Puka Shell Beach — Attraction in Malay

Had an amazing day there. From dmall, we (4) payed 200php one way on a tricycle. The road up is still under construction and pretty bad. Once you arrive at the beach, there are some small restaurants and tourist shops selling clothes and beach accessories. We also saw kayaks and snorkeling equipment for hire.

The beach itself is beautiful, nice sand (not fine and sticky, but nice to get off again), the entry in the water is a bit steep and quickly gets deeper with some waves and currents. The snorkeling was amazing near the shore, saw a pufferfish, a blue sea star, heaps of angelfish, quite a few trigger fish (be careful) and lots of smaller and colourful fish. Always check for boats as they land everywhere along the beach and navigate very close to the shore.

There is some shadow at the beach, but don't be fooled by the guys blocking all the shady places with mats, which you get "for free if you buy a 300php drink". If you continue walking, there comes a sandy patch with heaps of coconut trees and shadow, that is nicely quiet. Beach vendors sell ice cream, drinks and food. No toilets as...

Boracay has so many beaches - the most famous is the Main White Beach, Bolabog and there's Puka Beach which actually made the island famous when the very famous Holywood Celebrity Liz Taylor wore our very own Puka Shell to an Oscar Event in the United States. There are other beaches like Diniwid and Iligiligan but let's limit this review to Puka. This place earned its notoriety by selling stuff which are horribly expensive like coconut juice for 250. Be careful when you dine on the side restos and follow the basic rule of gluttony which is "if it doesn't smell good then don't eat it" Prices of the services that you should be well aware of so you won't feel you're scammed. Photography by the entrance to the Puka Beach sign Hair braid (actually cheap here) Beach Mat rental Souvenir shots (tipping) Food and snacks which are very pricey compared to other parts of the island Crystal Kayak Island Hopping It's an entirely different experience here. Sand is almost White as Main. Beach but not as...

If you’re looking for a quiet, relaxing beach getaway, this isn’t it. What you’ll find instead is a sea of vendors outnumbering the tourists, each one more eager than the last to push their goods on you. Forget the sound of waves — the soundtrack here is “Ma’am, Sir, buy this!” on repeat. It’s less tropical paradise, more bargain-hunting in a cramped marketplace.

And then there’s the food. One of my companions made the mistake of ordering a chocolate shake from a stall, only to end up sick not long after. That pretty much killed whatever appetite we had left, along with any trust in the hygiene of these stalls.

As if that wasn’t enough, the prices are laughable — unless you’re the one charging them. A simple bottle of soda for 150 pesos? Sure, if you enjoy paying resort rates without the resort. Between the pushy sales tactics, questionable food, and inflated prices, the only thing this beach delivers in abundance is...