MISSOSOLOGY

by **Sheriblsm** » Fri Jul 27, 2012 4:10 am

The world's best island according to Travel + Leisure magazine (2012) goes to Boracay, Philippines! I was fortunate enough to visit this beautiful island and I must ask, why did it take so long for people to realize this?! The island is indeed beautiful with numerous activities that'll keep you busy all day and the food tastes so good - all of this without breaking the bank!

This was the view that I woke up to everyday...breathtaking!

One of the most awesome sunsets I've ever seen.

To all those looking for a great getaway, do consider visiting Boracay.

http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2012/islands

*I do not own the photos posted.

by **wiltz13** » Fri Jul 27, 2012 4:23 am

wow that's really awesome! something to be proud of!!! More tourists will flock in... what's the criteria of judging?

by **beautywatchnyc** » Fri Jul 27, 2012 4:31 am

Sheriblsm wrote:The world's best island according to Travel + Leisure magazine (2012) goes to Boracay, Philippines! I was fortunate enough to visit this beautiful island and I must ask, why did it take so long for people to realize this?! The island is indeed beautiful with numerous activities that'll keep you busy all day and the food tastes so good - all of this without breaking the bank!

*I do not own the photos posted.

1989 was the first time I visited Boracay and back then I was already entranced. Still very rustic and serene because electricity hasn't been installed in the island yet. Kerosene lamps flicker like distant stars in the deep of night. There were no flashy lodging, no acclaimed international chain hotels, facilities were then basic. It took so long for people to appreciate the beauty of the island due to the lack of promotion and advertising campaign on the international level. Hence, inbound tourism suffered a backseat for years as it did not occupy the top tier of the government's major revenue generating priority unlike it is today. Local tourism picked-up largely due to word-of-mouth advertising that soon took off because of improved infrastructure and travel amenities. The introduction of cheap airline travel via no-frills discounted airfares contributed to domestic tourism's growth. But with the administration's thrust on tourism campaign, i.e. open-skies, security and safety programs, local gove't participation in tourism campaigns in the int'l level we hope to be attracting more inbound tourists in the immediate years ahead.

by **Sheriblsm** » Fri Jul 27, 2012 4:40 am

wiltz13 wrote:wow that's really awesome! something to be proud of!!! More tourists will flock in... what's the criteria of judging?

It is a really great commendation. Travel + Leisure is on the top 100 largest magazine circulation in the US, as of 2011. Not mentioning the magazines website, which gets its fair share of traffic.

Sorry, forgot to mention their methodology. Here it is!

http://www.travelandleisure.com/travela ... dology.pdf

"A questionnaire developed by the editors of Travel + Leisure, in association with ROI Research Inc., was made available to Travel + Leisure readers at tlworldsbest.com from December 1, 2011, to March 31, 2012. Readers were invited to participate through Travel + Leisure magazine (January, February, March, and April issues), T+L iPad® editions and newsletters, and online at travelandleisure.com. To protect the integrity of the data, after March 31, 2012, respondents were screened by Travel + Leisure and responses from any identified travel-industry professionals who completed the survey were eliminated from the final tally. The survey website, tlworldsbest.com, was maintained, monitored, and kept secure by ROI Research Inc., which collected and tabulated the responses and kept them confidential."

The categories & characteristics for the world's best island: Natural attractions, activities/sights, restaurants/food, people, value. Optional: for romance.

beautywatchnyc wrote:1989 was the first time I visited Boracay and back then I was already entranced. Still very rustic and serene because electricity hasn't been installed in the island yet. Kerosene lamps flicker like distant stars in the deep of night. There were no flashy lodging, no acclaimed international chain hotels, facilities were then basic. It took so long for people to appreciate the beauty of the island due to the lack of promotion and advertising campaign on the international level. Hence, inbound tourism suffered a backseat for years as it did not occupy the top tier of the government's major revenue generating priority unlike it is today. Local tourism picked-up largely due to word-of-mouth advertising that soon took off because of improved infrastructure and travel amenities. The introduction of cheap airline travel via no-frills discounted airfares contributed to domestic tourism's growth. But with the administration's thrust on tourism campaign, i.e. open-skies, security and safety programs, local gove't participation in tourism campaigns in the int'l level we hope to be attracting more inbound tourists in the immediate years ahead.

