Boracay, the Best Beaches in the World?
Leaving Palawan behind, we have finally arrived in Boracay, world famous for its perfect white-powder sand beaches. This small island in the western Visayas is the pride and joy of the Philippines and has often been called the world’s number one tropical beach destination. And, of course, who could judge better than us. As you can see in the pictures, we have already gone to work to find out if Boracay deserves this prestigious title.
The water really is as ridiculous as it looks.
I heard from my friend who’s about to leave for a Peace Corps stint in the Philippines – that it’s not culturally acceptable to wear bathing suits at the beach.
What do you think?
Natalie,
Are you suggesting we take them off?
Seriously, Filipinos seem very open-minded, particularly when it comes to dealing with Western tourists. It’s true that most Filipino women don’t wear skimpy bathing suits at the beach, many are dressed in shorts and T-shirts. Although, I have a feeling this is more about protecting themselves from the sun rather than being shy. As so often, this goes mostly for women. Filipino men generally dress in speedo-like swimsuits or board shorts, and they certainly don’t mind looking at women in bathing suits.
Having said that, most of our beach time has been spent in touristy places. Peace Corps volunteers often work in rural areas where the rules might be completely different. I would definitely pack my swimsuit, then observe and ask around once I am there.
Wearing a swimsuit in the Philippines is fine. In fact, half the economy is based on exactly that. There are many Philippinos on the beach here in Boracay and most of them are wearing swimsuits. I think it is more of an issue if you walk around downtown in a bikini.
I sooooooo wanna visit the Philippines in April…this beach looks gorgeous!!!!!