Things to Do in the Philippines

Home to over 1,000 different species of wildlife, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is hugely popular among deep sea divers, mainly for its spectacular coral 'walls' where the intricate shallow reefs fall away suddenly to unfathomable depths. Boat trips to the park take around 12 hours from Puerto Princesa City on Palawan.

A faintly bizarre geographical feature of the island province of Bohol, legends surround the mysterious origin of these 1,268 perfectly cone-shaped hills. Though they're more likely to have been fashioned by volcanic activity or tidal movement, the tale that these 1000-plus hills were created by the tears of a lovesick giant named Arogo is a much more appealing idea!

Stretching for four kilometers along the coast of Boracay, many consider this beautiful beach to be the finest in the world. With unmatched sunsets, sand as soft (and, as the name suggests, white!) as talcum powder and palm trees lining its fringe, it's a picture postcard paradise.

These 2000 year old terraces are, undoubtedly, one of the most remarkable manmade structures on the planet. An irrigation system, they can be found at heights of over 1500 meters, and cover a vast area of some 11,000 square kilometers. Truly unmissable.

The official presidential residence, it was famously the home of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos (and her collection of thousands of shoes!) from 1965 to 1986. Although most of the state and historical rooms are closed to the public, visitors can enjoy a tour of the palace museum. It can take a bit of effort, though – those interested in a tour must write or fax their details to the museum director some seven days before they intend to visit!