Ariel's Point, Visayas, Philippines

5ZachWinningham 5:00 PM Jan 30, 2014

Ariel's Point - Comprehensive Review
THE BEST ACTIVITY ON BORACAY is without a doubt the AERIAL'S POINT excursion! You can organize it with your hotel desk or various other tour desks around the island. It will cost around $30 USD per person. REVIEW - You'll be picked up in the morning at your hotel by a driver who will take you to Ariel's House in Station 1 around 11:00am to meet up with the other random people who will be joining you. They take around 100 people per day, and it fills up quickly so plan it out the day before. They'll give you a short briefing telling you to not jump off the boat on the way back when you're drunk. You'll laugh that off, because why would someone do that? Play close attention though, because you will want to jump off the boat later on the way back when you're drunk. Anyway, to begin the excursion you'll all wade out in the ocean, waist deep, to get on a sweet pirate boat and head over to a neighboring island. It's a 45-minute ride, which goes quicker since they are feeding you alcohol immediately. Seriously, hadn't even sat down and they put drinks in our hand. And when you finish that drink, they'll hand you more. On the way over to the new island, everyone on the boat is timid...sort of sizing each other up, trying to figure out where everyone might be from, seeing how this is gonna go. The Filipinos working on the boat are playing party music but everyone is very calm. Sipping their first drink, sitting quietly on the benches and chairs, watching the water and the view. My wife and I normally aren't big on "meeting new people" when we are trying to have a vacation to ourselves...so much of our job in Vegas and around the world is doing exactly that, so we normally enjoy the break from socializing with strangers...so with this in mind, we were hesitant to go on an excursion with so many people. But take a good look around that quiet boat, because these people will be your best friends in about 5 hours. Once you land on the new island, you'll be hanging out in what I can only describe as an awesome, giant tree house. You'll also see that are four solid diving boards sticking out of rock formations. They are measured in meters, and while I am well-traveled, I've never been good at the "meters to feet" conversion. So I'll just put it this way: the lowest height board looks do-able...like, yeah I could probably jump off that one. The next height up is more like, yeaaaah probably not gonna do that one. The highest board is like...there is absolutely no way I would ever jump off a board that high, I'm not a Russian diver and I value my life. Pay close attention, because this highest board will be the one you'll be jumping off later when you're hammered and all your new best friends are doing it. Oh yeah, by the way, the unlimited alcohol continues on the island...rum and cokes, shots, beer, whatever. So while you're drinking away, everyone is sort of standing around in this humongous tree house complex, socializing, watching others jump off the boards, trying to get the courage to do it yourself, encouraging and clapping for the hesitant people who go to the end of the diving board and just stare at the water below for way too long. (Don't do that by the way, just make up your mind, walk out, and jump like a boss). After you jump off a board, you'll have a short swim to a ladder rope and subsequent stairway. And don't worry, they have a couple of locals in canoes down in the water to help if you're not a strong swimmer. Anyway, about an hour in, the locals have prepared a home-cooked barbecue feast of meats and veggies and rices, and it's perfect timing cause everyone could use some food right about now to soak up some of that rum. After the food it's back to jumping, or you can choose to kayak or snorkel as well. It's just a great, great day. They boat you back to the Boracay beach around 5:00pm, before sunset. Funniest part of the excursion: on the boat ride back to Boracay, all the same people who were sitting quietly on the way over, have now turned the boat into a full-on dance party. Not kidding. It was like a club, except it was daytime and everyone was slipping and falling because the "dance floor" was a wet boat. Drinks were still being delivered of course. We were partying with Canadians, Russians, Chinese peeps, Singapore chicks, etc. Definitely the best day of our trip, and the only time we pounded some McDonald's before we passed out in the hotel later. ARIEL'S POINT, don't miss it!! And yes, my wife and I both jumped off the highest board...twice!! Take that, Russian divers!

5Lucelyn Calizo 5:00 PM Feb 18, 2016

PERFECT PLACE FOR CLIFF DIVING
Located in the town of Buruanga, Ariels Point is a best thing to be included in your Boracay Island Escapade. Day-trip tour can easily be booked in the island despite that the Ariel's Point is not part of the town of Malay where the Island of Boracay is located. Kayaking, snorkeling, choices of 5 to 15 meters of diving (Cliff Dive) and food tripping are the assured things to be done. Hinugtan Beach near Ariel's Point is stunningly mesmerizing and a great addition to visit, better than Boracay on its current condition. :)