7 Must-See Sites In The Philippines

Winner of multiple world travel awards, including Best Beach in Asia and World's Best Island, Boracay is fast becoming the top tourist destination in the Philippines. A small island covering 3.98 square miles, or roughly the same size as Rockport, Massachusetts, Boracay offers several things to do, including scuba diving, wind surfing, scenic boat cruises, touring world famous beaches like White Beach and Puka Shell Beach and even free diving at the must-see Ariel's Point. Of the more than 100 hotels on the island are several world-class resorts, such as Shangri-La's Boracay Resort and Spa, Mandala Spa and Resort Villas and Discovery Shores Boracay, nominated in three categories by the 2015 World Luxury Hotel Awards. The most practical way to get to Boracay is to take a brief flight out of Manila to Caticlan Airport on the island of Panay, then take a short boat ride to Boracay.

Known for its nearly perfect conical shape, Mayon Volcano is the one of the world's most active volcanoes. Rising to a height of 8,081 feet, the massive volcano lies within a natural park of the same name that was the first protected landscape in the country. While the Philippines' most famous volcano is accessible to hikers, it's quite challenging — it requires at least two days to make the ascent and even a trip to the famous Mayon Rest House, at about half way up to the summit, can be very dangerous. Of course, mountaineers must also be wary of the potential for an volcanic eruption, with renewed activity reported just last year. For a safer alternative, visitors can easily view the volcano from the surrounding villages of Tabaco, Legazpi City, Camalig, Malilipot and Santo Domingo. Recommended lodging nearby are Casablanca Suites and Hotel Venezia in Legazpi City, or Hotel Fina and JJ Midcity Inn in Tabaco City. Further away, but also highly recommended, are Elysia Beach Resort and Giddy's Place Diver Resort in Donsol, another major Philippine attraction described as one of the world's best destinations to view whale sharks, known to be harmless to humans.

One of the New7Wonders of Nature, this fascinating national park is easily one of the most captivating places within the Philippine Islands. Located on the island of Palawan, the UNESCO World Heritage Site features what's believed to be the world's longest navigable underground river, measuring just over five miles. Surrounded by incomparable natural beauty, visitors can take a motorized boat along about half of the underground river with tour operators from the city of Puerto Princesa. Tours typically feature round-trip transportation from Puerto Princesa, entrance fees and permits, insurance, lunch and an English speaking tour guide. Visitors can either fly into Palawan from Manila and other cities like Cebu, or take a ferry provided by 2GO Travel from Manila or Coron. Once on the island, visitors can get around by boat, car or with tour operators. Lodging in Puerto Princesa is quite affordable at hotels like Floral Villarosa, Hibiscus Garden Inn and Puerto Pension.

The beautiful Philippine Islands boasts several world-class diving spots, including Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, located several miles off the coast of the island of Palawan. However, visiting what has been called one of the world's top diving spots requires a multiple day boat trip on a liveaboard, such as those provided by Budget Liveaboard, Thresher Shark Divers or the Philippine Siren. Still, Tubbataha Reef is often considered the ultimate diving trip, where two large coral reefs can be explored and visibility is often up to 200 feet amid 500 fish species. For visitors who don't have the luxury of several days to travel to this UNESCO World Heritage Site, more practical dive spots can be found at places like Boracay, El Nido on Puerto Palawan island, Puerto Galera on Mindoro island and the Talei Maru Wreck in Coron.

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