BY TravelBite.co.uk

Like traditional hotspots in the region, there are myriad ways to spend your time, but the Philippines comes with some unique and very enjoyable differences to the standard south-east Asia loop.

Arriving in Manila three days before Christmas meant a friend and I were welcomed by 24 degree heat, despite our watches reading two o'clock in the morning.

Visitors thinking of an Easter break however can expect almost the same weather, as there is only a dry and a wet season in the Philippines, and the temperature rarely rises more than a few degrees during the day.

The dry season finishes in February however, so if you are after sunbathing you may need to think twice.

Despite being the scene of the failed coup on the government only three weeks beforehand, our hotel - the Peninsula Manila - was up and running with very little to suggest anything had happened at all.

A friendly concierge grinned, as he boasted that some marble in the magnificently grand foyer was actually incredibly well-painted wood, as the hotel was waiting for replacement marble to be imported.

The hotel's services were fully functional within four days of the attempted coup in November, and there are stringent - yet unobtrusive - security checks meaning the same will not be happening again.

And for living-history buffs, there is still the odd bullet hole in the walls.

A night in the Peninsula's most modest suite will set you back $250 (£125) and is an incredible experience thanks to the professionalism of the staff, although throughout the city there are hostels in which you can stay for just $4 (£2) per night, with air conditioning included.

The security in the Philippines in the wake of the attempted coup is markedly different to that which followed the attacks on Britain.

Police in the city were instructed to wear Santa hats, to give a softer image to the public while people had to endure bag searches.

Army soldiers were recruited to patrol the streets with police officers, yet the decision was made to leave heavy weaponry in the police cars, suggesting a very low assumption of any further troubles.

Our stay in Manila was brief however as we escaped for Puerto Galera, on the island of Mindoro.

Here, I met with friends and stayed in a comfortable resort near White Beach.

Accommodation cost around $16 per person per night, for a room with two double beds and a bathroom.

From White Beach you can hire a boat to take you island hopping for the day, and you can plan your trip with the owner.

If you would like to visit unspoiled beaches the boats will leave shore for around $80 (£40), or for a little more you can arrange to include some snorkelling as well, although most boats will take up to twenty passengers and will cook you lunch for the price quoted.

One of the most impressive claims I heard while talking to boat owners was that our entire group could buy food at the local market - despite not knowing what much of it was - and he would make a meal from it all; something I was desperate to challenge him at!

We decided to take motorbikes into the mountains which cost just $10 (£5) each, plus $2 (£1) to refill the tank, for the day.

Following a crash-course in how to ride a bike, we were let loose on the impressive winding roads of the Philippine countryside, where we discovered some of the most amazing sights.
Our first stop was a waterfall which seemingly burst through the side of a mountain, covering the road in a thick mist as the water pounded the shallow pond at the bottom.

For less than a dollar you could swim in the lower pools of the waterfall, but we chose to keep going to see what else we would find.

In under an hour the lush green tropical mountainsides gave way to flat, flooded farm plains.

Here we passed through local towns and villages, and enjoyed a drink at the end of a precarious-looking hanging bridge in a village with no more than a bench in somebody’s house by way of offerings to tourists.

Nevertheless, the attitude held by the people of the Philippines could contest the status given to Thailand as the 'land of a thousand smiles' in any given day, and I rarely felt there was anything the local people would not do to help if you ever needed to ask.

The scenery throughout our trip was consistently stunning, and I was not surprised to hear later that much of Vietnam as it appears in Hollywood is filmed in the Philippines.

And, while it may be slightly more expensive than Thailand the price difference is negligible, and to visit a country with unlimited opportunities to dive, snorkel, ride bikes or simply hire a boat to visit further islands is an opportunity too good to pass up.

As for security, there is little to no threat of terrorism in the north of the country and along the tourist trails, while the benefits of a trip will stay with you for months afterwards.

----------------------------------------------------------------------