On and Off the Red Carpet by Janet Susan R. Nepales   SIARGAO, BORACAY, TAGAYTAY, MANILA, PHUKET AND BANGKOK It is no wonder that the Conde Nast travel magazine always rates some of the islands in the Philippines as the top places to visit. Palawan, Boracay and Cebu have always been listed on their top 10 best islands to go to in the world. And we are proud of it! So it is no surprise that our fascination for our islands and our sense of adventure have grown more now that we are thousands of miles away from home. Last year, we visited Siargao, a tear-drop island in the Philippine Sea situated 196 kilometers southeast of Tacloban in the province of Surigao del Norte. Known as a surfing paradise, the coastline is marked by a succession of reefs, small points and white, sandy beaches, which the European tourists have discovered and easily fell in love with. You can easily bump into these tourists on the island - lounging on the white sand beaches, riding their bikes at night on a narrow street, eating local food with the natives or simply walking leisurely and enjoying the laid back lifestyle. During our three-day stay at Siargao, we visited the Naked Island (called as such because it is almost bare of vegetation and not because of the naked tourists), Dacu Island (Big Island), and Guyam Island - an island where you can just meditate, enjoy the warm breeze in a hammock or lie down and take a nap on the sandy beach. During our land trip to Siargao, we were also able to visit the Magpupungko rock formation and pool, where you can swim in the natural pools or enjoy the view of the rock formations. Also, the Maasin...... Read more on Full Issue!