How to Find Cheap Accommodations in Your Destination?

So I received a personal message on my Facebook Page: journeyingjamesFB asking me this:

Pano ka po nakakahanap ng murang accommodation sa every trip mo?

Let me rephrase the

QUESTION: “How do you find cheap accommodations while traveling?”

Thanks Vin Bruts for asking this question. Let me share with you some of the knowledge I gained through my years of backpacking the country.

ANSWER:

Finding cheap accommodation in your destination is quite easy. I use at least three (3) methods.

1. Ask the Local. 

Before anything else, everyone should put this on mind. The local is the most knowledgable person you can ask about any place. Usually when I get to a new city or town, I go to the public market or where people usually congregate. I then order or eat something and try to talk to the locals. You would be surprised because Filipinos are very helpful with strangers and travelers. Sometimes they even ask you where are you staying. That’s the moment you ask where is the cheapest place to stay. Usually they point you to a hotel or resort. Tell them that you are backpacking and on a budget and you don’t mind sleeping on guest house, pension, inn or homestay. Most of these would range from Php200-500. Hotels usually starts at Php1,200. Imagine the saving you get just by asking the locals. If all things fail, ask the tricycle or taxi drivers, they know very well where to stay the cheapest.

Gael of www.pinaysolobackpacker.com asking the tricycle driver where the cheapest place to stay.

2. Search the internet. 

Gone are the days when people go to travel agencies and book through them. In these days where being online means getting your iPad or logging on with your mobile phone, doing business goes hi-tech too. Google offers thousands of option of where to sleep the cheapest.

Blogs usually point you to a cheap place in the area. As most bloggers stay on budget hotels or pension house. Plus you get a short review of the place you want to stay.

Make Google your bestfriend 🙂

For those traveling overseas, lots of websites that offer discounts on accommodations. You just have to be patient on you research. Worry not, it would eventually pay off.

3. Go to the tourism office. 

Connected to asking the local, the tourism office, usually in the city or town hall, can give you the best place of where to stay the cheapest. Once we asked the tourism office in Boljoon, Cebu and the tourism officer, Sir Ronald, offered the tourism office itself for us to spend the night (plus there was a free wi-fi too).

Sir Ronald Villanueva, the very accommodating tourism officer of Boljoon, Cebu and Ephraim (www.theadventistadventurer.blogspot.com)

If you can’t locate the tourism office, there are at least 3 places where cheap accommodations are located: Near the public market, near the pier/port and near the plaza.

There you go Vin Bruts. Hope these tips will be of help as you scour for the cheapest accommodation in your next destination. Thanks for asking the question.

Spend less, travel more!