asiapropertyblog.comPerfectly Profitable Paradise – The Pearl of the Orient

The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has rolled out a new tourism campaign with the slogan “Southeast Asia: feel the warmth.”

The campaign is aimed at Australia, India, Hong Kong, UK and America and if focused on promoting the new website SoutheastAsia.org

The campaign will target visitors from markets such as Australia and India, as well as further afield in Britain, Hong Kong and North America, the ASEAN Tourism Association said in a statement.

The campaign, launched at an industry forum in Brunei on Monday, is focused on a new promotional website SoutheastAsia.org.

Pehin Yahya, Brunei’s minister of industry and primary resources, told delegates that the region offers
“tremendous opportunities” to visitors including ecotourism and culinary experiences.

ASEAN Tourism Association chairman Felix Cruz says the initiative will promote travel to multiple destinations in Southeast Asia.

This is good news for Asia property developers and investors targeting g the touristic markets as the campaign’s mission is to drive more tourists to the countries where such property developers and investors own properties.

Source: The Sunday Morning Herald
http://news.smh.com.au
Asian nations launch tourism offensive
January 25, 2010

So who is fortunate enough to own a private island? Well rumours are rife but unless you are Richard Branson and want to rent out your island paradise then you are likely to try and keep it a secret.   Pirate of the Caribbean, Johnny Depp is said to own an island in the Bahamas; Steven Spielberg reportedly took a shine to the Portuguese island of Madeira and Mel Gibson chose Fiji as his location of secret seclusion.

Where would you choose? And what could you afford? Well perhaps not the whole island but you can have your very own slice of the Cacao Pearl – a pristine and private heart shaped tropical island laying in warm waters and home to coconut palms, papaya trees, rainforest, turtles and rare birds.  With 3 km of dramatic coastline and coral reefs, located within the world-renowned Palawan archipelago, Cacao Pearl boasts four marine reserves and two UNESCO World Heritage sites. You and your loved one can chose from eight different beaches or disappear into a hidden cove for a romantic picnic, sunbathing and a swim in the tropical waters.

Cacao Pearl is one of 1,780 islands that make up Palawan, an island province in south west Philippines and is one of the most romantic spots in the world. Imagine a white glove service, beyond-eco boutique resort community, sensitively developed to retain its natural, tropical charm whilst also offering the upmost in comfort, relaxation, and adventure. The chic residences have been designed exclusively for Cacao Resorts by former film art director Antonio Calvo (Love Actually, Pride & Prejudice) and built to exceed LEED standards for ecologically responsible construction. It is a carbon neutral resort and utilizes renewable energy sources; uniquely all net profits from the resort are invested in philanthropic projects through a Foundation which has been specifically set up to aid local community projects.

Where else in the world could you walk out of your home and pick mangoes and orchids for your breakfast tray. Then perhaps a dip in the hand crafted sunken deck tub followed by a relaxing hour or two in the Cliff Edge Spa where they will create bespoke oils and masks to suit your taste.  And perhaps now a trip to the Chocolatier might seem in order – set in a tropical fruit orchard.

So don’t leave it to the likes of Mel Gibson and Johnny Depp – live your own celebrity dream on this ‘rock star ready’ island of love.  The island residences are delivered in 1 or 2 bedroom configurations each with its own private nature-scaped garden estate of 800-1500 sqm. Bespoke residences are available to anyone with specific ideas or room plans. Prices from US$300,000 fully furnished, ready-to-rent. For more information contact Experience International on 0207 321 5858, visit Cacao Pearl Island or follow us at http://twitter.com/experience_int.

Popular Asia-Pacific accommodation website Wotif.com announced the 10 most popular regions in Asia according to its booking stats during 2009.

For the 3rd year in a row Thailand has toped the chart as most popular and the Philippines crept up into the list also showing the increasing popularity of the country.

Here is the list

Top Asian Regions (by bookings)
1. Thailand
6. Vietnam
2. Singapore
3. Hong Kong
4. Malaysia
5. Indonesia
7. China
8. Japan
9. Macau
10. Philippines

Source:
Popular hotel booking site announces top 10 Asian travel destinations for last year
Wotif.com reveals Asia’s most wanted
Thursday, January 21, 2010
http://www.traveldailynews.com

Philippine property yields are expected to remain steady or show a slight increase during 2010, driven by a resurgent Asian economy, forecasts apart-hotel property investment specialist, Asset Property Brokers – the Chinese economy is predicted to grow by 9% in 2010 with Singapore expanding by 4.3%, Taiwan by 3.7% and the Philippines by 3.2%, according to the International Monitory Fund…

Source: The Move Channel, Friday, November 27, 2009.

