There are literally hundreds of vendors from Mindanao who walk White Beach and try to get tourists to go on boat rides, scuba diving or snorkeling excursions, jet ski rides, etc., for which they are paid a commission. Some carry racks of sunglasses with them, which they try to sell even if you are wearing some already. Most annoying are the obsolete articles such as pirated DVDs, strands of huge pearls, and rip-off watches, none of which interest most tourists.
These vendors are everywhere, and it doesn't matter if you are walking down the beach, lying on it, sunbathing, eating at a sidewalk restaurant, or lounging in a hammock outside your hotel, they will come up and start bothering you, starting with "Yes, ma'am?" then asking "Jet Ski? Parasail? Scuba? Sailboat? Sunglasses?" and waving a laminated card in your face. Normally, you have to tell them several times to go away, and it isn't long before another approaches. Many hotels and restaurants have "No Vendors" signs posted, but to little avail.
Local women and children sell manicures and massages, shells, fruit, and jewellery on the beach. (If you refuse initially, you may hear "For your husband for your wife?") This is irritating especially if you are trying to read. Children may ask you to buy them food once they befriend you.
The uniformed security guards may serve to keep the vendors at bay, as they do not tend to approach you if an officer is near. Hopefully, these guards are also on the watch for any theft.
After several days, you may find the vendors extremely irritating, as instead of enjoying a nice meal relaxing on your vacation, you will find yourself constantly waving away and avoiding vendors. They will even come up and start tugging on your shirt sleeve, while you are trying to take a picture. You may see a fed-up tourist walking in a T-shirt or henna tattoo reading "No Scuba! No Jet Ski! No Sunglasses!". Vendors are not allowed in the D*Mall, but are waiting along the path. While tourist guests often wish the vendors were removed from White Beach, it is worth stopping to realise that not all locals on the island benefit equally from the endless tourist onslaught. When you are visiting somebody else's territory some respect and discretion is in order so do try to be thoughtful and considerate. Sometimes a little selflessness goes a long way.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Boracay
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Boracay - updated May 2024
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Boracay Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
