Silverbird Travel - The Far East travel Specialists

Asia’s chill out zone boasts more than 7,000 islands, most of them uninhabited, some of the best beaches in the world, with crystal clear waters ideal for snorkelling and diving. Add mountains, rivers, endless rice terraces plus a charming, welcoming, English-speaking people combining the spirituality of Spain with the craziness of America and you have the unique tropical attraction that is the Philippines.

The Philippines is known as the Far East's best-kept secret - did you know that the stunning Banaue Rice Terraces in the Cordilleras is a UNESCO World Heritage Site? Or that you can find both the smallest and largest fish in the waters around the Philippines?

As part of its Spanish colonial history there are still ornate churches and government buildings throughout the country but most people will probably remember the natural beauty - mountainous islands, tropical rainforest and powdery, white sand beaches.

Throughout the year it is usually hot and humid - cool season between December-February, rainy season between June-November and hot from March-May with the occasional typhoons

Although no direct services from the UK Cathay Pacific flies from London Heathrow via Hong Kong to Cebu and Manila and Singapore Airlines via Singapore. To reach Manila it takes about 18 hours.

Read the Foreign & Commonwealth Office's official travel advice for Philippines.

Click button above to display the country map. You can then search for a hotel by clicking on the regions within the map. Alternatively click the close button to hide the map and search manually.


	Manila Frenetic, crowded capital contrasting modern skyscrapers and broad boulevards with mysterious alleyways and down-at-heel shanties. Blessed with fine hotels, restaurants and shopping opportunities, gregarious Manila is the gateway to the attractions of Luzon Island: the cool hill stations and 2,000-year-old Banaue rice terraces to the north; health resorts and beaches to the south. Dont miss: riding a Jeepney; Manila's historic fort; shopping for fashions and shell trinkets; a box of hand and thigh rolled cigars


	Beaches of the Philippines BORACAY…No longer an escapist’s haven but still an idyllic beach resort about an hour’s flight from Manila to Caticlan followed by a short boat ride; an island where you can easily walk from one side to the other. Today there is a range of styles and prices for accommodation stretched along the 7km White Beach including the Shangri-La's Boracay Resort & Spa. The east coast of Boracay is ideal for wind-surfing and parasailing. At nightfall you can take your pick from restaurants and try some of the wonderful seafood, bars, beach parties and shows. CEBU …The primary resort island of The Philippines, served by direct international flights from various points in Asia. Mactan Island, location of the airport and linked by bridge to cosmopolitan Cebu City, offers an extensive choice of resorts. Other, more remote, hideaways are dotted around the coastline or on tiny offshore islands. And Cebu is not just for relaxing - sightsee around the island and you will find evidence of the Spanish rule including the oldest fort in the country, Fort San Pedro plus there are numerous golf courses throughout. A short flight from Cebu is Bohol Island, site of a topographically unique cluster of identical spherical mounds, known as the Chocolate Hills. PALAWAN. Stranded in the South China Sea, about 90 minutes flying time from Manila, are swallow-infested outcrops and some of the world’s best dive sites. The protected translucent waters, reefs and walls here literally teem with tropical fish that will feed from your hand. Resorts tend to be all-inclusive and geared predominantly to divers, dive parties or for those who relish out-of-the-way places. Dont miss: In Boracay wining, dining and carousing by candlelight at any of the waterfront restaurants - ideal for sunset watching. In Cebu eating out; shopping; golfing; the famous dive site of Moalboal; an excursion to Bohol. In Palawan feeding the fish; bird watching; going solo by canoe