Boracay Island Tourist Traps

I saw the bat cave on the map and decided to visit it. Big mistake for 2 major reasons.

1. You have to take a mandatory tour guide with you. He guides you some and then at the end, after it is all done, springs a price on you. Something like 350 pesos per person. I forgot how much, but I felt very cheated. I went down the cave but my wife didn't, but he charged us for her anyways. He has some official form from the local gov't that supposedly makes the price gouging legal.

2. The cave itself is very dangerous. I am a decent climber and I nearly slipped a few times. I gave up before I got all the way down. I estimate from the cave and the location, if someone takes a tumble down there, you're done for. No ambulance or EMT crew would be able to get you out of there.

Unique Suggestions: Confirm the price with the tour guide and the trike driver. Ask if there is a feww for waiting.

A group of children peddling fashion jewelry approached us and offered a bracelet for free. Surprised, we tried to decline the offer and advised them to keep it and sell it to others. However, the children insist that it is a gift and we should take them. After a brief discussion, we decided to take the bracelet (knowing at the back of our minds that there is a catch later). True enough, before we left the island, the same group of children approached us again and insist that we buy items from them, after all they gave us a gift.

Unique Suggestions: Good for them, Christmas is just around the corner so we are a bit more generous. Besides, they have a stuff that caught our fancy and minimally priced, so we decided to buy 2 pieces of bracelet from them.

Fun Alternatives: To avoid falling into this trap, firmly tell the children to keep the item as you are not interested or fond of fashion accessories.

The tricycles cannot bring you to the white beach, so don't bother to ask him to bring you to the actual site of your resort in the beachfront area. He will say yes, but he will drop you off on the Main Road near a pathway leading to the white beach. Depending on where your resort/hotel is located, a pedicab (pedal trike) can take you through the larger paths directly to your resort, or if not accessible, you will be dropped off at the nearest point where you can walk to your destination.

Unique Suggestions: The tricycle drivers usually know the right drop off place for most Boracay resorts/hotels, but just remind/request him to bring you to the nearest point where you can walk to your destination.

Fun Alternatives: If it is your first time to Boracay and you feel insecure walking through the pathway, or you find it difficult to carry your bags, make prior coordination with your resort/hotel to send a staff to meet you at the corner of the main road and the pathway leading to their place.

When you hire someone to take you diving, snorkeling, etc you may ask if it's all inclusive and they nod. However, you take the boat out and suddenly a man in a canoe rows up and demands 20 pesos each. Or perhaps you grab a mask and dive in, when you get back in the boat the driver asks for another 20 pesos for equipment fees. This type of thing happens alot and the initial reaction is to argue. But when I realized that not only was this an extremely poor country, but that 20 pesos was about 40 cents US, I stopped and just handed the money over. 40 cents is nothing to me, but it can feed this mans family.

Fun Alternatives: just give them the 20 pesos. If it's a signifigant amoutn of money I would have argued more.

Charge for hotel transport (by minibus) is 70 times (yes - seventy times!!) higher then normal local bikes with sidecar.

They try to force you to book full board and then you are stuck with a buffet 3 times a day, which they tell you when you check out and none of your restaurant bills can be deducted.

Unique Suggestions: No way to get out of this trap once you´re in...

Fun Alternatives: There a plenty of nice, much, much more economic hotels around. Try e.g. NigiNigi

Bulabog is Boracays main Parasailing-and Windsurfing area. Numerous complaints have been made because of skin-diseases after swimming in the water. Every very early morning the sewerage of the overcrowded and over-constructed, small island is led into the water. The coral reef is also destroyed in the area.
White beach: Depends if you like prices like in Europe, without the cleanliness!
The water with Diesel from hundreds of pump-and motorboats.
The Mall is infested with rats in the Restaurant areas! An "animal lover" who lives in a room above, tells me he catches them nightly in a cage in his room, and drowns them every morning in the waters of white beach..Then donates the meat..
Can anyone advice us where to go in Asia, without the greedy deception and hassle, horrible pollution from hundreds of tricycles,cars and trucks (there are even rush hours!); the growing steady confrontation with numerous vendors, boat-and joy-ride commissioners, with prostitution, human- and animal-misery, drugs and crime at almost every step,- like Boracay Island?
I used to love the place!

