Meet the world’s tiniest primate, the Philippine Tarsier. Photo / Getty Images
Meet the world’s tiniest primate, the Philippine Tarsier. Photo / Getty Images
Destination of the Week: The Philippines
Why you should go
The Philippines boasts over 7000 islands, all blessed with a faultless beauty that Photoshop could only dream of. February falls within the dry season with lots of sun and little rain. The ice-white sand is near-perfect, the water offers excellent clarity and everywhere you go there’s that signature mix of Southeast Asian charm, where humid days melt into balmy nights, and dusty streets jostling with action feel just as inviting as the beach.
White Beach in Boracay lives up to its name. Photo / 123rf
Cebu Island makes an ideal launch pad for the 167 surrounding islands. Dazzling white-sand beaches are the forte of Bantayan Island, an easy day trip from Cebu, while Pescador Island’s protected corals and abundant marine life make it near-irresistible for divers. If you’re after paradise in a tidy package, Malapascua Island is just 3km long by 1km wide. Even Cebu is blessed with beauty. On the south coast, the year-round sardine run in Moalboal puts snorkellers into a thousand-strong throng of fish, and sea turtles swim just metres from the sand.
Tiny Malapascua Island is only 3km long by 1km wide. Photo / Getty Images
Ferries from Cebu will also deposit travellers in the Visayas Island group, home to the famed Chocolate Hills, a collection of Malteser-like mounds at Bohol that turn brown over summer. Nearby is the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary where visitors can safely meet the world’s tiniest – and arguably most timid – primate, the Philippine tarsier.
For dreamy beaches with a back story, Boracay Island is both famous and infamous. In 2018 it closed for a six-month clean-up. Today it’s a rehabilitation success, with the sand at White Beach once again living up to its name.
Bohol's Chocolate Hills turn brown over summer. Photo / Getty Images
Best eats
Head to Cebu for fine dining and modern Asian cuisine at Cur8, as well as Bell+Amadeus which opened in September 2022 and features a celebrated cocktail bar: still a rare find in Cebu. The ube is a sweet purple yam that’s native to The Philippines and adds a shock of colour to Filipino cuisine. One for the Instagrammers, find ube waffles at DINE brunch + bar.
