Travel Destination: the Philippine beaches!

A country with 7,100 islands. That should tell you something. A lot of sunny beaches to bask in, all year round!

 The Philippines is an archipelago composed of 7,100 islands. With that alone, you can be assured of the many nice beaches you can choose from, a lot of which remain virgin, untouched and commercialized. ( That should make them a lot more interesting)

Up North, there are more than a couple of dozen beaches to choose from. 

Boracay ( http//:www.boracay.com). Boracay is the World�s Most Popular Beach according to Yahoo! Travel Yahoo! Travel just announced The World�s Most Popular Beaches of 2007, Topping the list is our very own Boracay Island in Aklan and on the number three (3) spot is Cebu also in the island of Visayas. Heres the complete list of Yahoo! Travel Most Popular Beaches of 2007:

1. Boracay Island, Philippines

2. Nassau, The Bahamas

3. Cebu, Philippines ( check it out on www.cebuprovince.com )

4. Phan Thiet, Vietnam

5. Montego Bay, Jamaica

6. Phuket, Thailand

7. Cozumel, Mexico

8. San Diego, California

9. Honolulu, Hawaii

10. San Juan, Puerto Rico

The world-famous island of Boracay is located in Aklan province 345 kms. South of Manila. The island is accessible by air from Manila or Cebu through two principal gateways: Caticlan airport or Kalibo airport.

Boracay has also been voted as one of the best beaches in the world by the BMW Tropical Beach Handbook. The British Publication TV Quick in its issue of December 21, 1996 gave the latest accolade for Boracay as the number one tropical beach in the world.

Amanpulo (http//:www.amanpulo.com) A private island, where sea and sky meet as one, where velvet white sand is caressed by the lap of crystal water, where palms bow to vermillion bougainvillea in tropically kissed vegetation, where nature’s hand streaks the sun’s iridescences on its unbridled canvas, where night skies are admired beside the crackle of a ‘tepee’ beach fire, where sleep is submerged in pristine white, where luxury is defined by its earth-given beauty, where peace embraces its island host. This place is Amanpulo, in the Philippines, a realisation of a dream. The 2007 Gallivanter's Awards for Excellence Best Resort in South East Asia - No. 1 Gallivanter's Guide

Palawan (http://www.palawan.com) The name “Palawan” – most probably - was given by the Chinese as far back as the 9th Century. They called it PA-LAO-YU, or “land of beautiful safe harbour”. Others believe it came from the Indian word “Palawans” meaning “Territory”. The popular believe is that “Palawan” is a corrupted form of the Spanish word “Para agua” because the main island’s shape resembles a closed umbrella.The limits of the Province are :

Busuanga island in the north Agutaya group of islands northeast Cagayancillo (who has not heard about Tubattaha Reef) in the east Balabac island in the south Spratly - Kalayaan in the West

Did you know that Palawan is made up of 1768 islands and is the second largest province of the Philippines (Cotabato is the largest) ? The length of the main island is 425km from tip to tip. The distance between extreme north and south of the island province is 650 km. The narrowest section of the main island is 8.5 km at Barrio Bahile in Puerto Princesa, the widest section is 40 km at Brooke's’Point in the south. During the drive to the Resort, which will take 90 minutes, you will see that a chain of tall mountain ranges runs through the entire length of the island, dividing it into two distinct areas called the east coast and the west coast. Princessa Holiday Resort is on the east coast facing the Sulu Sea.

Palawan Islands Palawan is one of the Last Unexplored Islands in the Pacific, as well as the location of the 1997 Jam es Bond thriller "Tomorrow Never Dies." Jacques Cousteau remarked that Palawan was the most beautiful place he ever explored. Renowned underwater explorer Jacques Costeau has described Palawan as having one of the most Beautiful Seascapes in the world. Sprawled beneath the seas are nearly 11,000 square kilometers of coral reefs. Myriads of fish swim in these underwater gardens.

Bohol (http//: www.bohol.com) In the heart of Central Visayas (Region VII), Philippines, Bohol is the 10th largest island in the country. Approximately 803 km south of Manila and 79 km southeast of Cebu, Mainland Bohol is oval-shaped surrounded by 72 smaller islands, the largest of which is the Panglao Island facing Tagbilaran City in the southwest.. Its boundaries are Cebu to the northwest, Leyte to the northeast and Mindanao in the south.

Bohol has a total land area of 4,117.26 square kilometers and has gently rolling terrain, ideal for commercial and industrial site development. The terrain of Bohol is basically rolling and hilly and about half of the island is covered in limestone. Near the outer areas of the island are low mountain range. The interior uplands are suitable for agro-forestry and high value agricultural production. The central and northern lowlands also have fertile grounds and abundant water supply.

Outside the Philippines, there are definitely a lot more places and beautiful countries to choose from. One destination that I would like to go back to is Queenstown in New Zealand. This place is just beautiful. Quaint views, nice weather, good food.

I would also recommend Australia. For those who are romantic, Darlingharbour at night is just wonderful to behold. The Opera house, the bridge, Bondi beach are all worth your time, effort and money. Then there's Melbourne - for the more cosmopolitan type of atmosphere. Gold Coast is for men and women who love the beach!