On the pristine islands of the Alor Archipelago, the Tapkala people go about their lives much as their ancestors did before them, maintaining very little contact with the modern world. Their houses are made from bamboo and coconut leaves, while their clothes are woven by hand or crafted from bark. The Tapakala are especially famous for their mokos, the prehistoric bronze drums that they use in rituals. Many examples are on display at the Museum of a Thousand Mokos in Kalabahi, the archipelago’s main city.

Most of the ethnic groups in the Philippines maintain a very strong, almost mystic relationship with nature. In northern Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines, the Ifugao people cultivate rice terraces that cover the mountains, using ancestral traditions. The terraces are naturally irrigated by the forest springs above. Some 1,500 “anitos” or spirits play precise roles in Ifugao cosmogony with there being an anito for the rain, sun, fishing, war, peace and more. Ifugao women spend many hours weaving traditional outfits featuring specific patterns.

With white sand and turquoise water, Pulau Molana is a real-life picture postcard. This uninhabited island in the Maluku archipelago is protected by coral reefs, letting visitors enjoy a peaceful swim in breathtaking surroundings.

To the south of Sibuyan, the untouched desert island of Cresta de Gallo is a tiny slice of heaven on earth. It is the perfect spot to lie back on the fine sand and take in the views, looking out over the crystal clear water to the distant horizon.

Tanjung Puting National Park is renowned for its incredible beauty and its large orangutan population. A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1977, covering 355,000 hectares, this park owes much of its success to Canadian primatologist Biruté Galdikas. She arrived in Tanjung Puting in 1971, where she was able to study the primates in situ for several years. Today, 6,000 orangutans live wild in the park, making up the largest population in the world.

In the heart of the Philippines, Sibuyan Island is straight out of an adventure film. Lush foliage covers the landscape, from the deserted beaches to the slopes of Mount Guiting-Guiting, surrounded by forests of burbling streams and birds. Sibuyan is also known as the “Galapagos of Asia” because it is home to so many endemic species.

Located in the centre of the Indonesian archipelago, Komodo National Park was added to the UNESCO list of biosphere reserves in 1991. Made up of several volcanic islands, the park was founded to protect its population of around 5,700 Komodo dragons. These giant monitor lizards, which can grow up two to three meters long, are not found anywhere else in the world. This species is a popular area of study for scientists, described by UNESCO as the “last representative of a relic population of large lizards that once lived across Indonesia and Australia”.

To the west of the immense island of Leyte, the “Cuatro Islas” are four tiny patches of paradise in a brilliant blue sea. One of these islands, Himokilan, is known as the jewel of the Philippines thanks to its pale sand and clear water, which forms several natural swimming pools. The rest of the island is covered with dense vegetation, making it the perfect place to embrace your inner Robinson Crusoe!