We
all know that Boracay is all beach. Well, that is the first thing that comes to
mind, but we should not forget that there are also a lot of activities in here
that are worth checking out, and one of them is cliff diving. Why would you
want to jump off a cliff? Adrenaline rush, my friend. There is nothing more
exciting than defying gravity, failing to do so, and still ending up alive. Or
do you not agree? Perhaps you are just a sissy like me. In Boracay, there is
just one go-to place if you want to jump off a cliff, and that place is Ariel’s
Point. Who is Ariel? I have no idea, but that is irrelevant so let us just skip
the discussion.
Go to Boracay Beach Club, which is behind Obama Grill across the street. If I am not mistaken, this area is on the crossroads of Stations 1 and 2 but do not quote me on this because I am not sure! The place is close to Andoks and Guilly’s. You will then see a sign saying Ariel’s House. Congratulations, you have reached your destination. The package costs PhP1,500 which includes the boat ride back and forth, the buffet lunch (you will never ever regret this), bottomless drinks, and the use of the jump boards on the cliff. If all your bags are packed and you are ready to go, you might want to stay a while and put them in a plastic bag because I guarantee you that you are going to get wet.
If
you have no issues with your body, then flaunt it with that swimsuit. The
meet-up place is Obama Grill at 11 AM. By the way, I suggest that you pay for
the package a day before your trip. You will never know when they would sell
out. Anyway, by 11:30 in the morning you would already be headed to that brown
boat that is easy to spot among the sea of boats with sails. The boat DOES NOT dock at the shore. You have to get in the water which is chest deep
to get on the boat. Having said that, you really have no excuse not to get wet because
carrying you all the way to that boat is not part of the PhP1,500 you paid for.
So, what happened to my laptop? I raised it as high as I could over my head.
Fortunately, it did not fall off or anything, although it could have, given the
rough waves.
Your
things are not yet safe once you get on board. Depending on the condition of
the sea, you would be slapped by sea water from time to time. And so what we
did was leave the valuables that should not get wet inside the mini makeshift
bar. I left my wallet there with all my money along with my laptop and found
them right where they were after all the activities. Another option is to go up
the roof deck and stay there. Some seawater would still reach you but would
only happen occasionally because you are on higher ground. Your enemy up there
would be the sun, which baked both my forearms to and from Ariel’s Point. The
breeze was awesome though! Free drinks start once you board the boat and yes,
they are unlimited! Take your pick from mineral water to soda to Tanduay Ice.
I chickened out on the 8m and 15m ramps. Fine, laugh at me. In a way I am quite devastated because this is the reason why we went in the first place, to jump! Well, I was alone and the first viable excuse was that no one would be taking a video of me. After going through that rather difficult entry to the cave all the way to the cliff, everyone else started jumping that I got too preoccupied taking photos and videos of them. After an hour or so everyone stopped to rest. The super yummy buffet lunch came after an hour, and people started jumping again after another before we departed at 4 PM. And so, how did it feel to fall off a cliff?
I
should know. Watching the videos, I realize that I did not even have the
strength to jump. Although I felt like I have launched myself high enough
during the actual jump, the video just disproves that by showing a lazy me
trying to get enough momentum but end up just stepping off the ledge for a free
fall. What happened? Well, let me first describe how it feels.
The pull of gravity is strong in that your body would seem to be too heavy once you toss yourself off that ramp. The guys doing the somersaults and gaining enough height to do a cool trick are exceptions to this of course, but normal individuals could also do a good jump with height and all. Well, I am not one of them. Once you are in the air, gravity will pull you down, as mentioned, and it is one nasty feeling.
The
only other jump-off-a-high-place activity I have ever done is bungy off the
Macau Tower. That one is head first, and once you get off the ledge you begin
not to care because you know you are securely tied to a rope, not to mention
how falling head first has this awesome effect that makes you feel as if you
were flying, in particular if your body assumes the correct position. On this
cliff dive, however, you know that you are on your own. There is a lifeguard on
a kayak with an abundant supply of life vests, but he does not control your
jump. Whether you land on the water butt
first, face down, or on your back, that is all you, and you could be risking a
bad injury of you enter the water the wrong way.
Still,
you could try it because jumping off and falling feet first is an easy thing to
do. Besides, you could always practice on the lowest platform which is just
around 3 meters. The thing that I hated the most though was the salt water. In
those three jumps that I did, the salt water that I ingested was just too much
for my nose and my throat. The feeling was awful and after the third jump I
just thought, what the heck! I don’t have to pressure myself to do this just
because others are doing it. I already enjoyed watching people enjoy. Yes, that
could be done. I have always had this idea that doing something amazing would
be more awesome than just watching someone do it, like figure skating or acting
onstage, to name a few. Well, not really. Sometimes you enjoy more as a
spectator rather than a participant. It does not always have to be all about
you.
Aside
from cliff diving, you could also do some trekking as there are some trails on
the other side of the cliff that leads to a giant rock formation thingy that is
just perfect for the photo op. You could also do some snorkeling. I think they
supply the snorkeling gears for free but you have to pay a thousand bucks if
you lose or damage them. And the buffet lunch! I could still taste that giant
steamed lapu-lapu. Even if I did not get to jump off the two highest ramps,
this trip is still very much worth it and I am definitely doing it again,
perhaps with friends. I still have to capture that 15 meter ramp as a personal
conquest, but first, I need some serious carbo-loading and a cheering squad.
BORACAY: 03 - Jumping Off a Cliff
KALIBO: 01 - Airportline Inn
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