Unique Suggestions: If you are there already, try to go to the beach early in the morning, before the crowd sets in! This goes especially for weekends and Holidays, it´s a bees hive!
Don´t leave your drink unattended!-
Give a tipp to a good singer or band, because they all have kids and often get their salary in drinks only, avoiding to pay them!
Be friendly, but informed: About girls (usually a "teacher") sitting in a bar, "waiting for a friend" who may not show up.- And some of the most beautiful girls are boys!
Beware of boys or girls, who instantly fall "in Love" with you, no matter what your looks, age or personality,- unless you don´t mind: It´s all about money!
Beware of numerous business- or real estate scams on the island: The Philippine Supreme court has ruled recently, that all land on Boracay is Government-Property! Every owner has been informed in writing and public hearings, that Government-auctions are being planned, where the now-owners get the chance to bid and pay for their own land again! That is why you see so many "4 Sale" signs, often to sell what is now legally not theirs, to the uninformed!-
If you find someone you want to help, give wholeheartedly, without expecting anything back, even gratitude. -
Forget any hope of getting a return on ANY investment: First it´s all fire and flames, they die down quickly, the rest is disappointment, all money lost and getting shouted at, as though you´re the one to blame! These are USUAL experiences of numerous foreigners, don´t join the club!-
Beware also of some very charming, white con-artists on the island: Some have been there for years and can´t go back to their countries where they are on the "wanted"lists: Because of them quickly making local "family ties", its too dangerous even for the police to try and touch them!

Fun Alternatives: Travellers tell me, Puerto Princesa (Palawan) is a LOT cleaner and more affordable, and the El Nido area there, is supposed to be like Boracay many years ago?
My general advice: If you want to enjoy your vacation there, put your rosy shades on, return the beautiful filipino-smiles,
-accept the bad with the good:
You will probably never pay again so little for such great Theater- Performances, Drama and Comedy!
You even get invited to be part of the cast!

Some sign liife-long, costly contracts..

But: You may never hear better, more convincing stories anywhere in the world!

There are lots of peddlers offering loose pearls or pearl jewelry sets in supposedly yellow or white gold along the White Beach strip. They even show IDs showing they are authorized to sell "genuine" pearls. Most are peddling fresh water pearls in all sizes and shapes. If you ask for the more expensive South Pearl variety, they will fish your request either from a most secure location in their pockets or someone close to him will suddenly run to a more secure house where the south sea pearls are kept. :)

If you show a wee bit of interest, they will hound you and often hordes of peddlers soon follow.

Unique Suggestions: If you really fancy buying one, here are some tips:
1. Barter big time. I bought a set for PHP500 from the original price of PHP1500
2. Dont be bothered by the deluge of peddlers. Tell them you will just deal with one.
3. If possible, a local can help you speak to them.
4. Last, but most important of all, do not automatically believe what they claim. Example: They claimed to sell south sea but I know stones & pearl enough to understand they were really very good standard fresh water ones.

Fun Alternatives: Their prices were not exactly a lot lower than in Manila. So, if you have someone in Manila who can accompany you to more reliable pearl outlets. Since Caticlan or Kalibo is not an international airport, it is safe to assume that you will pass by Manila for your flight back home or just to return to your hometown.

I bought the very nicely rounded fresh water ones that mimic the shapes of a south sea pearl. Good enough for everyday use. I went to my usual jeweler in Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila to have my pearls prepared into 14k white gold stud earrings.

Boracay beckons to all, wherever one is. Many go to Boracay for an adventure. It doesn't exempt your nationality and if you're a Pinoy.

But there lurks some predators in Boracay as well. Some go there to prey on lambs who are too easy to succumb to the charms of Boracay.

Unique Suggestions: Limit partying, and if you wouldn't or couldn't, limit the alcohol intake.

Be with a buddy at ALL times. Someone with good sense is fool-proof.

Do not take drinks from a stranger, or leave your drinks with a stranger (yes, take your drink to the restroom, nothing wrong with that)

Always practice good judgment.