Must be nice to have seen the kerosene lamps flickering as you hear the waves gently lapping in Boracay.

by **princepauper** » Fri Jul 27, 2012 4:58 am

I'll be in Boracay this coming Sunday til Tuesday...

by **shirax** » Fri Jul 27, 2012 5:04 am

im very proud of my roots!!!

by **fantasyboi** » Fri Jul 27, 2012 5:08 am

I agree.

I happened to visit the place few months ago. It is an awesome place to visit.

The water at that time was lukewarm. It felt so good, not too cold and not too warm. It was just right.

You can go swimming further down without getting too deep to swim.

Lots of shopping and lots of too many things to see, plus relaxing msssages are all over the place.

We had so much fun.

Thank you Boracay. Thank you Philippines.

by **Orientboy** » Fri Jul 27, 2012 5:43 am

this one is long overdue :=p

Congrats Boracay :-D

by **beautywatchnyc** » Fri Jul 27, 2012 5:55 am

beautywatchnyc wrote:1989 was the first time I visited Boracay and back then I was already entranced. Still very rustic and serene because electricity hasn't been installed in the island yet. Kerosene lamps flicker like distant stars in the deep of night. There were no flashy lodging, no acclaimed international chain hotels, facilities were then basic. It took so long for people to appreciate the beauty of the island due to the lack of promotion and advertising campaign on the international level. Hence, inbound tourism suffered a backseat for years as it did not occupy the top tier of the government's major revenue generating priority unlike it is today. Local tourism picked-up largely due to word-of-mouth advertising that soon took off because of improved infrastructure and travel amenities. The introduction of cheap airline travel via no-frills discounted airfares contributed to domestic tourism's growth. But with the administration's thrust on tourism campaign, i.e. open-skies, security and safety programs, local gove't participation in tourism campaigns in the int'l level we hope to be attracting more inbound tourists in the immediate years ahead.

Must be nice to have seen the kerosene lamps flickering as you hear the waves gently lapping in Boracay.

Yes, the ambiance of Boracay was serenely beautiful then. Commercialism and greedy competition have not yet invaded the natives vocabulary. Commercial waste was not seen as destructive pollutant then. The natives were noted to be friendly, opened their homes to vacationists and were apologetic as to what they could offer to their guests despite their non-worldly possessions regardless. Rent was dirt cheap and the absence of electricity made the entire beachfront romantic throughout the evening. It used to be great in a very simplistic way back then. I truly missed the Boracay of years ago.

by **lina morales** » Fri Jul 27, 2012 6:18 am

been to boracay 5 times and i keep coming back...ive been able to convince so many people to visit when they see my photos...boracay is indeed stunning

by **Sheriblsm** » Fri Jul 27, 2012 6:37 am

beautywatchnyc wrote:
Yes, the ambiance of Boracay was serenely beautiful then. Commercialism and greedy competition have not yet invaded the natives vocabulary. Commercial waste was not seen as destructive pollutant then. The natives were noted to be friendly, opened their homes to vacationists and were apologetic as to what they could offer to their guests despite their non-worldly possessions regardless. Rent was dirt cheap and the absence of electricity made the entire beachfront romantic throughout the evening. It used to be great in a very simplistic way back then. I truly missed the Boracay of years ago.

I don't mind Commercialism for it brings much needed revenue; however, it is the effects that worries me. We need to shift from polluting to cleaner assets so as not to undermine Boracay's environmental resources. The businesses, both small and big have to take care the hand that feeds them and not think of just the bottom line. The tourists have to respect the beauty of Boracay by treating it like it is their own sanctuary. If everybody does their job and use common sense then we'll have more generations appreciate the picturesque island of Boracay.