A charming and majestic chain of islands straddling peacefully between Sulu Sea and Celebes Sea in the southwestern Philippines is the exotic Tawi-Tawi province.

Why it is more FUN in the Philippines? Our Aussie columnist Scott Allford tells SBS Radio Australia.

This icy dessert had reminded me of my Malaysian Ais Kacang, minus the kacang (no kidding), where there is shaved ice drenched in condensed/evaporated milk or just milk and sugar and then mix in with various ingredients of sorts. The usual suspects are red mung beans, sugar palm (kaong), coconut sport (macapuno), jackfruit strips, purple yam (ube) paste, crushed young rice (pinipig), leche flan and caramelized banana. Some even say that it is not complete without a dollop of ube (yam) ice cream, and only ube flavour for the authenticity!

If there is one place in the Philippines where you can truly experience it all, Camarines Sur will not disappoint. Home to the world re-known CamSur Water Sports Complex, Camarines Sur is quickly becoming the new Borocay and the province has the statistics to prove it.

Gawad Kalinga which means to “give care” in Filipino. The formula is simple: less for self, more for others, enough for all. Rather than taking more of what you don’t need, give back so that others may have a chance to make something of themselves for their country and their family.

Pork sisig is one of the well known pulutan (food to go with drink), where normally people order when they are out having a beer or some alcohol. It was said to reduce the impact of alcohol on the stomach and the name itself actually meant to be ‘taken in small quantity’.

Established by the Spaniards in 1594 within a cannon shot of the Old Walled City of Intramuros, Binondo, the world’s oldest Chinatown, explodes with a cacophony of sensuous experiences of food, culture and the continuing saga of the Chinese story in the Philippines.

Known worldwide as the home of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park – the longest navigable underground river in the entire world and many of its exotic islands, cream colored beaches, a plethora of waterfalls, hot springs, verdant rainforests, fauna and flora that can never found anywhere else on the planet,- the melting pot city of Puerto Princesa City is always an adventure waiting to happen.

Taming the wind and the waters in the northernmost Philippine frontier, the relatively isolated islands of the Batanes, the home of the resilient and welcoming Ivatans, with its rolling hills, subtropical climate, ancient cultures, windswept traditional stone houses and breathtaking landscapes and seascapes which perhaps make it one of the prettiest corners of the world.

Before it was labeled as the Regional Center of Zamboanga peninsula, Pagadian city was virtually unknown. Today though, it has been getting its fair share of tourists in the Zamboanga peninsula. The word Pagadian was derived from a local word “pangadye-on” meaning prayer or praise.