Introduction

White sand beaches, the chaotic urban sprawl of Manila, the bizarre undulations of the Chocolate Hills – The Philippines is nothing if not varied.

Above all else, this archipelago of over 7,000 islands offers an extraordinary array of breathtaking natural scenery, some of it unique to the Philippines. One of the most unusual – and widely visited – natural attractions is the Chocolate Hills on the island of Bohol, a whole chain of softly curved hills so-called due to their brown colour when the grass dries out.

Equally captivating are the giant green steps of the Banaue Rice Terraces, stretching down the hills for miles and skilfully created by local tribes people two millennia ago.

For more intrepid travellers, Palawan still has many areas of totally unspoilt rivers and mountains ideal for escaping from it all – even the more accessible regions offer some unbeatable scenery such as the eerie underground river or the cliffs of El Nido.

The majority of visitors come to this chain of Pacific Islands for their gorgeous beaches – and even here they’re spoilt for choice. For anyone looking for a lively party scene to accompany their sun and sand, there are few better places to go than famous Boracay, with truly stunning white beaches and nightlife to compete with that of many of its Thai neighbours.

For pure relaxation, though, there are countless small islands offering the same white sands minus the crowds – on many of these you’ll have the whole beach to yourself.

It’s not just the wealth of natural attractions that keep tourists coming back to this magical archipelago, there’s also the friendly, outgoing people, who manage to make all visitors welcome with a universal warmth, politeness and eagerness to help. Even the most jaded of travellers will find it hard not to be captivated.

Weather

The ultimate tropical paradise, the Philippines is hot with gentle winds and abundant rainfall.

There are two principle seasons: wet and dry. The wet season is from June to November, at which time average rainfall is 260cm. Typhoons often hit the country at this time, often causing flooding. Such sudden storms can make inter-island transport by boat hazardous.

Most tourists visit the islands from November to March, as at this time the weather is dry and cooler than in the summer (from April to May) when the weather becomes hot and humid with little rainfall.

Throughout the year the temperature can swing between 22 to 27 degrees centigrade.The lowest temperature hovers around 17 degrees centigrade and is experienced in December when cold Siberian winds sweep across the country. But even at this temperature, the seas are usually warm and beach weather predominates.

Average Weather Guide:

Temperature in Degrees Centigrade

Rainfall in Millimetres

The tables above are intended as guidelines only.