I Traveled From New York to Boracay Twice — And I’d Do It Again
My Boracay story, favorite experiences, photography, and everything I learned from visiting this little island in the Philippines two years in a row.
Some destinations are beautiful while you're there. You take the photos, bring home a few souvenirs, unpack your suitcase, and eventually start thinking about wherever you're going next.
And then there are places that somehow stay with you.
For me, Boracay became one of those places.
Getting there from New York City was not exactly easy. My first journey took more than 30 hours and involved three flights, a boat, a ground transfer, and one very stressful connection in Manila. By the time I finally reached the island, I had traveled quite literally to the other side of the world.
Was it worth it?
Yes. So much so that the following January, I did it all over again.
I visited Boracay for the first time in 2025 and returned in 2026. And after two trips, countless photographs, more beaches than I can count, a few travel mistakes, some unexpected discoveries, and experiences I never originally planned to have, I somehow ended up creating an entire section of Ann in Motion dedicated to this tiny island.
So if you've just discovered my Boracay stories, consider this your starting point.
First, I Had to Get There
When I decided to travel from New York to Boracay, I knew it was going to be a long journey. I don't think I fully appreciated how long until I was actually doing it.
Boracay doesn't have its own airport, so reaching the island involved flying from New York to Doha, continuing to Manila, taking another flight to Caticlan, and finally transferring by boat and ground transportation to my hotel.
There was also a rather stressful Manila airport transfer, a taxi mistake, and a moment when I genuinely wasn't sure I was going to make my next flight.
If you're planning the same journey—or you're simply curious what traveling from NYC to Boracay actually looks like—I wrote about the entire adventure in How I Got to Boracay from New York: 30+ Hours, 3 Flights, 1 Boat & 1 Bus Ride Later.
It remains one of the longest journeys I've ever taken.
And somehow, I voluntarily did it twice.
The Hotel Mistake I'm Still Grateful I Made
One of my favorite Boracay stories actually started with a mistake.
Before my first trip, I thought I had booked a hotel near the famous White Beach.
I hadn't.
I arrived to discover that my hotel was on Bulabog Beach, on the opposite side of the island. At first, I thought I had messed up my vacation before it had even properly started.
Instead, it became one of the best travel mistakes I've ever made.
White Beach is stunning, and I spent plenty of time there. But Bulabog gave me something completely different. It was quieter and more peaceful, and instead of being surrounded by the busiest part of the island, I could wake up near the water and watch colorful kite surfers outside.
You can read the story of that original accidental discovery in How to Choose the Right Hotel in Boracay.
But the best part came a year later.
When I returned to Boracay in 2026, I could have stayed anywhere.
This time, I deliberately chose Bulabog Beach again.
I stayed at a different hotel, Aira Boracay Hotel, and somehow loved the experience even more. My room had a large balcony overlooking the ocean, and some of my favorite evenings were incredibly simple: fresh tropical fruit, an open balcony, palm trees moving in the breeze, and the sound of the ocean.
I shared the entire experience—and why I would choose this side of Boracay again—in my updated 2026 Boracay hotel guide.
Sometimes a travel mistake really does work out better than the original plan.
Boracay Is So Much More Than White Beach
Of course, you cannot talk about Boracay without talking about its beaches.
White Beach deserves its reputation. The sand really is that beautiful, the water really does have those incredible shades of turquoise, and sunset can completely transform the entire shoreline.
But one of the things I discovered after exploring Boracay is that there is much more to this island than its most famous beach.
I found quieter beaches, beautiful sunrise locations, little corners away from the crowds, and places I probably never would have discovered if I had simply stayed around White Beach for my entire trip.
If you're visiting for the first time, start with Why Boracay Should Be On Your Bucket List: A Guide to the Island's Best Beaches and then explore my guide to Two Hidden Beaches in Boracay You'll Fall in Love With.
And if you're willing to wake up early—which I very often am when there is a camera involved—I also put together my 5 Places in Boracay Worth Waking Up at Sunrise For.
Boracay in the early morning is an entirely different island.
