The beauty of the Philippines shines once again as Condé Nast Traveler named Boracay as the best island in the world. Also included in the top 20 list are Palawan and Cebu, which ranked numbers 2 and 5 respectively. The prestigious list is based on CNT’s 2016 Readers’ Choice Awards survey.

BORACAY

CNT describes Boracay as an “itty-bitty island (just under 4 square miles) in the Western Philippines” that is as close to a tropical idyll as one will find in Southeast Asia. The island’s gentle coastlines, transporting sunsets, and thriving nightlife scene make Boracay, as they say, “one of the top tourist spots in the region”.

CNT’s pro tip: The aptly named White Beach is Boracay’s main draw, with powdery white sand and shallow azure water ideal for swimming and snorkeling.

24Seven’s recommendation: Choose to stay at Henann Regency Resort and Spa, formerly known as Boracay Regency. This is located right in the middle of a long stretch of white-sand beach. The resort presents Mediterranean-themed guestrooms, 7 restaurants, a comprehensive spa, and 3 crystalline swimming pools.

PALAWAN

This small island shot to the top of CNT’s list again 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. Palawan is also known as the Philippines’ last ecological frontier. It holds a wealth of unspoiled ecosystems and a diversity of thriving endemic wildlife unmatched elsewhere in the country.

CNT’s 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.

24Seven’s recommendation: Make the most of your Palawan adventure by staying at Dos Palmas Island Resort. Set on an island amid the crystalline Honda Bay, this luxury eco-friendly resort offers beach villas overlooking the majestic Sulu Sea.

CEBU

Cebu is famous for its beaches on the mainland as well as across many of the surrounding islands. CNT said that the place is not as wild as Phuket in Thailand and that Cebu City is more personal, with plenty of up-and-coming restaurants and shopping.

CNT’s pro tip: To get a true taste of island life, head off the grid on the Camotes Islands, two hours east of Cebu. Bring cash because there are no ATMs.

24Seven’s recommendation: Go to JPark Island Resort and Waterpark to relish a fun-filled holiday in Cebu. Considered as the country’s premier and only luxury waterpark resort, JPark boasts a beautiful location along the white-sand coastline of Mactan Island in Lapu-Lapu City.

To read CNT’s full article about the best islands in the world, go to http://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2014-10-20/top-30-islands-in-the-world-readers-choice-awards-2014.