"The Beach, by Alex Garland, is a must-read book in traveller circles. Before it was turned into an overblown Hollywood movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio, The Beach captured the idea of the traveller's paradise.
Ewan McGregor was originally supposed to star in the film adaptation about a British backpacker who stumbles upon a secret beach in Thailand, a Utopia free of Lonely Planet-clutching hordes. Filmed on the southern Thai island of Koh Phi Phi, there's a little known fact about both the book and movie: Thailand wasn't the inspiration for either - it was El Nido, a picturesque region on one of the thousands of islands in the Philippines, and one spared by the recent typhoons and flooding.
And Bacuit Bay in southwest El Nido is probably the most beautiful place I've ever seen. Crystal-clear warm seawater, sharp limestone cliffs, luminous tropical fish, sea turtles, white powdery beaches, sparkling lagoons, coconut trees and world-class diving abound."
On the list: Bacuit Bay, El Nido, Palawan.
