Boracay Island is Still the Greatest Vacation Getaway in the Philippines
Boracay is an island of the Philippines located approximately 315km (200 miles) south of Manila and 2km off the northwest tip of the island of Panay in the Western Visayas region. In 1990, it was voted by the BMW Tropical Beach Handbook as one of the best beaches in the world and again in 1996 by British publication TV Quick as the world’s number one tropical beach. In 2007, Boracay Island topped the list of the World’s Most Popular Beach according to Yahoo! Travel.
Weather in Boracay is generally divided into two seasonal weather patterns known locally as the Amihan and Habagat seasons. In the local language, Amihan means a cool northeast wind, and Habagat means southwest wind or south-west monsoon. The Amihan season is characterized by moderate temperatures, little or no rainfall, and a prevailing wind from the east. The Habagat season is characterized by hot and humid weather, frequent heavy rainfall, and a prevailing wind from the west. Boracay is in the Amihan weather pattern from September or October to May or June and in the Habagat weather pattern for the remainder of the year.
Daytime temperatures on Boracay generally range from 25-32°C from the beginning of the Amihan season and increases to the 28-38°C range with the onset of the Habagat season. During Tropical Storm periods, temperatures can fall below 20°C.