Again another great indication of the value of Asia and especially Philippines property investment.

Here is proof that SE Asia is consistently increasing in popularity with foreign visitors, these stats can only have a very positive effect on the tourist property investment industry. The low property prices and massive increasing tourist trends mean  it has never been a better time to invest in property in SE Asia.

Check out these great developments

Continent Fairways – a superb Boracay property investment opportunity that offers guaranteed rental income of around 20% p.a

Cacao Pearl Island – a Palawan property investment opportunity, a beyond eco private island retreat with out the high price tag

Figures released by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) show that the numbers of international visitors to the Asia Pacific region* grew by 2.2 percent year-on-year in October 2009, improving the overall position for the year (10 months) to just four percent down when compared with the same period in 2008.

Within Asia, Southeast Asia recorded a strong seven percent growth in international visitor arrivals, boosted by another impressive month for Malaysia (+14%) and better results from Indonesia (+3 percent) and Thailand (+11%).

Source
Statistics & Trends
Pacific Asia Travel Association
October continues positive trend for Asia Pacific tourism
Wednesday, January 06, 2010

http://www.traveldailynews.com

With so many people looking to buy property in the Philippines I thought that I would share my recent positive experience of investing in a Boracay property.

I already own a property in Thailand earmarked for my retirement but I wanted to expand my portfolio with an investment property purchase; I therefore started looking at nearby markets showing strong potential and the Philippines caught my interest.

I contacted an agent in the UK, Experience International, who told me about the Continent Fairways project on the island of Boracay. I liked the sound of this project as it offered a good return on investment (14% net per annum), a low entry level of £26,000 and I could still use the property for up to 2 weeks each year.

The sales consultant, Stuart Williams was exceptional and answered all my queries and questions about Continent Fairways. He told me that the project was built around an established golf course (as well as very near the beach) with free golf club membership for property owners which really appealed to me as I am keen golfer!

With the location of the development such a key factor to its success I was keen to see it for myself and so I took a trip to the Philippines in August 2009 to see Boracay Island for myself.

And I was not disappointed! From the moment I arrived I could see the beauty of Boracay Island and its people. I received a warm welcome by the developers of Continent Fairways and spent the next few days touring the island including a thorough inspection of the golf course – it proved up to scratch! – and of course the development site.

By the end of my visit I was convinced that the Philippines and the Continent Fairways development was the right choice for me. With the guaranteed 80% occupancy available and the project backed by a renowned high quality resort operator I was confident in the rental opportunities and yields offered. I also decided to take advantage of the 60% non-status finance available.

On returning home I spoke with Stuart Williams and reserved my studio unit. I have appointed solicitors based in the UK to assist with the legal aspects and am liaising with Stuart Williams to sign the contracts.

With my property in the Philippines due for completion in December 2010 I am already looking forward to playing a round or two of golf in the winter sun on Boracay.

Overall, I found the whole experience of purchasing property in the Philippines positive. The location just sold itself and the specific development I invested in ticked all the right boxes.

I would say to any potential buyers to take time to find exactly what you want – it is out there somewhere! Also be happy with the people you chose to work with. Stuart Williams at Experience International offered a first class service from the very start and I would certainly recommend him to friends and family thinking of buying overseas.

Lesley

Just a quick heads up that I am heading down to the Thai islands, Phuket and the surrounding islands and will be reporting back on some of the resorts.

I’m staying on Coconut Island – The Village a luxury resort of private island villas.

A Phuket Resort

I’ll post some updates, pictures and also report back on the property market in the area highlighting some of the great investment opportuinities available.

And of course i’ll be reporting on the intriguing culture and many excellent leisure activities on offer.

See you soon………………………

Here are some pictures of us at the resort…..

The Philippines as you may know is made up from over 7,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The country has had an energetic tourism industry since the 1970s and tourism is a major contributor to the countries economy with net revenue from foreign visitors of over 2 billion US dollars at the start of the decade.

