Best places to stay in the Philippines

Searching for the best places to stay in the Philippines can be overwhelming and time-consuming. With more than 7000 islands and an endless list of the best hotels in the Philippines at every price range makes it even harder. That’s why we decided to list all the best places to stay in the Philippines on our favorite islands we recommend you to go to. They are all trendy, beautiful, with a good location and excellent rated. And the best part: all at an affordable price. If that’s what you’re searching for? Be sure to check them out!

Read also: the Philippines in 3-4 weeks: travel route + tips

The best hotels in the Philippines: our recommendations

Where to stay in Manila

When you travel to the Philippines, you probably start or end your journey in the big, busy capital Manila. Depending on your connection flight, you will stay here for 1 or 2 days. We found Makati the best area to stay, where you will find lots of great, trendy restaurants and where you are close to some beautiful shopping malls. Makati is also the hipster district of Manila which has a great atmosphere throughout the week.

Check flights schedules and prices to Manila here

The best places to stay in Coron

If you’re looking for the most photographed islands and beaches in the Philippines, be sure to add Coron on your travel list. Coron is a super laidback town located at the northern tip of Palawan where you find some of the most impressive wrecks of WWII. We absolutely loved the island-hopping tours in Coron and diving trips, which wanted us to stay longer than 5 days. Below you will find a selection of the best places to stay in Coron.

Where to stay in El Nido

El Nido is the most fun place in all of Palawan if you ask us. From beautiful beaches where you can relax, cozy beach bars, to beautiful nature and amazing island-hopping tours in EL Nido. You can easily stay here for a week without getting bored, so if you’re looking for where to stay in El Nido, check our favorites below. El Nido is definitely one of the best places to stay in the Philippines.

Read also:The ultimate travel guide for El Nido, Palawan

The best places to stay in Port Barton

When you enter the small, sleepy town of Port Barton it immediately feels like time has stood still. Many people skip this place, however, it has a beautiful beach with lots of nice bars, there are some really good restaurants (the best pizzeria we’ve ever been!) and you can go on a snorkeling or island hopping tour. Count at least 2-3 days if you add Port Barton on your list! Below you will find a selection of our most favorite places to stay in Port Barton.

The best places to stay in Puerto Princesa

In Puerto Princesa, there is not much to experience but it’s the perfect stop before you start or continue your trip to other places in Palawan or islands in the Philippines. The International Airport easily connects Palawan with the Visayas islands such as Cebu, Borocay or Siargao which makes it easy and affordable to travel to. If you have the time you could consider visiting the Underground River, which is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. (we didn’t have the time but did hear many good comments about this place)

The best places to stay in Cebu

Cebu is next to Palawan the perfect place to start a trip through the Philippines. Thanks to the International Airport you can fly there very easily without making an extra stop in Manila. You can easily stay weeks on Cebu as there are so many things to do! Our favorite activities here are swimming with whale sharks (although it has now become a real tourist trap), canyoneering, chasing waterfalls and diving with millions of sardines. Below you will find a selection of our most favorite accommodations in Cebu to help you choose the best place to stay.

The best places to stay in Moalboal

When we go to Cebu, we personally love to stay in the small town of Moalboal which is located on the southwestern part of the island. Moalboal is the paradise for divers and the famous spot where you can go swimming with millions of sardines. Most of the accommodations are diving resorts, cheap hostels or hotels with an in-house diving center. There are lots of great restaurants too and from Moalboal you are an hour from the most beautiful waterfalls in Cebu. Below you will find a selection of our most favorite accommodations in Moalboal to help you choose the best place to stay.

The best places to stay in Malapascua

Located at the northernmost tip of Cebu, you’ll find one of the smallest and idyllic islands of the Philippines called Malapascua. It’s a long way to get there (bus + boat from Cebu) but it’s the only place in the world where you can dive with the rare and beautiful thresher sharks every day. Most accommodations here are diving resorts and are together with a handful of good restaurants located right on the beach. Below you will find a selection of our most favorite accommodations in Malapascua to help you choose the best place to stay.

The best places to stay in Bohol

Bohol is an hour’s boat ride from Cebu and is the place to meet the super cute and smallest primates in the world. On Bohol, you also find the famous Chocolate Hills which are really worth a visit. (especially beautiful with sunset) We personally prefer to stay on Panglao Island which is connected to Bohol’s main island and where you also find a beautiful beach. There are many great restaurants and shops here and for diving, this is the right place to be! Below you will find a selection of our most favorite accommodations in Bohol to help you choose the best place to stay.

The best places to stay in Siquijor

Siquijor is the best place to go for Tarzan swings, cliff jumping or swimming at the most beautiful waterfalls in the Philippines. This small, laid-back island has stunning white beaches, great restaurants and because of the nice climate, there’s an epic sunset literally every day. We loved renting a scooter, touring all day and enjoying all the beautiful places. Count at least 3 to 4 days in Siquijor.

The best places to stay in Siargao

SIargao is our favorite island by far! The relaxed, chill atmosphere, delicious healthy eateries, and the beautiful unspoiled nature. We rented a scooter and drove around the island every day looking for the most beautiful places and the best places to stay in SIargao. Definitely go surfing at the world-famous Cloud 9 or join one of the fun island hopping tours in Siargao and discover the beautiful surrounding islands and hidden lagoons. We bet you’ll love this place too!

The best places to stay in Camiguin

There is no place with more volcanoes per square meter than on Camiguin. But don’t panic because this beautiful and still untouched island is so worth a visit! From rugged mountain sceneries to beautiful waterfalls and the most friendly locals. And ow yeah, it’s a wonderful place to dive with turtles or to snorkel to a giant Christ statue just off the coast. A yet undiscovered piece of paradise! Below you will find a selection of our most favorite accommodations in Camiguin to help you choose the best place to stay.

The best places to stay in Dumaguete

Dumaguete is a surprisingly beautiful place on the island of Negros where you can discover great hidden gems and can go diving or snorkeling on the famous Apo Island. Tourism is less known like in Camiguin, so you often have many places to yourself. We found the scooter ride through the beautiful mountains a highlight for itself, but also our visit to the beautiful Casaroro waterfalls and the Twin Crater Lakes. Count at least 3-4 days in Dumaguete to have seen all the highlights.