Palawan cited as top beach destination

MANILA, Philippines — Palawan has been named as one of the top beach destinations to visit in January by an international travel magazine due to its crystal clear waters.

Travel+Leisure included El Nido in Palawan in its list of 15 Best Beach Destinations to visit this month.

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 archipelago. You’ll sail through crystal clear blue lagoons flanked by emerald karst cliffs, then kayak to secluded powdery white beaches,” Travel+Leisure said.

“In January, the seas are clear and calm: perfect for snorkeling and diving around coral reefs,” it added.

Palawan is joined by other world-class beach destinations such as Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Maui in Hawaii.

Earlier this month, Travel+Leisure recognized Palawan as one of 13 places with 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 to visit when 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.

Palawan was joined by other world-class destinations on the list such as the Maldives, Egremnoi in Greece and Crater Lake in Oregon, among others.

Palawan has been gaining recognition from global tourists in recent years, with readers of Travel+Leisure voting Palawan as the World’s Best Island in 2016 and 2017.

Similarly, readers of Conde Nast Traveler named El Nido, along with Boracay and Cebu, as top best islands outside the United States in 2017.

The travel magazine ranked El Nido fourth in the top 20 best beaches in the world last year.

“El Nido alone is home to around 50 white sand beaches – it’s impossible to choose just one – all of which are set around dramatic limestone formations and boast the finest and whitest sand you’ll ever see,” Conde Nast Traveler said.

The magazine also praised El Nido for its beautiful waters.

“The water is so blindingly blue it makes the Caribbean Sea look murky in comparison,” the magazine said.

El Nido joined other world-class beaches on the list such as Sunset Beach, Honupo Beach and Honokalani Beach, all in Hawaii, which were the top three.

Conde Nast Traveler revealed that El Nido Resorts-Pangulasian Island attracted the attention of readers as it ranked ninth among top 50 resorts in Asia in 2017.