The Philippines has suffered in the tourism stakes because of its position on the map. Imelda Marcos once said it was "hamburgered" geographically. What she meant was that the Philippines receives fewer visitors than other Southeast Asian countries – about two million a year compared to Thailand's six million – because it is not part of the Southeast Asian mainland. Travellers on the traditional Asian trails tend to get as far as Thailand or Hong Kong, but ignore the Philippines because it involves an extra flight, albeit it a short one, across the South China Sea.

Perversely, it is this very lack of mass tourism that makes the Philippines such an appealing destination. If you want to explore, and if you are ready to cope with some eccentric infrastructure and a distinctly laid-back attitude towards the passage of time, the Philippines has more to offer than many of its neighbours.

The Philippines is a big country in a small package. It is the second-largest archipelago in the world (after Indonesia), with 7107 islands, sixty percent of them uninhabited, and 58,390km of coastline, all in a land mass no bigger than Arizona. Filipinos refer to it as their string of pearls. Your biggest problem is likely to be deciding which of the pearls to see first.

Most flights from outside the country land in the capital, Manila, which is choked with traffic and dilapidated, but also has some of the ritziest shopping malls and most spectacular nightlife in Asia. JM Nakpil Street in Malate on a Friday night (although it actually doesn't begin to warm up until midnight) is a sight to behold. Beatnik poets mingle with film stars, models, swaggering transvestites and a smattering of expats to create a good-natured outdoor rave that makes all other raves look tame by comparison.

For connoisseurs of beaches, the central Visayan region is an island-hoppers' paradise, with white sand everywhere and unspoiled fishing barrios where there's nothing to do at night except watch the fireflies, listen to the geckos, and perhaps share a bottle of local Tanduay rum. Travellers are discovering quiet islands around Cebu and Bohol in the Visayas; if you are willing to leave the beaten track, it's not hard to find your own deserted tropical beach. Palawan, one hour to the southwest of Manila by plane or an overnight journey by ferry, is an unforgettable wilderness of diamond-blue lagoons, volcanic lakes and first-rate scuba diving. In the Cordillera Mountains of northern Luzon live tribes who make propitiatory offerings to rice gods and whose way of life has barely changed since they first settled there around 500BC. One of the few concessions they have made to modernity is to give up head-hunting.

The Philippines will turn every notion you ever had of Asia on its head. Centuries of colonial rule have resulted in a delightfully schizophrenic country of potent but conflicting influences. When Magellan placed a sovereign hand on the Philippines on behalf of King Philip of Spain in 1521, he brought with him Catholicism, European architecture and the mañana ethic. When monsoon rains swamp the streets, or when volcanoes erupt, a Filipino's usual reaction is to smile, throw up their hands, and say bahala-na – "what will be will be".

Three centuries after Magellan, in 1898, there was another bizarre twist in the country's colonial history when America bought the Philippines from Spain for US$20 million, part of the booty from a war the two powers had fought over Cuba. It was from America that the Philippines got its town planning, its constitution, and its passion for basketball, beauty pageants and pizza. Independence was finally granted on July 4, 1946, making the Philippines Asia's first real democracy, a fact most Filipinos remain fiercely proud of.

But it was the events of the 1980s that brought the Philippines to the general attention of the rest of the world. In 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos decided to cling on to power by declaring martial law. When Marcos's lifelong political rival, Ninoy Aquino, was assassinated at Manila airport in August 1983, patience with the dictator ran out. What followed was nothing short of momentous: a "people power" revolution to kick out Marcos and his ambitious wife Imelda. In February 1986, they fled to Hawaii, where Ferdinand died in exile. Imelda's famous shoe collection was turned into a museum exhibit, but has since been boxed up and put into storage. People power re-emerged in January 2001, when anger over the alleged corruption and incompetence of President Joseph Estrada, a former tough-guy movie star, led thousands to gather in the streets to demand his resignation. He was driven from Malacañang Palace and is now under arrest, facing a charge of plunder.

Despite the political intrigues and the poverty, Filipinos themselves remain enviably optimistic and gregarious. It has become hackneyed to describe the Philippines as the land where Asia wears a smile, but there's no denying it's true. Filipinos are an accommodating lot. Graciousness and warmth seem to be built into their genes. English is widely spoken, even in the provinces, and everywhere you go you will be greeted with the honorific "ma'am" or "sir".

Filipinos are also passionate, sometimes hot-headedly so. They love food, they love life and they love romance. The Philippines is a passion play writ large and nowhere is this more evident than in the hundreds of fiestas and religious ceremonies that are held every year. Some are flamboyant and theatrical, like the Ati-Atihan in Kalibo and the Lanzones in Camiguin. Others have their origins in the Scriptures and are solemn. One of the most famous religious events, and one of the most controversial, is the crucifixion of flagellants held every Easter at San Fernando in Pampanga. Holy Week is a sacred holiday for Filipinos and tens of thousands head north from Manila to hill stations like Baguio.

The Philippines has a tropical marine climate characterized by two distinct seasons: the wet season (southwest monsoon) from May to October and the dry season (northeast monsoon) from November to April. The southwest monsoon is known as the habagat and the dry winds of the northeast monsoon as the amihan. During the wet season the country is hit directly by five or six typhoons and partially affected by an average of fifteen that pass close by leaving wind and rain in their wake. This doesn't necessarily mean the wet season is a bad time to travel. Cyclonic storms are more of an inconvenience than a serious threat, with flights cancelled and roads made impassable by floodwaters, even in the capital. But they only last a few days. The first typhoon can hit as early as May, although typically it is June or July before the rains really start, with August the wettest month. In 2001 the first notable storm was Typhoon Feria, known internationally as Utor, which battered the northern Philippines and left 23 dead in flash floods and landslides. The southern Visayas and Palawan are less prone to typhoons; Mindanao is below the typhoon belt and sees heavy rain during the wet season but no typhoons.

Weather bulletins are issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Service in Quezon City (tel 929 6010–19), known by the abbreviation PAGASA, which also means "hope". Storm warnings range from one to four, with four being the highest. When storm warning two is issued, all schools and many offices shut down and ferries stop sailing. November and December are the coolest months, with daytime temperatures of around 28°C and pre-dawn temperatures falling to a low of 17°C in the lowlands and a chilly 9°C in Baguio and the Cordillera. March, April and May are very hot: expect temperatures to peak at 36°C.

At Christmas and Easter the whole of the Philippines hits the road and getting a seat on a bus or plane can be difficult. If you have to travel on public holidays, time your trip so you can leave a day before and return a day after.