Few countries pack as much into one archipelago. In a single trip you can wander Spanish stone streets, climb thousand-year-old rice terraces, dive coral gardens, and watch a thousand drummers fill a city with colour. Three island groups, three very different journeys — here’s where to begin in each.
-
The NorthLuzonCities, mountains & history.
From the neon pulse of Manila to cool mountain highlands and centuries-old Spanish towns, Luzon holds the country’s biggest city and its most dramatic scenery.
Top destinations
- Metro Manila — historic Intramuros, Rizal Park & the glassy nightlife of BGC
- Banaue & Batad — the 2,000-year-old “Stairway to the Sky” rice terraces
- Vigan — a UNESCO Spanish colonial town & cobbled Calle Crisologo
- Baguio — the cool, pine-clad “Summer Capital”
- Palawan — El Nido & Coron’s storybook lagoons and cliffs
- Mayon Volcano — the near-perfect cone of Albay, Bicol
The Banaue Rice Terraces, Ifugao
-
The CentreVisayasBeaches, reefs & festivals.
The country’s sun-soaked playground — powdery white sand, world-class diving, and the most riotous fiestas in the islands.
Top destinations
- Boracay — the legendary 4-km White Beach
- Cebu — whale sharks at Oslob, Kawasan Falls & Magellan’s Cross
- Bohol — the Chocolate Hills, tiny tarsiers & Panglao’s beaches
- Siquijor — a mystic island of waterfalls and quiet shores
- Negros — Apo Island diving & Bacolod’s MassKara Festival
- Iloilo — heritage churches & the thunderous Dinagyang Festival
The Chocolate Hills, Bohol
-
The SouthMindanaoPeaks, culture & vibrant faith.
The great southern frontier of surf, soaring peaks, and rich Muslim and Lumad cultures — crowned by grand mosques and the country’s most colourful festivals.
Top destinations
- Siargao — the surfing capital & Cloud 9’s famous break
- Davao — Mount Apo (the highest peak), the Philippine Eagle & the Kadayawan Festival
- Camiguin — the island of volcanoes & a white sandbar
- Lake Sebu — T’boli country & the dreamlike t’nalak weave
- Cotabato & Marawi — the grand golden-domed mosques of the south
- Zamboanga — “Asia’s Latin City” & its rainbow-sailed vintas
Kadayawan Festival, Davao
“Seven thousand islands — and a lifetime is not enough to see them all.”