With a reputation for being chaotic and corrupt, the Philippines has something of an image problem. But most who make the journey to the islands in Philippines are pleasantly surprised by their beauty and by the friendliness of the people.

Most of the Philippines is laidback, stable and relatively safe. The locals are an exceptionally helpful bunch and there are fantastic reefs and fish. On top of this, transport is cheap, the food is good, accommodation is plentiful and (for the monolinguistic) English is widely spoken.