Polish Blogger Thinks Boracay is “Probably the Worst Island I’ve Ever Visited”
The Christmas season is now over, and even if the cold weather is still settling in, many Filipinos are probably already scheduling their summer vacations. One of the popular spots is definitely the world-famous Boracay, with its white sand beach, crystal clear waters, and endless blue skies. The world is captivated by this little island, Filipinos included. Except this Polish travel blogger, who has traveled to 61 countries in the past 10 years.
Anna Lysakowska of Anna Everywhere wrote about her trip to Boracay, and called it “probably the worst island I’ve ever visited.” She called it a tourist trap, and was “incredibly disappointed when I left the island.” She visited the island because of its white sand and great parties.
She started describing getting to the island:
To start with, I was on a bus with a group of teenage Filipinos that decided not to respect anyone else by playing their music incredibly loudly while screaming to it and throwing chips on others.
Boracay is one of the world’s premiere party places
And when she reached the port going to Caticlan, she was bombarded by locals offering to carry her suitcases. When she declined, this is what happened:
They still asked for money and wouldn’t leave me alone unless I gave them something. I have nothing against tipping, but yelling “Give me a tip now!” isn’t going to make anyone give them more money, actually quite the opposite.
She also criticized the number of foreign backpackers she described as “horrible.” She said:
I don’t remember the last time I was surrounded by so many ignorant people. The majority of people who come to Boracay are either Korean tourists, which are fine, or the worst types of backpackers who go there with one mission – to tick the Philippines off of their list, get wasted, and have sex with whoever comes along… I think most of these people had no interest or knowledge about Filipino culture and were only there to party.
Boracay sand castles are one of the attractions of the beach
Anna also described the lack of Filipino culture in Boracay. She said that locals adjusted the culture to foreign tourists.
And sometimes, they don’t care at all. She described how a class she enrolled at was cancelled at the last minute. When it was rescheduled, no one from the class was present. Anna also described the number of “annoying” vendors:
The moment you step out of the hotel in Boracay, you’re practically under attack. Annoying vendors are everywhere: the streets, the shops, and sadly, even the beach.
Even the beach did not escape Anna’s post. She said that the worst thing about Boracay is the beach because it is constantly being destroyed by consumerism. She warned readers to think twice before flying to Boracay, and to consider other Philippine islands.
Oh and needless to say, we still love Boracay! Here’s our favorite things to do in Boracay – Top 10 Things to do in Boracay
What do you think? Is she right? Share you thoughts in the comments section below!
Polish Blogger Thinks Boracay is “Probably the Worst Island I’ve Ever Visited
Boracay is over-rated. Has been for a long time now. It was great in the past when it wasn’t that well known yet, but as it got famous, it’s quality went downhill more and more over the years. There are other even better and more peaceful vacation spots in the Philippines than Bora. I won’t mention them because once the locals discover the place’s potential, they fuck it up like Boracay.
Let us take this comment as a criticism with an intent for our own betterment. Instead of getting upset at her comment let us all look at if there is or are truth to it and if there are then let us all work on making those changes so our other visitors leave with a better impression of the Philippines.
She is definitely correct, you come to a place to enjoy, but if the surrounding atmosphere is unbearable, then you should not coped it. It is too over commercialised. The stupid Filipinos should not enforced tipping and should not insist on it. The place must be controlled and supervise by tourist expert. That is why Philippine is the last resort of tourist because of the so many negative aspects, like too much traffic, rowdy groups, rude operators, and so forth.
I love the natural of boracay , for some points were truly pointed by Anna . I had real bad experiences dealing with the dishonest Filipinos during the trip. And giving tips is a must to buy their smiles .. Of course there are some local people have very good hospitality manners . Overt all throughout the trip, i still like boracay, but I learnt not to trust the local ppl easily
Soo true….