Travel tips, diving and food experience in Boracay, Philippines

Three years ago, I once visited Boracay. At that time, there were far more Korean tourists on the island than Chinese. Since Boracay has reopened, I am now writing a guide as detailed as possible to help everyone and leave some marks for myself.


Boracay is really beautiful, but it is enough to come once.



Boracay is a very small island, so small that there is no airport on it! To go to Boracay, you can only fly to the nearest island first, and then take a boat there. There are two airports on this island, one is called Caticlan Airport, also known as Malay Airport, and the other is called Kalibo Airport. The former is close to Boracay. It takes 3 minutes to get to the pier and then take a boat to Boracay. The latter is far away and it takes 2 hours to get to the pier.

1. White Beach

White Beach is the biggest reason why Boracay is famous all over the world. It is rated as one of the top ten beaches in the world and is known as "the most beautiful beach in Asia". The white beach is gentle and soothing, the sand is fine and white, and the sea water is clear and transparent. The sunset here is very charming, the sea and the sky are connected, and the sunset covers everything. It is located in the middle of the west coast of the island, extending from south to north for 4 kilometers. It is formed by grinding large pieces of coral. The beach is gentle and stretched, the sand is white and fine, and even at noon when the sun is scorching, it is still cool to step on the sand.

I remember that the best white sand beach is during low tide in the afternoon. The first time I went to see the white sand beach, it was high tide and I could hardly see it. When the tide went out in the afternoon, the first sight was definitely two words: shocking!





2. Puka Beach

Puka Beach is also known as Yapak Beach and is located on the northern coast. It is the second largest beach in Boracay and is famous for its shiny Puka shells. These shells were popular as ornamental materials in the 1970s and 1980s. Collecting shells was the main industry on the island at that time. You can still see traces of Puka shells on the beach.

Puka Beach is so beautiful. The most beautiful sea water color in Boracay is not on the white beach, but in Puka. Because it is far away, there are coral reefs not far from Puka Beach, which has formed a calm lagoon in the shallow sea area. Therefore, Puka Beach has small waves, which is especially suitable for swimming. It is also almost the only place in Boracay where you can snorkel on the beach. If you don't come to Puka in Boracay, you will regret it.






3. Bulabog Beach

Bulabog Beach is located on the east side of Boracay. It is the second largest beach on the island. It is opposite to the White Beach on the west. The beach scenery is average, but the wind and waves here are very strong. It is a paradise for water sports enthusiasts. Because it is on the east side, it is also a good place to watch the sunrise.




4. Diniwid Beach

Diniwid Beach is located on the west coast of Boracay, at the foot of Nami Mountain. Compared to White Beach, it is quieter and the sea water is clean. Because it is close to the rocks, the sea water here is relatively deep, suitable for people who like swimming, and snorkeling is also good.



5. Friday Beach

Friday Beach is the beach with the finest, softest, whitest and most beautiful sand in Boracay, Philippines. When its fine white sand is hidden in the transparent and clear sea water, it forms a milky powder. Swimming and playing in the water on the shore is like strolling in a milky lake. You can also build sand castles on the beach to give full play to your artistic imagination, or you can lie leisurely under the coconut grove and enjoy the sea view of the sea and sky, or stroll on the beautiful and quiet white beach and watch the sunset. It is beautiful.

Deep diving: about 40 dollars (book on Amazon)

Strategy: Taobao is basically very good, you can book directly on Taobao. We booked the Ocean Park, which is really good. The lessons are all taught by Chinese coaches, and then Xiao Hei takes you to the sea. Not being able to swim, having your period, rain, etc. will not affect deep diving. In fact, this kind of deep diving is just an experience, and the approximate diving distance is about 5-12 meters, which is very safe. The underwater world is still very beautiful, you can see all kinds of fish, corals, and even water snakes if you are lucky, and the cutest Nemo.


I used to envy people who dived, but now I challenge my fear and face the mysterious underwater world. I finally experience it myself and realize how incredible the seabed is.  

Jonah’s fruit, the No. 1 mango smoothie in Boracay

There seem to be two stores on the island. I remember one is at S1, one is on the main road (Figure 2), and one is directly opposite the White Beach Our Lady Reef (Figure 1). The taste of their store is the most intense, with mango, coconut, pineapple, mixed, and milk. I still think mango tastes the best.





About the selection of seafood processing shops:
All seafood processing shops are around the seafood market. The types and methods of seafood processing determine the final processing fee. The more types and methods, the more expensive the processing fee.

Pay special attention to the following points:

1. The seafood market is very complicated. We bought seafood with 4 people. In fact, it is useless to have more people. There should be division of labor and team spirit. One person is responsible for bargaining, one is responsible for weighing and watching the life and death of the fish, and one is responsible for watching the black fish packing the bags. After weighing, bring it over immediately to prevent it from being replaced. The black fish was too cunning. He took advantage of our distraction to replace the fish and almost cheated us.



2. Compare prices from three different stores before buying, and listen to how others bargain. When entering the market, do not enter from the main entrance, but from the side or even the back. The more remote the location, the easier it is to bargain.

3. Try not to rush to the seafood market at mealtime. The more people in the market, the better the business, and the price will be very difficult to bargain. If you can eat at noon, the price at noon is better than at night.

4. Try to avoid buying more than two things in one store. Of course, this is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve. Xiaohei is not stupid. If you bargain for crabs, the price of prawns will go up for you. If you bargain for both very low, Xiaohei will even yell at you in very standard Chinese: "No profit!" If you lie to him and buy something else, but you don't buy prawns after buying crabs. He will be very angry and ask for the previous crabs back. This time, the price of crabs was bargained down to a very low price, which was obviously a big loss. Xiaohei threw the money on the ground and tried to snatch the crabs we bought, and even threatened us that he would call the police. In the end, he chased us to the processing shop and took the crabs away. I know he won't call the police, but I'm definitely losing money at that price, so I can only find another store to buy it from.

5. If you can buy live ones, try to buy live ones. Because you don't know how long the dead ones have been dead, you can't tell at all. When buying, make sure to check whether they are dead or alive before packing them. One way to distinguish whether they are dead or alive is to poke their eyes with your fingers. Sometimes Xiao Hei will hold the dead ones in his hand and hook the shrimp tail with his little finger to tell you that they are alive. You must pay attention to this. If you can buy female ones, try to buy female ones.



About the island’s cuisine

1. Olé Spanish Tapas
Spanish seafood risotto tastes average




2. Andok’s D'Mall
This fried chicken fast food restaurant is really great, well-received, affordable, and the fried chicken legs are crispy and delicious

3. YELLOW CAB pizza Co.
This restaurant is very popular and many people come to eat. The pizza is very thin, we may not be used to it, they are all salty



The signature ice cream of this shop is absolutely delicious. After eating, you can take the tin box home.

4. Cyma Greek Taverna
A very famous Greek restaurant in Boracay. You have to make reservations in advance. It is difficult to get a seat directly. When we went there, we insisted on queuing. Fortunately, the people who made reservations before us did not come, so the owner gave us a seat.


Flame Cheese, this menu is the most famous. When the dish is served, the waiter will yell and the plate will be filled with flames.




Iced lemon tea is absolutely delicious, and Greek wraps and pasta are also delicious.

Going to Boracay is really suitable for leisure or family travel. It is recommended to avoid the rainy season, as typhoons will affect flights.