El Nido Resorts Pangulasian Island

A single forested hill rising out of the Palawan archipelago, reachable only by a half-hour boat ride from a very small airstrip. The resort's villas line a half-mile white-sand beach or climb above the jungle canopy, all with generous indoor-outdoor space and some with private plunge pools. Local materials keep the crisp, contemporary interiors from feeling airlifted in. The water does most of the heavy lifting: diving, kayaking, and paddling in a setting that barely seems plausible.

One honor, in evidence: