ROCK POOLS Tourists find a piece of paradise at Magpupungko rock pools in the town of Pilar on Siargao Island. —ERWIN MASCARIÑAS

BUTUAN CITY — Tourist arrivals on Siargao Island in Surigao del Norte province is expected to increase after it was named the best island in Asia by a luxury travel publication.

Condé Nast (CN) Traveler said Siargao emerged the top choice of its readers in Asia in the 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards. The survey asked readers to rank the 30 best islands in the world outside the United States.

It said the survey covered far-flung “stunners” in Southeast Asia to volcanic outcrops in the Mediterranean.

This year, CN Traveler, which revealed the results on Oct. 9, broke down the top islands in the world by region.

The published survey also referred to surfers as the “vanguard” of travelers, scoping out some of the more remote parts of the world for surf breaks before others get there.

“Siargao, the teardrop-shaped Philippine island home to more than 15 separate surf breaks, including the legendary Cloud 9, which counts surfing superstar Kelly Slater and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Anthony Kiedis among its fans, has been popular for a few years, but our readers, an adventurous sort, have caught on. There’s enough white sand to go around,” said CN Traveler.