Consider the Philippines as an alternative to Thailand

The Foreign Office now advises against all but essential travel in Thailand.

"Change of travel advice for Thailand - 27 Apr 2010

We advise against all but essential travel to all parts of Thailand. This advice reflects our concern that violence could break out during the increasingly volatile political crisis.


The British Embassy extended its travel advice to advise against non- essential travel to all parts of Thailand. This advice reflects our concern that violence could break out during the increasingly volatile political crisis."

The Philippines has so many beautiful unspoilt beaches, it's perhaps difficult to know which to visit first. Few beaches are commercialised, and most are quiet, still waiting to be discovered by the tourist "masses".

There are numerous islands where you can still find solitude whilst enjoying the soft sand and crystal clear, warm waters.

Even the islands that have already been popularised, like Boracay, and Mindoro, are still relatively quiet compared to the overcrowded beaches you find in many countries where tourism has been a long-standing part of the economy.

In the Philippines, the tourist industry is still relatively new, and for many, that's the main reason why the country has such an appeal.

How the Philippines has remained undiscovered for so long, is a mystery, but it, and it's people deserve to be seen and enjoyed, and nowhere more deserves the prosperity that tourism can bring.

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New Species of Giant Lizard Discovered in the Philippines.

A new species of giant lizard has been discovered in the Philippines.

The 2m-long reptile is a monitor lizard, the group to which the world's longest and largest lizards belong.

The monitor, described as spectacular by the scientists who found it, lives in forests covering the Sierra Madre mountains in the north of the country.

The striking reptile has bright yellow, blue and green skin, and survives on a diet of just fruit, yet until now it has escaped the eyes of biologists.

"It is an incredible animal," says Dr Rafe Brown, one of the scientists who describe the new lizard in the journal Biology Letters.
In the journal, the researchers describe how rare it is to find such a large terrestrial animal new to science.

The new species, which is called Varanus bitatawa, is thought to survive on a diet of fruit, making it one of just three species of fruit-eating monitor lizards in the world.

Full Story Here...

Marvellous Mayhem to be found in Manila

Piers Kelly writes a nice pice about the Philippines capital in Abu Dhabi's "The National":

Why Manila?

Ever since Southeast Asia made it onto the tourist map, travellers have been drawn to such cities as Singapore, Hanoi and Bangkok. The fact that Manila is only just beginning to register on the hip list is something of a mystery. After all, the flamboyant metropolis has just about everything you could dream of. Luxury hotels of international repute, groovy nightlife, top restaurants and sprawling markets showcase the cultural diversity of the Philippines’ 7,000-odd islands.

Read the full article...