White Beach, Puerto Galera

A long white-sand beach west of Puerto Galera town on the north coast of Mindoro, lined with cheap resorts, bars and restaurants. It's popular with Filipino holidaymakers and gets lively at night and on holiday weekends. The snorkelling and diving close to shore are excellent, as Puerto Galera sits on the Verde Island Passage, one of the world's richest areas of marine life.

Pacific Divers, a family-run PADI dive shop on the beach since 1990, has friendly guides and visits around 30 dive sites, all a short boat ride away. For a quieter beach, walk on to Talipanan Beach, a little further west.

Getting there: from Manila, take a bus to Batangas port (about 2 to 3 hours), then a boat direct to White Beach (about 1 hour).