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   If  there's one thing all visitors to the Philippines agree on it's the beauty and abundance of the beaches. And where better to find a great beach than on an island! The Philippines is home to 7107 islands and for a tempting slice of island life, head for the Hundred Islands group a five-hour drive north of Manila.

Here you'll find that the Philippines will exceed your expectations about what a tropical paradise should be like. It offers endless sands, warm waters and undersea coral gardens make up a swimmer's, fisher's and snorkeler's paradise or the perfect place for just lazing and getting a tan. Nature lovers will be pleased to know that Hundred Islands is the world's second-largest marine reservation and home to over 2000 species of aquatic life.Finally to Cebu, which is the site where the Spanish conquistadors first arrived in the Philippines in 1565. Here you'll find the famous landmark of Magellan's Cross, a wooden cross planted by Magellan to mark the baptism of the Moslem Rajah Humabon and his wife Juana and 800 followers.

Magellan's Cross is now housed in the centre of a chapel adjacent to the Basilisca Minore del Santo on Magellanes Street. According to a sign outside, the original cross is contained in the item standing in the chapel. This is to protect it from souvenir hunters.
Magellan's Cross has potent symbolic value in the Philippines. It's the emblem of Cebu City and considered the symbol of Catholicism in the Philippines.

The Philippines is home to a host of other holiday delights, but these three attractions will introduce you to this charming and beautiful country and whet your appetite for more.