By Tiffany Lam
For better or for worse, Marinduque, Phu Quoc, Hainan and the Ho Tram Strip are being touted by developers and local governments as Asia's next major tourist destinations. Here's why:
The picturesque Filipino volcanic island of Marinduque.
Marinduque, Philippines
Marinduquenos celebrate the Moriones Festival.The lowdown: Pristine beaches, diving sites, a balmy climate. Marinduque has all the postcard charms of other Filipino hotspots such as Boracay and Tagaytay, but none of their tired tourist crowds.The volcanic island of Marinduque is just a 45-minute flight from bustling Manila, but manages to elude the capital’s frenetic pace. There’s nary a nightclub or souvenir shack in sight. It has a generous sprinkling of hot springs and white sandy beaches, notably the sulphuric hot springs of Malbog, and Poctoy’s White Beach, which doubles as a community hangout. The uninhabited Tres Reyes Islands off the Gasan coast ranks among Marinduque’s best diving sites with azure waters, profuse corals and an underwater cave.
Come Holy Week, which is a week before Easter, Marinduqueños cover up with gaudy masks to make like Roman soldiers during the crucifixion of Christ for the famous Moriones Festival. Why it’s next: For years, Marinduque has been under the foreign tripper's radar, but not for long, if politicos and developers have their way. The laid-back island-province is now being touted as the Philippines’ next holiday haven, with the Bellarocca luxury resort set up last year, and new domestic flights on Zest Air and SEAIR connecting it to Manila.
Luzon officials are also on a crusade to raise the area’s public profile. Ilocos Norte representative Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said earlier this month that “once the Marinduque air and sea ports are modernized, larger volume of local and foreign tourists can be lured to visit its little-known but awesome white sand beaches.”
Marcos is also advocating the redevelopment of the abandoned Marcopper mining site into a 18-hole golf course and a hospital complex, to boost medical tourism.
Luzon officials are also on a crusade to raise the area’s public profile. Ilocos Norte representative Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said earlier this month that “once the Marinduque air and sea ports are modernized, larger volume of local and foreign tourists can be lured to visit its little-known but awesome white sand beaches.”
Marcos is also advocating the redevelopment of the abandoned Marcopper mining site into a 18-hole golf course and a hospital complex, to boost medical tourism.
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