Top things to do

The Mestizo District, or Kasanglayan ('where the Chinese live'), is a grid of streets hemmed in between Plaza Burgos and Liberation Blvd and bisected by the beautifully preserved Crisologo St. You can wander in a da…

The best-preserved Ibaloi mummies are found in the Timbac Caves. Located about 1200m above Kabayan proper, these are Kabayan’s most sacred caves, and locals customarily make offerings of gin before entering them. Th…

Guarding the entrance to the Pasig River you’ll find Intramuros' premier tourist attraction: Fort Santiago. Within the fort grounds are an oasis of lovely manicured gardens, plazas and fountains leading to its arche…

Cebu’s holiest church houses a revered Flemish statuette of the Christ child (Santo Niño) that dates to Magellan’s time. The church’s belfry came crumbling down in the October 2013 earthquake and is being rebuilt. T…

The San Agustin Church was the only building left intact after the destruction of Intramuros in WWII. Built between 1587 and 1606, it is the oldest church in the Philippines. The massive facade conceals an ornate in…

At the southeastern end of town near the waterfront is this solid and squat building, partially restored to maintain its historic character. Inside is a museum with several impressive and recently renovated gallerie…

As in life, so it is in death for Manila’s wealthy Chinese citizens, who are buried with every modern convenience in the huge Chinese Cemetery. It's far from your ordinary cemetery and instead feels like a residenti…

The most accessible part of the immense limestone cave complex is the seven-chambered Callao Cave. Callao Cave is reached by walking up 184 slippery steps. Several sinkholes illuminate the cavernous chambers, the la…

This terrific museum comprises several galleries in an sturdy old coral-stone building that was Cebu's provincial jail from 1870 to 2004. Most interesting are the Spanish-era and American-era galleries. The latter c…

One of the most striking natural features in the Western Visayas, the astonishing Malumpati River emerges from nowhere in the midst of the jungle, a perfectly clear and beautiful turquoise, before flowing to the sea…