It was named the second most Instagrammable place on earth - and with a low-cost airline now flying there from Australia for less than it costs to fly to Perth, we're excited.
For a long time Australian travellers have had a love affair with Bali, Fiji, Thailand and Hawaii. A relatively short flight time and regular flight sales to these destinations helped make these spots repeat haunts for Aussies craving a tropical getaway.
But if you're looking for a new destination that is a little off the beaten track, the Philippines could be just what you've been looking for ...
Image: El Nido, Palawan, Philippines. Getty
To be honest, the Philippines were never really on my radar - that was until a friend went there last year and came back absolutely raving about the food and the natural beauty - a sentiment echoed by the fact that in 2021 the Philippines was named the second most Instagrammable place in the world.
So I started doing a little research and this is why it's now firmly on my travel bucket list ...
Image: Coron in Palawan in the Philippines. Image: Getty
Philippines-based Cebu Pacific is one of the longest serving low-cost carriers in the world. They have relaunched their flights between Australia and Manila and at the time of writing, a sale means you can get there for $249. The seat sale runs until Sept 30, 2023 and the travel period is March 1 to June 30, 2024.
The airline flies 5 x weekly Sydney to Manila, and 3 x weekly Melbourne - Manila.
Image: Palawan, Philippines - Getty
Thanks to the geographical features of the Philippines, the country is gifted with towering limestone rock formations, pristine white beaches, and crystal clear waters.
Image: Cebu Island in the Philippines. Picture: Getty
In fact, several Philippine islands and beaches, like Boracay, Palawan, and Siargao, have been consistently named as the best in the world by major travel publications.
Image: Palawan, El Nido - sea kayaking in Bacuit Bay. Getty
In 2006, a team of marine conservationists declared the Philippines as the geographic centre of marine biodiversity in the world.
Palawan is home to Tubbataha Reef diving, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which boasts more than half of all known corals. Here you will find yourself swimming with turtles, black and white-tip reef sharks, and manta rays.
Cebu in particular is blessed with a large whale shark population. Many tour operators almost guarantee you'll see a shark each time you go out. You can view them from a small kayak or boat, or don a snorkel or scuba tank and view them from below.
Another popular activity is Cebu's Moalboal sardine run, where you can do the sardine run experience and swim with millions of sardines.
The language barrier is usually not an issue as well - more than 90 per cent of the population speak English.
It's delicious, fresh and cheap. The Filipino cuisine is a melting pot of different cultures having been colonised by Spain, the US, and even Japan.
Alex Carlton, Escape writer and Academy Chair (Oceania) of the World's 50 Best Restaurants says "There's something really loose and freewheeling about Filipino food - in the most delicious way.
"It's a mashup of so many cultures: Indigenous, Spanish, mid-century American, Chinese - even Mexican, and part of what makes it so much fun is that a complex adobo is as revered as Spam and rice.
"My favourite way to eat Filipino food when I last visited was a wild kamayan buffet. Long tables are spread with broad banana leaves, then a layer of white rice and a generous tumble of proteins and vegetables: chicken, prawns, lechon (pork) belly, corn cobs, sea grapes, vinegar and more. You simply sit down with friends and family and scoop it all up with your hands. There isn't a feast more generous or genial anywhere in the world".
Fun fact: the late Anthony Bourdain said Filipino roasted whole pig was the best pork he had ever tasted.
Another iconic dish is the dessert pictured above - Halo Halo, a mixture of of shaved ice and evaporated milk with boiled sweet beans, coconut, sago, gulaman, and fresh fruits.
As the cost of living crunch intensifies, a cheap and cheerful holiday is an appealing prospect for keen travellers. There are plenty of budget friendly accommodation options in the Philippines and there are plenty of full day tours that cost as little as $30.
Booze is also super cheap, with a local beer setting you back around $2 (that's not a beer that woman is drinking in that photo though, that's a coconut).
The dry season covers November to May, while the rainy season is usually from June until October. It’s still sunny and warm during the rainy months.
The rice terraces are incredible, and then there's the world's longest underground river (the UNESCO world heritage site Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park) which you enter via a cave, and it goes for 8.2km and flows directly into the sea.
The Philippines has waterfalls (and incredible swimming spots) dotted all over the country. You can explore some of the Philippines' best waterfalls by joining tours to Kawasan Falls in Cebu, Pagsanjan Falls in Pangasinan, and Bomod-ok Falls in Sagada.
Image: Siquijor Island, Philippines. Getty
Rebecca Andrews' tale of pure joy - discovering karaoke in an unassuming supermarket in the Philippines showed just how much the Filipino people love belting out a tune and having a good time. This sounds like the cornerstone of a good holiday to us.
From lite fares and frequent flyer points to nabbing a bargain price on your next adventure, Doc Holiday has all the answers.
After almost 50 years on air, a long-term fixture of morning radio will soon be hanging up the headphones on his long-running breakfast show.