Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Introduction
Backpackers on the traditional Asian trails have tended to ignore the
Philippines because it involves an extra flight, albeit a short one, across the
South China Sea. You won't find the kind of travellers' scene that has come to
dominate areas like southern Thailand in recent years, though the beaches
and islands certainly give Thailand a run for its money. It's this very lack of
mass tourism that makes the Philippines such an attractive destination. The
world's second-largest archipelago (after Indonesia), with 7107 islands - sixty
percent of them uninhabited - and over 36,000km of coastline, it nonetheless
has a landmass only roughly the size of Italy. If you're ready to cope with some
eccentric infrastructure, a distinctly laidback attitude towards time, and a
national obsession with karaoke, the Philippines has plenty to offer.
Most international flights land in the
capital,
Manila
, which, though dilapidated
and tra
c-choked, also has some of the
ritziest shopping malls and liveliest
nightlife in Asia. For beach connoisseurs,
the central
Visayan region
is an island-
hopper's paradise. hough Boracay
remains the most popular island
destination, travellers are discovering quiet
islands around Cebu and Bohol; if you're
willing to leave the beaten track, it's not
hard to find your own deserted tropical
beach.
Palawan
is an unforgettable
wilderness of diamond-blue lagoons,
volcanic lakes and first-rate scuba diving,
while the
Cordillera Mountains
of northern
Luzon are the country's tribal heartland,
populated by the same groups that settled
here around 500 BC.
Centuries of
colonial rule
have
resulted in a delightfully mixed-up
country of potent but conflicting
influences. Spain brought Catholicism,
European architecture and the
mañana
ethic, while America gave the Philippines
its constitution and its passion for
basketball, beauty pageants and pizza. In
1946 the Philippines became Asia's first
real democracy, a fact most Filipinos
remain fiercely proud of.
Despite the political intrigues and the
poverty, Filipinos themselves remain
enviably optimistic and gregarious.
Graciousness and warmth seem to be built
into their genes, though they are also
passionate, sometimes hot-headedly so.
hey love food, music and romance; and
the hundreds of
fiestas
and religious
8
WHEN TO GO
The Philippines has a tropical marine climate characterized by two distinct seasons: the
wet
season
(southwest monsoon, or
habagat
) from May to October and the
dry season
(northeast
monsoon, or
amihan
) from November to April. Between May and December the country is hit
directly by at least five or six typhoons. This doesn't necessarily mean the wet season is a bad
time to travel, though flights are sometimes cancelled and roads are made impassable by flood
waters, even in the capital - but generally this only lasts a few days. The first typhoon can hit as
early as May, although typically it is June or July before the rains really start, with August the
wettest month. The southern Visayas and Palawan are less prone to typhoons.
Temperatures
are fairly constant throughout the year. November through to February are
the coolest months, with daytime highs of around 28°C. March, April and May are very hot:
expect temperatures to peak at 36°C.
At
Christmas
and
Easter
, the whole of the Philippines hits the road and getting a seat on a
bus or plane can be di
cult.
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