Tripping across the Philippines as part of a media trip organised by the country’s tourism board proves to be an eye-opening adventure in culinary delights, friendly faces and (thankfully) air-conditioned minivans.

The postcards do not lie. The Philippines feature beaches which have glaringly white sand, pristine blue waters and palm trees swaying in the breeze. The best of the country’s beaches have been sectioned off into private oases for guests of internationally-renowned, five star hotels, while the rest of the coastline is lined with the more modest abodes of local people.

"The hotel is on the beach, the sky and ocean are a piercing blue and we are far away from the city centre."

The mixture of colonialism and the native cultures of the Philippines have combined to create an impressive street culture in the country’s capital, whose streets are full to bursting with foods carts, San Miguel beer and late night video-karaoke.

Manila is a sprawling city of many districts and social groups. In Makati City – the most developed – there are shopping malls with all the international stores you would expect to find in a large Western city. Take a load off at one Starbucks, and you’ll almost certainly see another one right across the street.

Shoppers can roam malls like Greenbelt, which hosts a number of upscale dining options and clothing stores. As you get further out away from Makati, Manila gets more and more dishevelled, trading new high rises for shanty towns of corrugated tin and plywood.

The people of Manila sit on shady stoops to avoid the heat, watching the traffic rumble by. The most famous method of public transportation is the Jeepney, a colourful, couture combination of jeep and bus. Different cities feature different styles of jeepney and within one city no jeepney is the same. The Virgin Mary and Jesus, Sylvester the Cat and Tweety Bird, retro sunsets, palm trees and plenty of other weird and wonderful iconography appear on the side of jeepneys – alongside the start and end points of each vehicle’s route.

Jeepneys were originally crafted from leftover US army vehicles and have long soft benches that run lengthwise, a roof and no windows through which passengers pass their fare to the driver, who simultaneously drives, smokes and handles the money.

Manila is excitement central, but also not the best place to relax and unwind. After one day of exploring the metropolis, we head south to Naga, a small city in Luzon Province. A visit to Naga isn’t complete without a trip to the Camarines Sur Watersports Complex – the town’s major attraction – which contains an eco-preserve, a wake-boarding facility, wooden cabins, and (inexplicably) a telemarketing call centre. The eco-preserve is charming, but also showing its age and it’s the wake-boarding which brings in the big bucks from European tourists. If you haven’t tried the sport before, don’t fret, it’s surprisingly easy and a whole lot of fun.

Our final destination is Cebu, and it’s ridiculously impressive. The hotel is on the beach, the sky and ocean are a piercing blue and we are far away from the city centre. The sand is white and strangely cool beneath our feet despite the heat of the afternoon sun. As night descends, the dancers, fire-twirlers and barbecues take over the beach. This is the Philippines of travellers’ folklore – blue skies, sand and good times had by all.

Philippine Tourism Office. Suite 527, Shanghai Centre, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu. Tel: 6279 7550. Email: [email protected]

- Stephen Yang