Enchanting White Beach on picture-postcard Boracay Island is one of the country’s major tourist draws.
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At this lively festival in Kalibo, on Panay Island, held annually in honour of the Santo Niño (Infant Jesus), everyone wears indigenous dress and learns tribal dances.
Ati-Atihan Festival, Philippines © Hagen Production/Shutterstock
The strikingly beautiful limestone islands around El Nido in Palawan offer exceptional exploring and adventure.
El Nido, Philippines © Antonio V. Oquias/Shutterstock
The mind-boggling rice terraces around Banaue stand as one of Asia’s greatest sights, and offer superb trekking.
© Tappasan Phurisamrit/Shutterstock
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Nothing beats a tall glass of this icy Filipino treat on a hot day, a concoction of syrups, beans, fruits and ice cream.
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Wonderfully preserved slice of colonial Spain, with cobblestone streets, gorgeous Baroque architecture and horse-drawn carriages.
Vigan, Luzon, Philippines © Daniel Andis/Shutterstock
Swimming alongside a giant but gentle whale shark off the coast of Sorsogon, in southern Luzon, is an unforgettable experience.
© Leith Holtzman/Shutterstock
Tour the jagged, gasp-inducing coast of Coron Island by bangka, taking in hidden coves, secret beaches and two pristine mountain lakes fed by springs.
Coron, Palawan, Philippines © Kasia Soszek/Shutterstock
Soak up the bizarre landscape of Bohol’s iconic Chocolate Hills, conical brown-green mounds said to be the calcified tears of a broken-hearted giant.
Chocolate hills, Bohol island, Philippines © Eva Mont/Shutterstock
This elegantly weathered Spanish pile in the heart of old Manila is the oldest stone church in the archipelago and the resting place of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi.
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The gin-clear waters of Apo Reef, off the west coast of Mindoro, are a scuba diver’s dream.
Apo island in Philippines © Dudarev Mikhail/Shutterstock
Only a few hours from the bustle of Manila, scenic Puerto Galera is a great place to relax and be pampered, as well as learn to dive.
© Oksana Golubeva/Shutterstock
Accessible only by boat, one of the longest subterranean rivers in the world has eerie stalactites, vast caverns and hidden chambers.
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The almost perfectly symmetrical cone of volcanic Mount Mayon, near Legaspi, makes for a challenging but thrilling climb.
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Admire these tiny primates with the enormous, sorrowful eyes at their protected sanctuary in Bohol.
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The lower slopes of Mount Pinatubo feature canyons formed after the massive 1991 eruption, while the crater is filled by a pristine mountain lake.
Pinatubo crater lake in Philippines © posztos/Shutterstock