Global voting ends! The New7Wonders of Nature are...

Komodo Dragons - Komodo Island, Indonesia

The initial count of the global vote to choose the New7Wonders of Nature has been announced. Congratulations to the following entries.

Amazon (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela)

Halong Bay (Vietnam)

Iguazu Falls (Argentina, Brazil)

Jeju Island (South Korea)

Komodo Island (Indonesia)

Puerto Princesa Underground River (Philippines)

Table Mountain (South Africa)

Unfortunately six finalists that were leading in last week’s tally did not make the final cut. These are:

Dead Sea (Israel, Jordan, Palestine)

Grand Canyon (USA)

Great Barrier Reef (Australia, Papua New Guinea)

Jeita Grotto (Lebanon)

Sundarbans (Bangladesh, India)

Vesuvius (Italy)

They were instead taken over by Amazon, Iguazu Falls, and Table Mountain.

The results were announced at the headquarters of the New7Wonders Foundation in Zurich, Switzerland after the global voting ended on 11.11.11.

The New7Wonders of Nature campaign lasted for over four years, starting with more than 440 locations from over 220 countries and all the way to the 28 finalist candidates from whom the New7Wonders of Nature have been chosen.

These preliminary results are provisional and are subject to validation. Confirmed winners will be announced in early 2012.

I’m delighted to see three winners from ASEAN. It only proves that Southeast Asia is a place of bountiful natural beauty. Visit ASEAN!

- Kwento ni Remus Mark

New7Wonders of Nature: How to vote for Puerto Princesa Underground River

Puerto Princesa Underground River, Philippines

Reputed to be the world's longest navigable underground river and the most beautiful subterranean river, The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is a must-see for first time visitors to Puerto Princesa, Palawan. Its main attraction is an 8.2-kilometer Underground River that winds through a spectacular cave before emptying into the South China Sea. At the mouth of the cave, a clear lagoon is framed by ancient trees growing right to the water's edge. 

Monkeys, large monitor lizards & squirrels find their niche on the beach near the cave. Visitors can also enjoy bird-watching, mountain trekking & exploring the deeper part of the forest. 

The park was declared a premier ecotourism destination and has been proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its outstanding universal value and ecological significance as a natural site of intense beauty.

The Puerto Princesa Underground River is the Philippines' entry and a finalist in the New7Wonders of Nature campaign.

Here are the top 10 finalists as of this writing (in alphabetical order):

Dead Sea (Israel, Jordan, Palestine)

Grand Canyon (USA)

Great Barrier Reef (Australia, Papua New Guinea)

Halong Bay (Vietnam)

Jeita Grotto (Lebanon)

Jeju Island (South Korea)

Komodo Island (Indonesia)

Puerto Princesa Underground River (Philippines)

Sundarbans (Bangladesh, India)

Vesuvius (Italy)

Voting for the New7Wonders of Nature ends on 11.11.11. We have less than five days left so vote for PPUR now! Here’s how.

1] Via Text Messaging/SMS

Vote for Puerto Princesa Underground River via SMS from the Philippines.

Text PPUR send to 2861 (Smart, Globe and Sun subscribers)

1 vote = text PPUR

7 votes = text PPUR7

15 votes = text PPUR15

Each SMS sent counts as one vote for the PP Underground River in the Official New7Wonders of Nature.

Send PPUR to 2861

Cost per SMS sent:

PHP 2.00 (Sun)

PHP 2.50 (Globe, Smart)

2]  Via Internet

Vote for Puerto Princesa Underground River via internet from anywhere in the world.

Visit http://www.new7wonders.com/vote-2. Choose your 7 finalists. Leave your personal information including a valid email address. Enter captcha code. Send your vote.

Keep voting and spread the word to Filipinos in every corner of the world.

- Kwento ni Remus Mark