Thinking of going to the Philippines? Well, you’re in for a visit to one of the most fun and laid back countries to be found in Southeast Asia.

The Philippines

Veteran travel writer Yeoh Siew Hoon refers to the Philippines as a "party town" in her book "Around Asia in One Hour." And you know what? She may just be right.

The Filipino people are generally fun-loving and relaxed. Every month, there are cultural and religious fiestas, ritual events for planting and harvest, and thanksgiving fiestas for the specialties and products of the many different provinces scattered on the Philippines’ 7, 107 islands.

Got a visitor? We’ll get a street luau going. Want to oust a president? Head on to the streets of Edsa where dancing, picnics and mini-concerts take place along with protest and political speeches.

If there is one thing that visitors to the country can be sure of, they will never miss being part of a party one way or another.

Most guests to the country who have continually thought of Manila as a third world country find themselves shocked at the number of huge malls and shopping centers to be found in the country’s capital of Manila. In Quezon City alone, the SM Megamall covers a land area of 10.5 hectares with a gross floor area of 331,679 square meters. Just a hop and skip away are Shangri-la mall, Robinson’s Mall, and the more upscale The Podium. Here, brand name outfits and accessories may be had at far cheaper rates than those in the US and Europe. That’s just in one city.

Wanna have the brand name but not pay the price tags of an original? Head on to Greenhills or Divisoria for designer knock offs at dirt cheap prices.

Tourists from the US and European countries often find themselves buying new luggage in order to lug home souvenirs and other stuff from shopping sprees like you’d never believe. Those out for bargains patrol flea market style shops called "tiangges." Here, they could haggle and bargain as much as they want and as low as they can go.

People who would like a change of pace from the city life can easily hop a plane or board a ferry boat to some of the archipelago’s more "nature type" islands.

Boracay with its white powder sand beaches and turquoise waters is a favorite beach haunt among locals and tourists alike. Bohol is also fast becoming another favorite among the beach going crowd offering pristine white beaches and a chance at that cuddly half-bat/half mouse Philippine tarsier.

For diving, most dive enthusiasts find Palawan to just be the ticket with its blue waters boasting the largest number of marine species to be found in one place.

Marine biology fans can head on to Donsol in Bicol province and get a chance to go on whale shark tours while Batanes offers whale and dolphin watching.

History buffs can explore all they could round the Bataan Peninsula (site of the infamous Death March,) Corregidor (a significant army fort during the Second World War), or Manila’s famed walled city, Intramuros, where American General Douglas Mac Arthur set up base and Spanish friars built their monasteries.

The Mountain Province to the North holds many promises of forays into the indigenous and religious culture of some of the Philippine ethnic tribes. Visitors to the province may also swing by Banaue and take a peek at one of the man made wonders of the world, the Banaue Rice Terraces. Terrace upon terrace of rice fields carved on the mountain’s face with walls made entirely out of mud and stone, the terraces has officially been declared as one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.