The Philippines’ last frontier

The remote islands of northern Palawan in the Philippines are often labelled the country's "last frontier", says Ellie Fazan in the Guardian. There are hundreds of them, sparsely populated and unspoiled by tourism – desert islands with palm-fringed beaches of "sugary white sand" and jungled mountains plunging into an impossibly turquoise sea.

Exploring the islands in a converted bangka, or traditional fishing boat, "each day is a new adventure". At Cadlao you can snorkel in "an electric blue lagoon full of multi-coloured fish", which is set among "dramatic limestone cliffs". On "far-flung Linapacan", a Spanish fort lies deep in the jungle near a village where locals will cook you dinner.

Tao Philippines (0063 928 554 3052) offers expeditions of 3-7 days from around £45pp per day, from November to June.