长滩岛

长滩岛（BORACAY）又名波拉克岛，位于菲律宾中部阿尔坎省SULU海中的一个小岛，说它是小岛一点都不为过，因为它长度只有7公里宽4公里。但您千万别小看这个最小岛屿哟！国际知名的英国BMW旅游杂志早在1994年，就将其评选为世界最美沙滩之一，如果您更仔细的话，更可以到许多航空公司的机上杂志（inflight magazine）看到该岛的介绍。岛上90％为欧洲游客，除了当地人的母语外，尽是德、法、西等欧系语言的天下，不过只要您会讲简单的英语也够了。

到长滩岛的许多游客不只来过一次，如果您看到一位操德语的年迈老外斜倚在一家店面不超过二坪大的小杂货店门前，可别觉得意外哟！因为很多人在此一住就是几年。

所谓长滩岛，顾名思义那里最出名的就是长达5公里的白色沙滩。当游客乘船在岛边靠岸时，会发现一个奇特现象：岛上竟然没有码头！那是为了保存小岛的原始风貌，当地人没有兴建码头。所以，游客只能在离岸还有三四十米的浅水中，脱了鞋子，卷起裤脚，背起行李，学当地船夫那样跳进水里，向岸上慢慢走去。这样的登陆方式，别具一格。

在长滩岛可以参加数不尽的活动，例如水上运动、讨价还价的购物、打高尔夫球，以及从一个小岛到另一个小岛的跨岛游。

长滩岛的帆船与众不同，被称作“螃蟹船”。整艘船以修长的船体为主轴，前后长了两对伸出海面的“翅膀”，看上去就是一个上下穿了头的“工”字，样子十分奇特。其实所谓的“翅膀”，就是4张用粗麻绳在木杆上缠结而成的牢固大网，主要供人乘坐，船身则做摆放食物和水以及随身物品之用。乘坐这样的帆船，一路鼓风前进，仿佛是一只在海上翱翔的大鸟。

语言

除了塔加路族语/菲律宾语和本地方言，英语在岛内广泛使用。

气候

3月－6月，是长滩岛的夏季，气温可高达28－38摄氏度。而11月到2月，清风徐来，夜晚凉爽，偶尔有热带阵雨。至于7月－10月，则是长滩岛最潮湿的季节。

Boracay Island is a great place for just lazing around. Seven km long, it is only one km wide at its narrowest point. Boracay's largest villages or barangays are Yapak, Balabag and Manoc-Manoc. A confusing network of paths and tracks connects them, and several smaller hamlets called sitios, so maps of Boracay can only serve as a general guide. Slightly more than half the 5200 population lives in Manoc-Manoc.

There is a beautiful beach on the west coast with very fine white sand, particularly near Balabag. The water is quite shallow, however. For snorkeling the east coast is better but beware of rips. There are scores of little sandy bays scattered around the island; they make an attractive alternative to the ever-popular White Beach.

The atmosphere on Diniwid Beach is also pleasant and peaceful, just to the north of White Beach. There are a few places offering inexpensive accommodation there that would cost twice as much at White Beach. Also well worth the visit is the immaculate Punta Beach.

Boracay is also well known for its now very rare gleaming white puka shells, said to be the best in the world. For years puka shells were dug out of the beach at Yapak and then sold. It's already a fait accompli that large masses of land are soon going to be moved in the north of the island. The most important Philippine property developers, Ayala Land, FiI-Estate and Primetown Property Group have bought up 205 hectares of land. There they intend to build resorts and housing for the better off; construction on the obligatory golf course is already well under way.

Every day seems to be a holiday on Boracay - all you need to do is relax and enjoy yourself. Just get up, make some coffee and decide whether to go sailing, windsurfing or perhaps snorkeling and looking at corals. If you're curious you may get as far as the Caves of the Flying Dogs of Yapak' or Bat Caves (admission P20) on the other side of the island, where there are still fishermen who have nothing to do with tourism, except that they too have to pay higher prices in the stores.

For many people, Boracay is the typical Pacific island paradise. Whether this will change in the foreseeable future depends on how much building development goes on. Which will inevitably change the face of the island Out of all recognition. The new slogan seems to be 'concrete instead of bamboo'. Fortunately, so far most architects have succeeded in designing buildings that do not dominate their environment and fit in with the island around them.