a necessity; I frequently forget my flip-flops - the feeling of the sand in your toes is, I believe, essential for the soul. My inner hippie is very very happy.
Quite happy to be here as you can see!
Living as an expat in Boracay
One evening, while parked on the sand taking in yet another stunning sunset, I watched some tourists taking selfies and suddenly realised three weeks had slipped away.
BTW, the sunsets here are no joke, #nofilter - if you love sunsets, you'll be obsessed
I had ZERO desire to leave. Cue long-term plans. (Well, a day in advance anyway, we're on island time, right...?)
I legged it up to d’mall (the ‘city’ of Boracay at the time) and got some questionable ID pictures taken so I could extend my visa and get serious.
Three thousand pesos at the Bureau (about £40 today!) and a few sniggers at my dodgy passport picture later, I was in as a legit Islander for another 29 days.
But the amazing thing about the Philippines is that after extending your tourist visa for another month, there is the option to ultimately extend for up to three years. It's the perfect place for digital nomads, trust me!
New SIM and phone number, an appointment to see a beachside condo and a chance to write for the local newspaper, The Boracay Sun (who subsequently published this piece, yay!) and I was really starting to feel like this special island could become the place to hang my hat.
Living on Boracay Island
As I sit looking out at the ocean, I'm still pinching myself. Joey the Pirate is dipping a toe at the water's edge and Habagat (south west monsoon, or rainy season) is stroking the shore, tempting the island's kite surfers to test the now-choppy White Beach waters.
What Boracay has in store for me, I'm not sure yet and I'm not quite sure what I am yet... I'm in a state of limbo feeling half backpacker and half expat, but not at all lost... Although I can't say the same for my my flip-flops... where on earth did I leave them...?
Oh and one more thing... did you hear about the Boracay Mermaids? Beware their siren song... They enchanted me and I was taken away, only to become one of the salty maidens of the sea; Beware, if they want you, Boracay's Mermaids will enchant you, come for you, take you, have you and keep you forever...
Since this memoir, I've had many, many incredible adventures in the Philippines, also living in Moalboal, Cebu for two years; read my insider guide on the five best things to do in Moalboal, Cebu – but I've hardly published anything, due to having to return to the UK during Covid for family reasons.
So bear with me and hang on in there, and I'll begin to share utterly incredible adventures in one of the most the most beautful paradise countries on the planet. I can't wait to share my parallel universe with you!
If you'd like to work with me, drop me a line and I'll get back to you ASAP, or if you want to see more of my vanlife and luxury and adventure travels, head to my Instagram @what_katie.did.
© Images Katehammaren.com unless otherwise credited
Author: Kate Hammaren, Freelance Writer & Editor
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