You’ll find 7,000 plus islands belonging to the Philippines. Travel within the archipelago is considered to be both unique and demanding. Filipino holiday travel features a large number of beaches, unspoiled sceneries and resort hopping. Regarding picky vacationers, luxury travel in the Philippines may possibly mean full exposure to the country’s beauty and natural resources. Regrettably, some bad publicity has dogged the Philippine travel and tourist market in recent years, which has understandably put a damper on many people’s vacation plans. Nevertheless, it’s definitely worth the experience to the forward-looking traveler.

The language barrier is not really a problem during your vacation since around 85% of the local residents at the very least understand English, and a good majority talk it well enough to make it one of the premier call center outsourcing countries for the English-speaking community. Even in far-flung locations, an English-speaker can have virtually no problems getting understood, particularly in luxurious major resorts which usually cater to foreigners who are on vacation. Travel to the beaches might provide you the chance to feel the hospitality of the people, which makes it a preferred place to go for many holidaymakers. Philippine travel is one great experience you can’t afford to miss especially if you are on the verge of looking great places.

Additionally, accommodation at even high class hotels and serviced condominiums are affordable. A tourist enjoying his/her journey can pay as low as $30 a single night in Southern Leyte, in the southern area of the country. The amenities at these kinds of hotels and resorts will include a wide variety of cuisines, from the legendary adobo to Italian fare orchestrated by international cooks. Spa amenities jostle for prominence with diving options, because the reefs along side the Philippine beaches are believed to be among the finest in the world.

Just about the most popular locations is Boracay Island . This area provides high class travel for all holidaymakers with full accommodation, high class resorts to the basic hut on the shore. Adventurous vacationers can also enjoy their travel around the white beaches and clear blue seas.

Alternative destinations include Davao and Cebu. Within the island of Luzon, options are varied from the beach vacation to cultural engagement with a travel tour of the many historical attractions including Bataan and Corregidor, not forgetting the attractions of Cavite and Manila. Exclusive islands for the tired holidaymakers are available like Pamalican; a tropical island located 200 miles from Palawan. The Amanpoulo capitalizes on the exotic splendor, providing travellers with casitas, hut-like constructions that mask the present day facilities of the interior. Surrounded by coral reefs, your high class travel within the Philippines can be quite a reality when you pay a visit to Amanpoulo, this area can be reached by charter plane from Manila at $330 per individual. Once at Amanpoulo, a visitor can enjoy all facilities for $875 per individual for seven days. It is always fully booked so if you want to spend your trip at Amanpoulo, book ahead of time through your own travel agent.

Philippines tourism can be considered as the country’s comparative advantage and this is the reason why the government puts great effort in promoting the tourism industry. The country is archipelagic and located in the Pacific Ocean and this is one reason why the tourism is a hit in the country.

The Philippines has been blessed with stunning natural resources made more appealing by its distinctive culture which in turn was influenced by many foreign cultures. Spain, Latin America and the United States have all contributed in its little ways to help make the Filipino culture what it is right now.

The tourism in the country is booming thanks to its natural resources scattered in all parts of the country and also to its unique Filipino identity. The tourism in the Philippines began stepping up in the 1970s and this lasted until the mid 1980s. After that time, tourist arrivals in the country started to slow down. An indicator that the country’s tourism business is on the move down is on the average stay each of the tourist in the country. By 1988, the average stay of a tourist in the country is 8.9 days. This figure is significantly lower than the registered 12.6 days in previous years. But this scenario for the country didn’t last since by 1990s, the sector once again peaked with around 1.2 million tourist arrivals for 1992. This jolt in the arrival of visitor in the country has gave the Department of Tourism a more optimistic outlook and allowed for the Department to say that they anticipate more tourist arrivals in the future.

By the year 2000, the tourist arrivals in the Philippines totaled 2.2 million and this was pushed to 2,838,000 by 2003. The Philippine archipelago is known for many sights, sounds and festivals and these are some of the reasons why the tourism industry in the country is a hit.

From Metropolitan Manila to as far as the Northern provinces to the southern provinces of the country, there will always be a tourist spot that travelers and tourists will love.

. Metropolitan Manila. Intramuros in Manila and Makati City are known tourist draws. The Intramuros in Manila is called the ‘walled city of Manila’. This was built in the 1500s and originally the whole of Manila was confined within the areas of the walled city. But since the city has been growing exponentially, a number of buildings have been built outside the city. Right now, Intramuros is being visited due to its museums, churches and the old fort. Manila on the other hand is known for its vibrant night life. A nightlife and party scene that can rival those found in other Asian capitals. Other than Manila, Boracay and Cebu are also considered as party hotspots in the country. Makati is simply Manila in a modern way. Most modern amenities can be seen here- from shopping malls to major hotels and business centers.

