Philippines
 

Hi folks;
I know there is not a lot of Philippine travellers on this post but I am hopeful !

I'm planning a visa run from Thailand in Jan/Feb and want to go to the Philippines so would appreciate any advice on Manila hotels, easy to get to beach areas etc. Heard about Borocay - anyone recommend hotels there ?
Also any good websites for hotel bookings in the Philippines ?
Thanks.

Do you want 5 star hotels in the greater Manila area like ortigas or Makati? How bout Boracay, what kind of hotel are you looking at?

Make sure you only use official taxis. Unofficial ones can get very nasty if you don't pay their ridiculously high prices.

I had a reasonable hotel in Manila, 17 years ago. At night I suddenly found myself in the middle of the noisy red light district.

Thank you.
In terms of hotels for Manila 5 star is nice but not necessary as this time price is more of a factor. So I am hopeful for decent lodging in the $50 - $80 range. Ditto for Borocay. Not having been there before I don't know if this will get beachfront or not.
We are on 3 month winter sojourn so economizing where possible is important.

I have a 3 month stay in Thailand myself in Europe's winter period. I have arranged side trips to Macau, Hong Kong and Singapore fairly cheaply, without visas.

Why not try Puerto Galera in Mindoro? Tanawin Bay Resort has rates within your budget (between US$32 to US$70)but it's a promo which ends before you get here in Jan/Feb. However, they do have promo rates for long staying guests (4 nights or more) so perhaps that can make up for any increase. I haven't been there myself but the pictures on their website make me want to go there and a TripAdvisor member gave it a very good review. You might like to check-out the resort's website and ask them about their prospective rates for your chosen dates. It's www.tanawinbayresort.com.

As for a hotel in Manila within your price range, check out Regalia Suites. Their suite goes for as low as US$42. As with Puerto Galera, I haven't been there myself but I was told this hotel was opened only last year so it's still quite new. It's located at Cubao, Q.C. which I would say has a middle to low-end crowd, at least before it got a facelift starting with Gateway. It's centrally located and near the MTR though, so it's easy to get to Ortigas/Greenhills and Makati if you would want to go there. Their website is www.regaliasuites.com.

On the other hand, the beaches at Batangas are easier to get to from Manila than those at Puerto Galera. They say Munting Buhangin is nice. I can't find any official website, but you can check-out this forum at virtualtourist: http://forum.virtualtourist.com/disc...iscussion.html

The Manila Pavilion is another hotel that you can consider. It's newly renovated and located at Manila (I mean where Manila Bay is): http://www.manilapavilion.com.ph/acc.../superior.html
You might also like to look at the website of the Department of Tourism for other places to see in the Philippines: http://www.dotpcvc.gov.ph/Destinations/8_anchor.html