The Best Budget Accommodation In The Philippines

From beach side camping to affordable luxury hotels, the Philippines offers some fantastic budget options for backpackers. Accommodation tends to be slightly more expensive than other South East Asian countries, but the standards are generally higher (although the WiFi is a lot worse!). Here’s my list of the best budget accommodation in the Philippines

During our three-week trip we stayed in a range of different accommodation types. We found some awesome deals by booking last minute on Booking.com.  Some of the prices below might not match the prices in Booking.com if you look in advance, but these hotels offer up to 50% reductions in the day or two before booking. Depending on the type of traveller you are, you may or may not be comfortable with waiting until you have arrived in a city to book your hotel. However there is so much money to be saved by doing this!

All of the links below are affiliate links, which means that you pay the same amount as you would by going directly to Booking.com but they give me a little money back as commission for sending you there. I’d love if you would book using my links if you do decide to go to any of these places as we pay for all of my accommodation ourselves on the site and every little helps! If you’re not signed up to Booking.com then use my link to get £15 off your first booking.

Now, let me show you where we stayed!

Quicklinks

• El Nido
• Coron
• Bohol
• Siquijor
• Puerto Princesa
• Cebu
• Manila
• Southern Luzon

While you’re here, check out my other posts on the Philippines and get prepared for your trip.

• 18 Things You Need To Know Before You Go To The Philippines
• How To Stay Safe In The Philippines
• How To Ride A Jeepney In The Philippines

El Nido – Talindak Beach Cottages

Talindak Beach Cottage

The wifi is surprisingly good and the staff working there are really friendly and can organise taxis, tricycles or coaches around the island if you need them. Talindak is just a few minutes walk from the really popular backpacker spot Outpost Hostel so you can head up there in the evenings to meet people and have a few drinks. Top tip: do an Outpost boat tour while you’re there, they’re really fun and a great way to meet people.

Coron – Casa Montemar

The view from the Casa Montemar rooftop

A cosy family run guesthouse within walking distance of everything you want to see in Coron, Casa Montemar was a very happy surprise booking! We reserved our double room for £18 a night while we were in the taxi from the pier and the Booking.com rating was a pretty average 6.9 so our expectations were low. We were super happy when were were shown to our rooftop double room that had the most incredible views over the Coron and the most stunning sunset we have seen in the Philippines.

Breakfast is included and you choose between Filipino or Western options, it’s served on the roof so even if you don’t get to stay on the top floor you will get to enjoy the views. The guesthouse has a pool but when we were there it was pretty dirty so I wouldn’t count on using it.

I would stay here if you’re doing one of the boat tours as it’s super easy to get to the pier from here. If you have a chance then take a walk up Mount Tapyas for even better views.

Casa Montemar also run a cheaper guesthouse nearby called Casa Montemar Express. Prices are around £9 for a double room and it’s a lot more basic than the main guesthouse. Don’t confuse the two when booking (I have them both linked here for you anyway!)

Bohol – Natura Vista

Natura Vista, Bohol

A cosy and relaxing haven tucked away from the touristy parts of Bohol, Natura Vista was so charming and rustic that we stayed an extra night. A  simple and comfortable air con double room with shared bathroom cost us £18 per night with a great breakfast. Wifi is available but it’s quite unreliable.

Natura Vista is tucked away in the north of Panglao Island, right beside a quiet white sand beach (pretty but it’s not great for swimming). Stay here if you’re looking to get away and relax for a few days. You’re not going to have much opportunity for a night out but they have a cocktail menu, beers and some really nice wines you which you can enjoy over dinner outside in their courtyard. Try the mango chicken, it’s insanely good!

During the day we rented scooters from reception for 600 pesos / £8.50 / €9.80 per day and drove to White beach, Alona beach, the Tarsier Sanctuary and the chocolate mountains.

Siquijor – Glamping Siquijor By The Beach

Glamping by the beach, Siquijor

Sleep in your own spacious bell tent just a few steps away from the beach and right by the popular San Juan area of Siquijor. This place was a highlight of our trip and my first experience glamping! It’s a little expensive at £27 per night for 2 people, but definitely worth the money.

