Philippines Gains Top Awards

From Save the Philippine Seas.

“Out of eight contenders in the world’s leading dive destinations category, which includes world-renowned sites like Fiji, Galapagos Islands, Maldives, and the Great Barrier Reef, the Philippines was awarded the top spot at the 2020 World Travel Awards— for the second year in a row!

The best part about the accolade? Our tourism department, feeling inspired, vows to continue the promotion of “sustainable, inclusive, and world-class tourism” as attractions safely and gradually open to more domestic tourists.”

The Philippines bested eight destinations in the world’s leading dive destination category. Meanwhile, Intramuros was recognized as the world’s leading tourist attraction for the first time, beating 15 other tourist sites. https://inq.news/topdivedestination

The judges must have been paid off. There is no other explanation.

I have dived in many places in the Philippines and all the dive sites/areas were OK, but not world class

Did you ever go way south, I saw some pristine reefs between the sulu islands and borneo.

Unfortunately not Druk1
Only in Luzon and Visayas.
*edit* Also Palawan.
I wanted to go to Tubbataha Reef in the middle of the Sulu Sea, but it wasn't open when I was there:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubbataha_Reef
I may have asked you before but do you dive?

The tubbataha reef was one of those places I was thinking of, I passed some superb shallow reefs and visited a few badjao seaweed farms between sitangkai and sabah. I have done a bit of diving, not really my thing, I prefer aerial things, my kids got a few different PADI quals, and has dove in pinas, LOS, Honkers and a couple of other places, he is also quite a good freediver, this is him when he was about 15

Great to see your son being interested in diving.
Where does he live?

Intramuros looks pretty interesting to me. But since haven’t been there so wouldn’t know. I saw @oss photos though.

I think so. But there were more of the cobbled streets etc? Or am I confused?

Taormina in Sicily was spectacular to me:
So high up with breath-taking views.

I enjoyed Rome. For sure.

He is here mate, but in a few years he wants to be in Canada, covid has delayed certain plans.

I visited Canada briefly and want to go again, up to the Banff area.

If I lived there, I would buy a dry suit and try to see a "northern giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini)".
From https://www.natureconservancy.ca/en...-molluscs/northern-giant-pacific-octopus.html:
It is the largest, longest-lived octopus species. Although its average length and mass are 5 metres and 20 to 50 kilograms respectively, the largest recorded individual was 9.1 metres long and weighed 272 kilograms. They typically live for three to five years. Like other octopus species, the northern giant Pacific octopus is very smart and some have been known to open jars and complete mazes.

Canada is a nice place, I will be over there as soon as they drop the quarantine, I know a little about cephalopods, I have eaten plenty of them

You have a right to be proud of your motherland, mate.
It is a visual feast for the senses and, apart from beautiful awe-inspiring buildings, the countryside is amazing too.
I drove from Switzerland to Sicily and seeing Italy was a wonderful experience for sure.