One of my favourite New Year memories is from Boracay in the Philippines, where the entire sky was lit up in red from fireworks set off from boats offshore.
Hundreds of people were standing on the sand to watch the spectacle before the lighting of the lanterns. The clear night sky, already awash in stars, began to blink even brighter from the reflections of flickering candles in lanterns advancing one by one, before their bearers huddled together, like a flock of birds.
But that was not the best sky I have ever seen. That came on a calm night on Koh Phi Phi Don when the sea was alive and glimmering with the light from the stars as the moon went behind the clouds. Mother Nature had painted a canvas that no human could equal.
The light of the stars and the sound of the waves were soothing but my heart was still beating wildly as I knelt down to propose and give my wife-to-be a ring. Her answer and her smile, coupled with the most beautiful sky I have ever seen, will be in my heart forever. These are the memories I want to share with my son so that he can go out to make his own someday.
We are so blessed in Southeast Asia to have so many stunning islands and beaches to choose from, but will my son be so fortunate when he is my age? Will Boracay charm him the way it charmed me?
What happened to Boracay from overtourism was a shame and I am glad that it is reopening this week. What surprised me, however, was how poorly the Philippine government handled the closure and rehabilitation operation.
The Philippines is not under military rule but President Rodrigo Duterte is known for his tough-guy approach, and what he says goes. If he wants to close a "cesspool" of a tourist island, then it will be closed within two months, no matter how much that hurts all the local workers and investors who power the huge tourism industry there.
Closing an island with a population of 30,000 without any contingency plan is ridiculous. But Boracay was in trouble: tourist arrivals had risen from one million in 1990 to 6.6 million last year, and unless the infrastructure was improved, environmental catastrophe awaited.
The trouble was, there was no plan. Everyone wasted two months after the shutdown figuring out what ought to be done. Meanwhile, people were already out of jobs while hotel and restaurant owners were without income.
When construction eventually started, the roads leading to the beach were like "Aleppo during wartime", one restaurant owner told me. Local authorities had no clue what to do first but were under pressure to be seen as doing something, so they did what they could. Now, the main road leading to the beach, which should have been fixed first, is still under construction while smaller roads are almost finished.
Initially, almost no local people were hired. The scope and urgency of the task dictated that there should be day and night shifts but this was not done. That only changed as the deadline approached, and more local people were hired as well.
When local residents started to complain because they were going hungry, authorities allowed them to fish around the island. This led to the destruction of prime diving spots, one of the main visitor draws.
"We can only hope that the fish will return but because of overtourism, most of my income doesn't come from taking people out to dive anymore, it mostly comes from the room," a friend told me.
It saddens me to know that Boracay may have lost its allure as a diving spot. It only reinforces the argument that a properly planned rehabilitation process should have been undertaken so that this gorgeous island can be preserved for our children. Then again, we also have to think about all the people who need to make a living there.
In any case, if Boracay is to be saved, tourists need to change their behaviour. Rubbish generated per person prior to the shutdown was actually three times higher than in Manila, we've been told.
Thailand this year banned single-use plastic products in all national parks. I can only pray that the rules will be enforced, so there's a fighting chance that the next generation will be able to witness the beauty we have seen.