⌛ Solo Travel in Dumaguete

If I am a solo tourist in Dumaguete, can I survive here? Would I be in difficult times here? Are there any existing tour package? Are there cheap decent lodging for a single traveller? Where do I look first?

Not only I will be alone, but this would also be my first time to visit Dumaguete.

 

I'm pretty sure lone travellers in dumaguete will survive and left with fine time around the city and metro towns.If you have a guide book it might help ,but if not just visit the tourism office .They will give you ample details of where to go or visit ,where to stay.This is only a small city, easy to navigate around.Perhaps meeting new acquaintances along the way.A tricycle driver can even help you suggest a place to stay within your preference if you mention it to him in simple english,tagalog or cebuano the better.

 

Although there is already a link in this site about number of hotels around dumaguete ,but adding few for budget travellers in dumaguete in courtesy to the Lonely Planet book 9th edition ( June 2006 ) the latest edition available .


* Vintage Inn ,
Legaspi st., tel : 225-1076 & 422-9106
s/d with fan P220/330
with aircon and hot water P330- P495

* OK Pensionne House
Sta Rosa St. ,tel: 225-5925
rooms with fan /aircon from P225 -440 and up for more expensive rooms.

*Private Garden Resort ,tel :225- 0658
Noreco road,Mangnao ,*** Private Garden Resort - Diving. Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Philippines ***
room with fan and shared bathroom P400
room with hot water bathroom,cable tv fan/aircon P600-900


* Harold's Mansion tourist inn ,
Hibbard avenue,tel :225-7100
rooms with fan P300-385
rooms aircon room P 495 -600

*World view Pension Plaza
Perdices St.,tel: 225-4110 (the main busy st of dumaguete)
prices ranging from P550 -900
the room tariff includes breakfast

*Honeycomb tourist Inn
Rizal boulevard ,tel: 225 1181/2
prices P580- 900
(next to why not disco ,noisy)

* Plaza Maria Luisa
Legaspi st. ,tel: 225-3267
rooms from P700-900

Take their prices like as pinch of salt,better give them a ring to be precise.

 

Thank you pickled_newt! Now I am very eager to book a flight for Dumaguete.

How about organized tour? Are there any? Since I will be alone, having the boat for myself would be very expensive.

Here's what I plan to do:
Day 1 - Apo Island tour.... snorkel and lazing around the beach...
Day 2 - Sumilon Island tour.... snorkel and lazing around the beach...

Another alternative tour I have in mind is the Dolphin Watching at Bais. But I just don't know if this is possible during the months of October-November.

I would appreciate very much any information about my query. Cebu Pacific has a 1 peso promo and I would to avail it, but selling period expires on April 20.

Thanks!

 

You said in another post that you are from the Philippines, so I'm guessing you will be able to enjoy your time without any stares or high taxi prices

Thankfully, I had my fiancee from Dumaguete with me when I was there. She haggled with the pedi-cab drivers and sort of acted like my personal travel guide.

My guess is that you'll love the place...

 

Hi Devs

Cebu pacific must have more promo price deals after April .I look in their site b4 ,they keep on renewing promos every now and then.You might be lucky near your planned time to hop around.


There's an organized tour for Dolphin watching in bais,that's done by Bais tourism office for P2,500 -3,000 twenty sitter motorized boat ,then after head for the 7km sand bar . But since you are alone, might be odd sitting in a 20 sitter solo dolphin watching or by yourself in the sand bar ,but who cares if you are happy with it .Or you can perhaps contact the Bais tourism and hope for luck number of people might book on the day ,and you can join in sharing the price with them.

I have another suggestion,i don't know if this will be right ,as never tried this.You can try to visit the fishing village and ask for locals ,arrange a price with them for an hour or few hours in their small motorized boat for dolphin watching. It seem the Bais tourism is having monopoly over the prices. To be honest dophin watching don't need that huge 20 sitter pump boat.I had been to part of Bali ,and their was a coastal village that offers dolphin watching services done by locals themselves offers their services to tourist in smaller motorized boats ,sizes of boats vary with more choices available.Infact it had been like local livelihood .Because of competition,prices go down. It should be the locals around that coastal area of Bais and Campuyo in Manjuyod benifiting incomewise, not only the tourism office or connected beach resorts in the area.But you can try,I might be wrong.There might be locals who would love to offer their services for less costly dolphin watching for only one person.But in this conditions you might as well start very early in the morning.

Apo island - if you are on tight budget, you don't need to book a boat. Their are boats going to and fro Apo ,these boat transports locals from Apo island to mainland ,vice versa.Try this early in the morning in Malatapay,or on busy Wenesday Malapatay market day,a 20-30 minutes bus ride from dumaguete .We have done this when we were students/friends before as day trip ,did it several times to Apo.I don't think it is largely different then and now .You can't starve in Apo if you forget your ba-on or if you're not fuzzy with food,as there are also few local sari sari shops run by local people, apart from the couple of resorts in the island. About snorkeling gear,try the liberty resort that's connected to the dive shop of the guy called Paul .You might be able to rent out snorkel & pair of fins .Liberty is relatively new,perhaps less than 10 yrs in Apo.

 

My Trip Plan Nov 30 - Dec 2

Know what?... I am going to Dumaguete definitely! And this will be on Nov 30 to Dec 2.

I would really appreciate if you could take time to read my plan and comment. I am a Filipino, and you might find my budget as really cheap budget. Anyway...

