10 Best: Luzon, Philippines

The island of Luzon is in the beautiful heartland of the Philippines. Its lovely scenery is wrapped in an alluring coastline, and the terrain is punctuated with pretty towns and big cities. The cost of living is low, the warmth of welcome high.

Yet, until now, Luzon has been off most travellers’ maps. Flight EK338 has changed that. This month Emirates has started flying from Dubai to Clark, about 50 miles north-west of capital Manila.

There are quick connections from Heathrow and Gatwick.Luzon is almost as big as England, with almost as many people, and even though it is geographically in Asia it feels Latin American. That’s because the Philippines belonged to Spain for 333 years.British travellers – and many other nationalities – don’t need a visa for a holiday here. Just show your homeward ticket and passport and you’ll get a stamp allowing you to stay for a month.

The currency is the peso – and the 100 peso note is worth about £1.50.The two official languages of the Philippines are English and Tagalog. Getting around is easy and the standard form of public transport is the jeepney.Within cities, expect to pay around 30p for a long journey. Excellent company comes free: the people of the Philippines are friendly and helpful.SIMON'S TOP TEN1 Touch downClark, the new gateway to Luzon, is a superb place to start.

The airfield is so large that it was on the flight diversion plan for the Space Shuttle. dmia.ph2 Check inThe indulgent comforts of the Fontana Leisure Park. fontanaleisureparks.com3 after darkDrink at Intramuros, the historic hub of Manila.4 Filipino fast trackNayong Pilipino is a blend of great architecture and ethnicity.

www.facebook.com/nayongpilipinosaclarkexpo5 Hot SpringA half-hour journey by 4x4 takes you to Puning Hot Spring.6 Beach blissThe Subic Bay resort.7 Survival schoolThe Jungle Environment Survival Training Camp. jestcamp.com8 Dinner with treasureThe results of some treasure dives are on show in the museum attached to Vasco’s, a fine restaurant on Subic Bay. vascosresort-museum.com9 Lake and peak districtTagatay occupies a ridge with lovely views across to a volcano within a lake.10 Mount PinatuboVisit the dramatic results of the