Known for its white sand beaches, relaxing vibe and romantic atmosphere, Boracay is the perfect place to take a first date. But not everything on this idyllic island in the Philippines will be your date’s idea of a good time – so much so that, despite your best intentions, you may not find yourself with a second date.
See if you’ve both got what it takes to endure the quirky, curious and unusual side of Boracay.
Cocomangas Shooter Bar
Famous for its signature drinking challenge, an evening at Cocomangas separates the strong from the weak. And so far it has done a good job as the longest running bar in Boracay. The challenge? To drink 15 different shots of assorted booze and remain upright – at least for a time. Succeed and your name will be engraved on the bar’s wall of fame and a tally placed against your country of origin – Filipinos are currently in the lead, having had the most of their country folk undertake the challenge, but it’s a close call between Taiwanese and Koreans, followed by Americans and Chinese. So challenge your date to a shoot off of the drinking variety. If either of you are still standing by the end of the night – and the hangovers are not too bad the next day – you might just find yourself on a second date. If not, at least you’ll have a permanent reminder of your first date memorialized forever on the wall of one of Boracay’s most popular bars.
Legacy Gym Boracay
Sometimes it’s fun to work out together. Put your date through his or her paces with the help of Legacy Gym Boracay. Try a boxing class with some of Boracay’s best – the Philippines is the land of Manny Pacquiao, after all. There’s also Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts. Or ease into it with a Saturday morning conditioning class set on Boracay’s paradisal White Beach. If your date can keep up with you, maybe they will also be willing to withstand a second date.
Zip lining
Head up to the top of the island and hope your date doesn’t suffer from a fear of heights as you’ll find two zip lines on which to hurtle back down again. Ride next to each other – or go tandem – and enjoy spectacular views as you fly down. Experience the thrill in a heart-pounding adventure but beware – if your date is not a thrill seeker, a second date may not be in the cards.
Paupatri
For the more traditional daters, a nice dinner may be on the cards. When in the Philippines there’s no better time to check out the local cuisine. Paupatri restaurant serves up local delicacies in a stunning setting, located away from the hustle and bustle of White Beach. You may find yourself wandering for a while in search of the restaurant as it’s not the easiest to find, but once you do, leave your shoes at the door and settle in for a feast. Here you can order an entire goat or a whole roast pig – and hopefully the sheer volume of delicious food will keep your date wanting more.
Boracay Toilet Bar & Restaurant
Taiwan’s restaurant Modern Toilet is well known for serving main courses in toilet-shaped crockery, drinks out of vessels that look like urinals and desserts that look like poo, all to guests who sit around on loo-like chairs. Now Boracay has its very own Toilet Bar & Restaurant. With a menu that features Buffalo WEE-WEEngs, Drippy Logs, Crispy Crap, and Chicken Pork A-Poo Poo, each served in toilet bowl, bath tub, or urinal-inspired receptacles. While a dinner date here might sound like a good idea, especially to experience local Filipino cuisine, at this quirky venue things could go either way.
Wildlife Expo
Boracay’s Wildlife Expo offers unparalleled opportunities to get up close and personal with spiders, snakes, parrots, monkeys and more. Hopefully the furry tarantulas crawling up your date’s arm or the thick, heavy snake around his or her neck won’t keep you from getting a second date.
Motag Living Museum
Your date might not be impressed by the fact that the two of you are ploughing, harrowing, planting, threshing, pounding and then cooking rice at Motag Living Museum, but Boracay visitors to this popular attraction can step back in time to experience life gone by. The interactive living museum requires visitors to get involved, meet the caribou (domestic water buffalo) and likely wallow in the mud with them. This may well not be your date’s cup of tea and could leave you enjoying the experience alone — or with only the carabao as company!
Feature image: Angelo Juan Ramos, Beach Scene, the Philippines, via Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0
Slider image: Lachlan Fearnley, Sailing at Paraw at sunset in Boracay, via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
