Philippines
The Philippines is 7,641 islands of white sand, jungle-clad lagoons and the warmest people in Asia — from El Nido’s limestone cathedrals to whale sharks, rice terraces and reggae-slow island time.
Best time: December–May (dry season)32°C · Light drizzle in Manila
CapitalManila
Population117 million
CurrencyPhilippine peso (PHP)
LanguagesFilipino, English (both official) + 180 languages
TimezoneUTC+8
The Philippines is 7,641 islands of white sand, jungle-clad lagoons and the warmest people in Asia — from El Nido’s limestone cathedrals to whale sharks, rice terraces and reggae-slow island time.
Fun fact
The Banaue rice terraces were carved into the Cordillera 2,000 years ago — and karaoke is a legally serious national pastime: many towns have "videoke" noise ordinances.
