Although overlooked by the world, the Philippines is still cheap and cheerful.With a reputation for being chaotic and corrupt, the Philippines has something of an image problem. But most who make the journey to the 7000-odd islands that comprise the Philippines are pleasantly surprised by their beauty and by the friendliness of the people.

Most of the Philippines is laidback, stable and relatively safe. The locals are an exceptionally helpful bunch and there are fantastic reefs and fish. On top of this, transport is cheap, the food is good, accommodation is plentiful and (for the monolinguistic) English is widely spoken.

Philippines: When to Go
Generally, the best time to travel is in the typhoon off-season from December to the middle of May. In the Christmas and Easter breaks, however, everyone is travelling and you’ll have trouble getting a seat on any form of transport or accommodation for that matter. Holy Week (around Easter) presents similar problems.

The most colourful and lovely festivals fall between January and May, the rice terraces of Luzon look best in March and April, and the best time for island-hopping is between October and March.

Weather
The Philippines is hot and humid year-round. The weather pattern across the archipelago is complex, but can be roughly divided into the dry season (December to May) and the wet season (June to November). There is little seasonal variation in most places with average highs and lows of around 31°C (87°F) and 24°C (76°F) respectively. The best time to visit is between December and May when slightly cooler and drier conditions prevail.

Philippines: Events
New Year’s Day is celebrated with great vigour and plenty of fireworks. On 9 January, the Black Nazarene Procession, the largest procession in the country, carries a life-size, black image of Jesus through the streets of Quiapo in Manila, and the procession happens again during Passion Week (the week following Palm Sunday at Easter). The Filipino version of Mardi Gras is the three-day Ati-Atihan, celebrated in Kalibo on Panay in the third week in January. On Good Friday, there are many crucifixion re-enactments throughout the country, which have become popular attractions, especially those at San Fernando (Pampanga) near Manila. Independence Day is celebrated on 12 June with military parades. During the week leading up to 1 November (All Saints’ Day) Christian cemeteries throughout the archipelago are spruced up and given a fresh coat of whitewash; if you happen to be in Manila on All Saints’ Day don’t miss the huge party at the Chinese cemetery. There are local festivals taking place just about every week of the year somewhere in the Philippines.