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If you look to the typical sources of travel information for reasons to visit the Philippines, you will get all the typical answers - the white sand and crystal waters of Boracay, the excellent dive spots across the archipelago, the impressive beauty of the Banaue Rice Terraces in the mountainous north, the quaint charm of the Philippine Jeepney. All truly worth seeing, and all things I experienced not long after I first came here. But just like any place, there is a considerable difference between living here and just visiting, and it was only after I was no longer a tourist that I began to understand what really makes this country unique.

The people are what really make the difference. There is a culture of friendliness and respect towards strangers that is missing in most of the more-developed world. It can even be a little unnerving at first because many Filipinos, particularly the younger ones, are quite forward about it; if you venture into places that are rarely visited by foreigners, you will have to get used to complete strangers shouting greetings to you from across the street, or inviting you to share their food and drinks. Cynics will claim that much of the friendly attention paid to foreign visitors is motivated by money, and in all fairness there is probably some truth to that, at least some of the time. But the Filipinos can hardly be blamed for that; much of the country is very poor, and the people have to be resourceful. In many ways it's part of their charm.

Making friends with the locals is not only worthwhile for its own sake, it will allow you to see things "off the beaten path," places of great beauty that will never be seen in any tourist guide. Not only will you get to see these hidden treasures, in most cases it will not cost you as much as the standard tourist itinerary. In my years here I have traveled from one end of the archipelago to the other, and my personal list of favorite places would fill a very thick book. A few of the ones that are relatively easy to reach for newcomers yet still not overpopulated by other tourists are:

Volcano Island, Lake Taal - Near the city of Tagaytay about two hours south of Manila. The lake fills the caldera of a very large volcano, and Volcano Island is the still very active remnant of it. On the island is the main crater, which is also filled with water - a lake on an island in a lake on an island. Most of the time the island is technically off-limits due to the volcano's activity, but it's not actually that hard to find an enterprising sort with a boat willing to take you there if you want to go.

Mindoro - The next big island south of Luzon, best known for the resort area of Puerto Galera - a sort of Poor Man's Boracay - at its northern tip. Beautiful beaches, mountains, jungles - Mindoro has a little of everything. Including rebels, some of whom are decent folks once you get to know them, but just to be on the safe side, best not to go alone.

The Cordillera - The mountainous north of the country, where the famous Rice Terraces and the popular destination of Baguio are located. I lived near Baguio for about a year, and every chance I had I ventured into the mountains north of the city. It is some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet, and the hospitable native peoples - the Ibaloi and Kanak-ey near Baguio and the Ifugao and Kalingans farther north - are quite unlike anyone you are ever likely to meet.

The Philippines appreciates visitors, and the country puts a lot of effort into encouraging them to come here. If you do, you will probably enjoy it, and certainly remember it. Who knows, maybe you'll end up like me and just decide to stay.

Learn more about this author, John Stall.
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