Christmas in the island

By MALOU E. ROSAL

December 11, 2010, 5:25pm

Boracay Garden Resort awaits Christmas vacationers. Photo by OMAR ROMERO.

MANILA, Philippines — This is no white Christmas. No snow, no sleigh bells ringing, poor Santa can’t find a chimney to slide into, even Frosty the Snowman would have melted.

Instead the sun smiles gently from clear blue skies, the waters caress the shore, and the island’s famous fine white sands swirl in heady anticipation of city folk roaming the beaches.

This is Boracay, a little island off the coast of Caticlan in Aklan, the summer capital of the Philippines, world-renowned for its laid-back beauty. Now, more and more, Boracay is becoming not only a summer destination but also the place to be for Christmas and New Year. Families and friends gather here for their annual reunions, especially long lost relatives from abroad who are eager to make more memorable moments with the whole clan.

Because of the season’s mad rush, flights to the island have increased.  South East Asian Airlines, or SEAIR, runs the fastest flights to Boracay. Thirty-five minutes after the Dornier 328 has lifted off from the Manila Domestic Airport, it lands on the short airstrip of Caticlan. And starting December 8, 2010, there will be 20 flights a day to accommodate the clamoring crowd.

SEAIR has also partnered with Boracay Garden Resort for an exclusive vacation package for as low as Php 10,095 per person valid until December 19, 2010.  This package includes roundtrip fare to Caticlan, three days and two nights accommodations with daily breakfast, and rountrip lan and sea transfers via Caticlan.

Sitting on two hectares of prime Station 2 property, Boracay Garden Resort was resurrected from a former incarnation that was the Hotel Seraph. The 201-room resort carries a Triple A rating, “the highest for the resort category in the Philippines”.

Each room has a terrace, high-speed wi-fi connection, bath tub with separate shower area, individually controlled air conditioning, cable television, direct dial phone, in-room safe, coffee and tea-making facilities, and personal refrigerator.  Guests booked in rooms on the ground floor can also “jump into” the mini-Olympic sized pool from their patio. Although not actually on the beach front, guests have direct

access to the beach though a private walkway.

Henry Chusuey, Chairman of Henann Hotel Management, owner and operator of the Boracay Regency Group of Hotels, originally hails from Iloilo. He first visited Boracay in the 1980s and fell in love with the island.  But at that time, accommodations were limited and the few hotels already in place did not suit him.

“So I said I’ll put up my own hotel,” Chusuey recalls. “Now, I have a place to stay, and at the same time, I have a business.”

That was in 1998 when they opened Boracay Regency. Today, the group has grown to include Boracay Garden Resort and Regency Lagoon.

Chusuey is excited with the renovations going on at Boracay Garden.  In about another year, he foresees completion of these improvements, including a new restaurant that will serve International and Asian-Fusion cuisine. 

In the meantime, for this year’s yuletide season, Boracay Garden Resort celebrates Pinoy Christmas with heartwarming holiday specials. From December 25, 2010 to January 2, 2011, the resort offers a promo package for only Php 7,097 per person.  This rate is based on triple sharing, inclusive of four days’ accommodations, daily breakfast and dinner, and roundtrip transfers.

A festive spread also awaits Boracay Garden Resort guests this Christmas. 

A Filipino Noche Buena feast brings back memories of Christmases past with the whole family sharing Pinoy favorites like Tinolang Manok Tagalog, Arroz Valenciana, Lumpiang Sariwa at Ubod, Relyenong Bangus, Kare-Kareng Buntot, Tamales, Macaroons, and other delicacies.

The resort’s restaurant can also cook up a storm with other homegrown dishes like Pinapaitan Soup, Ensaladang Labanos, Lechon Kawali, Adobong Sugpo sa Aligue ng Talangka, Mungo Guisado, Sinigang na Ulo-Ulo, Relyenong Alimango, Inasal, Pesang Isda sa Miso, Ampalaya Enchilada, Shrimp Ukoy, Crispy Pork Pata, Pancit Molo, Ginumis, Brazo de Mercedes, and the list goes on.

Chusuey invites Boracay visitors, not only for summer and Christmas, but all throughout the seasons. “Boracay Garden Resort is your home away from home. Guests keep coming back to us because of our reasonable rates, excellent food, and top-notch service.”

For inquiries about room rates, packages, and reservations, contact Boracay Garden Resort’s Manila booking office at telephone 353-1111 or email:manilareservations@boracaygarden.com.ph.

For information about other SEAIR packages, call 849-0100 or 843-7308, or visitwww.FlySeair.com.

A Bicolano in Boracay
Reigning over the Boracay Garden Resort’s kitchen is Bicol native Chef Patrick Obia.

As Executive Chef of Boracay Regency, he also supervises everything that’s cooking in sister properties Boracay Garden and Regency Lagoon.

His extensive culinary experience from various international hotel stints serve as impetus and inspiration for the Asian-Fusion dishes that he creates at the resort. 

His Pinoy Christmas feast for guests booked at Boracay Garden for the holidays is a shining testament to his expertise and instinct for what Filipino families long for at Christmas. 

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