BORACAY ISLAND J

As a woman i "~
exploration, aL.„
excitement. Now as a thirtysomething matria..«,..«
a young family, my holidays - while still factoring
in all of the above - are more about practicality,
simplicity, relaxation and, most importantly,
kid-friendliness. After shuffling through a shortlist
of destinations, Boracay Island was the top pick
for our first overseas family trip.
Part of the Philippines, Boracay can be
reached via Kalibo or Caticlan airports. Both are
an hour's flight from Manila and then it's just a
five-minufe boat ride from the mainland to the
Island. It's not the easiest holiday destination to
get to but once you arrive, it's hard to imagine
ever wanting to leave.
troTti orfeyrig to M^V> ^^.r,
hotels, restaurants and bars lining the entire
stretch, but even with the constant flurry of
activity, the island never feels crowded or
overrun, even during its peak season (October-
December).
The two main shopping areas, D*Mall and
D*Village, are great for picking up beach
suppiies and souvenirs and many of the day
spas in the area offer hour-long massages and
treatments for less than $10.
There aren't many oars on the island, so the
main way of getting around is to take a trike (a
motoroyole with sidecar attached). Crime on the
The clear waters of the beach are calm
and wonderfully shallow, making it ideal for
children to swim and play in. There are the
usual plethora of family-friendly island activities
like snorkelling, diving, island hopping - and
for the more adventurous - parasailing,
cliff jumping and kite surfing. But the true
attraction of the island Is the so-close-you-
could-almost-touoh-them sunsets. Sitting on
a beach lounger, sipping on a mango shake
watohing the orange sun submerge into the
horizon, you could almost imagine that this is
what paradise feels like. • Leigh SujantO

Play
BODYMEDIA FIT LINK ARMBAND
Specs; Multi-sensor iiody monitor measuring calories burned, iieart rate, steps and sleep patterns.
Priée: $149, pins S6.95 montliiy (or $59 for 1 year) for online data traciiing.
Small and light wrist or arm bands that track every nuance of your daily activity have
boomed recently, thanks largely to the convenience of syncing them to smartphone
apps to view the data, thus negating the need for a weighty, cumbersome and battery-
hungry display on the device itself.
NikeH- has the Fuelband, which joins the Jawbone Up and soon to be released
Fitbit Flex for super-lightweight wristbands to consider. But the big gun - at least in
terms of functionality - is the BodyMedia FIT Link. It's bulkier, but measures more
activity data, and with greater claimed precision. We used it to lose kilos after the
summer binge and checking out our daily wins on the deep and detailed online
tracker was fun in itself.
The $ 149 price tag is reasonable, but the required $6.95 monthly fee to access
your own data is just plain mercenary and a cruel annoyance.
• Ben Mansill is tfie editor of Australian Home Tecltnology magazine

March 2013 | Charter 73

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