1

Firstly if you intend to visit for 3 months you will need 2 visa extensions, first one to 59 days, second one to cover up to 3 months. Factor that into your budget. Dont think you will find the Philippines as cheap as Vietnam, Laos or Thailand but it is possible on a budget. Check some of Aseans previous posts here for cheap places to stay. Most convenient way to travel is flying and you can get some good deals flights if you check out a few websites like http://www.cebupacificair.com/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.airphilexpress.com/
http://www.flyzest.com/
Otherwise travel by ferry can be cheap..

2

The PI is quieter and less traveled than other countries in SEA, if your interested in some outdoor type of activities where your more on your own then come to the PI but I would not do it as an attempt to save money. I think that could disappoint you. It does not have the backpacker infrastructure of other countries which helps keep costs down but it also does not have all the backpackers

3

Yes, as surfboy says the visa extensions are going to need to be budgeted for - the first from 21 days to 59 days is 3030 pesos per person (around US$73) and the second from 59 days to 118 days is around 7400 pesos per person (around US$177).

Firstly OP, you need to tell us how low a budget you want to keep to, as some people's low budget is actually mid range. So an idea of your maximum daily budget would be good so then we can tell you if what you plan is possible.

As surfboy and bounty say, Philippines isn't cheaper than Vietnam, Laos or Thailand and I also don't think you should be coming here with the view to save money as I don't think you will compared to other countries in SE Asia.

4

also it's probably gonna cost you getting on for 200 bucks one way to get to the Philippines in the first place. Not a very smart idea to go there from the SEAsian maniland to save money.

5

Hi,

If you travel in the islands you will find it dearer than Thailand for sure. The Philippines (thank heavens) is not geared up for backpackers anything like Thailand. You also have the cost of the transport and visas to add up.

If you could just find some basic (very) in a village then yes you could live cheap - but who would want that?

6

Manila. Islas 8817 Guest house. 8817 san Juan street paranque from php166 a night
Cebu. Tr3ats Guest house. 385 v rama avenue. from php299 a night
Davao. Green windows. 1034 mt apo street. from php188 a night.
Iloilo. Ong bun pension house. ledesma street from php150 a night.
Bacolod. pension bacolod. 11th street. from php200 a night.
Naga city. Sampaguita tourist inn. panganiban drive. from php175 a night.
Legaspi. Samapguita tourist inn. rizal street from php200 a night.
Sagada.Ganduyan inn. from php200 a night.
Bontoc. Chura a hotel. from php150 a night.
Banaue. peoples lodge. from php250 a night.
Puerto princesa. Anicetos pension from php250 a night.
Boracay. Da mario backpackers from php200 a night.
Dumaguete. harolds mansion backpackers from php250 a night.
Angeles. C place hotel from php320 a night.
Baguio. Baguio village inn. from php350 a night.
Moalboal. Moalboal backpackers from php275 a night.
Butuan.Hensoly plaza inn. from php180 a night.
Cagayan de oro. parkview hotel from php330. and that is for a room for 2 with tv.
Maasin/baybay/mambajao/ubay/borongan/sogod GV hotel from php330 a night.
www.gvhotels.com.ph
General santos. Amigotel. cagampang street from php175 a night.
the list can go on for most towns.

so for as littie as php150 =115bt you can find places to stay all around the philippines.
most towns have pension houses. inns and lodges.

for the visa it is better to get a 59 day visa from any philippines embassy.
as the cost is from $30 us dollars =php1250.
if you get a visa extension with in the philippines (21 up to 59 days) cost php3030.
if you go over 59 days up to 3 months the cost is php6900.
over 59 days up to 4 months the cost is php7400.

from Bangkok you can fly to Clark with Tigerair or cebupacific for as low as 999bt ++
to get from island to island in the philippines use the ferrys.
and if you travel at night your save a nights hotel bill.

7

transport can cost less in the philippines than thailand.
travel2go.com.ph has a fare of Just php640 (all in fare) all the way from manila to bohol island.
so you get two nights on a boat for Just 492bt.
in thailand a one night sleeper train from bangkok to chaing mai cost 750bt.
Travel2go also have a overnight ferry from Batangas to Boracay from Just php488 +
so if you use the ferrys in the philippines you can travel for less than thailand.
the best deal of the lot is the Cebu to bato Leyte island there have a night ferry from
just php99 if you book a week before.

8

Hi

Philippines is awesome, and it is very cheap. Cheapest ways to get around are the buses and flying is pretty cheap too.

San Juan in La Union is a great surf town, lots of fun, if you just go there, get of the bus and go to the beach there is a cheap backpackers right in the middle of the strip. I think it's called Mermaids, but I can't remember. It's the busiest one. We stayed there for 3 months and rented a townhouse. The surf is decent and the local surf crowd is awesome.

You can do a trip from San Juan to Sagada in the mountains, first stop in Baguio, it's a nice city in the mountians, then make your way 8 hours uncomfortable bus ride to the awesome tiny mountain town of Sagada. Herb is readily available be sure to do the caving and water falls hikes, pretty cool. The food quality was much better here as well.

El Nido is great, but will cost you a bit to get there and lacks good budget accomodation options, actually we spent the most money here. But it is beautiful.

Boracay, White Beach is beautiful. Trafalgar Cottages is an awesome place to stay, super cheap and a pretty good location. It is really cheap and the owner is awesome. http://www.trafalgarcottages.com

Puerto Gallera is great for diving, tons of great dive sites all within no more than a 10 min boat ride away. The night life can be a bit dirty but if you are diving in the morning you don't stay out to late anyways.

Philippines is awesome, it's pretty easy to get around as most people speak English and are pretty friendly. You will have lots of fun.

Edited by: Travelingdani555

9

The Philippines is very cheap for those travellers who know what they are doing and avoid the cities.
Frequently cheaper than Thailand, no, usually cheaper.

10

Overall I find it costs about 25 to 30% more in Philippines than Thailand and I frequently spend 50% less in Vietnam and Cambodia than in Philippines for equivalent standard of hotels,no,usually less

11

not sure how you would live cheaper by avoiding cities, that to me is where the cheapest accommodations are

12

nobody goes to the Phlippines, to save money.

13

Really?......I built a house in Samar where I live very comfortably with food, smokes and beer for less than twenty bucks a day. Thousands of people live in the Phils to save money when they have retired and younger ones who travel intelligently.
10, 11 and 12.....don't stay in hotels....simple. There are many bed stay type places that are good enough for middle class Filipinos and therefore me.
And there is no transport in Thai cheaper than Jeepneys....NO.....as cheap as.

14

My boyfriend and I lived on $1500CDN per month for the both of us. We rarely watched our spending, ate out, drank beers and smoked every day. We went diving, surfing, island hopping, kayaking, caving, snorkeling and traveled around. Travel is extremely cheap in the Philippines, as mentioned Jeepneys are very affordable, even flying and buses are cheap too. We had 7 months to travel there so we did 2 week or month long stays to get discounts on rooms, giving us more money to indulge:) We did not stay in villages or stay in native huts, we spent a month in Boracay, a month exploring Palawan, had a brand new townhouse across from the surf break in San Juan, La Union, spent a couple months diving on Puerto Galera, just to name a few of the places we went. We met many backpackers who were living cheaper than us, it is not hard to be cheap in the Philippines.