Palawan is world’s top island; Boracay 12th

MANILA, Philippines - Palawan has been judged No.1 and Boracay No.12 among the Top 30 Islands in the World, based on a survey by international travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler.

In an article posted on the magazine’s website yesterday, Palawan obtained 88.750 points while Boracay garnered 82.683 points.

Palawan gained international fame when its Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, said to be the longest navigable underground river in the world, was recognized as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature in 2012.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared the subterranean river a World Heritage Site in 1999.

Condé Nast Traveler recommends boat tours in the underground river “where karsts, natural rock formations created by dissolving limestone, loom in every direction.”

Boracay, meanwhile, is described in the New York-based magazine as being “as close to the tropical idyll ideal as you’ll find in the Philippines, with gentle coastlines and transporting sunsets.”

Aside from its white sand beaches, Boracay’s thriving nightlife regularly draws tourists, both local and foreign, Condé Nast Traveler said.

The 30-acre Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort & Spa, meanwhile, took the 11th spot among the “Top 20 Resorts in Asia” with a rating of 90.584 with its “great resort experience that everyone should enjoy.”

Also among the Top 30 Islands are Kiawah Island in South Carolina; Maui and Kauai islands, and Big Island in Hawaii; Great Barrier Reef, Whitsunday Islands, and Kangaroo Island in Australia; Santorini and Cyclades in Greece; Bazaruto Archipelago in Mozambique; and St. John in U.S. Virgin Islands.

In the Condé Nast Traveler survey, the islands were “judged on a set of criteria relevant to their category, based on a standard five-point scale: excellent, very good, good, fair and poor.” The magazine surveyed 76,659 respondents.