Body: Reach higher
For an intense and rewarding physical challenge, climb Mount Apo, the Philippines’ highest peak. The endeavour takes two to three days, with guides leading you through rainforests and past waterfalls, lakes and rushing rivers. If you’re lucky, you might even spot deer and the endangered Philippine eagle. Camp at the top – elevation 2,954 metres – for a picture-perfect sunrise over the summit’s crater lake.
Diosdado B. Dasco Jr.
Soul: Divine escape
Catch a moment of peace and quiet at the Carmelite Monastery’s chapel. Located in Lanang district, this church is a spiritual gem that’s unassuming and quaint on the outside, featuring rows of pointed arches. But inside there’s a surprising dose of drama, created by a vaulted ceiling and stained-glass windows, which are placed high to allow in plenty of light. Go during a service and you might hear choral music wafting from the choir loft above the entrance.
