Winter is coming. The nights are cold, the skies dark and getting out of bed in the morning is about as appealing as having your foot run over by a double decker bus.

While the only known cure for the winter blues is a tropical escape, the question of where to escape to is no longer as straight forward as it once was.

In the past so long as there was a beach and a bed most Australian travellers were happy. But with the sheer number of Aussies escaping to South East Asia these days, many travellers are stopping to ask themselves if they really want to be shoulder to shoulder in a bar with a freshly tattooed schoolie from outer suburbia?

While Bali and Thailand undoubtedly have some of the most beautiful beaches in South East Asia, many Australian travellers are looking to beach destinations in Asia a little further off the beaten path. A little less upper middle Bogan.

Luckily the Philippines is not yet on the mainstream travelling agenda and possesses a seemingly endless supply of white sand beaches and islands – 7,000 islands to be precise.

So what are the best Philippine islands to hop to and what are some of the weird and whacky things you can get up to there? These are our top picks.

Siuqijor Island casts a spell

Amongst Filipinos, the island of Siquijor is well-known as the home of mangkukulam witch doctors.

If you’re in the market for an ancient ointment for any of your modern illnesses – maybe you’re after a magical hangover cure after partying too hard at your beach resort – ask around amongst the locals who will be able to point you in the direction of one of the many healers who live on the mountainside.

Once under the spell of one of the islands sorcerers you will no doubt find out for yourself why they are both feared and worshipped by the locals.

For those who prefer to indulge in more modern potions, the island also serves up some magical cocktails at a number of beachside resorts.

Masbate Island: the wild west of the Philippines

If you head to Masbate Island in late April or early May you may be forgiven for thinking you’ve visited during the Philippines’ Halloween celebrations. But you’ll soon find out that the Filipinos filling the streets of Masbate city with wide gaits and kitted out in cowboy attire are indeed the real deal.

Each year Masbate, the cattle capital of the Philippines, hosts a five-day rodeo fiesta celebrating all things wild west – bull riding, lassoing, cattle wrestling on foot or horseback, as well as a street barn dance, the Mr and Mrs Rodeo Festival search, Rodeo Salon and a beef cooking contest.

And the good news is, if you fancy yourself a cowboy who can show the Filipinos how it’s done, the Grand Prize was recently raised to PHP 500,000 (or almost AUD$15,000). It’s worth considering if you’re still working out how to fund your Philippines holiday.

Camiguin Island: “born of fire”

Camiguin is the second smallest island of the Philippines at just 240 square kilometres in land area. But the Island squeezes a lot into its small land area, including seven volcanoes.  In fact the island was largely formed by earthquakes and volcano eruptions, and in the 1800s one eruption sunk the old Spanish-era town of Catarman.

Today the ruins of the town’s church and bell tower, along with the sunken Cemetery are marked by a large cross emerging from the sea. Many take the opportunity to take a dive with a difference and witness history underwater at this historical site.

For those travellers who consider themselves more land-dwellers, the volcanoes across the island are hot spots for hikers and mountaineers up for the challenge of trekking peaks of up to 1,600 metres.

The hills are alive with a sugary treat: Bohol Island

By far the most famous attraction of Bohol Island are the 1,200 plus small hills springing up across the landscape and named the ‘Chocolate Hills’.

However, sweet tooths who are imagining a giant Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-like wonderland beware: the name is merely a reflection of the fact that at the end of the dry season the hills turn from green in colour to ‘chocolate’ brown. Unfortunately there isn’t a chocolate river running at the base of the hills but they are nevertheless a dreamlike sight to set eyes on.

Palawan: cast yourself a lead role

El Nido, a beach town on the northern end of Palawan Island, provided the inspiration for Alex Garland’s novel ‘The Beach’.

The book, which he wrote while living in El Nido, was also transformed into a Hollywood film of the same name starring heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio.

While the film set wasn’t actually located at El Nido you can ignore that minor detail and pretend you are a Hollywood star strutting your perfect stuff along one of El Nido’s 50 beaches.

The Philippines’ answer to the Galapagos: Tubbataha Reefs

The Philippines’ first entrant into the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1993 was the Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park off Palawan Island.

The natural paradise is often considered the Philippine’s very own version of the Galapagos Islands due to the hundreds of seabirds, fish, whale sharks, turtles and many other marine species, alongside its pristine coral reef.

An underwater history lesson at Coron Bay

It may be hard to believe, but the pristine and peaceful waters of Coron Bay are the resting place of several Japanese shipwrecks dating back to World War II.

Many travellers keen to take a history lesson with a difference don a snorkel or diving suit and head underwater to take in wreck sites including the Irako wreck, Okikawa Maru wreck, Akitsushima wreck, Kogyo Maru wreck, Olympia Maru wreck, Lusong Gunboat Wreck and Skeleton wreck.

Surfers hit Cloud Nine

Ever dreamed of surfing a typhoon break? If you head to Siargao Island between August and November you’ll find your Cloud Nine, where typhoon winds bring big reef breaks.

The best part is it’s still a well-kept secret amongst in the know surfers and the tourist scene isn’t big.

Out of an urban dumps grows a tropical rainforest

The La Mesa waterpark in Manila has recently been reforested to become the city’s only nature park following a period of it being taken over by farms, huge slums and bordered by a rubbish dump.

This is good news for the 14 million people of Manila as the nature park surrounds a dam that stores their drinking water. Nowadays hundreds of thousands of locals can escape the city and explore over 50 kilometres of forested trails by bike or foot each year.

For more information about travel to the Philippines or to book a trip pop in to your local STA Travel store or visit http://www.statravel.com.au/visit-philippines.htm.