Wow Philippines

The Philippines is a cluster of over 7,000 islands full of stunning landscapes, beautiful beaches and friendly people. After seeing these photos, there’s no doubt you’ll wish you were Filipino. While that might be hard to arrange, these shots will also make you want to book a flight to the Philippines, which is actually pretty doable.

Traditional Filipino boat stopped on the beach in El Nido

1 – Throughout the Philippines, you’ll find traditional boats with narrow hulls and outriggers on either side for stability. Whenever you see a boat like this, you know you’re in the Philippines. This one’s pulled up on shore next to an impressive rock formation on one of the many islands around El Nido, Palawan, Philippines.

Sailboats at sunset on the beautiful Island of Boracay

2 – The sunsets are nothing short of spectacular most nights on Boracay, the Philippines most popular domestic and international tourist destination.

Bohol Chocolate Hills – Photo by: Burgermac CC by

3 – With so many islands the Philippines has very diverse landscapes, one of which is the famous Chocolate hills of Bohol. These grass covered brownish hills spring up hundreds of feet from the ground. There are more than 1,000 of these hills on the island and they are thought to be ancient coral reefs from a time where this part of the world was under water.

A plate of tocino and garlic rice served with an egg for a classic Filipino breakfast

4 – The food of the Philippines is a one-of-a-kind mash-up of Asian, Spanish, American and Asian-Indian cuisines. Tocino comes from the Spanish word for bacon and is a sweet and savory take on the cured pork dish that is uniquely Filipino.

Related: Warning – clicking here will cause serious Singapore street food cravings

Kayangan Lake viewpoint – Coron, Philippines

5 – One of the best views in all of the Philippines can be found in the small group of islands around Busuanga island. A short hike up to the Kayangan Lake view point gives you this stunning view and reminds you what an amazing place the Philippines is.

Electric blue water with dramatic rock formations in the Palawan Island, Philippines

6 – Dramatic landscapes seem to be everywhere you look in the Philipines’ outlying Palawan island. Aside from being home to the Subterranean River, which is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, it also holds the islands of El Nido. Everywhere you look in El Nido seems to be picture worthy with aquamarine waters and jagged rocks popping up from the sea.

A hot skillet of Sisig, a Filipino favorite snack

7 – Filipinos love their food and another favorite is a sizzling skillet full of Sisig. Best as a snack, sisig is crispy fried pork pieces and can be shared with friends alongside some Filipino beers.

Classic Filipino boat tied to shore in the El Nido Archipelago

8 – The best way to get around in the small islands in the Philippines is the beautiful traditional boats.

Related: The world’s most stunning heritage sights – by cruise

Tarsier animal of the Philippines – Photo by: Ian Armstrong CC by

9 – One of your best chances of spotting one of these big eyed cuties is here in the Philippines. He has big eyes and an ever-present smile, most likely because he lives in the Philippines!

Swimming in the Large Lagoon in the El Nido archipelago

10 – El Nido’s large lagoon is reason enough to visit this amazing country, but this is just one of the many things to do in El Nido. Take a swim in this pristine natural pool.

Jeepneys of Manila

11 – Leftovers from WWII can still be found on the streets of Manila and all over the Philippines. Jeeps, locally called Jeepneys, left here after the war have been converted into shared taxis and are often highly decorated to attract passengers.

The swim through hole to enter the secret lagoon in El Nido

12 – The Philippines has amazing beaches, but some of the best beaches are those not accessible by boat. Swim through the hole in the rock wall to get to a breathtaking beach.

Related: Secret beaches – less crowded stand ins for your favorites

Sunset over the islands surrounding El Nido town on the Palawan Island

13 – Being an island nation the Philipines has amazing sunsets. Make your way to the westside and watch the colorful show.

The view from the Matinloc Shrine in the El Nido archipelago

14 – Views like the one at Matinloc Shrine seem to be everywhere you look in the Philippines and even more so in the Archipelago of El Nido.

A thin blade of ragged rocks sunk into the aquamarine waters around Simizu Island

15 – Thin slices of jagged limestone seem like a supernatural fence to make a stunning private beach on Simizu Island.

A Filipino boy sitting on the bow of the boat heading into a beautiful lagoon

16 – Massive walls of rock tower over the aquamarine waters while a young Filipino deck hand rides on the bow of the boat looking out for rocks.

The daily colorful sunset in Boracay

17 – Everyday should end like this, and it does in the Philippines. The sun melts into the sea with a swirl of oranges, pinks and purples as the day comes to a close on the island of Boracay.