Asia's Top Islands: Siargao, Palawan, Boracay win in int'l travel magazine awards
Famous for their pristine white sand beaches, the Philippines' Siargao, Palawan, and Boracay islands have been named among the Top Islands in Asia in the 2021 Readers' Choice Awards of the prestigious Condé Nast Traveler (CNT) magazine.

In CNT's list published Oct. 5, the surfing haven Siargao Island was recognized as this year's top favorite in Asia, while the world-famous Palawan and Boracay Island earned the third and eighth spots, respectively.
The three famous tourist destinations beat other world favorites in Asia including Indonesia's Raja Ampat Islands (second), and Thailand's Phi Phi Islands (ninth), and Phuket (10th).
Meanwhile, the Philippines ranked 20th in the CNT’s list of Top Countries in the World with a score of 91.63.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) welcomed the recognition, adding that the inclusion of the country's award-winning local destinations in the list is a testament to the hard work of the tourist industry "to strengthen our position as a top-of-mind destination" for international travelers.
"At a time when we are exhausting all means to revive tourism in the country, we are grateful for this new recognition from Condé Nast Traveler. We have worked to strengthen our position as a top-of-mind destination around the globe while ensuring that health and safety protocols across our destinations are implemented and observed," Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said in a statement on Wednesday, Oct. 6.
"This recognition bodes well for the recovery of the country's tourism industry and our latest global campaign 'More Fun Awaits' which showcases the DOT's preparations for international leisure travel once the restrictions are lifted," she added.
The annual Condé Nast Readers' Choice Awards gathers feedback from over 800,000 readers across the globe based on their recent travel experiences in the world's top hotels, resorts, cities, countries, islands, spas, trains, car rentals, luggage, airlines, airports, and cruises.
The results of the 2021 Readers' Choice Awards demonstrate the recent travel experiences of the readers and—given the travel restrictions forced by the pandemic—provide an idea of where travelers are "dreaming of going next" when the world reopens for international travel.
Siargao had also been chosen by TIME magazine as among the World's 100 Greatest Places 2021, while Palawan ranked 19th on Travel + Leisure magazine's Top 25 Islands in the World and fifth in the Asian category this year, and was also included in CNT's list of The 30 Best Beaches in the World in 2020.