Comprising 7,000 islands between the Philippine and South China Seas, the Philippines sits at Asia’s far eastern edge and is a perfect destination for a beach vacation. There is an island for every style of traveler. For diving head to the Visayas, where the reefs are wonderful and the beaches divine. For mountains with a side of beach, head to Luzon, where there are luxury resorts and also wilderness terrain. The Philippines offers more than just beaches, however. It’s also an adventure destination with everything from kiteboarding to kayaking to ziplining. It’s also culturally enigmatic for the region, with a population that identifies as much with Europe as it does with mainland Southeast Asia. Spanish colonial rule here lasted for some 350 years and today you’ll still see glimpses of that past in the unique Spanish-Filipino colonial architecture in the bustling mega-cities like Manila, the colorful Spanish style festivals in smaller towns and the fact that nearly everyone here is a practicing Catholic.