Manila is the capital of the Philippines but it is not the only home to the best nightlife. In fact, going beyond Manila, you can experience more exciting and maybe even unconventional night-out adventures. Here is an overview of what to expect from some of the popular hotspots for a nightlife in the Philippines.

Davao

Davao can give you a lot of reasons to enjoy your visit, ranging from its cultural diversity to its beaches and of course, its vibrant nightlife. Most of the hotels have bars where you can mingle with other guests, usually foreigners like yourself. Otherwise, you can choose among the selection of bars and clubs in the city, like the ones along Jacinto Street or at the Matina Town Square where you can immerse yourself in the local culture and nightlife scene while enjoying a variety of drinks and food.

Cebu

The nightlife of Cebu is equally exciting as that of Manila. Since the city is already urbanized, you can expect various places where you can party, sing, drink, and dance all night. Local entertainment also consists of various places where you can enjoy homegrown music from locally-produced bands. Salinas Drive in Cebu is home to the biggest disco in the city, the Sunflower Disco. On the other hand is Club Vudu that you can find at the Crossroads where high-profile clients flock to enjoy an evening. There is also the Mango Square found near the Fuente Osmena Circle where several nightclubs await to please the night owls.

Boracay

As a popular tourist and vacation destination, Boracay is well known for its beaches and highly regarded for its vibrant nightlife. Nightlife and party enthusiasts won’t have a hard time searching for a place to enjoy the evening with plenty of bars, discos, clubs, and pubs offering a one-of-a-kind atmosphere that can match the taste of any party lover.

A collection of green island gems scattered between the vast Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea, the Philippines is bursting full of natural wonders that are waiting to be explored and discovered. Luzon, Palawan, and the numerous Visayan islands are all blessed with different natural attractions that include sky-high terraces, rolling hills, underground rivers, and scenic mountains.

Banaue Rice Terraces, a man-made natural attraction located high in a mountain range in the island of Luzon, is a world-famous destination. In fact, it is often dubbed the eight natural wonder of the world. This UNESCO recognized site is a collection of rice field terraces that were supposedly hand-carved in the mountain slopes by Philippine natives several thousands of years ago. Benguet province, where the terraces are located, is 10 hours away by bus from Manila.

Another unique land formation in the Philippines is located in the island province of Bohol in the Visayas. The Chocolate Hills, as the attraction is dubbed, features more than a hundred limestone hills that resemble chocolate drops, especially during the hot summer months.

Several mountains and volcanoes in the Philippines also make for outstanding destinations. Mt. Pinatubo in Luzon inspired worldwide panic when in erupted in the early 1990s but today, it is a famous destination for adventure-seeking tourists. Taal Volcano, an active volcano in southern Luzon, is also very popular. It is located near Tagaytay, a destination known for its cool weather and excellent accommodation facilities.

A list of the top natural destinations in the Philippines would not complete without mentioning Mt. Mayon, which is considered one of the most beautiful volcanoes in the world thanks to its almost perfect cone. Mt. Mayon is located in Legazpi City in Albay, a province in southern Luzon.

Then again, not all of the Philippines best natural attractions are located above ground. In the island Palawan, there is a subterranean river system that every visitor to the Philippines should visit. A trip down the Underground River, as it the system is popularly referred to, is an incredibly exciting experience.

A trip to the Philippines won’t be complete without buying anything that you can take home as a souvenir. While the country may not exactly be a retail wonderland, it still offers charming options as far as shopping enthusiasts are concerned. In fact, in Manila alone, you can find several high-end shopping malls (think Gucci) and even more cheap, hole-in-the-wall stores selling all sorts of merchandise you can imagine. The Philippines has everything from goods designed by locals to top international designer names. From electronics, clothes, shoes, and more – all of these are easily available in any of Manila’s many malls and department stores.

Shopping in the Philippines is also a tourist attraction itself, especially if you search for locally-made goods like woodcarvings, handicrafts, and jewelry with designs that are unique to the country. Cebu and Manila are among the best cities to visit when it comes to retail therapy. In Manila, you can drop by under the bridge in Quiapo so you can purchase useful bamboo or palm baskets for a cheaper price than when you buy them in malls. You also have the option to haggle for much cheaper prices to get  the best value for your money. You can also head over to Marikina where you can find a wide variety of locally made and designed footwear that boast world-class quality.

If you’re okay with a long bus ride to Baguio, you can shop for silver jewelry and interesting antiques that can give an eccentric charm to your house back home. Baguio is also home to the well-known ukay-ukay shops where you can buy a variety of really cheap second-hand apparel, shoes, and bags that are one-of-a-kind. Who knows, you may score second-hand designer goods for less than a dollar when you drop by every Sunday morning or Saturday night? Nowadays, you can also find ukay-ukay shops in Manila and other major cities, too, but prices may be a bit higher.

Elsewhere in Luzon, you can find more products such as hair pieces, bracelets, necklaces, mats, bags, fans, hats, and other souvenir-worthy products with different designs according to the region where you are buying them.

Fiestas are part of the Filipino culture. Most of them reflect the country’s religious heritage. No matter which province in the Philippines you visit, you’re bound to come across some sort of festival or another showcasing the best that that particular area has to offer.

Feast of the Black Nazarene

This is one yearly fiesta that attracts millions of people from all over the Philippines. Devotees of the Black Nazarene head to Quiapo in Manila every January 9 to pay tribute and take part in the procession as the life-size statue of the Black Nazarene is paraded along the streets of Manila before it goes back to the Quiapo Church where it is housed. The 400 year old image has been associated with a number of miracles and many people believe that touching even so much as the carriage that holds the statue will give them blessings for the coming year.

Panagbenga

The flower season in Baguio City creates the perfect setting for the yearly flower festival. This is actually a month-long event with exhibits and city activities happening every weekend. The culmination of the festival, however, is held on the fourth week of February. The flower parade happening on that weekend always draws a crowd of guests from the lowlands.

Flores de Mayo

Come the month of May, practically every province in the Philippines celebrates Flores de Mayo. This marks the beginning of the rainy season although it also means that the flowers are beginning to bloom again after a long dry spell. The most notable attraction of the festival is every town’s Santacruzan. This is a pageant parade of the most beautiful ladies in the town. Every year, ladies don their best Filipiniana-inspired gowns and walk along the streets under bamboo arcs that are decorated with fresh flowers.