Calaan, El Nido. L to R: Roommate Nelly, my host Kim, me.
Why I chose to stay here
Since I will be traveling solo that time, looking for cheap accommodation was a must for me. I texted the owner, Kuya Rodrigo to inquire if there’s room available during my travel dates. He said yes, there’s an available room. He was very nice and accommodating. He entertained all my questions. And because of his attitude which I really like, I paid the 50% down payment to guarantee room reservation.
Kuya Rodrigo then informed me all are set and asked if it’s okay for me to stay with another girl solo traveler. I said yes and why not! I like making friends.
Upon arriving in El Nido, it was raining hard and found out that my phone didn’t have signal! Hassle! How can I contact Kuya Rodrigo now? I then later found out that Sun Cellular doesn’t have satellites in El Nido and the only available networks are Smart and Globe. I panicked!
Getting there and setting expectations
So what I did was hire a tricycle going to Tay Miloy’s Inn, as expected, they didn’t know the place yet so I just told them, near the old Lexus Shuttle terminal (as per advice by Josiah in his blog). And the driver agreed.
It was still raining when I arrived at Tay Miloy’s Inn and that was around 10 p.m. By the way, it was only 10 to 12 minutes away from the drop off point. After paying PHP 50.00 to the tricycle driver, Kuya Rodrigo immediately handed me an umbrella, took my things, and assisted me to my room. I realized that he’s not just nice in text but in person as well.
He thought I will never come because I never texted nor called, I just explained him that I’m a Sun subscriber and not aware that Sun doesn’t have signal in El Nido.
We went upstairs and found out that the room was spacious; it was actually a room for 6. He then introduced Nelly my roommate, the solo traveler he told me about. She too learned about Tay Miloy’s from lakas.com.ph. Cheers to Josiah for having a well SEOed blog! You’re making people connect.
Kuya Rod also informed us that we need to transfer to another room the day after because there will be 6 backpackers who will occupy the room. We agreed on that. He then left the room.
Kuya Rodrigo saved the day!
Since I have no signal, I thought of buying a SIM card, I went downstairs and Kuya Rodrigo immediately assisted me using his motorcycle! I rode at the back and he drove to the nearest store. How cool was that!
However, after buying the SIM, I realized that my phone was locked and solely for Sun SIM. But later, I figured out how to setup my phone to acquire signal from Smart even if it’s still Sun. Finally, I was able to text my mother.
The room verdict
Tay Miloy’s Inn was actually a house reconstructed to be a place to stay for travelers. From what I can remember, they have 4 rooms; the room where we stayed during the first night was very spacious, with comfortable bed sheets, two neat pillows, and blanket. It was a fan room but very well ventilated.
I also checked if there were any bed bugs creeping under, glad there weren’t here at Tay Miloy’s! I suffered from bed bugs before and it wasn’t a nice experience.
The bathroom
They have a common bathroom to accommodate 3 rooms which doesn’t have a private bathroom. I have to admit that I wasn’t able to poop for 2 days during my stay here because I’m not used to sitting on a toilet without cover.
Several things to expect:
- Clean, but often wet.
- No toilet seat covers.
- No hot water.
- With shower but pressure isn’t really good, they have a drum and small bucket to use.
- They always ran out of tissue; make sure to always bring yours.
- No washing of clothes inside, they have a laundry downstairs.
WiFi or Internet
Tay Miloy’s Inn doesn’t have WiFi yet. “We plan to put WiFi soon,” He said. They have a PC with internet connection downstairs which you can rent but I can’t exactly remember how much.
Location Wise
Tay Miloy’s Inn is situated in the town proper which is 8 to 12 minute-walk from the beach (Bacuit Bay) and just a walking distance from Art Café, Balay Tubay, Skyline Inn and Restaurant, Aplaya, The Alternative Inn and Restaurant, Sea Slugs, and other famous bars and restaurants. You can actually roam around the small town of El Nido without being tired.
Will I stay here again?
Yes! But maybe for 1 day only and to say Hi to Kuya Rodrigo, after that, I had to transfer to a different accommodation. Like I said, I’m not comfortable pooping in toilets without seat covers. I am on a budget but I couldn’t sacrifice comfort.
Still, I definitely recommend Tay Miloy’s for budget or solo travelers, rooms and bathrooms are basic but the experience with the owners is definitely satisfaction guaranteed.
Tay Miloy’s Inn Contact Info and Reservations: 0929-795-5756
Room starts at PHP 300 per night and per person.
For list of other cheap accommodations in El Nido, click the link.
I wont expect him to reply as it might cost him quite a bit but how would I know eh? Lol
I’m trying to find Tay Miloy’s (Rodrigo) email address. But couldn’t find it. I’ll update you when I found it!
Ada Lajara Reply:
January 7th, 2013 at 12:27 pm
Super!! He has a baby girl super cute and tiny!!!
Reply