Family Friendly Cliff Jumping at Ariel's Point, Philippines

You'd think a rickety boat, rocky ocean cliffs, an open bar and two young kids would be a recipe for disaster, right?  Well, our family day trip to Ariel's Point in the Philippines, and its ocean jumping platforms, was anything but.  In fact, it became the highlight of our vacation.

We had read about this "eco-adventure destination" a few weeks before our trip to Boracay, but with kids aged 7 and 9,  we weren't sure it was an appropriate attraction for us.   After all, Boracay itself offers multiple soft sand beaches, crystal clear waters, and more fruity boat drinks than you could imagine.  It's famed "White Beach" has consistently been rated among the top beach destination in the world and is crawling with locals peddling everything from shell necklaces and knock-off sunglasses to island hopping and other water activities - most of which don't require you to sign an insurance waiver.

After thoroughly enjoying the powdery sands and blue waters of White Beach for several days, we decided to check out Ariel's Point to make our experience in the Philippines complete.  I mean, why not?  When's the next time I'll be in the Philippines with an opportunity to jump from a rocky cliff into the blue waters of the Philippine Sea?

Getting There:
Once you've travelled to Boracay itself, getting to Ariel's Point is a piece of cake...though I dare say the boat trip to and (especially) back from Ariel's point is one of the highlights of the adventure.

After paying 1500 pesos per person (about USD $35) at Ariel's House Beach Bar on White Beach, we made our way toward an "interesting" looking wooden boat anchored just off the beach at Station 1.  There, our adventure began as we carried towels, cameras, and a change of clothes over our heads, through chest-high water to board the boat.  Moments later, the engines started, the bar opened and we were on our way.  (Note:  Jennifer dropped her iPhone in the water and it still works perfectly!)

There were approximately 50 other passengers on the boat - a very diverse slice of humanity - and everyone was extremely friendly, engaging and ready for a great time.  We all joked about the suspect sea-worthiness of our transportation and bonded over the rum and San Miguel that was liberally available onboard.

Leaving the busy waters of White Beach behind, we cruised along the coastline of a region call Buruanga, part of an island just south of Boracay.  The scenery was amazing with small huts and a few private homes dotting the jungle cliffs and beaches at the water's edge.  Once we reached Ariel's Point we all hopped off, following a set of very safe, well defined stairs that took us through a small cave and to the main diving and sunbathing platforms.   (Travel note:  Cameras, phones, dry clothes etc. can get wet boarding the boat.  Don't ruin your day with a broken camera or phone - leave it at home or be prepared to hold your valuables up out of the water as you get on and off)

Activities:

After getting settled and finding a place to sit and call "home" for the day, the Ariel's Point staff gave a few safety instructions, pointed out the bar, diving platforms, ocean kayaks, snorkle gear, the bar agai, and announced what time lunch would be served.  (Did I forget to mention the approximately $35 we paid per person included the boat ride, BBQ lunch, open bar, and all water activities?) 

Ariel's Point is surrounded by beautiful blue waters teeming with fish, has a secluded white beach just around the corner, and ocean kayaks, snorkel gear, and sunbathing lounge chairs are available at no charge.  I'd love to provide some perspective on these activities, but for us, the entire day was consumed by dives from the five platforms (ok, we only actually jumped from three of them).

So let's get to it!  Shortly after getting settled, the baking, mid-day sun made it prime time to make the first jump of the day.  First off, I was pleasantly surprised to see at least two lifeguards in the water below the diving platforms at all times.  Although our kids are both pretty strong swimmers, and have proven they are comfortable jumping into the ocean from a decent height (see Batu Batu post) it was great to see that Ariel's Point takes safety seriously.

But really, don't even think about safety before you jump - just go!  After waiting in a short line, I took the first plunge off the lowest of the platforms - about 10 feet - followed somewhat reluctantly by my 7 year-old son, Cooper.   My 9 year-old daughter, Sophia, was a little more scared to jump but after several attempts, she too let go and plunged into the water.  After that, the two laughed, splashed, and jumped again and again for the rest of the day.

There are five platforms at Ariel's Point, ranging from about 3 meters to 15 meters in height.  Personally, I worked my way from the 3 meter platform, to the 4 meter platform, and eventually to the 6 meter platform.  The 8 meter and 15 meter platforms, however, simply loomed too large for me.  It doesn't sound that high, right....well, stand on the 6 meter board and look up at the 15 meter....then tell me what you think.

Food & Drink:

About an hour after arriving, lunch was served consisting of BBQ chicken, pork, fish, pasta, fruit, rice, and a number of other local Filipino favorites.   In very informal fashion, the food was served buffet style on a set of wooden tables.  After paying only $35 USD for the full day, we weren't expecting much by way of quantity or quality, but we were not disappointed.  The chicken and fish were delicious, as was the selection of fruit.  Even the kids, who don't always love "non-western" style dishes really enjoyed the BBQ lunch.

And of course - the drinks.  Water, soda and fruit drinks were available for both kids and adults - literally as soon as the engine turned on at White Beach and not stopping until we arrived back at White Beach 6 hours later.  Rum and San Miguel were even more abundantly available for the adults.  Everything in moderation, right?

Closing Time:
Like all good things, our day at Ariel's Point came to an end.  As we began to gather our belongings and head to the boat, the sky opened up and it began to rain.  While this may sound like a disappointing end to the day, it was actually the beginning of a very memorable, fun ride back to Boracay.  After navigating the cave, some waves, and the plank back to the boat, we saw a beautiful rainbow fill the sky over Ariel's Point as we took our seats on the boat.

With all passengers and crew accounted for, the engine started and the bar opened.  The 50 or so passengers, now bonding over the experience of jumping into the Philippine Sea, ordered drinks for one another, laughed, shared stories, and took pictures.  The kids on board (four total) were all smiles as well, full of pride from overcoming some fear and enjoying the jumps into the ocean themselves.
As the boat sailed farther away from Ariel's Point, the sun began to set and the group of "20 somethings" on the upper deck came to life.  An impropmtu game of "spin the bottle of rum" broke out, only occasionally interupted by a dance-off to "Gangnam Style". 

Upon reaching White Beach 30 minutes later, everyone hopped off - no longer very concerned about getting their belongings a little wet in the process.  At this point, the sun was pretty low in the sky, and we headed to one of our favorite little restaurants for some dinner and to watch the sunset.  With this view, need I say anything more?

My last word of advice...if you're planning a trip to Boracay, I highly recommend you book a visit to Ariel's Point early in your trip.  After a day of excitement, exhilaration, and meeting new people, you may want to go more than once!

For more information, visit the Ariel's Point website.