Spot Stays: This Rustic Hostel in Dumaguete Feels a Lot Like Home

The Flying Fish Hostel
32 Hibbard Avenue, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental
Rates start at P600 per person

At a Glance
Rooms: Rustic industrial with natural materials and comfortable beddings
Food and drink: A wide variety, but coffee and pastries are highly recommended
Staff: Lives up to Dumaguate's moniker, "City of Gentle People"
Why you should stay: It’s strategically located near ports and city attractions, just off the main thoroughfares in a quiet, homey neighborhood.

(SPOT.ph) This writer has stayed in enough hostels to know to keep expectations low for an industry-standard U.S. $10-per-night bed. After all, more often than not, you’re sharing a room with strangers, including toilet and shower facilities. But all for the sake of savings, why not? Hostel regulars will be pleasantly surprised with The Flying Fish Hostel in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, which defies definition and exceeds expectations. A sustainable boutique hotel less than two kilometers away from the Dumaguete–Sibulan Airport and less than one kilometer away from the picture-famous Rizal Boulevard with its panoramic views of the stunning Dumaguete sunrise.

According to Jemarie Cris D. Clarke, Operations Manager of The Flying Fish Hostel, "The hostel’s design is a mix of Filipino, Southeast Asian, and retro, with an emphasis on using repurposed materials."

If you’re looking for a place to stay in Negros Oriental, here’s what you need to know about this Dumaguete hostel:

The Flying Fish Hostel Dumaguete opened to the public in mid-2016. You may be familiar with its sister property in the Visayas: The Flying Fish Hostel Cebu.

The compound used to be the site of an ancestral house, a history that matches the hostel's rustic industrial design with lots of open spaces. Immediately upon passing through the gates, you feel the airy, tropical vibe, thanks to the combination of hardwood trees and bamboo groves as well as the local, natural materials used throughout the property. This complements the various antique pieces in the open-air common spaces: from a cozy couch to a mysterious paneled mirror.

The lobby is as welcoming as the members of the staff who are always ready to answer questions for you. Dumaguete is, after all, knowns as the "City of Gentle People." If they don’t know the answer to your questions or requests, they certainly go out of their way to try to find someone who can.

There’s a purified water station where guests can refill their water bottles and nearby, a nook where guests can leave their luggage in case they’re too early for check-in time or want to see some more of the city beyond check-out time.

Guests have the following accommodation options to choose from: Bed in Dormitory (P600), Basic Private Room (P1,200), Superior Room (P1,300), and Deluxe Room (P1,500). One thing to note is that, whichever room you enter, you will immediately notice the scent of essential oils in the air—immediately transforming your mood to relaxed and tranquil. 

Beautiful repurposed doors stand guard in each of the dormitory rooms. There are 10-bed, eight-bed, and six-bed dormitory options—among them is a six-bed female dormitory room. The bunk beds are made of metal frames and natural materials and are covered with thick mattresses, soft pillows, and fresh-smelling sheets. Towels are provided. Each bed has a dedicated charging outlet, reading lamp, partition, and locker. The rooms also have very high ceilings and are well-ventilated. Each room is equipped with both a fan and an air-conditioning unit.

Shared bathroom facilities have long sinks with several faucets and mirrors side-by-side on each floor. On the ground floor, there are three showers and four toilets; on the second floor, three showers and three toilets. Body wash, hand soap, and shampoos are provided in big, refillable bottles that are sourced directly from a soapmaker in nearby Cebu.  

What to Do

Just off the lobby is a common dining and general hanging-out area made of metal and wood (hardwood as well as bamboo), where guests and their friends can play cards or board games, read, chat, and congregate around food. You don't need to pay for corkage for outside food.

The bookshelves are lined with board games and books in a variety of languages. Guests are more than welcome to can play with the chef’s resident dog who likes to hang out in the common areas. 

You can ask someone at the front desk about organized tours to nearby Valencia town and Apo Island, among others. 

Where to Eat

Within the same compound as The Flying Fish Hostel is Palmitas, which serves a variety of food from pasta, to meat and seafood to pastries. Full disclosure, we only had breakfast here once during our week-long stay, but we thoroughly enjoyed their cappuccino and Americano. The vegetarian eggs benedict and french toast, as well as cinnamon rolls and sticky buns are highly recommended.

Across the street is a small sari-sari store for when you need to buy emergency supplies. Dumaguete is a haven for different kinds of cuisine: on the same street are Japanese (Himawari Izakaya) and Mexican (Mexicali Taqueria) fare, and not too far away are a Vietnamese (Mister Saigon) and local barbecue place (Jo’s Inato). Plus, there’s a nearby watering hole in an ancestral house: Negrense Microbrewery.

A short stroll away is Rizal Boulevard, where you can find huts that draw crowds like Su-Tu-Kil Seafood Hub and Tejeros Ice Cream. With ultra-modern architecture, Northpoint hosts a variety of restaurants, including local grill Dagsa-an Restaurant for fresh seafood paluto and dessert place Chef Gabby’s Creperie. 

Where to Shop

Dumaguete's OG Sans Rival Cakes & Pastries is only a few blocks away, so you can stock up on your sans rival and silvanas for pasalubong (or for yourself, we don't judge). Be ready to fall in line, but not to worry as the staff is very efficient when handling a huge crowd. A stone’s throw away, Handumanan has your usual handmade souvenir items, as well as shirts, keychains, and the like. If you make a trip to nearby Valencia town, then save your coins for Subida’s extensive handmade souvenirs and art pieces by local artists. 

How to Get There

AirAsia, Cebu Pacific, and Philippine Airlines have frequent flights between Manila and Dumaguete. 

The Flying Fish Hostel is at 32 Hibbard Avenue, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental. Rates start at P600 per dormitory bed. For more information, visit The Flying Fish Hostel’s website.