Palawan—in terms of topping international publication Travel + Leisure's and Condé Nast Traveler's lists of "World's Best Islands"—may have been dethroned in the last few years, but it really doesn't matter when the Philippine island is already a household name when it comes to traveling. In fact, it's included in CNN Travel's list of "10 of the World's Most Beautiful Islands" by American travel writer Jen Rose Smith published on September 25.
Though unranked, the list validates what we knew all along: that Palawan is a world-class destination alongside Milos in Greece, Komodo Island in Indonesia, and Mo'orea in French Polynesia, among others. Smith described the island on our western seaboard as "a gorgeous haven of pale sand and clear water." She cited the coves of El Nido, the luxurious Banwa Private Island in Roxas, and the Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park as must-see places in Palawan.
If you're thinking of visiting this tropical paradise, there are a lot of available flights from Manila to various parts of Palawan. AirSwift flies direct to Lio Beach in El Nido; SkyJet flies to San Vicente; and AirAsia, Cebu Pacific, and Philippine Airlines have regular flights to Puerto Princesa.
