Grand Philippines
The Philippines is an archipelagic country in the western Pacific Ocean. The country possesses a tropical climate; tropical savannah, tropical monsoon and subtropical humid climate. It experiences two simple seasons, the wet and the dry. The City of Manila is a highly planned, urbanized city and the capital of the Philippines. It is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and experiences a tropical savannah climate. Over 1 million tourists visit Manila every year. Major tourist attractions are, the historic Walled City of Intramuros, the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex, Manila Ocean Park, Binondo (Chinatown), Ermita, Malate, Manila Zoo, the National Museum Complex and Rizal Park. The Walled City of Intramuros is the historic center of Manila. The main tourist attraction of the country is its rich biodiversity. The beaches, heritage towns and monuments, mountains, rainforests, islands and diving spots are favourites among tourists. Unofficially, the Philippines is known as the zipline capital of the world.
The Northern Palawan in the Philippines is a favourite with sea kayakers. Boracay and Pagudpud in North Luzon are favourite kiteboarding destinations. Trekking, mountain-bike and canyoneering tours are some of the other tourist attractions. A sight to behold are the Ifugao rice terraces, best viewed one to two months before harvest when hues of emerald green can be seen. The Unesco Word Heritage list has five Ifugao rice terraces; Batad, Bangaan, Mayoyao, Hungduan and the Nagacadan terraces near Kiangan.
The best time to visit is during the dry season from November to April, or the cooler months of December to February. The currency is the Philippine peso (PHP or ₱) which equals INR 1.38-1.42(fluctuates).