This Philippine travel destinations guide gives you an overview of popular tourist spots in the Philippines. On each of the featured tourist destination in this travel guide, you will find places of interest on each destination. We have included a page of travel tips, a list of interesting Philippine festivals and a map of the Philippines for your reference.
Communication and getting around the country is easy since most Filipinos understand and speak English. Mobile phones are available everywhere. Also, foreign currency can easily be converted into Philippine Peso and all major credit cards are accepted in major establishments.
Filipinos are a fun-loving and friendly people. Throughout the islands, there are festivals celebrated everyday and foreign guests are always welcome in their homes. Every travel destination on this guide is worth a visit. We have featured the most frequently visited tourist spots in the Philippines: the capital city of Manila; Boracay Beach; Baguio - the summer capital of the Philippines; Bohol Island; Corregidor Island; Cebu City; Davao City; the Islands of Palawan; the Hundred Islands of Pangasinan; Puerto Galera Beach; the old Spanish colonial city and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Vigan in Ilocos Sur and the breathtaking Banaue Rice Terraces.
ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES
The Philippine archipelago consist of 7,107 islands with a total land area of 300,000 square kilometers or 115,830.60 square miles (about the size as Italy). The 11 largest islands contain 94% of the total land area. The largest of these islands is Luzon at about 105,000 kmē. It is where the capital city of Manila is located. The next largest island is Mindanao at about 94,600 kmē. The Philippines is around 800 km from the Asian mainland and is located between Taiwan and Borneo.
The Philippine islands are divided into three groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The Luzon islands include Luzon itself, Mindoro, Palawan, Masbate, and other smaller islands. The Visayas is a group of several small islands, the largest of which are: Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, and Samar. Mindanao island includes Mindanao island itself and the Sulu Archipelago, composed of Tawi-Tawi, Basilan and Sulu. Each island group has a Philippine destination worth visiting.
The islands of the Philippine archipelago are volcanic in origin and are mountainous. The islands are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Mt. Apo (2,954 meters above sea level) in Mindanao is the highest peak, while the second highest peak is Mt. Pulog in Luzon. It rises 2,842 meters above sea level. The Philippines have numerous rivers, volcanoes, streams, narrow coastal plains and beautiful sandy beaches which foreign and local tourist enjoy. The country has a total of 36,289 kilometers of coastline.
Travel within the Philippines not difficult, if you don't mind riding the sometimes rickety public transportation. There are all kinds of vehicles available to tourist and locals: Ferries for inter-island transfers, buses & taxis ply in major cities all over the Philippines and the ubiquitous jeepney can be found everywhere. In Metro Manila, light rail transit is available on main roads. In tertiary roads & small rural towns the tricycle is the transport of choice.
The official languages in the Philippines are Filipino and English. Filipino which is based on the Tagalog dialect (the dialect of national capital region), is the national language. English is also widely used and is the medium of instruction in higher education in the Philippines. There are also 76 major local languages and more than 500 different minor dialects throughout the archipelago. 83% of Filipinos are Roman Catholic. The rest are made up of smaller Christian denominations e.g. Moslems and Buddhist.
