The tropical island of Boracay is situated only 200 miles south of Manila. It's not big – only 8 miles long and 1 mile wide. Surrounded by white beaches and covered in lush vegetation, it is perfectly formed to offer some of the best swimming, diving and sailing conditions in Asia . Amazingly, it has not yet become a mass market destination and retains a beach community atmosphere. Sandy paths connect the island and most people are quite happy to walk everywhere.

The jewel in the island's crown is White Beach, a beautiful stretch of powder-white sand that offers great swimming and nightlife. Our real adventure lay on the east side of the island at Bulabog Beach. It's here that the real watersport fans gather for their daily dose of adrenalin. It has perfect conditions, with a reliable onshore wind and a fringing reef with breakers.

Bulabog Beach has become the Asian capital of kite-surfing (or kite-boarding). The idea behind kitesurfing is very simple. Kitesurfers (or crazy adventurers like us) stand on a board with foot straps or bindings and use the power of a large controllable kite to propel the board rider and the board across the water. The sport was once exclusively practiced by young Americans, but it is sweeping the globe and an increasing number of Japanese and Koreans are taking to it.

We only “discovered” kitesurfing five days into our holiday. Our first day was spent kayaking (we rented kayaks and paddled right around the island). The next day we went diving (there is a PADI-accredited centre on White Beach ) and managed a round of golf. On day three we set off mountain climbing on the neighbouring island of Panay, which has two peaks over 2000 metres high. On day four, all action was put on hold as we recovered from nasty hangovers following an all-night drinking session at one of the beach bars!

On Friday, our fifth day, we decided to head for Bulabog beach to windsurf. This I'd done before – its rather like sailing a small boat, the size of a surfboard. Windsurfing is very big here – every January the island hosts the Boracay International Funboard Cup, an event that draws professionals from around the globe. We're not in the same league, but we were doing a pretty good job in the shallow waters. And then I spotted a guy kitesurfing. I was amazed as he sped across the bay, carving the water into foamy slices and often soaring high into the air. I had to have a try!

My new-found pal told me that it wasn't that difficult, so I gave it a go. One minute I was standing in waist-high water trying to control the kite, the next I was dragged headfirst across the ocean. Believe me, it's easier than it looks. Your body is the only link between the kite and the board and you have to control them both at the same time; piloting the kite in the sky and steering the board on the water. I never really mastered it, but got enough of a taste to know that it's something I want to do again.

The biking was great, with a number of routes around the island, most on loose dirt tracks. Some steep climbs led us to lookout points, with spectacular views across the clear, blue waters to the distant islands. There were some hair-rising moments coming down again, usually along single track paths through thick vegetation and little villages. But there would always be a beach at the end of the road, somewhere to cool off.

Boracay is a great holiday destination. Many people seem to spend most of their days swimming and lying around on the sandy beaches, but it's always good to know that there is plenty to do if you get tired of the lazy life. Most of the accommodation is strung along White Beach, where you can chill out at little bars where tourists and locals mingle happily. There are plenty of places to eat. I noticed Korean, Thai, Japanese and Swiss restaurants, but we usually opted for the Filipino food stalls. A popular staple dish is charbroiled chicken, but you have to try the island speciality – raw fish marinated in spicy vinegar