Rough Guides, a leading travel guidebook, placed the Philippines in its list of Top 10 countries to visit this year.
Rough Guides ranked the Philippines 10th in its “Top 10 countries” list for 2014, citing the archipelago’s “dazzling array of pristine reefs, volcanoes, sleepy backpacker islands and the famed rice terraces.”
Rough Guides also encouraged European travelers to visit the Philippines, citing direct flights from London to Manila.
“New direct flights from London to Manila mean that it’s now easier to get there from the UK,” it said.
Aside from the island paradise of Boracay, other “things not to miss in the Philippines,” according to Rough Guides, include the Ati-Atihan festival in Kalibo, El Nido resort in Palawan, the Banaue Rice Terraces, the Filipino dessert halo-halo, Vigan in Ilocos Sur, swimming with whale sharks, Coron island in Palawan, Chocolate Hills in Bohol, and San Agustin Church in Manila.
Topping Rough Guides’ list of must-visit countries this year is Ethiopia, followed by Madagascar, Brazil, Turkey, Georgia, Rwanda, Japan, Bulgaria and Macedonia.
Rough Guides is a travel guidebook and reference publisher with travel titles covering more than 200 destinations, and are distributed worldwide.--Source: Rough Guides/ABS-CBN News