The Philippines is the one that keeps surprising people. More than 7,600 islands spread across the western Pacific, and somehow it still feels like the region's best-kept secret compared to Thailand or Bali. That's changing, but for now you're still getting world-class beaches, incredible diving, and genuine warmth from locals without the full tourist conveyor belt experience.
What makes the Philippines different
The scale of it is the first thing that hits you. This isn't one island with a few beaches. It's a proper archipelago spread across an area the size of Italy, with radically different experiences depending on where you go. The English is excellent across the country (it's an official language), which makes independent travel much easier than elsewhere in the region.
The diving is the headline act. Palawan's Tubbataha Reef and the waters around Coron (sunken WWII Japanese warships at 30 metres) are on bucket lists for serious divers. But even casual snorkellers can swim with whale sharks off Oslob in Cebu or find healthy reef pretty much anywhere along the coastline.
Where to go in the Philippines
Palawan is the marquee destination: El Nido for island hopping through limestone karst lagoons, Coron for wreck diving, and Port Barton if you want to slow down and escape the crowds. The Visayas in the central Philippines give you Cebu, Bohol (the Chocolate Hills are genuinely weird and worth it), and Siquijor for something off the usual trail.
Siargao in the northeast is the surf island. Cloud 9 is the famous break but there's good surf across the island and a low-key community that makes it easy to stay longer than planned. Manila is chaotic and not everyone's first choice as a base, but Intramuros (the old walled city) is genuinely interesting and the food scene has got very good.
Philippines tours and island hopping passes
Island hopping passes and multi-destination packages make a lot of sense here given how spread out everything is. We can help you piece together an itinerary that doesn't waste half your trip at airports. The Philippines works well as a standalone destination or as part of a broader South East Asia trip. It pairs naturally with Bali for an island-heavy trip, or with Thailand if you want variety.
Check the Asia deals page for current Philippines offers, browse the full Asia tours hub, or contact us to start planning.
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