Carpe Diem is the motto and it begins the moment you take off on a bangka ride from Caticlan. As the island takes shape and you find out that the beach is flour-white and the water crystal clear, you discover that Boracay already has you under its spell. It is a world all its own.

White Beach is lined with many resorts, shops, restaurants and what-nots, subtly hidden from view with palm fronds serving as windbreakers. As it was not peak season the last time I was there with a friend and a cousin, it was easy to get a room with a decent bed and private bath for an unbelievable P200 a day. That’s a bargain considering that the hostel is only a few meters away from White Beach and the rest of bumming humanity.