Talk:Boracay

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Wtmitchell (alias "boracay bill")

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Contents

[edit] Late 2007 edits

[edit] pumping up

Many small items have been inserted using terms not appropriate for this page. They are, however, appropriate for the WikiTravel page. "Blindingly white sand" is not even close to accurate, as of today it is still a light beige. That is travel brochure material.

[edit] Transportation

The entire transportation tag has been 'commented out and left in the page. The About the Island note has been renamed Transportation.

The transportation tag did not elxplain about transportation on Boracay; it was a 'how to get there' read that listed cities on other continents and their flights to a neighboring island and how to use the maritime highway/which connections/etc... That is WikiTravel info.

[edit] 20:16, 29 August 2006 reversions

In these reversions, I reverted three recent edits

The reverted edits had deleted two important maps and replaced them with a photo, added a commercial link, and added a link to a few external Boracay photos.

Let's discuss the appropriateness of at least the first two of these before it is done, please.

[edit] Revised Weather & Climate section, added References

I added a lot more information here, most of it anecdotal. I am sure that what I have done here can be improved upon. -- Boracay Bill 02:54, 19 July 2006 (UTC)

I think we've gone a little overboard with the weather discussion here. Isn't it suffice to say that Boracay has its favorable and less-than-favorable times of the year to visit, and then name the respective months? jkaufman101 20:45, 21 July 2006 (PST)

But the seasonal-change dates are not cast in stone and can vary by a month or more either way. I have lived on Boracay for ten years and can say with assurance (1) Boracay's main (only?) focus is tourism; (2) many prospective Boracay visitors are first-timers and use references like Wikipedia to find info about Boracay; (3) the question of how weather might impact a Boracay visit is an item of concern to prospective visitors; (4) Boracay has very pronounced seasonality of weather -- much more pronounced than other Philippine tourism destinations -- and the seasonal weather impacts visitors (it's a real disappointment to fly halfway around the world expecting a tropical paradise, arrive in the middle of Habagat season, and spend your Boracay vacation being unexpectedly rained on and having beach sand blown into your face by a 30kt wind). I could be wrong about the usefulness/appropriateness of placing the Boracay weather/climate info on the Boracay page, or perhaps what needs to be said could be said better than I have said it. -- Boracay Bill 00:07, 2 August 2006 (UTC)

Then, as an alternative to shortening this paragraph, would you consider re-writing it so it doesn't seem so convoluted or overwritten? I appreciate your work on this, though after reading it I am somehow left wondering exactly what it is that I just read. Thanks. jkaufman101, 1 August 2006, 19:36 (PST)

Feel free to rewrite it yourself; I'm not wedded to the words I have written, and I am just as likely to make a stylistic hash of it the second time around as I was the first time. Cheers. Boracay Bill 06:14, 2 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Removed paragraph in By Plane section

The paragraph I removed contained visitor advice related to avoiding being hassled by touts, etc. prior to check-in to Boracay accommodations. This info is just as applicable to persons arriving by sea or by road as it is to persons arriving by plane, and is probably generally applicable to visitors arriving in most tourism destinations. Removing this paragraph was a judgement call, and some may disagree. My feeling was that the removed material did not fit the section where it was placed, and also that the removed material was more appropriate to a travel brochure than to an encyclopedia article. -- Boracay Bill 06:07, 15 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Reversed an edit in Around The Island section

The following had been added to the end of this section: "Upon arriving on the Boracay Islands, the main island has three stations as an entrance for tourists and citizens of Boracay. Most people find that Station two is known for its night life and scenery." Perhaps this page does need info about the boat stations but, if so, the English needs to be better than this. I am not sure that the addition of this info would be a plus, so I have not provided alternative verbage. Also, Boracay passenger arrivals are currently done during Amihan season via boat stations 1-3, during the Habagat season via Tambisaan boat station on the southeast side of the island, and passenger departures are currently done via Cagban Jetty Port on the south end of the island. All of this is subject to change, as there is pressure to do all entries and departures via the Cagban Jetty Port. --Wtmitchell 07:15 Friday, 30 June (UTC)

