Palawan makes travel list anew

MANILA, Philippines — Palawan stays on the radar of international travelers as readers of Travel+Leisure magazine once again voted it as one of the 15 Top Islands in the World.

No stranger to the list, Palawan ranked second this year with a score of 90.87. This is an improvement from last year’s sixth place with 90.04.

The island was previously voted as the best island in the world in 2013 and 2017.

Palawan is joined by other top islands in the world in the 2019 list such as Sri Lanka, Bali, Milos and Maldives

Meanwhile, the Philippine island also grabbed the second spot in the best islands in Asia list, joined by Cebu and Boracay, the seventh and ninth best islands in the region registering a score of 87.09 and 86.90, respectively.

“The Philippine islands of Cebu, Palawan and Boracay are longtime favorites, thanks to top-notch reef and wreck diving, white-sand beaches, hiking trails with waterfalls and welcoming locals,” Travel+Leisure said.

“Five-star lodgings with water views and doting service abound, from the Shangri-La Boracay Resort & Spa to El Nido’s four eco-friendly, waterfront Palawan properties,” it added.

In addition, readers of Travel+Leisure also voted Amanpulo in Pamalican island as among the Top Resort Hotels in Southeast Asia, landing in the 11th spot with a score of 92.96.

Earlier this year, Boracay and El Nido, Palawan were named among the best beaches in Asia by TripAdvisor’s 2019 Traveler’s Choice Awards.

Boracay White Beach, described as the island’s most popular beach famous for its amazing sunsets and white sand that stays cool in hot weather, ranked ninth among the 25 best beaches in Asia.

In addition, Yapak Beach or Puka Shell Beach, the second largest beach in Boracay named after the prevalent white puka seashells, also ranked 25th on the list.

Two more beaches in El Nido, Palawan were also cited in the list, namely Nacpan Beach and Las Cabanas Beach ranking 13th and 22nd in the region.