Traveling to Philippines- a Beautiful Experience

Philippines is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam. The Sulu Sea to the southwest lies between the country and the island of Borneo, and to the south the Celebes Sea separates it from other islands of Indonesia. It is bounded on the east by the Philippine Sea. Its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire and its tropical climate make the Philippines prone to earthquakes and typhoons but have also endowed the country with natural resources and made it one of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world.

In the globe, Philippines is found right underneath the word Asia; looks like a small dot.

Philippines has 7,107 islands, of which about 4,000 are inhabited. They are clustered into three major geographical divisions called Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao which is called LuzViMinda in short.

Luzon is the largest island, and it is the center of economics and politics. Manila, which is the capital of the country is found in Luzon. The high-rise commercial buildings and business centers are located in Manila. It is where you can find a number fine dine restaurants, and cozy places to hangout during the day and at night. The cities in this metropolitan that surround Manila are the busiest places in the country.

Visayas or Visayan Islands is considered the northeast extremity of the entire Sulu Sea. It is subdivided into three nonadministrative regions Central, Eastern and Western. It is the home to many beautiful and pristine white sand beaches. It is where you will find the famous Boracay beach, El Nido beach, Panglao beach, Bohol Club beach, and the subterranian river in Palawan.

Mindanao is the second largest island of the country. It is an interesting island in many respects. It is where good tropical rainforests can be found. Still a big part of the original jungle is conserved here. For tourists seeking adventure, Mindanao offers possibilities for jungle tracking and climbing the highest mountain of the Philippines. Visiting the second largest lake of the country is also possible. Visitors of the island who are interested in culture could make a daytrip to one of the mountain tribes.

(Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)

There are two official languages in the Philippines-- Filipino and English. Filipino which is based on Tagalog, is the national language. English is also widely used and is the medium of instruction in schools especially in higher education.

There are eight major dialects spoken by majority of the Filipinos: Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinense, with more than 500 dialects overall across the country.

The Philippines has a tropical maritime climate and is usually hot and humid. There are only two seasons: "tag-init or tag-araw", or the hot dry season or summer from March to May; "tag-ulan", the long rainy season from June to February. The southwest monsoon (from May to October) is known as the Habagat, and the dry winds of the northeast monsoon (from November to April), the Amihan. Temperatures usually range from 21°C (70°F) to 32°C (90°F) although it can get cooler or hotter depending on the season. The coolest month is January; the warmest is May.

With a long history of colonial rule, the Filipino culture can be branded as both oriental and western. This country is marked with a fusion of cultures that can be attributed to the pre-Hispanic trading between local tribes with their Asian neighbors. Spain and America also played a key role in infusing certain beliefs and practices which are practiced up until today.

The Americans also placed their imprints in the Filipino culture. Basketball, a very popular sport in the country, was inherited from the Americans. Filipinos are also in tune with the trends in America including the latest in fashion, movies, and even their love for fast food restaurants. English is also widely spoken in the country as a result of the American occupation. In fact, the Philippines is the third largest English speaking country in the world.

The Philippines proudly boasts to be the only Christian nation in Asia. More than 86 percent of the population is Roman Catholic, 6 percent belongs to various nationalized Christian sects, and another 2 percent belongs to over 100 Protestant denominations. In addition to the Christian majority, there is a vigorous 4 percent Muslim minority.