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Conde Nast Traveler just ranked the 30 bests islands in the world in the 2017 Readers Choice Awards and the number one is...(drum roll please)...the one and only Boracay in the Philippines! Following up close on 2nd and 3rd place are two other islands in the Philippines as well: Cebu and Palawan.
Now...if I were to be completely honest I liked Palawan better than Boracay, mostly because it is not yet that touristy and the landscapes are more dramatic, but Boracay is not too shabby. If you haven't yet read our article about El Nido - Palawan you can check it out here.

Why visit 
Crystal clear turquoise water, powdery white sand, the most lively night life ever and an abundance of water sport choices, all to create a perfect island destination.

When to visit
Best time to visit the island is between November - May, during the dry season. You most definitely want to avoid the wet season as there is literally nothing to do when it rains.

How to get there
Boracay has two main airports, one in Caticlan and one in Kalibo. We landed in Kalibo and from there we got a combo ticket (bus+boat) to get to Boracay. We booked online with Southwest Tours Boracay Inc. and the price for 2 people was 1680 php.
Boracay is the land of fees! There is a fee for almost everything: an airport fee, an environmental fee and a boat terminal fee. Therefore in order to leave the airport you will have to pay the airport and environmental one. So you might need to withdraw some money at one of the airport's ATM's.

Where to stay
While in Boracay the best place to stay is near the White beach. The beach is divided in 3 stations, we found it best to stay somewhere close to Station 2, as that is where all the magic happens. Most of the restaurants, shops and even the mall are in Station 2. Station 3 is the more laid back area, not as busy as Station 1 and 2 and has limited options in terms of restaurants and shops.


In conclusion, yes...Boracay is the clear definition of a touristy island! Opposite to Palawan where only local shops and restaurants are to be found, Starbucks and Mcdonalds are right at home on Boracay.
Even so, the island has a unique charm! As long as you don't expect to be alone on the beach you can still manage to find a few quiet spots and palms trees to relax under.

All things said, I think this cute little island deserves to be visited at least once in a lifetime!

Have you packed your bags yet?


P.S: For more photos from our adventures, follow us on instagram @flip.flops.only.

xoxo,
O

I love Italy! But this is coming from a girl who's favorite food is pizza (besides french fries, but that's a different story).
If you have a romantic weekend getaway in mind, Venice would definitely be the right choice.
If being in the land of pizza, pasta, gelato and Aperol spritz is not enough, just add some lovely buildings, narrow and quiet canals, gondolas and one of the most romantic vibe ever.

For sure you cannot leave Venice without visiting the San Marco square, Rialto bridge or the Grand Canal, but I felt that the true charm of Venice was not given by these famous overcrowded landmarks, but by just getting lost through its narrow streets and canals.


While in Venice I would recommend you dedicate a half day or maybe a full one to visit the lovely islands of Murano and Burano.
Visiting Burano was definitely one of the highlights of our trip to Venice! If you have not yet read our post about Burano you can check it out here.



P.S: Don't forget to follow us on instagram!

Voted the best island in the world for 3 years in a row by the Travel + Leisure readers, El Nido - Palawan in the Philippines should definitely be on your travel bucket list.

Why visit
If the phrase "best island in the world for 3 years in a row" has not convinced you yet, let me tell you that the islands motto is "It's more fun in the Philippines", a slight joke aimed towards the better known Thailand.
Why Philippines is the smarter choice now? It has everything Thailand has to offer in terms of scenery, without having the biggest problem: excessive crowds. At least for now...
As for their motto, I do agree...it is more fun in the Philippines!

Best time to visit El Nido is between November - May, with November - February being the dry season and March - May the hot one.
Like any other exotic destination you want to avoid the rainy season, even though it's cheaper it's not worth the risk of having rain ruining your much awaited vacation.

From Manila we took a domestic flight to Puerto Princesa and from there a bus to get to El Nido. We booked the bus tickets online on Cherry Bus Palawan for 480 php/person one way. The journey was very long, about 6 hours, but we got to watch two movies on a makeshift TV attached in the front row. Pretty ingenious people ;). This is the long and cheap version.
In the meantime a new flight was introduced directly from Manila to El Nido with AirSwift that takes about 1 hour and a half, prices start from 250 euros/person return ticket. If this option would have been available when we traveled there, we definitely might have took it.


The most famous ones and the ones comprising all the top attractions are tours A and C, therefore we did only these two.
The cost per tour was 1000 php/person Tour A and 1200 php/person Tour C. All tours have pickup from the hotel and lunch included.
Tour A (Small lagoon, Big lagoon, Secret lagoon, Simizu Island, Seven Commandos Beach aka Papaya Beach)

Tour C (Helicopter island, Hidden beach, Secret beach, Matinloc Shrine, Talisay beach)
Tips and tricks

- If your tuk-tuk driver wants to show you a cool local tradition, beware that he might take you to a cock fight. When we got there we where the only tourists and all the locals where looking at us feeling either confused on what we were doing there or completely amazed. Everything was just like in the movies, they had a small arena where they held the fights and people all over were placing bets. The locals helped me climb to the top so I get to see better...really nice of them but it was not something I wanted to see. We stayed for just a few minutes, and although I do not agree at all with the whole concept, it was very interesting to see the locals so engaged into this. After this we finally understood why the rooster that woke us up for several mornings in a row all of a sudden went silent.

- The cuisine in the Philippines is not as diverse as in other countries in Asia, but once there you must try Chicken Adobo.

- El Nido per say is not such a beautiful town, but is the perfect base camp from where to do all the tours to the really incredible places.

- There are a lot of restaurant in El Nido where you can try all sorts of fresh fish and seafood. You get to pick your fish before they cook it and they really have the largest variety ever.

- I was impressed by the amount of boutique shops in El Nido. You can buy a lot of nice localy handmade stuff, from clothes to jewellery to souvenirs.

- What made Palawan unique is that the government is helping to promote family run business by not allowing big corporate chains to takeover.

- There are only a few places where credit cards are accepted and at the time of visiting there were only 2 ATMs on the island which did not work.


Hope I inspired your next holiday destination!

xoxo,
O