. Aklan. This is one province in the Visayas region and considered as one of the most visited provinces in the country. Aklan is known for its ‘Ati-Atihan Festival that is hosted in Kalibo.

. Bohol. This province in the Visayas region is known for its ‘Chocolate Hills’. These are limestone hills that look like ‘chocolate hills from afar. The province is also the home of the Philippine Tarsier, which is considered as one of the smallest primates in the world.

. Northern Philippines. The Northern Philippines is famous also because of its many tourist spots. One popular destination is Mt Pinatubo known for its massive eruption that happened in 1991. The Hundred Islands is another place worth visiting. The Banaue Rice Terraces are known for its beauty too- rice terraces that are carved from the mountainside. This is a UNESCO world heritage site. A visit to the northern provinces of the country will not be complete without checking the ‘Hanging Coffins’ of Sagada.

. Taal Volcano in Laguna is worth checking too, and this is considered as one of the smallest volcano in the world.

. Palawan. This is a province and an island located in the South China Sea and known for its beaches.

. Boracay. And speaking of beaches, Boracay is one spot worth visiting.

There are a number of great tourist spots in the country and since the country is archipelagic in nature, some of the adventure that can be experienced by the tourists will be mostly water-based. Philippine tourism activities and festivals are often concentrated on some of the best surfing and diving sites in the country.

The City of Cebu Philippines is the oldest and one of the most developed provinces in the country, the educational and commercial center of the Visayas area. The official language of Cebu is Cebuano, though its natives are also proficient in English, Tagalog and other Visayan languages. Roman Catholic is predominant, followed by several religious minorities such as Protestant churches, Taoists, Latter-Day Saints, Muslims, etc.

Cebu lies on the east of Negros Island. It also has Bohol in the southeast and Leyte in the east. It is enveloped by the straits of Cebu and Tanon and is located between 9deg25′N and 11deg15′N latitude and between 123deg13′E and 124deg05′E longitude in the center of the archipelago, approximately 365 miles south of Manila. Through air travel, it can be reached by about an hour.

This long narrow island of Cebu stretches 225 km or 140 miles from north to south. It is surrounded by 167 smaller islands like Mactan island, Bantayan, Daanbantayan, Malapascua, Olango and the Camotes Islands. For the most part, Cebu has rolling hills and rugged mountain ranges traversing the northern and southern lengths of the island.

The native people of Cebu are called Cebuanos. Most descended from Austronesians and some have Spanish and Chinese ancestry. Cebuano culture has preserved strong Hispanic traditions in its native culture. Contemporary music, movies, fastfoods and the wide use of English are dominant influences from Americans. Cebu takes pride in being the country’s oldest colonial city. In April 14, 1521, Magellan planted a large wooden cross that commemorates the archipelgo’s first encounter with the west. From mainland Cebu, Magellan crossed the channel to the island of Mactan in an effort to spread Christianity. The chieftain of Mactan, Lapu-lapu, together with his warriors, resisted the attempt and killed Magellan as he reached the shore. A monument now marks the historical site.

Cebu has, in recent years, become a model for independent industrial development. It is a busy capital, next to Manila, in comercial activity and cosmopolitanism. Shipping is a chief industry in Cebu. Manufacturing of processed foods, textiles, and chemicals are among other industries in the city. When it comes to rattan furniture Cebu is considered a world center for production. It is well known as the guitar producing capital of the Philippines. The guitar-making industry is centered in Maribago and Abuno on Mactan island, where a day’s production includes at least a hundred assorted instruments including mandolins, banjos and string basses.

Cebu Philippines is well known for its sun-drenched, white sand beaches and year-round tropical climate. In terms of accommodation, a good range of beach resorts from mid-priced to luxury is concentrated on Mactan Island. Mactan upholds the still unblemished allure of the quite uncongested countryside.

Off the northwestern tip of Cebu Island is Bantayan Island, now becoming popular among venturesome beach fanciers with a taste for excellent soft shell crabs. One the southwest coast, Moalboal, about three hours overland from cebu, has been a haven for scuba-diving enthusiasts as well as budget trallers, earning a reputation among some as “the Philippines’ best-kept secret.”