Oops (Oops-plex -- I have edited this Oops). In the comment on my edit 10:53, 30 June 2006, I flubbed the URLs. Should be http://ops.gov.ph/records/memo_order_no214.htm and http://ops.gov.ph/records/eo_no377.htm. I don't know how to fix this. --Wtmitchell 03:05 Friday, 30 June (UTC)

Anyone who can upload lots of more pics? White beaches? famous resorts/hotels, etc. --Noypi380 09:16, 5 November 2005 (UTC)

Sorry though it looks like part of the article comes from http://boracayisland.org/traveltips.shtml

You've got it backwards, that page got its content from Wikipedia. Coffee 17:50, 20 November 2005 (UTC)
That is not fair. That site should at least mention that its source is wikipedia. Sites like Reference.com admits this for example. --Noypi380 06:18, 25 November 2005 (UTC)

Boracay is possibly one of the last best-kept secrets for international travellers and vacationers. In fact, it is possibly one of the last best-kept secrets of paradise!

I'm removing that description. It sounds too n00bish and characteristically un-wikipedia-like.

Starting with It has consistently been on numerous top ten best beaches lists for decades sounds alot better. --Chicbicyclist 00:56, 30 December 2005 (UTC)

No it does not. If you make this absurd statement, you need to source it. Otherwise it gets deleted. No more Philippines boosting here! This is not a travel brochure.

I wasnt actually trying to "philippine boost" here. I did not add anything, merely deleted some stuff that actually made it sound more "boosted". Check the history. Chicbicyclist 09:40, 7 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Featured Article collaboration

How about adding the Municipality infobox and the municipalities in Aklan template at the bottom and a locator map? Circa 1900 11:44, 18 November 2005 (UTC)

That wouldn't work, Boracay isn't a municipality itself, it's part of Malay, Aklan. A locator map would be good though... Coffee 17:50, 20 November 2005 (UTC)
Since Boracay isn't a municipality, the maps would be good. Circa 1900 13:01, 22 November 2005 (UTC)
added a locator map. Magalhães 20:09, 1 January 2006 (UTC)
Looks good Circa 1900 05:44, 3 January 2006 (UTC)
I notice that the Copyright info for the image lists User:Www.boracaytrip.com (a nonexistant wiki user) as the file's creator. Perhaps this can be changed to User:Magalhães (??) -- Boracay Bill 23:28, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

I just spoke with someone who is using a slightly different version of

[edit] Removal of Boracay map

(also see related discussion in preceeding section)
this map (mentioned above) on his website. When I remarked that his map was derived from the public-domain map on Wikipedia's Boracay page, his response was along the lines of "It most certainly is not!!! I drew this map myself some years ago!!!" I think that the public-domain status of this map is now in question. I note that the image page for this map (improperly?) gives a commercial website URL rather than the name of an individual as the creator of the image. I don't see a mechanism for challenging the wiki-usability of an image -- does anyone know how to go about that? In the meantime, barring objection, I plan to remove reference to this image from this Boracay article. Comments? Objections? -- Boracay Bill 07:32, 12 March 2007 (UTC)

Removed the map. Due to its questionable PD status, I will be submitting the image for deletion. -- Boracay Bill 04:02, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Name

Where did Boracay get its name? When was it "discovered" by tourists? Perhaps we should add that. Circa 1900 05:44, 3 January 2006 (UTC)

"Bora" + cay = Boracay --Howard the Duck 10:27, 21 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Borocay (??) - intent to delete

This is a statement of intent to remove the recent change by User:Tmusgrove which added (sometimes spelled "Borocay") to the intro. I don't think that this belongs on the page unless it can be shown to be a proper alternative spelling. I did Google Borocay, though, and was amazed at the huge number of hits. Apparently, this is a pretty common mis-spelling. I tried the wiki page for Borocay, and found that it redirects to this Boracay page (that redirect having been added by Tmusgrove also). If Borocay is no more than a common mis-spelling of Boracay, that redirect ought to be enough, IMHO, and we ought to have a consensus to add the info that this is a common mis-spelling to the page text. Barring a consensus to the contrary, I intend to remove this. Differing opinions? -- Boracay Bill 01:52, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

made the deletion. -- Boracay Bill 00:06, 20 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Deletion of Facilities section and its Golf Course entry

