For those who have not been to the Philippines before, you must! For those of you who have, you will not need telling the reasons why tourism is increasing on a monthly basis.
With over 7,000 islands, the vast majority of which have wonderful white, sandy beaches and crystal clear, turquoise seas, it would take weeks to describe them all and years, if not decades to visit them.
But that is not the only draw to the Philippines. The countryside is spectacular, dotted with volcanoes, caves, mountain ranges, waterfalls and forests.
The Government of the Philippines runs a very well organised Culture and Tourism Department which has seen a dramatic push for tourists over the past few years. The push has been an undoubted success. But not so successful as to lead to overcrowding and commercialisation. It is still possible to sail away for ten minutes and find a deserted island all to yourself for the day.
As we have said it would take too long to describe everywhere here. Click here to explore.
But it would be wrong of us not to give you our own little taster.
The largest of the three divisions of the Philippines and home to the capital Manila. Manila itself is a sprawling metropolis, ideal for those looking for an urban getaway. That being said, it is only a short drive to some fantastic beaches, rainforest and mountains. The islands off the mainland are world renowned for their beautiful beaches and the north of the island for its reefs and diving experiences.
In our opinion, the best part of the Philippines and the part most likely to reap rewards in the future. Visayas is home to the best beaches in the Philippines, many still relatively little known, peaceful and relaxing. A perfect destination for nature lovers, the world’s smallest primate the tarsier is found on the island of Bohol and the world’s largest fish, the whale shark, swims off the island of Cebu. It also still has many historical buildings including the oldest church in the Philippines.
The most southerly islands of the Philippines make up the division of Mindanao. The island group of choice for the thrill seekers and adventurers, Mindanao boasts, volcanoes, caves, the Philippines highest mountain, Mount Apo, and lakes and waterfalls aplenty. Mindanao is regarded as the food basket of the Philippines and is famed for it wide variety of cultures and religions.
Flights to the Philippines are relatively cheap with a large number of airline carrying passengers on a daily basis. Internal flights too are available at very low costs.
The table below will give you some idea of flight times and costs.
| City | Estimated Flight Time | Estimated Return Flight Price |
|---|---|---|
 Berlin |
12h 47m | € 646 |
 Buenos Aires |
22h 36m | $ 17107 |
 Chicago |
16h 47m | $ 1332 |
 Delhi |
6h 25m | ₹ 37821 |
 Dubai |
9h 6m | درهم 1508 |
 Guangzhou |
2h 3m | 元 1124 |
 Helsinki |
11h 37m | € 656 |
 Hong Kong |
1h 53m | $ 766 |
 Houston |
17h 35m | $1055 |
 Johannesburg |
14h 10m | R 12337 |
| Kolkata |
4h 54m | ₹ 29327 |
 Kuala Lumpur |
3h 34m | RM 660 |
 London |
13h 51m | £ 392 |
 Los Angeles |
15h 7m | $1062 |
 Madrid |
15h 0m | € 485 |
 Melbourne |
8h 6m | A$ 973 |
 Moscow |
10h 46m | ₽ 431 |
| Mumbai |
6h 53m | ₹ 33095 |
 Nanjing |
2h 55m | 元 1437 |
 New York |
17h 31m | $ 1155 |
 Osaka |
3h 46m | ¥ 35100 |
 Paris |
13h 52m | € 602 |
 Qatar |
9h 36m | درهم 1519 |
 Riyadh |
10h 10m | ﷼ 2176 |
 Rome |
13h 26m | € 520 |
 Sao Paulo |
23h 21m | R$ 3208 |
 Shanghai |
2h 45m | 元 1657 |
 Shenzhen |
1h 55m | 元 2342 |
 Singapore |
3h 28m | S$ 188 |
 Seoul |
4h 0m | ₩ 214333 |
 Stockholm |
12h 6m | KR 6051 |
 Sydney |
8h 16m | A$ 549 |
 Taipei |
2h 0m | NT$ 3359 |
 Tokyo |
4h 13m | ¥ 32299 |
 Toronto |
19h 35m | C$ 1666 |
 Wellington |
14h 40m | NZ$ 1259 |
 Wuxi |
2h 50m | 元 1856 |
 Yokohama |
4h 13m | ¥ 32299 |
 Zurich |
13h 28m | CHF 659 |
Shanghai
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