More Than Seven Thousand Islands to Choose From
The Philippines is an archipelago nation in Southeast Asia, made up of more than 7,000 islands and known for white-sand beaches, turquoise lagoons, rice terraces, centuries-old churches and one of the warmest welcomes in Asia. The country is generally divided into three main island groups, Luzon in the north, the Visayas in the centre and Mindanao in the south, with Manila, the capital, on Luzon. English is widely spoken alongside Filipino, which makes travelling here refreshingly easy, and the cultural mix of Malay, Spanish and American influences gives the country a flavour all its own.
Palawan is the star for many visitors. El Nido and Coron offer limestone cliffs, secluded lagoons and clear water ideal for island-hopping and snorkelling, while the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, inscribed by UNESCO in 1999, takes visitors by boat into a cave system that runs to the sea. Boracay's White Beach is among the best-known in the country, with a long sweep of powder-soft sand. For travellers comparing Asian island holidays, Thailand and the Phi Phi Islands offer a different but complementary experience.
Cebu, Bohol, Banaue and Siargao
The Visayas add variety. Cebu is known for its beaches, diving and the dramatic Kawasan Falls, and its Sinulog festival, each January, fills the streets with drums, dance and colour. Bohol is home to the Chocolate Hills, a landscape of grassy domes that turn brown in the dry season, and to the tarsier, one of the world's smallest primates. Heritage lovers can visit Vigan, a Spanish colonial town of cobbled streets and horse-drawn carriages, inscribed by UNESCO in 1999, or the Banaue Rice Terraces in the northern mountains, carved by hand over many generations.
Adventure and surf follow. Siargao, an island off Mindanao, is known for Cloud 9, a celebrated surf break, and for palm-lined lagoons and a relaxed island atmosphere, while Donsol and Oslob are known for whale shark encounters. Filipino food is a delight: adobo, sinigang, lechon and halo-halo, a colourful iced dessert, appear on every table. A hotel group or resort operator will find a huge range of stories here, from boutique island lodges to beachfront resorts, and Singapore offers an easy regional stopover.
Read the full The Philippines guide on Visit Travel Group, or see ThePhilippines.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.