PALAWAN THE PHILIPPINES
WHY: Natural beauty, beaches for days and more tropical fruit platters than you can poke a plantain at – friendly, approachable Palawan is mesmerising (and, deservingly, has been named the world’s most beautiful island). Packed with stunning natural wonders, from its towering limestone cliffs to the Puerto Princesa Underground River (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Palawan is pure paradise.
WHEN: Head there in March, when the rainy season is over but the dry season (and soaring temps) hasn’t really begun.
WHERE: You can’t beat Canvas Boutique Hotel (canvasboutiquehotel.com). A two-minute drive from the airport, this light-filled space is the perfect place to let go. Covered from floor to ceiling in art (hence the name), the hotel itself is an architectural wonder. It also boasts impeccable service, making it an ideal home away from home.
MUST-TRY: Halo-halo. Literally meaning “mix-mix”, this Filipino ice-cream sundae is a combination of ice-cream (natch), shaved ice, condensed milk and, well, whatever else you fancy.
DON’T MISS: Scuba diving or snorkelling Coron Bay. Teeming with cartoon-bright fish and coral, this is the stuff they put on postcards.