Hi Karen,

There are some true gems off the beaten track. Consider the following options for your island adventure:

Honda Bay, Palawan
Palawan also offers the Philippines' best dive spot at the Tubbataha Reef Marine Park, a World Heritage Site. Dive boats operate from March to May and can be arranged at Puerto Princesa, Palawan's capital. The city also offers all sorts of jungle eco-hikes and an 8.2 km underground river trip.

Muelle Bay, Puerto Galera, Mindoro Island
Puerto Galera is an ideal place to do island-hopping from Luzon or a place to laze on pristine white sands and clear, warm water. The most popular beaches for swimming are White beach and Tamaraw Beach, while beaches near Sabang have best facilities for coral-cruising. For more tranquility try Big and Small Laguna Beaches. Puerto Galera also offers excellent inland nature walks.

Bantayan Island, Cebu
Bantayan island, 15km from the northern tip of Cebu is well-known for its powder white sands and crystal clear water, especially along the southwest coast. It is a low-key, laid-back resort with friendly locals.

Bohol, just across from Cebu, is best-known for its curiously bumpy Chocolate Hills landscape. It is becoming more popular as the region's best beach destination, with superb white sand and some world class diving sites, tho' mostly on the adjacent little island of Panglao.

Malapascua Island, Cebu
This tiny island, situated at the northeast tip of Cebu Island, is relatively new to the international market, but already rates highly on the the list of world's best beaches - some say it is the new Boracay.