Palawan is No. 1 Island in the World, Boracay 12th

Palawan recently bagged the title "Best Island in the World for 2014" based on an international poll conducted by travel magazine “Conde Nast Traveler” through their annual Readers Choice Awards.

Photo: www.divezone.net

Conde Nast Traveler revealed the results of their 27th Annual Readers’ Choice Awards on October 20, 2014 and topping the Top 30 islands list is our very own Palawan. The island province, which is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park and Tubbataha Reef Marine Park) had scored the highest rating of 88.75% and garnered a total 76,600 votes for the title “Top Island in the World.” Here’s what the magazine said about Palawan:

This small island—one of the Philippines’ 7,107—shot to the top of our list this year with a recent claim to fame: It’s now home to one of the new seven natural wonders of the world, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River. Pro tip: Palawan’s natural wonder is one of the longest underground rivers in the world, traveling five miles through a subterranean cave system. Guided boat tours take visitors down a portion of the waterway, where karsts, natural rock formations created by dissolving limestone, loom in every direction. Boracay, on the other hand, ranked 12th with a rating of 82.683 beating Indonesia’s Bali which ranked 17th in the Top 30. 

Photo: www.divezone.net

The Top 10 Islands in the World

1. Palawan, Philippines
2. Kiawah Island, South Carolina USA
3. Maui, Hawaii USA
4. Kauia, Hawaii USA
5. Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique
6. Great Barrier Reef and Whitesunday Islands, Australia
7. Santorini and Cyclades, Greece
8. St. John, US Virgin Islands
9. Kangaroo Island, Australia
10. Big Island, Hawaii USA

Cross-published in Starmometer