Philippines

The Philippines has a tropical climate split into a dry season (roughly December to May) and a wet season (June to November) driven by the southwest and northeast monsoons. December to February is cool and dry with the least rain; March to May turns hot and humid. Typhoons are most likely July through October, concentrated in the northern and eastern islands, while the south (Palawan, Mindanao) sees fewer direct hits.

The archipelago's more than 7,000 islands produce landscapes with few equivalents: the limestone karst lagoons of El Nido and Coron in Palawan, the 1,268 cone-shaped Chocolate Hills of Bohol, and the 2,000-year-old Banaue rice terraces carved into the Ifugao mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage site often called the eighth wonder of the world. Palawan alone is frequently ranked among the world's best islands.

Adobo, meat simmered in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and peppercorns, is the closest thing to a national dish, with the recipe shifting by region. Sisig, chopped pig face and liver seared on a sizzling plate, originated in Pampanga, the country's recognized culinary capital, while Cebu is known for lechon, whole roasted pig traditionally served at fiestas. Bicol's coconut-milk-based, chili-heavy laing and Bicol Express, Ilocos's crispy bagnet, and Mindanao's kinilaw are worth seeking out.

The Philippines sits at the northern tip of the Coral Triangle, the global epicenter of marine biodiversity: Tubbataha Reefs in the Sulu Sea, a UNESCO site accessible only by liveaboard during its March-to-mid-June window, holds over 600 fish species and roughly half of all known coral species. Apo Reef off Mindoro is the world's second-largest contiguous reef system, and Malapascua is one of the few places divers can reliably see thresher sharks at dawn year-round. Puerto Galera and Dumaguete/Apo Island round out the mainstream circuit, and Donsol adds seasonal whale shark encounters, making the country a genuine multi-week dive itinerary.