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Mayon Volcano in Legazpi City
Mt. Mayon is an active volcano known for its near-perfect cone shape and is a favorite of mountaineers looking for a chalenging climb. Daily flights from Manila to Legazpi take just under an hour.
Puerto Princesa, Palawan
Bordering the western side of the Philippines is Palawan, a collection of more than 1,700 islands and islets that 250 million years ago were part of the Asian mainland. The province takes pride in its rich natural endowments - lagoons, caves, white sand beaches and limestone cliffs sculpted by wind and water, lush forests and crystal clear waters with extensive coral reefs that host thousands of species of marine life. Puerto Princesa City, the province's capital, is home to the Puerto Princesa Underground River, a UNESCO-declared World Heritage Site.
With its numerous islands, Palawan easily lends itself to diving and snorkeling. RoughGuides.com calls Palawan "an unforgettable wilderness of diamond-blue lagoons, volcanic lakes and first-rate scuba diving." Some of the more popular dive sites are Rita Island at Tres marias, Pandan Island, Panglima reefs and Tubbataha Reefs. A startlingly beautiful site, Tubbataha's charm is accented by the giant turtles and flock of birds which come to visit its shores.
Boracay
For sun-worshippers the world over, paradise goes by the name Boracay. Sheltered from the fierce easterly typhoons, Boracay can be found at the north-western tip of Panay, in the west Visayas region, off the Sibuyan Sea. Boracay has managed to pack its thousand-hectare area with all the elements of a tropical paradise - crystal blue waters, powder white sand, liberal doses of tropical palms and flowering plants, and a healthy marine life underneath the seas. Intertwining trails link the small villages together and lead to lush tropical jungles. Not surprisingly, the culinary fare at Boracay is as diverse as the nationalities of its visitors. French, Australian, Belgian, German, Spanish and Thai -- they're all here side by side the native cuisine.
Davao
Endowed with a variety of picturesque landscapes. Davao's topography dazzles: Fruit plantations and orchid farms mantle volcano-fed hills and valleys. Virgin forests nurture rare wildlife. Coral islands lie on mirror-flat water. And the country's highest peak magnificently lords over the hinterland. Just as enchanting is its brilliant tapestry of harmony, woven from the diverse cultural threads of its people. In Davao, the contemporary fuses with the traditional as migrant settlers from all over the country co-exist in peace with a large expatriate community and numerous ethnic tribes who continue to live as they did centuries ago.
Puerto Galera, Mindoro
Located on the north shore of Mindoro Oriental, an island off Luzon, Puerto Galera is a town made up of coastal villages arranged in a circle broken only at three points by narrow channels. Secure on all sides by natural sea walls, it is considered the best harbor in the Philippines and one of the loveliest ports in the world.
Cavite
Cavite offers excellent sea views, world-class championship golf courses and fresh mountain air.
Batangas
Beaches and dive resorts with the best sea sport facilities abound in this province.
Pagsanjan
On the river of the same name, Pagsanjan offers a rare and unusual experience of shooting the rapids. The two-hour journey from Manila is memorable itself as it passes through typical Philippines towns and plantations of rice, coconut and sugar.
Tagaytay
Perched atop the northwestern ridge of the vast caldera that rims the Taal lake, the city of Tagaytay offers the most panoramic and breathtaking view of the world-famous Taal Volcano. Tagaytay is a 90-minute car ride from Manila.
Banaue
Regarded as the eighth wonder of the world, the Banaue Rice Terraces were carved from the mountain ranges centuries ago by the Ifugaos, one of the oldest known mountain tribes of the province. The Banaue Rice Terraces have been declared a "World Heritage Site" by the UNESCO. Banaue's rice terraces are strikingly beautiful and truly amazing as they curve and climb with the mountainsides they hug. Rising proud to an altitude of about 5,000 feet above sea level and encompassing 4,000 square miles, the Banaue Rice Terraces were carved with bare hands and crude implements by Ifugao ancestors more than 2,000 years ago, transforming the barren stone mountains of the Cordillera into arable ledges where rice can grow. If connected end to end, the terraces would encircle half the globe - 10 times the length of the Great Wall of China. The car trip to Banaue from Baguio takes about 7 hours.
Baguio City
Situated amidst the mountainous region of Cordillera, 1,400 meters above the sea, 250 kilometers north of Manila, Baguio City is one of the few places in the Philippines blessed with a cool climate. On average, Baguio is at least eight degrees cooler than any place in the lowlands. Not surprisingly, Baguio has become the "summer capital" of the country. It is gifted with a variety of cultural, historical and scenic attractions which make it an important and interesting destination. As early as March, tourists and locals take the six-hour trek up the zigzagging Kennon Road. Within a mile of the city, the sweet scent of fine trees and flowers already permeate the air.
Cebu
Cebu is the traveller's fantasy of a tropical island come true - balmy weather, pristine beaches, crystalline waters, and luxurious resorts with all the frills of modern living. Cebu was where the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan planted the Cross of Christianity in the name of Spain in 1521. But even before Cebu became the Western gateway to the Orient, it was already a popular entry point among Asian merchants. Cebu has since blossomed into a choice tourist destination, with many leisure establishments taking full advantage of its sea-valley-and-mountain location. Metropolitan Cebu, the country's second biggest metropolis, is the political, economic, educational and cultural center of the Visayas. Hotels, shopping malls, entertainment halls, casinos, and golf fairways cater to the tourist's every whim. The rest of Cebu's 166 islands and islets are fringed with sandy beaches and sapphire-clear waters teeming with marine life, perfect for divers.