I’ve been to Boracay a number of times and about a week ago, I went for two weekends on a row. I’m on a nearby province so it doesn’t take much for me to get to the awesome island. I’m also on the island yearly with the best, funnest cousins in the whole world during peak season. We get cray-cray, I swear.
(You can go Google when the peak seasons are. Some even go the extra mile and have a “mid-peak” season which is somewhere between both poles.)
WAY CHEAPER
This is the first thing you’ll notice. The accommodations will go very cheap, with discounts from 10% to 70%. This means you can stay for more nights in the Boracay if you’re working with a budget. The ideal number of days on the island I would say be minimum of four (4) nights. I think that is enough of great food, binge drinking, dancing and paradise to last you for a while. I will however invite you to stay there for weeks to months as many foreign tourists do.
A popular Italian local intended on staying for three days and stayed for three months (everyday is laundry day, I guess). He then returned to his motherland but after a few days returned with all his life and he now happily resides on the island. "Permanent tourist" is the term used. Yes, Boracay is paradise and it makes you want to stay there. That is why I had to go there twice the past weeks. So I could come face-to-face with the urge to live there.
LESS CROWDED
When it is peak-season, there will be tourists (a lot of domestic) on the island. If this is your thing, enjoy the crowd but I myself prefer a quieter shore. I like swimming with personal space bigger than the average rainy day puddle. I’m in Boracay for the beach and the vibe and my vision is less people with their touristy instincts (photo in every move, travelling in herds, extremely crowded nightspots).
I just have to say, I almost shat in my pants when I saw all the vendors with selfie-pods. Those things were invented by Dark Lord Satan and people should avoid using them. It is just wrong to buy equipment to take better photos of yourself for social reasons.
MORE AUTHENTIC, ISLAND FEEL (if that is even possible anymore)
I keep hearing about old Boracay with the villages, wooden huts, and authentic Filipino barangay feel. In the barangay, you know everyone, everything about everyone, eat the same food, and do the same things. Of course, this is impossible with what Boracay is now but the locals do come out more during off-peak seasons. Or maybe they are less drowned by the visiting crowd.
The locals are always easy to talk to. They often have dreadlocks and tattoos and can be intimidating but they’re there for the good time and they will tell you about their life which is often very interesting. I love hearing people talk.
Off-peak season is the best time to meet great people, not only locals but also tourists. A lot of them will be talking about the fantasy of moving to the island and you will get why.
CLUBBING IS MUCH MORE FUN
The clubs (like Summer Place) still get jam-packed but it is with a better crowd than peak season probably because the people there are less “trendy”. I’m not against trends but you don’t show up to a beach-side club in heels and dress and spend the night taking selfies. I’m a serious club person. If it is my jam, it is my jam and I will dance.
MORE ACTIVITIES
During the habagat season or windy months, kite-surfing and surfing move to the main shore which is great. These activities are often in the back beach because the winds are stronger there but it is great that you won’t have to travel just to try kite-surfing or surfing. Activities are also cheaper (up to 50% off) during “off” months.
Of course, there are cons like the weather being too wet blah blah blah. If you plan to go to Boracay twice or more in the future, try visiting during off-peak and peak seasons. Take your pick, I won’t judge. I’ll be glad if you pick off-peak though!
By the way, I realised I did not want to move to the island. However, I’d love the option to go there when I become too tied up. It’s is really a great place. I was so in love I started looking for cemeteries because I was dead serious about living until death there.
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