Things not to miss

#01 Boracay Dropdown content Beach

Enchanting White Beach on picture-postcard Boracay Island is one of the country’s major tourist draws.

© Shutterstock

#02 Ati-Atihan Festival Dropdown content

At this lively festival in Kalibo, on Panay Island, Dropdown content 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

#03 El Nido Dropdown content

The strikingly beautiful limestone islands around El Nido in Palawan Dropdown content offer exceptional exploring and adventure.

El Nido, Philippines © Antonio V. Oquias/Shutterstock

#04 Rice terraces

The mind-boggling rice terraces around Banaue Dropdown content stand as one of Asia’s greatest sights, and offer superb trekking.

© Tappasan Phurisamrit/Shutterstock

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#05 Halo-halo

Nothing beats a tall glass of this icy Filipino treat on a hot day, a concoction of syrups, beans, fruits and ice cream.

© Shutterstock

#06 Vigan Dropdown content

Wonderfully preserved slice of colonial Spain, with cobblestone streets, gorgeous Baroque architecture and horse-drawn carriages.

Vigan, Luzon, Philippines © Daniel Andis/Shutterstock

#07 Swimming with whale sharks

Swimming alongside a giant but gentle whale shark off the coast of Sorsogon Dropdown content, in southern Luzon, is an unforgettable experience.

© Leith Holtzman/Shutterstock

#08 Coron Island Dropdown content by bangka

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

#09 Chocolate Hills Dropdown content

Soak up the bizarre landscape of Bohol Dropdown content’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

#10 San Agustin Church

This elegantly weathered Spanish pile in the heart of old Manila Dropdown content is the oldest stone church in the archipelago and the resting place of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi.

© Richie Chan/Shutterstock

#11 Apo Reef Marine Natural Park Dropdown content

The gin-clear waters of Apo Reef, off the west coast of Mindoro Dropdown content, are a scuba diver’s dream.

Apo island in Philippines © Dudarev Mikhail/Shutterstock

#12 Puerto Galera Dropdown content

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

#13 Underground River Dropdown content

Accessible only by boat, one of the longest subterranean rivers in the world has eerie stalactites, vast caverns and hidden chambers.

© Aleksandar Todorovic/Shutterstock

#14 Mount Mayon Dropdown content

The almost perfectly symmetrical cone of volcanic Mount Mayon, near Legaspi Dropdown content, makes for a challenging but thrilling climb.

© Shutterstock

#15 Tarsiers Dropdown content

Admire these tiny primates with the enormous, sorrowful eyes at their protected sanctuary in Bohol.

© Shutterstock

#16 Mount Pinatubo Dropdown content

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

Travel advice for Philippines

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