Batad Rice Terraces

A shallow turquoise inlet enclosed by limestone cliffs in Bacuit Bay, entered by kayak or small boat through a narrow channel.

A four-kilometre stretch of sand north of El Nido town, backed by coconut palms and far quieter than the bay tours.

The Ifugao people carved these terraces into the Cordillera mountains of northern Luzon and have maintained them with mud walls and stone for around two millennia. The UNESCO listing covers clusters at Batad, Bangaan and Mayoyao rather than the roadside viewpoints at Banaue. Reaching Batad involves a jeepney and a walk, and staying overnight is the usual way to see them in good light.

Coron in northern Palawan is known for two things: karst lakes such as Kayangan reached by a climb over a ridge, and a fleet of Japanese wrecks sunk in 1944 that sit shallow enough for recreational diving. Boat tours combine lakes, reefs and hot springs. The town is a working port rather than a resort strip.

A brackish lake on Coron Island reached over a limestone ridge, known for exceptional clarity and the viewpoint on the climb.