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
I’ve been there and I believe her. I’m a Filipina but was really dissappointed of Boracay… you need to pay diiferent fees, too crowded, not really relaxing place, trash are everywhere… I have no plans of visiting it again. Truth be told and what she said were true!
Wala talaga eh, ganyan talaga sa Boracay. Ganyan talaga dito sa Pinas.
At totoo naman talaga ang sinabi ng blogger. Sad
Her observations reveal that there is need for poverty alleviation, and not just in Bora. That there are a lot of tourists there explains why the locals are there, to try and make money. If it’s a fellow filipino who declines their request, they stop but it’s demoralizing to learn from this person that she was harrassed. Clearly she got annoyed. That plus the lack of consideration for others displayed by the youth on the bus. In our drive to bring in tourist dollars, we have forgotten who we are. Makes me wonder if we ever really knew in the first place. The DOT and the local govt need to dialogue to address this because it could easily become the future of Boracay if left unadressed.
It’s not only foreigners that are harrassed by vendors and porters. Even pinoys! That’s what I hate about going to Boracay. That’s why when I go there, I book at a first class hotel who picks me up from the airport and handles everything from the airport to the hotel. I didn’t have to deal with the annoying porters and other people who ask for money.
Department of Tourism and Boracay local government should do something about ds before it’s too late.