Things to do in the Philippines

Manila, the capital, packs a huge urban area around its bay, and Intramuros, the walled Spanish city, has Fort Santiago and San Agustin Church. In the Visayas, Cebu is one of the oldest Spanish settlements, with Magellan's Cross and the Basilica of the Santo Niño, and Tagbilaran, on Bohol, is the gateway to the Chocolate Hills, tarsiers and the beaches of Panglao Island.

Palawan has the underground river near Puerto Princesa and the limestone cliffs of El Nido, while Coron, on Busuanga Island, has wartime wrecks and clear lakes. Boracay has a white-sand beach and Siargao is known for surfing. Negros has Bacolod and Dumaguete, Panay has Iloilo City with its Spanish-era churches, Legazpi lies below the symmetrical Mayon volcano, and Davao City lies close to Mount Apo, the country's highest peak. Tagaytay overlooks Taal Lake.

Adobo, chicken or pork stewed in vinegar, soy sauce and garlic, is the favourite everyday dish, while lechon, roast pig, tops feast tables, especially in Cebu. Halo-halo is a shaved-ice dessert. Sunny weather runs from December to May, and typhoons can pass between June and November.