The Flavors of Summer: The Best Travel Destinations in the Philippines - Beaches and More!

.

the pearl of the orient seas

The Philippines is an island nation in Asia bounded on the east by the Philippine Sea, by the Sulu and the Celebes seas on the south and on the west by the South China Sea. It lies southeastern of the Asian mainland, west of Pacific Ocean, and neighbors to China, Vietnam and Borneo, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Being an archipelagic nation, the Philippines is mostly coastal and home to at least 7,100 islands and islets whose number vary according to the tide. Geographically, the country is divided into three main group of islands - Luzon in the north, the Visayas at the center and Mindanao in the south.

Having a tropical climate, the weather in the Philippines rarely fall below 27°C (80°F) with the valleys and plains generally having warmer environment than in the mountainous regions. And since the country has no winter, the season is either dry or wet. The rainy season starts from May to November while the dry season shifts from cool (December) to scorching (April). The sweater-requiring temperature dissipates towards the end of January and summer officially begins late February, hits its peak on March that sends everybody to the beach or to higher ground. This sea, sun and sand season lasts until April. But sometimes, people prefer the off season (after April) as room rates and air fares are considerably lower.

Below are some of the hottest tourist spots and ideal places in the Philippines to forget about your cares and the rest of the world. I grouped them according to "region/island", from the northern tip to the southernmost paradise this side of our blue planet. Enjoy!

The Philippines on WikiPedia

luzon

Luzon is the largest of the Philippines Islands. It is home to several mountain ranges, with some so expansive they travel from north to south, and a long and winding coastline created by numerous bodies of water from all all sides. The main industry in the island is agriculture with rice, sugarcane, tobacco, coconuts and mangoes as some of the important crops. Dialects may vary from region to region, province to province, but Tagalog or Filipino is the most predominant.

visayas

It was in the Visayas, particulary in Mactan, Cebu where Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan arrived in 1521. Hence, it is generally acknowledged that western culture germinated and spread from here - the highlights of which include the introduction of Christianity, the founding of the first city, and the establishment of the first educational system (University of San Carlos). But other than their histrocial significance, island dwellers are proud of their seafood industry and their marine ecosystems that are some of the best in the world.

mindanao

Mindanao is the southernmost island of the Philippines' major island groups. It is the second largest and, having an amazingly fetile soul, is a major producer of crops like corn, rice and fruits. The country's highest peak (Mt, Apo, a volcano) is nestled here. Of late, one of its provinces, Surigao, has been getting attention for its fine shoreline and amenities for water activities such skim and wake boarding and surfing.