MANILA -- Boracay has been named as the best island in the world for this year by an international luxury and lifestyle travel magazine.

Boracay topped all islands in Condé Nast Traveler's 2016 Readers’ Choice Awards, besting other Philippine islands on the list such as Palawan and Cebu.

Palawan, which topped the list in 2015, is now in the second spot, while Cebu is fifth.

Condé Nast Traveler described Boracay as an "itty-bitty island" that is "as close to a tropical idyll as you’ll find in Southeast Asia, with gentle coastlines and transporting sunsets."

"Add in a thriving nightlife scene, and you have one of the top tourist spots in the region," it added.

Boracay's main draw, it said, is the island's "powdery white sand and shallow azure water ideal for swimming and snorkeling."

On the other hand, it touted Palawan as the home to one of the new seven natural wonders of the world, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River.

The magazine also recommended Cebu for its many beaches, saying the city is "not as wild as Phuket in Thailand" but it is "more personal, with plenty of up-and-coming restaurants and shopping."

Almost one million tourists visited the island during the first half of 2016, an increase of 15 percent from the previous year.