Discover the Philippines

The Philippines is defined by its emerald rice paddies, dazzling beaches, year-round sunshine, lush jungles filled with intriguing wildlife, fascinating cities and rich cultures to name just a few. Made up of over 7,000 islands, highlights include the extremely picturesque island of Boracay, ancient churches and shrines in Cebu and eclectic Manila, home to flea markets and three of the largest shopping malls in the world.

Good to know

Flight time: Approximately 14 hours to Manila

Climate: Summer months – March to May
Rainy season – June to October
Cooler months – November to February

Local currency: Philippine Peso

GMT: +7 hours

Manila

As the capital of the Philippines, Manila is a thriving hub that blends quaint with modern and the day-to-day norm with the extraordinary. To catch a glimpse of Manila’s famed sunset, head to Baywalk on the Roxas Boulevard, it’s lined with beautiful restaurants and enthralling nightly entertainment.

El Nido

Filled with treasures to uncover, El Nido is beautiful with its marble cliffs and white sandy beaches. Discover enchanting lagoons, mesmerising waterfalls and intriguing caves that lead to hidden beaches. Be sure to try the seafood, it’s a local delicacy.

Don’t miss!

World-class surfing, diving and vast wildlife to the buzzing cities, ukay-ukays – thrift stores and Jeepneys of the city, one thing that can be guaranteed is that the Philippines has something for everyone, its diversity is what makes it such a captivating and intriguing ‘must visit’ destination.

Cebu

With its narrow coastlines, stunning limestone plateaus and rugged mountain ranges, Cebu city is the oldest city in the Philippines resulting fascinating architecture such as the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral – constructed in 1689.

Boracay

Known for its postcard-perfect, beautiful white beaches and its small 7km by 500m size, Boracay is often referred to as ‘the crown jewel’ of the Philippines. In the centre of all the action is White Beach – 4km of stunning coastline lined with restaurants offering the best in worldwide cuisines.

With over 7,000 islands to explore, you can probably guess that when visiting the Philippines there’s countless destinations to see, many adventures to experience and plenty of activities to do.

We’ve put together a handful of our favourite things to do in the Philippines:

– Scuba-diving in Boracay is a must; its underwater life is colourful and plentiful, stay around to watch the beautiful sunset over the water

– Travelling to Kawasan Falls and swimming in the mountain waters or take a raft underneath the waterfall

– For a truly unforgettable experience go swimming alongside the giant but gentle butanding(whale sharks)

– Touring the underground river – Puerto Princesa, which is accessible only by boat. Explore the vast eerie stalactites,
hidden caves and hidden chambers of one of the world’s longest subterranean rivers

– Visiting Intramuros – a fortress erected in 1571, visitors can walk its walls, gates and bulwarks