What about Accommodation in Panglao? How can I find it?

We want to say right away that in many ways, Panglao is ideal for long-term staying. Panglao has the charm of a small tropical town, and just 15 to 20 minutes away, there is Tagbilaran City ready to provide all that we are used to in the modern world. And we usually advise everyone who stays with us longer than about 10 days to find accommodation around the island instead of renting daily at any of the resorts. If you stay shorter than about 10 days with us of course, we’d like to invite you to stay with us at the resort. If you can’t stay with us for some reason, we have a list of our recommended resorts in Panglao.  

So, one of the first questions potential long-term stayers are asking; how can I find accommodation? Finding long-term rent on the island is quite simple. Not all of the hotels and resort offer weekly and monthly rates – we do 😉 With most resorts, you pay 30 times the daily rate to reach the monthly rate… Luckily there are plenty of options in the forms of houses and apartments. Still, staying long-term in a resort or hotel can be a great option. After all, living in a resort often includes the use of all the amenities of the resort, a secured area, room cleaning, changing beddings, etc. The guest does not need to pay separately for electricity, water, and the Internet. Usually, everything is included. Depending on the location and amenities, the cost of such housing will cost you probably around $400 to $1000 per month.

Another great option is long-term apartment rentals. There are many residential complexes of different sizes on the island. The most important thing for you is to decide what are your requirements and their priority. Usually, all apartments have a small kitchen or kitchenette with a minimal set of dishes and a gas stove. There may be a swimming pool, a cafeteria, or a parking lot on the territory of residential complexes, but there may be none. It’s rare for residential complexes to have their own laundry because many laundries on the island offer both washing and drying and self-service at very affordable prices (from $0.6 per kg). Unfortunately, you can not find much online – don’t book via Airbnb or other popular websites since you’ll be paying up to double of what you should pay. We usually advise long-term stayers to stay with us for at least one or two nights, relax from the trip, rent a scooter and go around the island. We have a nice list of recommendations for you to visit. 

Having chosen an apartment as a place of residence, do not forget to clarify what are inclusions and exclusions. Electricity, water, internet, gas, drinking water can be either included in the price or paid additionally. When you rent an apartment for a long time, a contract is concluded in which all these details are mentioned. The cost of renting a nice and clean apartment is $250 – $500 per month. The usual practice is to pay a 1-month advance fee and a deposit in the amount of a 1-month payment. Most often, the deposit is not refundable but is used to pay for the last month. Consider it.

For those who value greater privacy and independence, there is an option to rent a detached house. The details for this type of rent are not much different from the details of renting an apartment. But if your landlord is a private person, perhaps you may be the one who will need to prepare a contract. The rental price for a long-term stay is $300 – $700, depending on the house’s size and, of course, its location.

If you are happy with basic accommodation already and a simple room at a local family would be just fine, you can find those for long term rent at probably $100 to $150 per month already.

Since many of our guests are asking about the internet, the Internet can be quite good but keep in mind that you are coming to the Philippines. The connections here aren’t always as stable as in the West – the same goes for the electric btw – power outages happen frequently. You will find that most accommodations have reasonable internet via shared cable. We don’t recommend accepting an internet connection via any cell networks since mobile connectivity is a big problem on the islands. The cable providers offer reasonably good to excellent internet connections. Internet speeds of up to 100mbps are possible but only in certain areas on the island. A reasonably stable 25mbps connection is possible in most parts of the island too, but you will have to pay for it. It is possible as a foreigner to get your own connection in an apartment but expect to pay installation fees and at least $80 per month for a 25mbps connection.

If you like to be in the center of social life, we recommend renting an apartment near Alona Beach, where you can find most of the bars, restaurants, and cafes. The island’s cuisine choice is very diverse; you can find European, Asian, steaks, seafood, healthy and vegan, traditional Filipino, fast food, pastries, and much more. Everyone can find something for themselves, meeting their taste. And if you love to cook yourself, then on the island, you will find many shops with a basic set of goods, grocery stores, small markets, and even shops with delicacies. What the island lacks are large shopping malls and supermarkets. All of them are located in the city of Tagbilaran, on the island of Bohol. The two islands Panglao and Bohol, are connected via two easily accessible bridges. You can get to Tagbilaran either by public transport: by bus or jeepney ($1), tricycle ($3 – $6), bike ($3), or with your own transport. Most of those who stay on the island rent motorbikes – or even buy one since the motorbikes are easy to sell and keep their value well. The rental price can range from $70 to $150 per month, depending on the motorcycle model. Traffic in Panglao is quite calm, although Tagbilaran traffic will require some time to get used to it.

When you reach Tagbilaran, you will find several large shopping malls: ICM, Alturas, BQ, etc., as well as public markets and individual stores. Supermarkets and boutiques in shopping malls accept both cash and cards. But in the markets and small shops, only cash is accepted. But ATMs are on every corner. There are branches of various banks in the city, as well as on Panglao Island.

For movie lovers, Tagbilaran offers three cinemas and entertainment centers. Of course, it is worth mentioning that hospitals and clinics in the city provide services, both for insurance and cash. Also, in the city, there are several modern fitness centers. On Panglao Island, you can find several small gyms, various classes in martial arts, yoga, different dance styles. All this allows everyone who stays in Panglao for a long time not to lose the quality of life and take care of their health.

The island of Bohol itself, on which the city of Tagbilaran is located, is large and boasts numerous natural attractions: waterfalls, springs, rivers, chocolate hills, mountains, caves. Staying here for a long time, you can visit many of them and learn the local people’s life and culture. The locals are generally very hospitable, optimistic, friendly, and happy to communicate with foreigners. It is these traits of the locals that make Panglao and Bohol great places for long-term staying here. These are the places where you can truly feel happy.

And that’s it! We hope you are excited about your possible long-term stay in Panglao with perhaps a Zero to Hero freediving program or a freediving internship. Feel also free to contact us if you want to come for one month and do different freediving courses or a freedive instructor course with some training. There are plenty of different long-term development programs possible. If, in the meantime, you have any questions about your travels, housing or anything else, please feel free to message us anytime – our support team is ready to answer your questions quickly.