Which one has the most beautiful beaches: The Philippines, Indonesia, or Thailand?

Hands down the Philippines.

I've been going to the beach all my life. All in the Philippines. I would wager that most Filipinos have no interest in visiting other tropical beaches outside the Philippines because we already have the most beautiful beaches on Earth within our country.

Below, a sneak peek. Hidden Beach in El Nido, Palawan Province.

Indeed to many a traveler, the Philippines is a hidden gem. A string of shimmering islands large and small, sitting in a place that is not right at the equator (too hot) like Indonesia but not locked within the Asian landmass like Thailand (too dry).

While Indonesia and Thailand sure have their own magical beaches, it is the sheer variety of beautiful beaches in the Philippines that sets it apart from Indonesia and Thailand.

But first, let's
define what we mean by beautiful beaches. While it is true that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, there are certain universal notions of what a beautiful beach should look.

And these are: 1) powdery white sand, 2) clear, crystal-blue waters, and 3) relative freedom from overcrowding.

Taking these three measures into account, the Philippines is blessed with thousands of beautiful beaches indeed. Thanks in large part to its geography, geology, and climate.

While someone previously pointed out that Indonesia, by the sheer length of its coastline of 54,000 kilometers versus the 36,000 kilometers of coastline across the Philippines and the 3,000 kilometers of coastline across Thailand, not to mention Indonesia having the largest archipelago this side of the world with over 15,000 islands as compared to the 7,500 islands of the Philippines and the thousand or so islands of Thailand, the formation of beautiful beaches is not a simple matter of which country has the most number of islands or the longest coastline.

If that were true, Finland and Canada should have the most number of beautiful beaches on the planet. Yet, Finland and Canada are not the first countries that come to mind when it comes to beautiful beaches.

While I am no geologist, a quick study on the formation of the Philippine Archipelago would reveal that the Philippine islands were a product of both tectonic and volcanic origins. While the Indonesian islands were formed in the same way and the beaches of Thailand were hewn and carved out from ancient rocks, the Philippines is a combination of both Thailand, Indonesia, and even Vietnam.

That's because some of the oldest islands in the Philippines sheared off from the main Asian landmass millions of years ago, creating islands that have the same features as the islands of Vietnam and Thailand. And yet many of the islands were also formed in the same way the Indonesian archipelago was formed. Thus, the Philippines also share many of the features of the islands in Indonesia. So we can pretty much conclude that the Philippines is a combination of both Indonesia and Thailand.

However, the Philippines has three aces up its sleeve which both Indonesia and Thailand do not possess.

First, it's located between two massive bodies of water. The Pacific Ocean and the vast South China Sea. Being sandwiched in the middle of two large bodies of water creates a rich marine biodiversity in the islands of the Philippines. Seen from an image grab of ocean currents from NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio below, one can see huge, powerful ocean currents swarming the islands virtually from all directions.

In Thailand (below), the currents swirl only on the West which is the Andaman Sea and where you can also find the beautiful Andaman Islands and Thailand's famous beaches and islands such as Phuket and Maya Bay in Ko Phi Phi.

In Indonesia (below), the currents are quite strong as well. Where the currents are strongest you can find Indonesia's most beautiful beaches and islands such as Bali and the beaches of Sulawesi and East Kalimantan. However, the temperature of the water is a bit warmer compared to the South China Sea and the Western Pacific as Indonesia sits on the equator (the green line). This warm water somehow affects the quality of marine life, which is essential in the formation of beautiful beaches.

In the Philippines, the tropical climate and the coming together of many, powerful ocean currents allow for a rich marine environment. In fact, the Philippines is at the center of the center of marine biodiversity in the world within the Coral Triangle. 

A rich marine environment is necessary in the formation of beautiful, white sand tropical beaches because the finest white sand beaches are mostly fish manure and grounded corals or coral sand.

Second, it's right dead center on what is called the "typhoon belt". Below, you can see typhoons making a beeline to the Philippines in late 2015, during the height of typhoon season.

While being in the path of typhoons is a curse to the Philippines, it also serves as a blessing. Typhoons and storms continually shape rock formations which in turn help shape some breathtaking tropical landscapes. More importantly, typhoons and storms serve to diminish pollutants both in the sea and in the air, creating the clearest waters and bluest skies one can find perhaps nowhere else on the planet.

Third, and most important of all, the Philippines doesn't have a large tourist industry. While Thailand attracts some 24 million foreign tourists a year and Indonesia some 9 million, the Philippines attracts just 5 million foreign visitors a year, which translates to basically empty, pristine beaches.

Without further ado, here are just some examples of beaches you can find all over the Philippines. And these are just but a few. There are many more out there, just waiting to be discovered.

First stop is Boracay Island. It's considered the crown jewel of all of the Philippines's more famous islands. It has the most powdery white sand beach you can find anywhere in the world with the consistency of talcum powder stretched over four kilometers and several hundred meters wide. Several times it has been voted as the Best Beach in Asia and the Best Island in the World and has stayed consistently on the list of world's best beaches and islands year after year.

Next stop is El Nido. El Nido is actually a group of small islands in the North of a larger island called Palawan. Contrary to what most people think, it is El Nido, and not the islands of Thailand which inspired Alex Garland to write "The Beach". Palawan itself is often cited as the Most Beautiful Island in the World besting the likes of Maldives, the islands of French Polynesia, and the Caribbean. With its pristine waters and dramatic rock formations, El Nido is truly a magical place. Watch this absolutely breathtaking video to have a better appreciation of what El Nido is about.

Above is Amanpulo, also in Palawan. It's actually an island resort where the likes of Hollywood celebrities such as Tom Cruise, Beyoncé, and Robert De Niro, among others, have visited.

This is Guyam Island near Siargao Island.

Siargao itself is considered as one of the greatest surfing destinations in the world, noted for the perfect waves of Cloud 9.

Here you see White Island in Camiguin Province, which is the larger island in the background, and also serves as a dramatic backdrop to White Island. Camiguin has seven volcanoes within its 238 square-kilometer area.

Above are photos of the Caramoan Islands. Similar to El Nido, these are a group of islands and islets with white sand beaches ringed by jagged rock formations. Several "Survivor" series episodes have already been filmed in these islands.

Below are a series of photos of lesser known beaches and islands that are no less spectacular than the more famous islands in the Philippines.

Halabang Baybay Beach in Calaguas Island.

Hundred Islands in Pangasinan Province.

Pangalusian Island in Palawan Province.

Maldives? Not at all. This is Onuk Island in Palawan Province.

Mostly deserted Subic Beach in the town of Matnog in Sorsogon Province.

The two photos above show Sumilon Island in Cebu Province.

Samal Island in Davao Province.

San Juan Beach in Siquijor Province.

Saud Beach in the town of Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte Province.

Kalanggaman Island in Leyte Province. Watch this stunning video.

Bantayan Island in Cebu Province.

Absolutely deserted and uninhabited Pungtud Island in Bohol.

Isla de Gigantes in Iloilo Province.

Bitaog Beach in the Dinagat Islands.

One of the empty islets in the Linapacan Islands of Palawan Province.

Kalupitpit Island in the Busuanga Islands of Palawan Province.

In fact, the Philippines has been blessed with so many beautiful islands, there are spectacular pristine, white sand beaches even just a few short hours by car away from the capital Manila, which is one of the most urbanized and densely packed cities in the world with a population of 10 million.

Below are just some of these nearby beaches.