El Nido travel tips

Graced by dazzling beaches, year-round sun and numerous opportunities for diving, island-hopping and surfing, the Philippines has long attracted a steady stream of foreign visitors. Yet there’s far more to these islands than sand and snorkelling. These are a few of our favourite islands in the Philippines.

While landscapes across Colombia span from the sprawling grasslands of Los Llanos to the sparkling shores of Chocó, few regions across the nation can match the visual splendor of the Andes. Spanning from western Venezuela to southern Patagonia, this iconic natural feature stands as the longest continental mountain range on the planet, and for those hoping to experience it at its most impressive, Los Nevados National Natural Park is an essential destination.

The Philippines returns to the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2024 on 6 – 9 May 2024 at the Dubai World Trade Center. As the Middle East’s leading global travel event, ATM is a crucial platform for nations to spotlight their tourism offerings and foster invaluable partnerships within the global travel industry.

The pitch is for tropical paradise: turquoise waters that lap a pristine shoreline fringed by lush, mist-streaked greenery. Philippine property giant Megaworld extolls on its Facebook page the virtues of Palawan island, the largest of a 1,780-island group by the same name that hangs to the left of the island nation in the Pacific. Here, Megaworld is pursuing its most complex project yet, a resort and residential estate that will be the island’s biggest real estate development to date.

Contiki, the social travel and carbon-neutral tour operator for travelers aged 18-35, announced its first-ever trip to the Philippines this week, offering a 9-day or 13-day island hopping adventure, now available to book for travel in 2024 and 2025. 

The beautiful waterways of Venice, Dubrovnik's old town and Ko Phi Phi's beaches. These international travel attractions undoubtedly make for unforgettable experiences. But the sheer numbers of visitors arriving have made a significant impact on environments, structures and local communities. While governments and tourist boards are introducing various policies to tackle overtourism, we should consider ways in which we can help as responsible travellers, too.

It’s not just appearance that makes up the beauty of a place. Often, travellers will cite the people as the most beautiful thing about a country or culture. In Southeast Asia, there’s no doubt there is beauty in every form – and now our readers have voted to decide which countries are the most beautiful. Here are Southeast Asia’s most beautiful countries ranked by our readers.

Planning a trip to the Philippines? Pack your swimsuit, because beaches are a no-brainer when it comes to exploring this glorious archipelago.

Isolated white-sand beaches, reefs teeming with marine life, cascading rice terraces – it’s no wonder that the Philippines is thought of as paradise. And there’s even more than meets the eye, from the world’s smallest primate to the unique hanging coffins of Sagada. Yet, with well over 7,000 islands you can get overwhelmed by what’s on offer. Whatever kind of trip you’re after, here’s our guide to the best islands in the Philippines.

Separated from its Southeast Asian neighbours, the Philippines has always been a little different. The variety of the best things to do in the Philippines is astonishing. You can surf, island-hop or dive pristine coral reefs in the morning, and on the same day visit Indigenous villages, ancient rice terraces, historical cave systems and jungles mothered peaks. Here is our pick of the best things to do in the Philippines.