Located within the Pacific ocean, Philippines is 100% islands. It’s made up of over 7000 of them, so there are beaches aplenty. Most are world famous, with Boracay’s White Beach and Palawan’s El Nido constantly dominating best beach lists and rankings across the globe. These may be the two commonly known beaches, but I encourage you explore beyond them. Trust me, you’ll be rewarded for your efforts. Head to Coron Island for pristine snorkelling and deep-sea diving, or Puerto Princesa for a regal island hopping experience. But, if any place were to rival Australia’s beaches, it’s Boracay. Split across multiple ports, Boracay is party central. You’re spoiled for choice when it comes to hotels, bars, boats and food. After a brief closure in 2018 to recuperate, the hub reopened to fanfare. I highly recommend adding it to your list.

I mean, you can’t talk about the Philippines without mentioning food. I’m pretty sure it’s a legal requirement. The Filipino food scene here in Australia has really started to grow outside of the Asian food umbrella, and deservingly so. Let’s make some noise for the classics – adobo, sinigang, lechon, pancit, ube, the list never ends. Despite growing up with this food, I never tire of it. My all-time favourite is the ‘boodle fight’ (pictured above), which mostly originates from the Philippines. Fresh banana leaves sit as tableware as hot steaming rice borders hearty proteins. Fire-grilled fish, stewed chicken, spit-roast pork, to name a few. You must eat with your hands, for maximum flavour. For the closest thing to a trip to provincial Philippines here in NSW, I’d recommend Sydney Cebu Lechon.

Fun fact: Did you know Filipinos start celebrating Christmas from the beginning of September? The ‘ber months herald fireworks, lights, festivals – the lot. That’s three months of partying! I can barely handle the one. The Philippines is a melting pot of culture, housing over 120 languages and dialects. Modern Filipino traditions draw from Indigenous Igorot folklore, with strong occupied influences from China and Spain. Family, community and home are the largest pillars in Filipino culture – all things you’ll feel the second you land.

The Philippines isn’t just world famous for its beaches. The small island has made powerful dents in various ‘World’s Friendliest Countries’ rankings, even topping lists that cover all of Asia. It currently sits in the top 10 of the 2022 Condé Nast Traveler (CNT) Readers’ Choice Awards ranking. What can I say? We’re hospitable and helpful people, it’s in our blood – regardless of where we are in the world.

Look, I know – I’ve already mentioned food. But, I wholeheartedly believe Jollibee deserves its own spot. I don’t know of many other countries where McDonalds doesn’t reign supreme in the fast food market, so knowing this humble little bee has triumphed over the big wigs in the Phils is truly heartwarming. The fast food joint only went global a few years ago, but there are already reports of hectic queues and long lines at its American outposts. There have been rumours about it coming to Australia, but nothing set in stone. It’s nothing overtly special – there’s no crazy menu items or TikTok viral meals. It’s just simple Filipino cult classics done really well. For any first-timers, I highly recommend the Chickenjoy combo with spaghetti. I’m salivating just thinking about it.