Travelling to Boracay – A comprehensive guide (2021)

I didn’t think it was possible, but it was a risk worth taking. On today’s post I’ll be sharing with you our story on how we traveled to Boracay safely and following the strict requirements, where we stayed, what we did, and where we ate.

There are a lot of travel guides to Boracay available on-line, but found nothing detailed enough for parents like me so I still had to “crawl” my way through. I made this guide so you don’t have to.

I’ve seen posts from people traveling to Boracay and as much as I wanted to go, I knew it wasn’t safe yet.  I had to wait until I was fully vaccinated.

While adults have been enjoying the privileges of life outside, albeit under the protection of face masks, our kids have been stuck inside the four corners of our home for more than a year! Can you imagine how they must feel?

My son Geof told me while he was getting used to being alone and playing or studying at home, he told me he felt lonely and stuck. The pandemic is also taking a toll on their mental health.

For parents who are reading this post, I’m sure your kids probably feel the same and you want to give them a short but safe vacation. So without further ado.. Let’s start!

Checklist: Boracay Travel Requirements

1. Government Issued ID
2. Round-trip plane tickets
3. Confirmed hotel booking
4. Negative RT-PCR test result
5. S-Pass
6. Health Declaration Form for Boracay QR Tourist Code

Step 1: Schedule your flight

And make sure you can travel in between those dates, while airlines are flexible enough, sometimes they cancel flights and you have no choice but to adjust your schedule. I booked our round-trip tickets via Cebu Pacific Air because we had unused travel funds back in 2020 when we were supposed to go to Cebu.

Take note of your travel dates. This is important when you schedule your Covid-19 testing.

Step 2: Book your hotel

While there are a lot of tour companies offering packaged rates, I still prefer to do DIY so I can manage my budget and itinerary accordingly. I chose Coast Boracay as our hotel because they offered the most flexible rebooking/cancellation options, have stellar 5-star reviews, and it has a beach front location in the middle of Station 2. 

I mentioned Geof and I had been to Boracay countless times, and we’ve experienced dining at Chacha’s, Coast’s in-house restaurant. They serve good food and that’s another reason why we booked this hotel. They also provide free airport transfers from boat to shuttle. Making this trip basically hassle-free.

Read my full review on Coast Boracay here (coming soon…)

Step 3: Schedule Your RT-PCR Test

This is the part where it gets nerve-wracking and tricky. In order to get a Boracay QR Health Pass, you need to receive a Negative RT-PCR Test Result at least 72 hours before your flight. No more, no less. It also have to be in an official testing site. Beware of fake tests! Never ever ever fake your test results, for your safety and others.

Here’s a list of official laboratory testing sites in the Philippines

It took me some time to think what time/day is the best for this. Because I read from other people that they receive their results between 4-12 hours after taking the test. Can you imagine the anxiety waiting for the test results?

Because I hate swabbing, it feels invasive. I chose to get tested in Red Cross’ saliva RT-PCR. They have a lot of locations available so you can just visit their website to check. 

• Travel Date: July 1-4
• RT-PCR Schedule: June 29, 1PM

This was more or less three days before our flight to give leeway in case of mishaps. The saliva test was time consuming but more comfortable than swab. You just have to fill up a test tube with your spit. Make sure you’re not wearing any makeup because they want the saliva to be clear from any debris.

We received the result of our saliva RT-PCR on June 30, 12:30PM, but there was a mishap! The worker misspelled my name, and wrote my surname twice! Que horror! I panicked HARD. How to resolve this? E-mail their center right away, call their hotlines, contact everyone you know, post on facebook. They fixed the typo after 2 hours of following up. Whew. 

Step 4: S-Pass

Visit www.s-pass.ph to secure a pending S-Pass permit. Choose Malay-Aklan and don’t panic when you see it’s prohibited. It just means an additional step of uploading your negative RT-PCR test result. Screenshot your pending S-Pass and move to the next step.

Step 5: Getting your Boracay QR Code

Are you still with me? I know, it’s tedious. But all the effort is worth it. Visit www.touristboracay.com to submit all your requirements and receive your QR Code. This QR Code is most essential because you’ll be asked for this from airport to hotels, even in restaurants in the island. It’s your pass to Boracay.

It usually varies how long you receive the QR Code. Some received it 4 hours after request, some receive it 12 hours. The easier you make the work for the staff, the sooner you get your code. Proper naming convention is the key

Travel Tip: After securing all your documents. Make sure all files are organized and follow a proper naming convention. This isn’t a requirement, but it makes it easier for the staff to go through all the requests from hundreds of people applying for a QR Code.

Example:

• Enerva Kaycee S-Pass
• Enerva Kaycee Flight Confirmation
• Enerva Kaycee RT-PCR Result
• Enerva Kaycee ID
• Enerva Kaycee Health Declaration Card
• Enerva Kaycee Hotel Booking

I submitted all travel documents at around 3PM, and received my QR code at 8PM. Amazing!

Ready? Set. Go!

That’s it pansit. Once you have your QR code and documents ready, you’re ready to board your flight to Boracay and enjoy that well-deserved mental health break. 

Don’t forget to keep your face masks on even while on the beach front. You’re only allowed to remove this in the ocean or while eating.  Check out my story on where to find good food in Boracay and my Coast hotel review. 

Hope you find this post helpful! Don’t forget to SHARE this to help others too. Boracay needs more tourists, and businesses are struggling. If we travel safely, we’ll help the island survive 🙂