The Philippines is an unparalleled island destination: with over 7,000 islands, there is a suitable beach for everyone.
The Philippines is a land of hundreds of islands that offers things to do for even the most discerning adventurer. The island nation is an easy destination for the self-employed because of the language: the majority of the locals speak English, and jumping from one island to another is not difficult.
The state of thousands of islands
According to countryaah, the Philippines is an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands located in the Pacific Ocean in Southeast Asia. The Philippine archipelago is known for its white sandy beaches and populous cities. Where Manila is one of the most densely populated and congested cities in the world, there are also completely uninhabited small islands with paradise beaches in the archipelago.
The first European in the Philippine Islands was the Spanish world traveler Fernao de Magalhães, who discovered the islands in the first half of the 16th century. Spain did not immediately gain a foothold on the islands, but the Spanish conquerors returned, and the country ruled the islands for more than 300 years. Spain fought war with the United States in 1898, and the islands passed to the United States in the peace treaty between Spain and the United States.
The Philippines became independent after World War II in 1946. Traces of the conquerors are still visible in the Philippines today, among other things, under the influence of the Roman Catholic Church. In addition to Filipino, the official language of the islands is English, and familiar words from Spanish can be heard in Filipino. In addition, the islands have dozens of local languages.
Although the Philippines is made up of thousands of islands, most of them are small and uninhabited. The majority of the dodge is inhabited by about ten major islands, to which tourists also at least initially head. The most famous destinations in the Philippines are the most economically influential cities of Manila and Cebu, but tourists looking for beaches are often targeted at Boracay, El Nido and Bohol in the Cebu archipelago. The small islands of the archipelago offer many water sports and hiking opportunities.
On the thousands of islands in the Philippines, you can, among other things, go island hopping on excursions organized by locals.
Philippine climate
The Philippines has a predominantly tropical climate. Temperatures rise to warm readings throughout the year and even in the coldest hours the temperature stays firmly in the heat readings. In the hottest time of spring, temperatures rise by more than 30 degrees.
In terms of rainfall, regional differences are considerable in the archipelago. The northern parts of the Philippines experience one rainy season per year, while the southernmost parts of the archipelago receive rainfall evenly throughout the year. The rainy season in the northern Philippines is timed to summer and early fall, otherwise rainfall will be low.
From early autumn, the Philippines is threatened by tropical hurricanes, as the archipelago is right on their route.
White sand paradise archipelago
Short for PH by abbreviationfinder, the Philippines is especially known as a beach resort, as there are numerous paradise islands in the archipelago. The long white sand beaches of the Philippines are like created for sun worship and water sports. On the shores of the archipelago you can go sailing, surfing, windsurfing and water skiing, for example.
The clear, turquoise hue of the sea offers great opportunities for divers and snorkelers. Coral waters, colorful fish and lots of diving courses can be found in Philippine waters. A popular dive site is Puerto Galera Bay on Mindoro Island, but good dive sites can also be found on the Tubbatha Protected Coral Reef or Coron, which can be reached by ferry from Manila. The Cebu archipelago is also known as a popular diving destination.
The white sand of the Philippine archipelago is considered by many to be perhaps the best in the world: soft and warm. The best beaches can be found in the central parts of the archipelago, where the islands of Boracay and Cebu, for example, are located.
In the Philippines, you can also explore the exotic nature of the archipelago, take boat trips to the small islands or even go whale watching.
A shopper’s paradise
The Philippines and especially cities like Manila are great destinations for the shopping traveler. Manila has numerous large and small shopping malls where you can buy almost anything from western designer clothes to local handicrafts. One of the most popular shopping destinations is the Philippine SM, which has several huge shopping malls in the country.
In addition to the number of places to shop, shoppers are attracted to the Philippines by the local price level. The Philippines is an affordable shopping destination, so hoarding souvenirs hardly thins your wallet at all.
Good to know about the Philippines
The Philippine Islands have mountains with a total of twenty active volcanoes. Earthquakes are common on the island, in addition to which the Philippines is located on the path of tropical hurricanes. During the rainy season, therefore, the tourist should keep an eye on the weather information.
Large cities like Manila can be insecure, as street crime due to poverty is common. However, regional differences between districts are large. Special care is required when moving in public places in Manila.
According to the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the possibility of terrorist attacks is high, especially in Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago, as well as in Manila and other large cities. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs therefore urges tourists heading to the Philippines to exercise special caution and avoid all travel to Mindanao, the Zamboanga Peninsula and the Sulu Archipelago. General vigilance should be observed everywhere.
