Kawasan Falls, Cebu.

Cebu is a large island in the Visayas. While Cebu city may seem like another busy and traffic-congested Filipino city, the rest of the island offers white sandy beaches, stunning waterfalls, excellent diving, and in highland areas fantastic views of the mountains and seas. There is so much to do in Cebu, check out our suggestions.

The Chocolate Hills in Carmen, Bohol.

The Chocolate Hills are a spectacular geological formation on the laidback island of Bohol. There are thousands of hills spread over an area of more than 50 square kilometres – the green grass turns brown (like chocolate) during the dry season, hence the name. They are by far the most popular tourist attraction on Bohol, but there are many other great places to visit, such as the adjoining Panglao Island.

Swimming with friendly giants in Donsol.

Donsol is a small town really only known for one thing; Whale Sharks. Swimming with the biggest fish in the ocean is considered to be one of the best wildlife encounters in the world – don’t worry they have no teeth and are incredible docile. Whale sharks can be seen between November and June, with presence peaking between February and May.

Entrance to the Puerto Princesa Underground River.

Puerto Princesa is the capital of the popular Palawan island, and a short distance from the city is the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park; reputably the longest underground river in the world. The park has the familiar limestone karst mountain and turquoise water landscape associated with the Philippines. The cave itself includes major formations of stalactites and stalagmites, and several large chambers.

Coron is in the province of Palawan and one of the Philippines more remote locations. Coron is probably best known for its postcard pictures of Kayangan and Barracuda lakes. There are some exceptional wreck dives around Coron; with a whole fleet of sunken Japanese WW2 ships. Island hopping and lagoon swimming are popular activities with Banol being the pick of the beaches.

Tubbataha Reef.

Tubbataha Reef is a World Heritage Site of pristine coral reef, containing a high density of marine species – 75% of all described coral species and 40% of the world’s reef fish are found on Tubbataha Reef. The reef is one of the best places to dive in the world and also serves as a nesting ground for Hawksbill and Green sea turtles. The only downside is the remoteness and cost to visit – trips to the reef mean being on a live aboard vessel for about a week.

Mount Mayon is an active volcano near Legazpi City on the island of Luzon. It is renowned for it’s near perfect symmetric cone shape. The volcano erupts frequently and is sometimes deadly, so if you don’t wish to climb it you can see from many nearby places including the eerie Cagsawa Ruins; remnants of a church destroyed by a huge eruption in 1814.