I have reverted the recent deletion of the facilities section and the entry therein mentioning Boracay's golf course. The edit summary on the deletion edit said: rm "facilities" commercial plug for golf course. There are many other facilities on Boracay as well, but they are not mentioned. Why only this? The golf course mentioned is the only one on Boracay (or, probably, for 100km around Boracay) -- this is not a selective commercial plug as, for example, showcasing a particular Boracay resort would be. I think the information that there is a golf course on Boracay, and that it is a good one, adds value to the article. I note that the article on Augusta, Georgia mentions the Augusta National Golf Club. I note that the article on Pebble Beach, California lists all of its seven golf courses. I note that the article on La Jolla, San Diego, California lists the Torrey Pines Golf Course. I note that the article on Rancho Mirage, California goes on and on about its 12 golf courses, mentioning several of them by name. I could go on to provide numerous other examples of articles about a location which mention a nearby golf course. As mentioned in the edit summary for the reverted edit, the Facilities section of this page does need to be be expanded by the addition of information about other Boracay facilities. -- Boracay Bill 07:54, 17 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Infobox

Boracay
Geography
Location South East Asia
Archipelago Visayas
Major islands Bohol, Cebu, Leyte, Masbate, Negros, Panay, Samar
Area 10.32 km²


Administration
Flag of the Philippines Philippines
Barangay Manoc-Manoc, Balabag, and Yapak


I question the recently-added infobox, which I duplicate here in its current state. The purpose of this appears to be to tie the Boracay article together with a larger group of related articles all sporting infoboxes similar to this one. I note that the infobox mentions Panay, which sports a similar infobox, and Samar, which does not. The infobox, in my mind, detracts and distracts from this article more than it adds to it. Questions raised in my mind by specific entries visible in this infobox include:

  • location = South East Asia - Seems too broad. "Western Visayas, Philippines, Southeast Asia" would be more informative, IMO
  • archipelago = Visayas -- I don't think that Visayas is, strictly speaking, an archipelago. The Visayas page calls it an island grouping, which seems right to me. I think of the Visayas as a group of islands located in the central part of the Philippine archipelago.
  • major islands = Bohol, Cebu, Leyte, Masbate, Negros, Panay, Samar - The Visayas article lists the following as major islands: Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Samar. Masbate is a part of the Bicol Region (Region V), right? Anyhow, what does this have to do with Boracay? If it has little to do with Boracay, does it belong in the Boracay article?

Template entries which don't show as visible items in the infobox but which are questionable IMO include:

I am not sure what to propose here. Is the insertion of infoboxes similar to this part of a wide-ranging ongoing effort of which I am unaware? Is the insertion of this infobox a plus or a minus for this Boracay article? Comments? -- Boracay Bill 01:32, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

At first, I don't see how the infobox adds value, too. But if mountains can have infoboxes I suppose islands can also. --seav 15:15, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Alternative

Boracay
Geography
Location South East Asia
Coordinates 11°58′N, 121°55′E
Archipelago Philippines
Total islands 7,107
Major islands Luzon Island Group
Visiyas Island Group
Mindinao Island Group
Area 10.32 km²


Administration
Flag of the Philippines Philippines
Region
Province
Municipality
Barangay		 Western Visayas
Aklan
Malay
Manoc-Manoc, Balabag, and Yapak
Demographics
Population census unavailable
Indigenous people Bisaya (Aklanon, Ati)

Here is a suggested alternative.

The Region/Province/Mucipality stuff is a bit of a hack which could be broken by future changes in the template. I specified population=census unavailable in order to force display of the Demographics section. Barring objections, I will substitute this for the current template. If there are objections or comments, please speak up. -- Boracay Bill 05:29, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Made the change -- Boracay Bill 03:38, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] I Give Up

Boracay Bill is so possessive of his copy that he is loathe to hear criticism or make changes -- even changes that are rightfully suggested. This is what happens when a local resident takes ownership of a topic and exerts autocratic control. This is not what makes Wikipedia an asset, and unfortunately Boracay Bill can be expected to continue his domination of this page.

