Philippines

Embrace the happy smiles of mainly English-speaking locals on a visit to the scattered archipelago of 7000 islands making up the Philippines. There’s something for every visitor with sugar-white sandy beaches, crowded cities and national parks brimming with native fauna. Known as the self-acclaimed zip-lining capital of the world, it’s a good way to experience an adrenaline rush in fabulous rainforest surroundings. Necessity has created green rice terraces sculpted from the mountainside at Ifugao. If you prefer water-based activities, surfers and divers will revel in the warm clear waters on the island of Cebu. You can even try your hand at sea kayaking and kiteboarding and work up an appetite for some of the delicious cuisine. Smell the garlic of tasty adodo and attend a foodie festival where spit-roasted pig (lechin) tastes as good as it smells. Pork, chicken and seafood are used to flavor rice-based dishes while local spices and sauces made them mouthwateringly good.