The Philippines is emerging as one of the most appealing holiday destinations  in Southeast Asia.

The many tropical islands have a wealth of natural resources including some of the best beaches and diving spots in the world. Take the superb and thriving island of Boracay which won ‘Best Beach in the World’ by BMW Tropical Beach Handbook in 1990, it and again in 1996 by British publication TV Quick as the world’s number one tropical beach. In 2007, Boracay Island topped the list of the World’s Most Popular Beach according to Yahoo! Travel.
Continent Fairways
A new Asia property development situated on a beautiful Boracay island which has seen lots of interested for investors form the UK is Continent Fairways.

The Continent Fairways development will feature 42 studio suites and 14 two bedroom suites all fully furnished to a 5 star level.

The resort is to be operated as a luxury resort providing investors a NET yield from 12.4% per annum (up to 14% on a few properties).

In our opinion Continent fairways is a great property investment opportunity to own an Asia property on a beautiful and thriving paradise island, own a luxury an apartment on a lovely tropical island for your enjoyment as well as benefit from guaranteed finance returns.

Cacao Resorts has been recognised at the CNBC International Property Awards with an award for Best Residential Development in Country

Nestled on a stunning private island at the northernmost tip of the Palawan bio-sphere, Philippines, the Cacao Pearl is an affordable, paparazzi-free, chic and low-density designer boutique resort development that is beyond-eco, and further pledges 100% of its net profits to social and environmental programs.

The Cacao Pearl residences are exclusive designs by film art director, Antonio Calvo (“Love Actually,” “Alexander”, “Pride & Prejudice”.) and the final phase of beachfront or rainforest residences are now available to discriminating investors with a conscience and a desire for investment-grade security with options to use, re-sell or rent through the five-star Cacao resort.

Click here to read more

Many countries in Asia are now thriving and it is the combination of higher working skills like IT for example which is a massive growth industry in India, the Philippines and other Asia countries and of course tourism as Asia has many beautiful countries with amazing land and seascapes.

In our opinion Asia is one of the most attractive places in the world to invest in a holiday property or investment property and nowadays a growing number of people from all over the world are buying Asia property for a number of reasons.

One of the most appealing countries in South East Asia with overseas property investors looking for superb lifestyle property is the Philippines.

The Philippines is widely known as “the Pearl of the Orient Seas” and lies 750 miles off main land Asia and many of the main islands have beautiful weather, pristine beaches and fantastic luxury of modern living.

Philippine Real Estate Market Buoyant Despite Global Crisis
Olivia Olarte 25 September 2009

“The Philippine real estate market has experienced a nominal year-on-year growth of 10 per cent for the last five years, despite recent events affecting the global property market” said. Tuano, who is also the chairman of the Philippine Business Council, Abu Dhabi, spoke to Khaleej Times ahead of a Philippine Property Show, which was held for the first time in Abu Dhabi.

One of the fasting moving emerging destinations in the Philippines property market is Palawan which has the “best beaches overall in Asia” say Conde Nast Traveller and National Geographic

The fact that Banyan Tree, the luxury resort company has committed to develop two islands in Palawan is an excellent indication of the regions attractiveness and will certainly have a positive impact to tourism in the area.

Further research brings our attention to new resort being launched on a private island in Palawan called Cacao Pearl, a concept that is as the development states ‘Beyond-Eco’.

Cacao Pearl will be a beautiful private island resort will be host to a selection of custom designed and totally the beachfront or hidden within the rainforest, the custom made offers an opportunity of private island lifestyle price tag.

Award Winning – Cacao Resorts has been recognised at the CNBC International Property Awards with an award for Best Residential Development in Country for the Cacao Pearl, private island adventure in Palawan.

The opportunity provided by a private island resort is unique and unforgettable. It is the privilege of enjoying an exclusive, adventurous lifestyle experience in a tropical and exclusive location with many luxuries is extremely desirable.

It is this innovation forward thinking and the experience that of the tropical island life offers that attract so many people to Asia property resorts especially in the Philippines and in our opinion, if you are looking for a tropical climate, adventure and luxury as well as excellent financial returns with regard to rental income and capital growth then yes, the Asia property like that offered in The Philippines and Thailand are some of the most attractive on the planet today.