The New York-based magazine Travel+Leisure named Palawan as the best island in the world.
Two other Philippine islands— Boracay and Cebu — made it to the top 10 islands. Boracay was ranked second while Cebu placed sixth.
In an annual survey conducted by T+L, readers were asked to rate destinations all over the world according to their activities, sights, natural attractions, beaches, food, friendliness and overall value.
Palawan clinched the top rank after receiving the highest score -- 93.71.
This is the second time that Palawan topped the list since it first reached the top spot in 2013.
T+L writer Melanie Lieberman described Palawan as a place where “visitors are greeted with mountains rising out of impossibly turquoise waters, where shipwrecks and reefs make for prime scuba diving and snorkeling.”
“Palawan is every beach lover’s dream destination,” said one T+L reader, who regarded it as a “wonderful and magical place.”
Lieberman also cited Palawan for being home to a five-mile-long underground river, considered one of the world’s wonders of nature that visitors shouldn’t miss.
Boracay got a score of 90.47 while Cebu got 88.65.
One reader deemed Boracay as “a natural treasure” while Lieberman praised it for one of its top resorts, the Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort, which ranked eighth among this year’s Top Resort Hotels in Southeast Asia.
Another reader said, “There is never a dull moment in Cebu,” claiming that the island was “perfect for travelers who don’t want to spend a lot of money on recreational activities.”
Lieberman listed hiking through canyons, swimming with whale sharks, and diving from the top of a waterfall as among the many activities visitors can try in Cebu.
“The Philippines’ predominance shows that discerning travelers are willing to travel great distances for the rewards of clear waters and sugary white beaches,” Lieberman said.
T+L’s World’s Best Islands are Palawan, Boracay, Ischia, Italy, Waiheke Island, New Zealand, Santorini, Greece, Cebu, Maui, Hawaii, Hilton Head, South Carolina, Kauai, Hawaii and Bali, Indonesia.
PNA