The Coconut Palace

Lonely Planet review

Of all of Imelda's wacky schemes, this one may be the wackiest. Hearing that Pope John Paul II was planning a visit to the flock in the Philippines, Imelda ordered that a grand palace be built. And not just any palace either, but one showcasing the nation's crafts and materials. Huge teams of craftsmen laboured overtime to complete this edifice in time for the pontiff's arrival.

As Imelda readied herself to throw open the door to welcome the pope, she got stiffed. After sternly chastising that the US$37 million cost could have gone to other uses, such as clean water for the people, the pope went elsewhere.Left with a palace (the name derives from the extensive use of coconut materials) and no guests, Imelda eventually seized upon a couple of C-level celebrities for a gala opening: Brooke Shields and George Hamilton. As camp goes, you can't do much better.

Today the palace is rented out for wedding parties (around P25 0 for a four-hour reception). But you needn't get hitched to enjoy the place; tours of the palace are available. Among other details, reverential attendants explain that on opening night, Brooke got pineapple-fibre sheets for her room while the ever-tanned George snuggled into banana-fibre sheets.