Vigan seems almost an anomaly: a colonial town set beside the Abra River delta, its architecture fuses Chinese, European and Mexican styles with local flair. Stroll the cobblestone streets leading to plazas populated with cathedrals and sidewalk cafés, or delve deeper into the town meeting the artisans who craft burnays, fermenting jars fashioned from locally sourced clay.

Located in the Sulu Sea, east of the island of Palawan, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is recognized as a global model for coral reef conservation. Bob above the breathtaking reef wall, rendered in shades of red and yellow and come face-to-face with a seabird colony, or explore a lagoon to find the giant clams once rumored to be man-eating.

The Philippines' largest and most populous island of Luzon boasts the remarkable rice fields in the Cordillera Central mountains. Marvel at the graduated plateaus that are stepped into the hillside's contours and farmed for rice. During planting and harvest, hear the Ifugao people singing indigenous hudhud (chants) while perched on the terraces' stone walls.

On the western coast of Palawan, an underground river wends beneath a forested mountain range and through the caved interiors of limestone karsts. Enter the caverns through a lagoon guarded by monkeys and ancient trees before sailing into the stalactite-ceilinged chambers.

Head east to Mindanao, the Philippines' second-largest island where a wildlife sanctuary is tucked into the folds of volcanic mountains. Here, over 1,300 species — including several hundred endemic residents thrive. You may encounter a warty pig with his mop of wild hair or even a rare Delias butterfly, whose only habitat in the world is within this reserve.

A testament to the Philippines’ blended history, four Catholic churches throughout the country are relics of a 16th-century Baroque style interpreted with Chinese and Philippine craftsmanship. Visit these grand houses of worship, from the buttressed Church of San Agustín in Paoay to the carved façade of the Church of Santo Tomas de Villanueva in Iloilo.