We spontaneously decided to fly to the Philippines for my Birthday to spend it in Luxury & Style! As we don’t plan much in advance and do a lot of last-minute decisions, I wasn’t really sure where I would celebrate the big 3-0. Kuala Lumpur was an option – since it was en route to Australia. But spending my big Birthday in a stop-over destination just didn’t feel right.

I loved the idea of spending it in Paradise. But it had to be an affordable Paradise as we had to stick to a budget during our RTW trip. So we decided to head to Boracay! We booked flights last-minute for a three-day-luxury-Birthday-extravaganza.

Here is what we did.

 

1) We chose a secluded accommodation with our own private beach.

Where in the world can you have a private beach and not spend an absolute fortune? The Philippines! I’m telling you, there is no greater feeling, than waking up in the morning, putting your bikini on, walk down the stairs and go for a swim! The breakfast bar at our little resort (Baling Hai) was outstanding. We’d order our breakfast and by the time we came back from swimming, breakfast would be served for us. And after several months of budget travelling, this little bit of luxury was something we appreciated even more!

 

 

2) We explored the Stations by the White Beach.

White Beach is known as the party strip in Boracay and we knew when we arrived on the island that that would NOT be where we would want to book our accommodation. We loved our secluded little Paradise and were happy to travel to the stations by tricycle for little money, party the night away and travel back again. We felt we had the best of both worlds!

 

 

3) I had my hair braided by one of the friendly ladies by the beach.

I never had my hair braided on a beach and felt, before I hit 30, it’s gotta be done! Plus I got to chat to the lovely lady about everyday life on Boracay – the filipinos are, in my opinion, the friendliest people in the world. Honestly. We felt so welcome and only met friendly people! They are so relaxed and always seem to be in a good mood.

 

 

4) We had shots at midnight.

Because partying on Boracay is not only fun but also extremely affordable! After our little boozy adventure, we joined a crowd of locals and travelers at a nearby party and danced the night away! We had such a blast!

 

 

5) We woke up to this view every day.

Yep. This is what you see in the Philippines pretty much every day. The water has the perfect temperature, the perfect colour…I knew a few days on the Philippines would never ever be enough and I made the decision to come back and stay for a whole lot longer to explore more of the Philippines! Because…look at this!

 

 

6) We drank ice-cold beers by the beach.

…and chilled and read our books, went for the occasional dip in the turquoise blue waters, went for walks or did some snorkelling…what more do you want on your Birthday?!

 

 

7) We watched the sunset at the Shangri La.

Yep – we went all out and even that place was affordable. We watched the sunset, took some cheesy ‘couple-y’ photos, ate our tapas, drank Champagne…gazed into each other’s eyes…yep…cheesy, I know. But, come on…once in a while, a bit of romance overload…especially if it’s your Birthday, right?! Seriously, if you want to score some Kudos with your Partner – take him / her here! 

 

 

8) We marvelled at how white ‘White Beach’ really is!

I have never EVER in my life seen such a white sandy beach before and it was exactly where I wanted to spend my Birthday. On a paradise island with picture perfect beaches. What do you think? Pretty spectacular, huh!? We were actually really lucky as there were barely any people when we went to the white beach – i heard from others that it is usually extremely crowded.

 

 

9) We took typical tourist photos.

Yeah that’s not usually something I like to do…but I wanted to capture the date of my 30th which would make for a nice memory! Too bad that the dude who took the photo actually cut off the date…….! Oh well….maybe next time. 😉 We later found out that usually you’re being charged for these kinds of photos…we had no idea!

 

 

10) We treated ourselves to a special bottle of Champagne.

I don’t think I have ever ordered a bottle of champagne in a restaurant before. And today I decided….f**k it! You only live once – it’s my Birthday, we are SO doing this! We saved loads of money by budgeting carefully throughout our entire trip, we could afford a bit of luxury! And it was TOTALLY worth it!

 

 

11) We rented our own private catamaran.

…for £20 GBP for two hours. Is it just me, or is this really cheap?! I don’t think you can do this somewhere in Europe, right? So, off we sailed out towards the horizon…watched the sun go down…kissed…did I mention I dig romantic stuff… a lot. My best friend would probably roll her eyes and sigh with disgust.

 

 

12) We had our private romantic dinner on the beach.

When we heard that Baling Hai on Boracay offers a private beach dining experience, we could not resist. Picture flower petals all over the beach (and at Baling Hai you have your own private beach), candles everywhere, a table for two. This place would be perfect for a proposal or honeymoon…or a very romantic 30th Birthday!

 

 

13) We partied with the locals & tourists.

There is always something going on on Boracay. We were stoked to serendipitously discover a beach shack that had an awesome little intimate party going on – and as the night progressed and people got braver, we even had a few people challenge each other to a bit of a dance contest. Yeah, the sort of stuff you see in the movies and think ‘does this even happen in real life?’. Yep. Seems that way. On Boracay, it does.

 

 

14) We took ‘postcard’ photos.

…I think the Philippines rivals Thailand when it comes to picture perfect beach photos. Don’t you think?

 

 

15) I had an unforgettable 30th Birthday!

…in every way imaginable. It was the BEST Birthday ever. The fact that we spontaneously decided to do this last minute and we literally did not plan any of these activities in advance but just decided on the spot what to do next, made it even better! My aim was to live a life full of serendipity after all…

 

 

 

Have you ever been to Boracay? Did you like it? I would love to hear your opinion in the comment section below!

 

 

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