In true Filipino fashion, the “elders” in the family will insist that you spend the holidays within the confines of the home, where you can all gather around the table for the traditional midnight dinners.
Make your own cocktail drinks, Boracay-style 
Boracay Garden food and beverage manager Mario Gatmaitan shares three simple cocktail recipes that you can make for guests and family, even if you’re bent on spending the holidays at home. Red Christmas Recommended for socializing at the sala before dinner, or while eating Noche Buena What you need (per serving; as measured through a jigger): ½ cointreau 90 mL cranberry juice 60 mL sparkling wine Glass: champagne flute What to do: 1. The glass must be chilled. Either put it in the freezer or fill it with ice for a few minutes. 2. Pour cointreau and cranberry juice. Top with sparkling wine. Snowball This is a dessert and cocktail drink rolled into one, creamy but with a kick. What you need (per serving): 1 part Tequila Rose liqueur 3 drops vanilla syrup 30 mL evaporated milk ½ part kahlua cinnamon powder wafer sticks Glass: brandy snifter What to do: 1. Put all the ingredients in a blender, together with some ice cubes. 2. Blend them together until the mixture is smooth. 3. Pour it in the glass, then top it with cinnamon powder. 4. Garnish with the wafer stick. Santa shot This wicked drink can give you the kick that you need to really get the party started. What you need (per serving; as measured by a jigger): 1 part grenadine syrup 1 part green crème de menthe 1 part Jagermeister Glass: shot glass or cordial glass What to do: 1. Pour green crème de menthe in the glass. 2. Since you’d want to achieve a jelly-layers look, hold a teaspoon—on its backside—on the glass’ opening before pouring grenadine syrup. 3. Do the same as you put in the Jagermeister. But the holiday season can take a toll on you, especially if you live in the city, with all the things to do, mall sales, and traffic. So if you’re itching to get away from all that and experience the holidays in a different way, why not head to the beach—to Boracay, for instance—and celebrate with the eternal feel of sun and sand?
Let someone else ‘accommodate’ According to Henry Chusuey, chairman of Henann Hotels and Resorts (which manages three establishments in Boracay), more people come in after December 25 in order to experience the New Year celebration in Boracay—that night of “food, fun, drinks, and the best fireworks by the beach front.” To keep up with competition, hotels along Boracay’s long strip try to beat each other with promo packages that tourists—especially Filipinos—take advantage of every year. Some promos, such as that of
Boracay Garden Resort (one of their establishments), last even until Jan. 2.
Have your special 'Media Noche' – fuss-free! Buffets are lined up along its three-kilometer strip during the holidays. Even hotels, especially those that have restaurants inside, can prepare your Media Noche, the traditional Filipino New Year's Eve meal, for you. Ralph Gerald Bermejo, food and beverage manager of Boracay Mandarin Hotel, said their buffet for New Year costs around P1,200 and it comes with entertainment like fire dancing and live bands. Over at the world-renowned Discovery Shores (hailed as one of the best Hotel Spas in the world by Travel + Leisure), holidays are welcomed with feasts—and an “all-out”
Carnaval treat is to be laid out for the New Year. These establishments gather their guests for a Media Noche by the beach, complete with DJs, live bands, and, of course, spectacular fireworks display. According to Chusuey, Boracay “has the best fireworks ever,” best seen by guests on the beach front as they have their midnight New Year dinner. For Henann Hotels and Resorts, which has been arranging these gatherings for about five years, the sky sparkles with their fireworks display for 15 minutes.
Go ahead – let loose, be adventurous Boracay can entertain your “wild side”—whether you’re talking about extreme sports or all-night partying. Take advantage of the waters and the scenery with different
activities like cliff jumping at Ariel’s Point (P1,400 per person), parasailing (around P2,000 per person), and helmet diving (P600 per person). You may also go island hopping, at whatever style you choose, be it on a kayak (P1,200 per person), by land (for as low as P2,000), or even by helicopter (P5,300 per person). If you’re up for cocktails and party music, you can head over to places like the Jungle Bar (famous for opening only during full moon and for its lethal concoction named after bar manager Archie Aniel), Juice Bar (for flaming cocktails), and the Pool Bar of the New York Times-recognized Tides Resort. But if you’re planning to get wasted, best to do it in good company—family members or friends who will drag you safely into bed, but from whom you’ll never hear the end of it.
Make (or strengthen) connections In an interview with GMA News Online, some locals said going to Boracay during the yuletide holidays is a treat because the camaraderie on the island emphasizes the “happy” in Christmas and New Year. “Masaya ang bonding ng mga tao sa beach sa mga panahong ito, kahit hindi sila magkakakilala sa una,” said Bermejo, who added that around 80 percent of the guests at this time are Europeans who wish to take a break from freezing in winter. Boracay “beach police” Chino Vargas added that Christmas there is enjoyable because it’s a time for families and friends to be away from the stresses of work and urban living. “Kapag kasi nandito, sama sama sila, nae-enjoy nila ‘yung beach at may time para sa isa’t isa,” he said.
A sparkling snowman stands along the white sand strip. Boracay lights up with festive lights during the yuletide season.
Relax Since you’re on vacation—one of the rare times of the year—do reserve at least one day as your downtime, when you can sleep in longer, take a barefoot stroll on the powdery white sand, watch one of the best sunsets in the world, go to the spa, and just zone out. Rid yourself of the stresses, take in the laid-back vibe of the beach, and start your year feeling fresh.
— KG/HS, GMA News 
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