Seniors Head for Palawan and Boraclay

These two islands in the Philippines were selected #1 and #2 as the World’s Best Islands in a recent copy of Travel & Leisure. Senior travelers, have you heard of them? I was glad to see that Maui was ranked #3 in the world. We’re looking forward to enjoying Maui for our upcoming 50th wedding anniversary in September.

Palawan Island is the largest island of the Palawan Province. This island is very undeveloped and traditional. Abundant wildlife, jungle mountains, and white sandy beaches attract senior tourists.Palawan’s best assets include not only beaches but caves, lagoons, mangroves, the rain forest, coral reefs and clear blue waters. One has to visit all the islands of Palawan to understand how hard the local people and government have worked to preserve their islands.

National Geographic Traveler magazine rated Palawan the best island destination in East and SE Asia region in 2007, and the 13th best island in the world having “incredibly beautiful natural seascapes and landscapes. Palawan is one of the most biodiverse (terrestrial and marine) islands in the Philippines. The island has had a Biosphere Reserve status since early 1990s, showing local interest for conservation and sustainable development”.

Seniors Visitors Get Lazy on Boraclay

Boracay Island is a great place for seniors to just laze around. Seven km (that’s 5.4 miles) long, it is only one km wide at its narrowest point. Boracay’s largest villages or barangays are Yapak, Balabag and Manoc-Manoc. A confusing network of paths and tracks connects them, and several smaller hamlets called sitios, so maps of Boracay can only serve as a general guide.

Slightly more than half the 5200 population lives in Manoc-Manoc. Boracay is small enough for senior visitors to navigate by rented bicycle or motorbike. But don’t let its small size fool you—you’ll have several excellent beaches to choose from. Yapak Beach is known for beautiful white shells. Reminds me of Sanibel Island in Florida that is famous for its numerous shell varieties.

Wikitravel loves White Beach on Boraclay as do throngs of senior visitors. This beach is where most hotels and resorts are located, and is also the biggest tourist attraction, offering all the Caribbean delights from lounging on a beach chair to diving and snorkeling.

Hotels along Bulabog Beach will get you closer to wind and kite-surfing. For all you senior night owls, the fun in Boracay doesn’t end when the sun sets. Boracay night-life pulsates with many bars and restaurants serving food, drink and fun until dawn. So enjoy the islands and why not do a little island-hopping and take in both. jeb