The facilities are basic – the showers have only cold water and the toilets have no seats. Both have bamboo walls and doors but no ceilings so you can shower while you look up at the palm trees which is so lovely! Reception sells bottles of wine and beers and there is a BBQ and picnic tables so you can eat at the campsite. You get a table and chairs outside of your tent plus a drying rack for your beach stuff and a fan inside. There are two outlets so you can charge your devices. There are also hammocks to relax in and patchy Wifi.

Monkey Business and Dagsa are great places to eat nearby and popular with backpackers on Friday and Saturday nights. They both have live music and a mix of western and Filipino food for reasonable prices. They’re just a few minutes walk from the campsite.

I was worried about security before we arrived but I felt really safe when we were here. The site isn’t too spread out so you’re close enough to your neighbours to feel safe,  they have 24 hour security keeping an eye on the place and the (Irish!) family that run the campsite live in a house right beside the tents.

Puerto Princesa – Grande Vista Hotel

Grande Vista do free airport transfers for guests so this is perfect for a comfortable one-night stay if you’re just arriving or leaving Palwan.

Cebu – NS Royal Hotel 

This is definitely not a typical backpacker spot, in that it has polished floors, room service, hot water, fluffy towels and a really smiley doorman – but we booked last minute so we got a really good price! We paid £22 per night for a huge family room with breakfast. The beds were insanely comfortable and the room had blackout curtains so we slept well. The breakfast was free but very greasy so I would eat out if you can, they offer both Filipino and western options. Wifi is fast and reliable, but you have to log in each time you connect which can get annoying.

The NS Royal is located by Fuente Osmena Circle which really popular with tourists and has a lot of bars, shops and malls. We were able to reach all of the tourist spots on foot or by Jeepney from the hotel, and found it pretty safe to walk around outside. Some areas of Cebu can feel very unsafe but we were comfortable walking around here.

I’d recommend this place if you have just arrived in the country like we did and you need somewhere clean and safe to stay while you get your bearings.

Manila – Z Hostel

Z Hostel Rooftop, Manila

A slick hostel in the heart of some of the best nightlife in Manila, Z Hostel offers private double rooms, plus 4-, 6- and 8-bed mixed dorms, and 6-bed female-only dorms (all air-con). We went for the 4-bed dorm for £12 per bed per night. The beds are really comfy and include a reading light, charging point and linen/towel.

There are lockers that you can secure with your own padlock, or they can be rented at the front desk. There is reliable Wifi throughout. A decent breakfast is included before 10, and if you’re too hungover to get up in time they’ll still give you some eggs & toast with either a coffee or a beer(!) after the cutoff.

The hostel has a great rooftop bar – it’s pretty trendy and popular with locals so it can get really busy. Don’t be put off by the proximity to the red-light district & midget boxing of P. Burgos St, as the surrounding area has loads of great hipster bars and restaurants, plus modern malls are within walking distance.

Southern Luzon – Villa Escudero

Villa Escudero

A two hour drive from Manila, this luxury resort built on a coconut plantation feels like a world away from the hectic pace of the city. Stay on the grounds of the plantation in a stunning wooden ‘longhouse’ just steps away from a huge pool, gorgeous waterfall and tranquil river. We spent two days here and my Instagram DM’s blew up from the amount of people asking about this place. It really was as spectacular as it looked!

Villa Escudero is more expensive than other places we stayed in the Philippines at £78 per night for a fan cooled Longhouse hut. The price includes a buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner for two and all activities like bamboo rafting, carabao cart rides, entry to the on-site museum and a Filipino cultural experience show. The food is incredible so be prepared to eat a lot, and lunch is served at the foot of a waterfall so you sit and eat with your feet dipping in the water!

Everything you need is on site so you won’t need to spend any time outside the resort. There is a riverside cafe / bar where you can have a glass of wine watching people float past you on traditional bamboo rafts, and a poolside bar where you can grab a drink before hitting the outdoor jacuzzi.

There’s good WiFi on site and the staff are always present to get you anything you need. We opted for the cheapest room but there are a range of options which you can see here. We found a fan to be fine for keeping the room cool, but there are air con options if you prefer.

If you’re going for a romantic break or you’ve been travelling non-stop and need a time out but you still want to experience the Filipino culture then this is the perfect place to go!

That’s everywhere we stayed during our trip! I hope that helps you to plan your own trip to the Philippines, if you have any questions please leave a comment below or contact me on Instagram.

Thanks for reading!
Steph
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