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Introducing Philippines
Travel Alert:Mayon volcano, in Albay province, southeastern Luzon, has shown signs of an imminent eruption. Travellers should respect the Permanent Danger Zone that has been established around the mountain. Check the Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology for updates. Due to the uncertain political situation in Mindinao, including the Zamboanga Peninsula and the Sulu Archipelago, travel to these areas is advised against. Check Safe Travel for current government warnings.
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The second-largest archipelago in the world, with over 7000 tropical islands, the Philippines is one of the great treasures of Southeast Asia. Often overlooked by travellers because of its location on the ‘wrong’ side of the South China Sea, the Philippines rewards those who go the extra distance to reach it. And because it’s off the beaten path, the Philippines is a great place to escape the hordes who descend on other parts of Southeast Asia. First and foremost, the Philippines is a place of natural wonders – a string of coral-fringed islands strewn across a vast expanse of the western Pacific. Below sea level, the Philippines boasts some of the world’s best diving and snorkelling, including wreck diving around Coron and swimming with the whale sharks off Donsol. Above sea level, it has a fantastic landscape with wonders enough to stagger even the most jaded traveller: the Chocolate Hills of Bohol, Banaue & the Rice Terraces and fascinating reminders of the islands’ history in places such as Samar & Leyte and Vigan. And if you’re after palm-fringed, white-sand beaches, try laidback Sipalay or flat-out party town Boracay.
Of course, any traveller who has been here will tell you that it’s the people and their culture that makes the Philippines unique. Long poised at the centre of Southeast Asian trade, colonised by a succession of world powers, the Philippines is a vivid tapestry that reflects its varied cultural inheritance. And despite the poverty that afflicts much of the nation, the Filipinos themselves are among the most ebullient and easygoing people anywhere. The Philippines truly qualifies as one of the last great frontiers in Southeast Asian travel. Cross whichever ocean you need to and see for yourself.
Last updated: Jan 20, 2010
Tips & articles
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Let it rain: enjoying Southeast Asia’s wet season
27 July 2009
It’s the rainy season in Southeast Asia. Don’t worry, it probably won’t rain all the time...
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Philippines
Our Top Picks For Philippines
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1 El Nido
Drift among the limestone cathedrals and azure lagoons of the Bacuit Archipelago
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2 Banaue & the Rice Terraces
Trek through immense rice terraces around Banaue and Bontoc in North Luzon’s Cordillera Mountains
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3 Boracay
Raucous grand dame of the Philippines' beach resorts
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4 Donsol
Swim alongside the giant, plankton-eating whale sharks
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5 Manila
The nation's capital has anarchic nightlife and daytime commerce that will suck you right in
Fast Facts about Philippines
- World's biggest producer of
coconuts, third-largest producer of bananas
- GNP
US$430 billion
- Highest point
Mt Apo, at 2954m
- Number of islands
7000, the world's second- largest archipelago
- Unemployment rate
over 11%
- Population
87.8 million
- English literacy rate
93%, the highest in Asia
- Life expectancy
men 67 years, women 73 years
- Asia's first
university (University of Santo Tomas, 1611); democratic nation (1896); commercial airline (Philippine Airlines, 1941)
Our favourite Philippines Blogs (beta)
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First-time in Bonito Island, Philippines
Blog: First-time Traveler - 9 February 2010
The weather in this part of the globe is once again changing. The slight chill in the air has ebbed away and Philippine summer seems to be entering earlier than expected. It’s not really a sudden shift because in our tropical country, weather conditions could be rainy, normal (dry and warm), and warmer. Most of [...]
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Manila: The Forgotten City
Blog: GoBackpacking - 8 February 2010
Manila is a beautiful city that boasts arts, leisure and entertainment. Join Travel Blog Success and learn to build a better travel blog.
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Day 0: A Kiva Fellow’s reflections
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 8 February 2010
As I sit at a local internet cafe in Cabanatuan city, Philippines (where I am surrounded by five kids all reading out loud the blogs of other Kiva Fellows’ from my computer screen!), I find myself reflecting more on what I hope to learn when I’m in the field.