Er... Sorry, User:jkaufman101, I didn't realize that I was stepping one anyone's toes. I expressed my concerns on the talk page, announced my proposed change there, waited a while (admittedly a short while), and then without objection implemented the change which I had proposed and had put up for discussion. I would have appreciated dissenting comments prior to implementation of the change. If you have problems with the change, can you please let me know what your problems are? -- Boracay Bill 11:55, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Map

The map on the infobox doesn't give you an idea where Boracay is. As a standard operating procedure, infobox maps should be locator maps. --Howard the Duck 12:16, 12 June 2007 (UTC)

I don't know how standard that operating procedure is. The Parameters info at Template:Infobox_Islands seems to indicate that it is optional, and the example at Template_talk:Infobox_Islands doesn't provide much location info on the map (though the infobox image currently on the Sumatra page provides better location info on the map). I previewed the page with each of the three maps in the infobox, and would comment:
  • RPmap+Boracay.gif looks OK to me and gives good location info
  • Ph locator aklan boracay.png looks OK to me but gives location info relative to Aklan province, which many viewers of the page won't recognize.
  • Boracay sketch map.gif looks OK to me but gives no location info on the map.
My guess is that the RPmap+Boracay.gif image is best for the infobox, but I don't think that it matters much which map appears in the infobox as long as the other two maps are available in the Geography section. -- Boracay Bill 23:03, 12 June 2007 (UTC)
If you'll ask me, Ph locator aklan boracay.png should be the way to go. The current map doesn't give a clue where in the world Bora is. This was also the problem at the Zamboanga City article, FYI. --Howard the Duck 09:29, 13 June 2007 (UTC)


(Additionally, I added the population data, which was based on the combined populations of the three barangays, last June. Thanks for adding a footnote.)203.87.201.5 08:03, 12 August 2007 (UTC)

Expected Image:RPmap%2BBoracay.gif at the top of the article. Jidanni 01:04, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Facilities

I find it highly improbable that Boracay has "in excess of 350 beach resorts." Was wondering whether someone could source this out and if unsubstantiated, delete it? I think this number was included in one of the early versions of the Boracay section that was focused on fluff rather than fact. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jkaufman101 (talk • contribs) 04:50, 9 October 2007 (UTC)

I think it depends on your definition of "beach resort". If the definition is something like "a high-class establishment with an entrance on White Beach", there's probably on the order of zero to 20, depending on your definition of "high-class". If your definition is "an establishment located within reasonable walking distance of a Boracay beach with rooms available for rent on a daily basis", there may well be 350+, depending on your definition of "reasonable walking distance". -- Boracay Bill 10:27, 9 October 2007 (UTC)

Trying to keep an open mind about it, let's say that we can reasonably consider Boracay an international destination. After all, there are many who vacation there from around Asia -- even Europe, Australia and the U.S. So, as an international destination, I would have to go with the definition of "beach resort" as being something you might compare with an international facility in Asia Minor -- perhaps we should stick to the same geographical area -- such as Phuket, Bali or Palau. Certainly there is nothing like a Four Seasons, Hilton or Banyon Tree in Boracay, or anything close to it. And if someone disagrees and says, "Oh, but Friday's is a beach resort," the logical answer would be, "well maybe, but in any case there aren't 350 of them."

I propose we change the wording to read, "hundreds of motels and small, informal resorts" or some such, since we don't know the exact number. -- Jkaufman101 08:27, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Martial law

Now under PTA: President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced on June 2, 2008 the implementation of an "unrepealed Martial Law Proclamation” declaring Boracay a tourist zone and national park, placing its resources under the administration and control of the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA)."gmanews.tv, Arroyo to impose ‘Martial Law’ proclamation on Boracay --Florentino floro (talk) 11:15, 3 June 2008 (UTC)