MANILA, Philippines―The Philippines has been recognized by an internationally recognized travel guide as one of the top 10 best countries to visit in 2015.
In the Lonely Planet’s “Best in Travel 2015” travel guide book published Tuesday, the Philippines ranked 8th in the list of “Top 10 Countries.”
The recognition marks the first time that the Philippines was included in the “Best in Travel” guide book.
Lonely Planet said that recognizing the country as a travel destination has long been overdue.
“Many would say the time is well overdue for the Philippines to be recognized as the next big travel destination in Southeast Asia,” said Joe Bindloss in an article published in the Lonely Planet’s website.
Bindloss said that the Philippines has “one of the world’s most beautiful coastlines, fringed by dive-tastic coral reefs, sprinkled with sunbathe-ready white sand, backed by swaying palm trees and dotted with simple resorts of nipa palm thatched huts.”
He also said that Filipinos are experts at throwing parties and generally good at singing.
Bindloss also highlighted the penchant of Filipinos to patronize anything that is “trending.”
Other countries that rounded the top 10 list include: Singapore, Namibia, Lithuania, Nicaragua, Ireland, Republic of Congo, Serbia, St. Lucia, and Morocco.
Each country is said to be chosen for three categories: topicality, unique experiences and “wow” factor.
Lonely Planet also recognized the country’s capital recently in an article entitled “10 reasons to visit Manila.” The article cited the various reasons that tourists might visit the city which include: Spanish heritage in Intramuros, world-class museums, art galleries, and day trips and breaks.
