Palawan, Cebu among Travel+Leisure’s best islands in the world
The Philippines continues to gain interest from international tourists as two of its beach destinations have been cited among the top islands for this year by an global travel magazine.
Readers of Travel+Leisure magazine voted Palawan and Cebu as the sixth and eighth best island in the world with scores of 90.04 and 89.10, respectively.
While Palawan is no stranger to the list, having been named the best island in the world in 2013 and 2017, it was overtaken by a number of surprise entries this year.
Topping the list this year is Java, Indonesia scoring 95.28. Indonesian destinations Bali and Lombok grabbed second and third spots on the list.
Closing the top five are Maldives and Waiheke in New Zealand.
Travel+Leisure earlier included El Nido in Palawan in its list of 15 Best Beach Destinations to visit.
The travel magazine said Palawan offers the same stunningly beautiful scenery as other popular Southeast Asia destinations, but with just a fraction of the crowds.
“Join a boat tour in El Nido to hop around the Bacuit ar- chipelago. You’ll sail through crystal-clear blue lagoons flanked by emerald karst cliffs, then kayak to secluded powdery white beaches,” Travel+ Leisure earlier said.
“In January, the seas are clear and calm: perfect for snorkeling and diving around coral reefs,” it added.
Palawan was also cited as one of the 13 places to see the bluest water in the world.
“The sparsely-populated archipelago is made up of jungle-filled islands surrounded by stunning teal waters teeming with fish and coral reefs and an incredible array of lagoons, coves, and secret beaches,” Travel+Leisure said.
The travel magazine cited El Nido and Linapacan as places tourists should visit when they are in Palawan.
“Explore the waters of El Nido, where tropical fish swarm around the coral reefs, go diving in the azure ocean off of Linapacan Island, or bravely swim through the world’s longest underground navigable river,” Travel+Leisure said.
Last October, readers of Conde Nast Traveler named El Nido, along with Boracay and Cebu, as the best islands outside of the US in 2017.