Please check out my itineray for my Dumaguete tour. I would really appreciate if you can help me out with my plan. I am traveling solo this time (although I can join fellow traveller, if there is one). Please see if my plan is realistic and feasible. Are my assumed rates correct? Could you suggest a specific lodging or establishment that will fit my budget? Could you suggest where I can safely park a motorcycle at Malatapay? Thanks!

Here is the detail:

DUMAGUETE TOUR PLAN

NOV 30 (SAT)
7 AM - Depart from Manila Domestic Airport
9 AM - Arrive Dumaguete. Commute to town. Find motorcycle rental.
10 AM - Travel to Antulang by motorcycle
12 NN - ETA Antulang. Find lodging. Lunch.
1 PM - Antulang Beach Tour. Snorkel. Beach.
7 PM - Dinner

DEC 1 (SUN)
6 AM - Breakfast
7 AM - Check out. Travel to Malatapay (motorcycle).
8 AM - ETA Malatapay. Buy packed lunch.
9 AM - Start Apo Island Tour. Find safe parking (where?). Find public boat.
10 AM - At Apo Island, take Lunch. Snorkel. Beach.
3 PM - Find public boat back to Malatapay
4 PM - Travel to Dumaguete by motorcycle
6 PM - ETA Dumaguete. Find lodging.
7 PM - Dinner
8 PM - Town tour. Return motorcycle rental.

DEC 2 (MON)
6 AM - Breakfast
7 AM - Free Time!
12 NN - Lunch
1 PM - Commute to Dumaguete Airport
2 PM - Depart from Dumaguete Airport
3 PM - Arrive Manila Domestic Airport

ESTIMATED EXPENSES

TRANSPORTATION

AIRFARE RT = 2,500 (Promo)
AIRPORT T. FEE = 300 (Manila & Dumaguete)
DUMAGUETE AIRPORT - TOWN, RT = 20 (Tricycle)
MOTORCYCLE RENTAL = 600 (2d x 300)
GASOLINE = 100 (30km/li x 60km x 50P/li)
MOTORCYCLE PARKING AT MALATAPAY (?) = 50 (just a guess)
[TOTAL = 3,570 ~ 3,600 ]

TOUR

ANTULANG ENTRANCE FEE = 200 (just a guess)
APO ISLAND ENTRANCE FEE = 150
APO ISLAND LIFE VEST RENTAL = 75
BOAT FARE TO APO ISLAND, RT = 600 (based on sputnik's post)
[TOTAL = 1,025 ~ 1,100 ]

LODGING

ANTULANG 1N = 500*
DUMAGUETE 1N = 500*
* Here I target a cheap lodging, say P250 per night.
[TOTAL = 1,000]

FOOD

BUDGET PER MEAL = 150
NUMBER OF MEALS = 6
[TOTAL = 900 ]

TOTAL

[TOTAL BUDGET PER HEAD = P 6,600 ]

 

Just scanning your budget and itinerary. I think you are too tight with time, you know the Philippines! Malatapay has one or two group boat usually in the afternoon to take students and workers back. Natives pay what ever they have, foreigners 200+. You can get luckey hanging around waiting for a group to gather to go at other times, but there are no scheduled trips to or from. If you want to go for one day with no flexibility then you will hire a boat for 1000 plus. The other option is use the services of a local resort, don't know what that would cost. It's ben my experience.

Downtown, 250 per night is a thing of the past unless you want a room for 2 hours. OK Pension has rooms aircon from 500 up, fan room cheaper. There is a Pension called Banilad Pension house, they have decent aircon rooms, out of town south near Devlin's restobar. 250 per 12 hour stay.

To do Apo in one day is possible given you want to hire a boat, if not stay overnight, you will sample the unbelievable friendlnes of the locals, who will invite you into their homes. There is a nice native house you can rent on the lagoon for 500 per night, see Beboy at the pool hall when you get there. The resorts are rip offs, one actually charges in USD!.

Antulang... IMHO save your money unless you do enjoy resorts that look like prisons fom the outside, and charge for everyhing including extra for service unless you dine sitting next to the kitchen. I ordered chips and salsa and a beer for a snack at there bar, paid 10% charge to sit there, paid 200P and got a bag of Nova chips.
At Malatapy, you just find a local to protect your motorcycle, (they will find you). I gave them 45 pesos to buy a Grande, they were happy.

Overall my advice is to be flexible, go with the flow, and you will have a better time.

 

Thank you, RHB! For that useful information.

I will first try that 12 hours in Banilad Pension when I want to stay overnight in Dumaguete. I really like this idea!

As for the boat to Apo Island, I am now quite worried that I may not be able to ride a public boat in time. I was just assuming that since my visit there is a weekend, Saturday, tourist will flock that area - therefore a chance to ride a boat easily. Being solo have its disadvantages also like this one. Anyway, I hope I can find fellow tourist who will go to Apo Island so that I share rental in their boat. Please refer me if you know somebody who will be going there the same date (Dec 2).

As for Antulang, I plan to stay at Kookoos Nest. I am just curious about this place, after reading some travel stories about this place. I will also visit Antulang Beach Resort just to see it. Wish me luck there.

 

your welcome, there are plenty of people who have more experience than me. Just my experience on going to APO. you kinda go there stand around waiting for a boat to fill up with divers and tourists., unless you want to spend 1000P for "special trip"
Good luck.