Before the crowds arrive, there are moments when it feels like you have paradise almost entirely to yourself.
I Tried A Lot of Things While I Was There
Before my first visit, I assumed Boracay would mostly be about the beach.
I was very wrong.
I tried island hopping, helmet diving, a land tour, sunset paraw sailing, crystal kayak photos, windsurfing, spa experiences, and plenty of smaller things I hadn't planned before arriving.
Some I would book again immediately.
Some I probably wouldn't.
And some of my favorite experiences weren't even part of my original itinerary.
I put all of the major excursions together in Activities in Boracay: Every Excursion I Tried (And Which Ones I'd Actually Book Again) so you can see what each experience was actually like before spending your own vacation time and money on it.
One of the biggest surprises was windsurfing.
I had never traveled to Boracay thinking, I'm going to learn how to windsurf. But after staying on Bulabog Beach and watching people out on the water every day, I wanted to try it myself.
I ended up loving it—and learning a very useful lesson about how to book it for a better price the next time.
That experience deserved its own story: How I Learned Windsurfing in Boracay (And the Booking Mistake That Saved Me Money Next Time).
That's one of the things I love about traveling. Sometimes the experiences you remember most are the ones that weren't on the itinerary at all.
I Wasn't Only Traveling — I Was Photographing
Photography is a huge part of the way I experience the world.
Even when I'm technically on vacation, I'm constantly noticing light, color, movement, landscapes, and little moments I want to remember.
Boracay gave me plenty of all of them.
During my time on the island, I also had the opportunity to photograph a family on the beach. Photographing people somewhere so different from my everyday environment in New York was a wonderful experience, and it also gave me the chance to think about Boracay from a photographer's perspective—not only as a traveler.
If you're planning your own professional photos while visiting the island, I created What to Wear for a Beach Photoshoot in Boracay: A Travel Photographer's Guide, including my recommendations for outfits, locations, and choosing between sunrise and sunset.
But portraits were only one part of what I photographed.
The Trip That Became a Fine Art Collection
Long before Ann in Motion became what it is today, travel and photography were already deeply connected for me.
When I travel, I don't only want photographs that show where I went. I'm always looking for images that capture what being there actually felt like.
In Boracay, that meant turquoise water, quiet beaches before everyone woke up, palm trees, boats, colorful sunsets, and those small scenes that instantly transport me back to the island.
Those photographs eventually became my Boracay Fine Art Print Collection.
The collection was created from photographs I personally took during my travels, and I designed it as a way of bringing some of that feeling home. The images are available as wall art in different professional finishes, including framed prints, canvas, acrylic, metal, and other options.
If Boracay already holds memories for you—or if you simply love tropical landscapes and coastal photography—you can explore my Boracay Fine Art Print Collection and find a piece for your own home, office, or creative space.
For me, these photographs are more than pictures of a beautiful beach. They are pieces of two journeys that I will always remember.
Would I Travel All the Way From New York to Boracay Again?
Considering I've already done it twice, I think you know the answer.
Boracay isn't perfect. Getting there from New York takes serious commitment. Some places are crowded. Some excursions were better than others. I made mistakes. I learned what I would do differently.
But that's also why I wanted to write about it.
I don't want Ann in Motion to be a collection of generic destination guides telling you the same ten things you can find everywhere else. I want to share the places I actually experienced—the things I loved, the things that surprised me, the mistakes I made, and the little discoveries that made each trip mine.
Boracay gave me plenty of those stories.
I went there expecting beautiful beaches.
I came home with photographs that became a fine art collection, a new love for windsurfing, favorite hidden beaches, very strong opinions about where I would stay, plenty of travel lessons, and enough memories to bring me back to the island for a second January in a row.
And after traveling more than 30 hours to reach it—not once, but twice—I think that says everything you need to know about how I feel about Boracay.
If you're planning your own trip, I hope the stories and guides throughout my Boracay Travel Blog help you create your version of this adventure.
And if you're simply traveling with me through Ann in Motion, thank you for coming all the way to Boracay with me.
There are plenty more places to go from here.
— Anna Meshcheri