The Philippines isn’t one of South East Asia’s `hot spots’. Hordes of tourists, eager for sea and sand and culture don’t hit it every season, and there are few travel agencies which actually promote the country as a great place to spend your vacation. Which is strange, when you come to think of it- for the Philippines, by and large, is as ideal a tourist destination as, say, Thailand or Indonesia.

It’s beautiful (and for the beach-crazy, it’s got excellent seaside resorts and wonderful beaches); the natives are friendly- really- and visiting the country is fairly cheap. True, the Philippines suffered politically and economically in the past few decades, but that is past now, and with the new policies of the present government, it shouldn’t take too long for the country to make good progress.