Clean Friendly Donsol Homestay ( Barangay Dancalan)

Where is it?

in the Barangay Dancalan area, 5 min walk form the Whale shark visitor center. Opposite to Woodland resort & Elysia Beach Resort. There is a store in the front. Right next to a rice farm & surrounded by Coconut tree brought out the tropical feel. 

Visitor Center Resort Area : the blue part on the left is sea, where blue part in between is road.

I got to the Visitor center by 5:30 PM on my day arrived Donsol from Legaspi.  Since my shuttle I took occupied by Travellers, the driver took us straight to Visitor Center with Extra 20P each (100P in total) , after going to the original destination: Bus station in Donsol Town. Pissed at knowing closed Visitor center, nowhere to register whaleshark tour.  I  joined the firefly tour in the local tour agent (opposite to the Visitor Center)  for 500P per person. (later, i met some traveller told me the visitor center charged them 800P , visitor center is official in whale shark tour only  )

Knowing the firefly tour to be started at 630PM, I had to find a sleep place in a hurry.

Based on the recommendation in Lonely planet & wikitravel, Giddy's place was my priority choice. But considering after the newly met fd  who stayed there stopped me "don't  , it is a trap" and it is in the Donsol town but not the resort area nearby the visitor center. (To go from the city center to Dancalan the price is P40 for 2 people.)  OK, I needed an alternative.

Left Top : Visitor Center Area   Right Bottom: Donsol Town &  Bus startion (Legazpi)

Next to the Visitor Center, there is a Vitton beach Resorts, overall it would be a good value choice , it is very close to the whale shark center , opposite to the beach , good view with sunrise & sunset, hv a good restaurant, swimming pool( with wide seaview) , spa hut.  However, out of budget, so a no - go for me. It charged 2300P for standard room.

Then, I visited BARacuda, from the description I read in wikitravel, http://wikitravel.org/en/Donsol#

the owner Juliet seems very welcoming, however, no luck,  it was fully occupied on that day.

Next, i went to woodland beach resort, it is a older , more subtle version of Vitton resort, no restaurant, no spa, no swimming pool,  stand beside the beach though. Charged 1800P , with AC room, Cold showering, no WIFI.

Finally, I met Donsol Homestay,  the owner's son, Joe, who speaks OK english, came out from a store greeting at me  and took me to have a look of his home opposite to Woodland Resort.  What a surprise,  his home is very clean and quite city- like newly decorated, with a sofa opposite to a TV and a open kitchen in the 1st floor, where he lived. The guest room were on 2nd floor, smaller room with a bacolny, another room  is larger which I stayed , there is a little public area outside, and a clean bathroom (cold showering) on 2nd floor shared by 2 guest room.

1100 PHP (Feb 2013) for AC room, cold water showering, double size bed or 2 bed (1 bed on the floor). No check in check out Limit. 

2 double size bed, 1 on the floor

Felt newly painted, with Air con

G/F, clean as hell, can see  reflection from the floor under dim light

To sum up: 

This is a budget option with resort lv cleaniness , and 5 mins walk from the official whale shark tour visitor center. You can live there and eat in the resorts nearby. 

The owner's son Joe is a cockfighting lover and a tricycle driver. He would love to take you to see see local cockfighting gathering which start 1:30PM everyday if you like. It is a good option to spend your time after you had 3 hour whaleshark tour in the morning.

On our 2nd day, which we are leaving,  they served (free) breakfast with fresh grill fish , coffee & potato occasionally.  The homestay owner who retired has it's own fish crew just has a fish catch on that early morning.

Right: Joe , tricycle driver and cockfighting lover

Middle: the owner, who is very friendly

Area outside Donsol homestay ,  the hut on the right is a store.

All in all, I found that locals in Donsol are very hospitable. A part of that is visitor carry cash, but I believe a larger part is something in their culture , they are truly come from the heart to respect the presense of visitor.