France is the most visited country in the world, taking in around 87 million tourists a year,” shares French Ambassador Gérard Chesnel. He counts his country’s variety of attractions and relatively mild climate as part of the appeal— and also the many interesting quirks of history, like this one: “Corsica, near Sardinia, used to belong to Italy before it was sold to France in 1768. Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Corsica in 1769. So he is French—but he could’ve been Italian when he was conceived!”

What is your favorite vacation spot in France?
There is a place I go to every year, not far from my hometown, called Honfleur. It’s a small harbor from the 17th century in Normandy, where Samuel Champlain sailed from France and discovered Canada. Your famous painter Manuel Baldemor has painted Honfleur many times.

What places would you recommend for first-time tourists to France?
Of course start with Paris. Visit museums like the Louvre, which is the biggest in the world or a recently opened Museum du Quai Branly. There are a lot of objects from the Philippines on exhibit there. There is also the Eiffel Tower, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, and many more monuments. For the French countryside, I would start with Normandy, my home region. There is an incredible abbey called Mont Saint Michel, built around the 10th century on an island off the Norman coast and in a village where there are only 72 inhabitants. Then you can visit the castles of the Loire in the center of France, and go Southwest to Bordeaux, where the landscape is amazing. In the Southeast you have La Côte D’Azur, the French Riviera. In Nice, called the twin city of Manila, there is a beautiful avenue facing the sea called Promenade des Anglais, similar to Roxas Boulevard. There are also small villages like Grasse, the world’s capital for perfume. There is the famous village of Saint-Tropez and the region of Provence—though you will have to spend one month there (laughs). If you have a little more time, visit Corsica, which lies halfway between France and Italy, near Sardinia.

What about off-the-beaten-track places?
The best way to see France is to rent a car and drive. Go West to Brittany and enjoy the Côte d’Opale and the cities along the coast. In the East is a completely different region of France, Alsace, well-known for its white wines and lesser-known for where pâté de foie gras was created. Apart from Strasbourg, headquarters of the European Parliament, there are small cities like Riquewihr. South of the Provence area are small villages like Gordes with its 16th-century castle and stone houses called bori. Another village is Roussillon, known for its ochre mines—if you visit, you better not wear white (laughs). We also have national parks and areas like the Baie de Somme estuary that appeals to bird watchers.

What is your favorite hotel?
There is a very charming hotel in the Auvergne area called Les Deux Abbesses (The Two Abbesses, www.lesdeuxabbesses.com), within the village of St. Arcons d’Allier. I like its rustic and relaxing feel.

What food or restaurants should visitors try?
Definitely all of the Michelin-star restaurants! I particularly like the Auberge de L’Isle in Ill Hausern where you can have fresh fish, foie gras, and excellent game. With foie gras, drink a white wine made from a grape picked when it is almost rotten (called “late crops”)—it is very sweet. I like very small restaurants particularly in Lyon—said to be the culinary capital of France— called bouchons, which usually have only five to six tables and serve delicious, simple food. Try a salad with good cheese, then dishes like rabbit or any game or calf liver. Have that with cheese, then dessert with baba au rhum and a good red wine. I also have to mention the 365 kinds of cheeses we have, to quote our former president General de Gaulle. The variety comes from the kind of milk and how they are processed. There is Roquefort, a ewe’s blue cheese that comes from the south of France. Of course you cannot talk of cheese without wine—and we certainly have more than 365 varieties of wine!

What can people buy as a souvenir?
For the ladies, a beautiful silk scarf from Christian Dior, a bag from Louis Vuitton, or some perfume like Chanel No. 5.

When is the best time to visit France?
My favorite season is in May or October—it’s not too warm or too cold as it is the beginning of spring and the beginning of autumn, respectively.