ONE of the Christmas chestnuts that has endured through the years as a staple of holiday sing-alongs is “White Christmas,” that 1942 Irving Berlin nugget that has been recorded by a plethora of artists since, the Bing Crosby version of which is “the world’s best-selling single with estimated sales in excess of 100 million copies worldwide,” according to Wikipedia.
Needless to say, Filipinos young and old—no doubt fueled by our colonial past filled with Norman Rockwell illustrations of snow-draped Americana, and the melodiously poignant pining of Bing Crosby for “treetops that glisten and children listen to hear sleigh bells in the snow”—have been pining for our own white Christmas since.
The good news is that we can always indulge in our very own white Christmas, this without having to employ some massive, heavy-duty snow machine to blanket our homes and cities with shaved ice, or require us to take a plane ride beyond our shores. How about a trip—yet another trip indeed—to Boracay, one of our many 7,000-plus islands whose beaches have been the recipient of worldwide acclaim, cited by such reputable travel specialists as TripAdvisor and Travel + Leisure Magazine as the best in the world.
True, suggesting a Yuletide escape to the country’s premier beach destination seems, offhand, like a mockery of one’s yearning for a white Christmas, but Boracay’s famous talcum-like white sand makes for an excellent stand-in for snow, and the palm trees that line the island’s famous White Beach do glisten under the sun. Certainly, an increasing number of foreign tourists have made Boracay a favorite holiday destination. In December the beach’s 4-kilometer stretch of powdery white-sand coastline becomes populated with Western and North Asian tourists chucking their heavy winter wear in favor of board shorts and bikinis. Local tourists flock to the island, too, for Boracay’s island-wide New Year’s Eve soirées.
Should you make that trip this holiday season—or in summer 2018—a marvelous place to temporarily park yourself in would be Coast Boracay in Station 2. Because of its central location, the resort, which is managed by the Raintree Hospitality Group, is an ideal address for the Christmas and New Year’s Eve holidays. The boutique resort offers a beach-front view and is also walking distance to and from the most happening restaurants, bars, shops and party venues. The resort’s high-end amenities, including its Instagram-worthy pool area, modern architecture, modish interior design and its distinct hipster beach-vibe, have made it one of the more popular hotels in the island, with a consistent No. 1 rating among 151 Boracay hotels rated by Tripadvisor since May 2016.
The Raintree Hospitality Group, by the way, has distinguished itself for conceptualizing, developing, managing and operating concept hotels in Metro Manila, Tagaytay, Boracay, Baler and Naga City. It also owns and operates successful restaurant ventures, namely, Museum Café, Kabila, Providore, Backyard, Chelsea Kitchen, Chelsea Café, Saboten, Izakaya Sensu, Chotto Matte and Terraz.
December room rates for Coast Boracay starts at P8,500 until December 25, and P10,000 from December 26 until January 7, 2018. Rates are inclusive of roundtrip shuttles via private vans and boat transfers to and from Caticlan airport, and breakfast buffet at Cha Cha’s Beach Café, Coast’s famous food-and-beverage outlet. Martin Wisniewski and Chef Kalel Chan, the brains behind hip Manila restaurants Museum Café, Kabila, Chotto Matte, Izakaya Sensu, Providore and Chelsea Grand Café, collaborate with Cha-Cha Beach Café resident chefs Romy Aumentado and Gilbert Ramos for the outlet’s Christmas Eve feast.
On December 24, guests will enjoy a holiday spread with Yuletide-themed canapés, food stations for salads, soups and pasta, two kinds of meaty, savory carvings, a sundae bar and a festive dessert display. This feast is open to the public at only P888 per person. Cha-Cha’s Beach Café will also jump-start its New Year celebrations a few days early, with a live nine-piece Latin band, Punto Cubano, on December 29, 30 and 31. This live music set will be complemented with live club sessions by DJ Supreme Fist and live percussions by Marcus Maguigad and RWG.
On December 31, New Year’s Eve, all featured artists will perform at the Latino-inspired countdown party. Guests can party all night to catchy Afro-Latin rhythms while partaking of Cha Cha’s block-party style buffet inclusive of unlimited drinks at the Tropical Cocktail Bar. Cha Cha’s New Year’s Eve Party is priced at P2,500 per person.
The holidays in Boracay will never fulfill our fantasy of Christmas Americana, Norman Rockwell style, but there are plenty of pleasures to be had even in a non-summer sojourn to this tropical paradise bursting with sensory indulgences. From the loud-and-proud parties that seem to erupt everywhere at night, the gustatory delights available whatever hour, the coastline chillout sessions caressed by the gentle sea breeze and the sound of waves softly rolling into shore, to the early-morning walk the day after with that glorious sunrise breaking in the horizon.
It’s a coastal Christmas that is no less magical.
With additional reporting & photos by Gerard Ramos, Lifestyle & Entertainment Editor
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Here’s a song for your 2017 White Sand Christmas getaway: https://youtu.be/0C4m63iCadg