What to see in Philippines: 10 must-sees

Walk barefoot across the white sand of White Beach while Palawan's turquoise water reaches your ankles and the palms mark the edge of the shore. Swim in its crystal-clear water, snorkel the shallows nearby or walk the beach as the sun goes down. The fineness of the sand and the calm of the sea make this corner of the Philippines ideal for swimming, resting in the shade and passing the day out by the ocean at leisure.

Stop on Siargao, the Philippines' most famous island for surfing, where the waves of Cloud 9 and the fine-sand beaches set the rhythm of the day. Rent a board at dawn, snorkel among coral reefs and walk the shore when the tide drops. Among palm groves, fishermen's huts and the small shops along the lane, island life turns unhurried and simple. At sunset, the crystal-clear water invites a final swim before dinner of fresh fish facing the sea.

Discover Manila, the Philippine capital where the walled Intramuros keeps 400 years of Spanish colonial history beside the Pasig River. Ride its cobbled streets in a calesa, visit San Agustin Church and Fort Santiago, then cross over to the markets of Quiapo and Divisoria to try halo-halo and street adobo. Between decorated jeepneys and the towers of Makati, the city mixes tradition and modernity on every corner.

Stroll through Bohol to the Carmen viewpoint and contemplate the 1,268 limestone hills spreading across the island, so regular in shape they look like piles of chocolate scattered over the land. In the dry season, the grass covering them turns brown and justifies the name the locals give them. Follow the paths between the mounds, climb the steps of the viewing point and observe close up the tropical vegetation and the birds inhabiting the area.

Behold the José Rizal monument at the heart of Manila, in the shade of century-old trees Manileños use to escape the heat. Walk the park's paths, cross the square where the national hero was executed in 1896, and look at the sculptural group recreating that moment. Approach the pond with the map of the Philippines in relief, pass the Quirino Grandstand and end the afternoon with the light-and-dancing-fountain show facing the bay.

Behold the stepped rice terraces of Banaue, carved 2,000 years ago by the Ifugao people on the slopes of the Cordillera Range. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, these paddies irrigated by mountain channels are still farmed with techniques handed down through generations. Climb the Batad or Bangaan viewpoints at dawn and gauge the scale of this agricultural work climbing near-vertical slopes.

Boat through the underground river of Puerto Princesa, 24 kilometers of caves beneath Palawan's coast declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Travel galleries with stalactites and limestone rock columns as the guides light up formations that call cathedrals to mind. At the park entrance, spot monitor lizards and macaques among the mangroves, and walk trails down to the rivermouth where the river emerges to meet the sea.