Coron Town
This island, only a 20-minute bangka ride from Coron town, has an imposing, mysterious skyline that wouldn’t be out of place in a King Kong film. Flying…
Must-see attractions in Philippines
Vigan
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…
Bohol
In Canapnapan, a barangay of Corella, you can see saucer-eyed tarsiers in the wild at the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary. Over 100 of these territorial…
Manila
Guarding the entrance to the Pasig River is Intramuros' premier tourist attraction: Fort Santiago. Within the fort grounds is an oasis of lovely manicured…
Basilica Minore del Santo Niño
Cebu City
Cebu's holiest church houses a revered Flemish statuette of the Christ child (Santo Niño) that dates to Magellan's time. The church is no stranger to…
Manila
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…
Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary
Cebu
Just 20 minutes from Mactan by public bangka, Olango Island is home to this important wildlife reserve. Taking in 1030 hectares of sand flats and…
El Nido
For an easy day trip out of El Nido, head north by tricycle or motorbike to this incredible, golden-hued, 3km-long beach. Development has arrived in…
Manila
This fantastic museum in Antipolo, in the hills just east of Metro Manila, showcases some of the Philippines' best contemporary artists. There are six…
Manila
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…
Manila
This gleaming museum features four floors of superbly curated exhibits on Filipino culture, art and history. At the heart of the collection is a brilliant…
Manila
The 'Met' is a world-class gallery tracing the evolution of Filipino art from the early 20th century to the present. Virtually all great Filipino painters…
Boracay
With its glorious, powdered-sugar sand, White Beach is the centre of the action in Boracay and the only sight most visitors ever see. Beach locations are…
Cebu City
This excellent museum comprises several galleries in a sturdy old coral-stone building that was Cebu's provincial jail from 1870 to 2004. Rooms are…
National Museum of Anthropology
Manila
Within a resplendent neoclassical building, this superb museum houses a vast and varied collection, including the skullcap of the Philippines’ earliest…
El Nido
This incredibly beautiful, jungle-backed, stretch of golden sand toward the northern tip of mainland Palawan is the centre of El Nido's surfing community…
Eastern Visayas
This idyllic, slender island with its crescent-shaped white-sand beach and turquoise water has excellent snorkelling and some of the best scuba diving…
Palawan
San Vicente's signature attraction is a real beauty. It actually consists of three beaches – Long Beach 1, 2 and 3 – which combined yield about 14km of…
Manila
A must for Imelda Marcos junkies is the Marikina Shoe Museum. There's the footwear of various Filipino luminaries on display here, but it's Imelda’s shoes…
Manila
This beautiful reproduction of a Spanish colonial house offers a window into the opulent lifestyle of the gentry in the 19th century. Imelda Marcos had it…
Manila
A poignant and peaceful spot, this sprawling war cemetery on a grassy, beautifully manicured plot is the resting place of 17,206 soldiers killed in battle…
Malapascua Island
This glorious stretch of pale sand occupies almost the entire southern part of the island. It's lined with hotels, restaurants, dive shops and massage…
Manila
Fronted by a 46m flagpole and guarded by sentries in full regalia, the Rizal Monument contains national hero José Rizal’s mortal remains and stands as a…
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Mindanao
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…
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Leyte
Tranquil Limasawa Island, a place of historical and religious significance, is well worth a visit. The island has around 6000 inhabitants and five tiny…
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Manila
This famous organ, designated a national culture treasure, was built between 1816 and 1824 in the St Joseph Parish Church of Las Piñas on the southern…
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North Luzon
The most accessible part of the area's immense 25km limestone cave complex is the seven-chambered Callao Cave. The cave is reached by 184 slippery steps…
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Malumpati Spring & Bugang River
Panay
One of the most striking natural features in western Visayas, the astonishing Malumpati Spring and Bugang River emerges from nowhere in the midst of the…
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Baguio
This superb museum dedicated to the life, times and work of artist Benedicto Reyes Cabrera (BenCab) is as fascinating as the man himself. The gallery is a…
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Palawan
This is a series of three falls cascading into fresh pools 27km north of Taytay. There's a fun little 4m cliff jump at the second falls, which are less…
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Manila
The building where José Rizal was incarcerated has been turned into a shrine-museum dedicated to his life. There's a re-creation of his cell block, the…
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North Luzon
Nineteen kilometres southwest of Laoag is North Luzon’s most famous church. Unesco World Heritage–listed Paoay Church was built in classic earthquake…
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Baguio
This campus museum is run by Isekias 'Ike' Picpican, one of the country’s foremost authorities on the history and culture of the Cordillera people. You…
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Eastern Visayas
Ulan-Ulan means rain in the local dialect and these 25m-high falls, surrounded by dense tropical forest, are some of the most spectacular in Biliran. A…
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Davao
An excellent museum with two floors of well-designed galleries exploring the complex patchwork of indigenous tribal groups, religions and ethnicities of…
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Davao
An unconventional setting for a fine-art gallery, paintings by artist Kublai Millan fill the walls of this large space. Take an elevator to the 4th or 5th…
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Panay
Navalas has the only heritage church on the island – quaint Spanish-era Navales Church (1880) is made of coral blocks blackened by the years. The much…
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Manila
Standing as a beacon of serenity among its bawdy surrounds, this Taoist temple is both peaceful and beautiful, and worth popping into for a look.
Manila
Still widely known as 'Luneta' (its name until the 1950s), Manila’s iconic central park is spread out over some 60 hectares of open lawns, ornamental…
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park
Sabang
At 8km in length, Sabang's famous underground river is one of the longest navigable river-traversed caves in the world and draws scores of tourists. Trips…
