Nine Clouds Homestyle Accomodation And Restaurants — Hotel in General Luna

Filipino Family

Living abroad can be extremely challenging at times.

Just before I arrived on Siargao Island, my credit card was hacked. I had to cancel it. Cebu airlines charged me double on my airfares, almost depleting me of all my available cash so when I arrived, I was very close to being a street person in a foreign country.

It was going to be 12 days before I got paid and even then, my card was unusable and it was going to be another 2-3 weeks before my replacement card arrived.

Attempting to seek a person to believe my story and take me on with the mere faith that I’m legitimate, was proving to be a highly stressful endeavor.

The great thing about having negative influences in our life’s journey, is that, if you keep your own belief in human beings compassion, the most amazing people will ALWAYS enter your life and new knowledge will be found to help sort ones almost disastrous situation.

My path led me to some of the most understanding and welcoming people I’ve ever met.

Brownie,(Aussie legend) and his adorable Filipino lady, Marlyn, took me into their home on a whim.

In my last 7 years of traveling S E Asia, I have witnessed first hand, several people with the same story as mine, who are not genuine. They ring up a bill with food/beverage, accommodation and then take off, owing hundreds to thousands of dollars so it’s no wonder business owners are dubious about putting trust into people with similar scenarios as mine.

Marlyn didn’t even want to hold my passport as a safe guard. Two days later, I met another Austrlian man who introduced me to orbit remit, a money transfer-cash pick up organisation like WU but much cheaper fees.

Sooooo, as usual, everything fell into place.

I will say that it’s not just Brownie and Marlyn who took me on with their faith, hope and love but the whole village for they are a big family and close knit community.

NOW, to speak of the 9 clouds Homestay.

Location - PERFECT. It’s away from the main hub of GL and cloud 9 but close enough to access atms, shops, eateries etc.

The local lads have boats and boards to take you out to Rock Island and other surfing spots for beginners up to professional skill levels.

Ask for Marlon, Noel, Benito, Nicky and Ronny.

The rooms vary from a/c to fan of which are all very clean and cleaned daily by Mac Mac Momma,(haha and her little boy).

Shower and toilet amenities are shared of which there a enough to support a full house.

All the staff are incredibly in tune with any concerns. Speak with Maria if Marlyn is unavailable.

The food is outstanding, cooked by the lads - Banie, Reymie, Alvin and Enan. Ten whole roast chickens are cooked every afternoon BUT BE QUICK, they’re so tasty that they sell in a flash.

The floor staff are sooooo much fun. Erenibeth with her mysterious smile, Engel who sings like an angel, Rose who is super quick and efficient and WE ALL know who my favorite is - YASSIE, hihihi.

This Homestay exemplifies the actual meanings of the words HOME and STAY.

This is not your typical touristy set up with the small village that surrounds it all being a part of the way everything functions.

People, dogs, kittens, kids, fishermen walking past with their fresh catch, the surfing gang always up for a chat and a laugh, this place is very unique, giving you the most special experience you’ll ever have in the Philippines.

Having said that, if you desire peace and quiet and alone time, (OF WHICH I DO), then you’ll be left to enjoy your tranquility.

Thank you gang for such an incredible month of just allowing me to be me.

I love you all dearly and miss you even more.

See you at the end of the year.

All the best,

Scottie or as many call me, scootie. Haha. X

ps WiFi is good, tv has Oz plus station and there’s...

Our stay at 9 Clouds was a welcome retreat. Being an Australian i was feeling rattled after The Culture Shock of Tagum City and Davao, and flew with my Girlfriend to Siargao to get away from it all. The flight in from Cebu was amazing, seeing The Philippines Islands from 17,000ft in a smaller plane following in the wake of a superstorm, something we'll never forget. "9 Clouds" arranged our pick up from the airport. We'd planned to stay at Wayfarers, but soon figured things out, and realised 9 Clouds was by far the better option. Budget Accommodation is what we're comfortable with, so other Siargao options were not for us. It might seem strange when you hear me talk about good simple food, but it is not easy to find in The Philippines. The Kangaroo Restaurant serves up good meals at good prices, in a casual down to earth open air restaurant. We love Marlyn and Brownie, and Staff who work hard enough to keep everyone content, while still knowing how to relax and enjoy the simple things. Good friends wander in for a beer and hang around and chat, while little kids play with the ears and tails of the battlescarred old hounds who still rule their neighbourhood. Marlyn is the Boss, a proudly Local Girl who earns the respect of all, while Brownie is also The Boss and he keeps it real. If you like real people you'll love these two. You can be yourself here, this is not a snooty Resort. The Staff are all comfortable and competent and for us the overall vibe was just what we needed for a relaxing holiday just far enough away from the Party Circuit further down the road. Bring a girl home to your room, Mum and Dad don't mind. Be sure to respect The Locals and You'll get on just fine. The Local Boatmen are a little shy but just quietly they are World Class Surfers and can put you onto the best waves at several nearby spots. They let their surfing do...

Booked because it was a good price with aircon but wish I’d stayed somewhere else as the aircon doesn’t work at all (there’s a unit but even when it was on for hours it had little to no effect) and I was so hot I couldn’t sleep most nights. This isn’t a problem friends had in nearby hostels. Good to go surfing as close to surf spots but since you need a scooter or tuk tuks to get into town it’s arguably better to stay in town and then just scooter to the surf spots. Plus being close to surf spots isn’t so good when you’ve had no sleep. The bathroom was also always out of toilet paper and often had little surprises from kids of the staff who used it in the day. I guess the pro is that it’s super cheap here but you do get what you pay for. My advice to the owner would be update the rooms or don’t advertise as AC and more regularly...