The Circle Hostel
Sitio Liwliwa, San Felipe, Zambales, San Narciso, Subic (Zambales), Philippines - See map
The car parking and the Wi-Fi are always free, so you can stay in touch and come and go as you please. Conveniently situated in the San Narciso part of Subic (Zambales), this property puts you close to attractions and interesting dining options. Don't leave before paying a visit to the famous Ocean Adventure.
Highlights
Facilities
Pets allowed
Car park
Free Wi-Fi in all rooms!
Breakfast [free]
Tours
Smoking area
Beach
Dog-friendly
Your dates are popular among travelersUsers are booking a place in Subic (Zambales) every 4 minutes on Agoda.com
Great place to meet friends and to surf!”
Leave the place clean, with more friends, and more stories to tell. 5 stars!
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Good”
Pros it's one of the cheapest places you can stay at. Good location. Everything is clean and well kept. Cons I felt very unwelcome being there as a foreigner. The guests from Manila and areas were very friendly. But the hostel people were not. That's reason why I decided to stay only 3 nights vs. 6 nights
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Not for Delicate Budget Travelers”
I wouldn't recommend it for delicate budget travelers. The facilities are not well-maintained. I'm pretty sure there are better options around the area at the same price point. I've stayed at dirt-cheap hostels that are clean, so I don't think there's a reason for this "expensive" hostel to be so dirty.
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Clean it up”
It was our first backpacker experience but it was a nightmare! The place was not well maintained, not even par to cleanliness. I get the idea of backpackers, but it should be at least clean bed sheets, mattress, fan, and the overall sleeping area. Food is okay and parking space is spacious. Common area is okay but bean bags looks it has been there for ages. Could imagine all the sweat, puke and what not. Please get this place at least once a month of general cleaning. We get the vibe but will never stay here even for a night!
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Excellent”
The Circle Hostel is a perfect place for friends who just want to chill and get a good view of the ocean or go surfing without breaking the bank. We were a group of 4 friends, we booked at the Mixed Dormitory. It was not a hassle going to the place from the bus terminal since there were available tricycles as soon as you alight. We were welcomed by their receptionists and confirmation of the reservation was smooth, I just had to hand them my confirmation receipt. The only issue we encountered was since they were fully booked during our stay, the bunk beds intended for us were still occupied. The occupants went island hopping and weren't around to transfer their belongings to another area until around 9PM. Although this did not bother us since their common area was a good place to hang out while waiting, we kind of overheard rants from the other group. We just did not let them get into us. In addition to these, places to eat were a stone's throw away and were very affordable too. Overall, we consider going back to the place or trying out other branches of Circle Hostel.
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Perfect for Solo Travellers. ”
If you're up to meeting new people, the circle hostel is the place to be. The hostel is also surrounded by few eateries so there's no hassle for everything you need. The beach is would take around 2 minutes of walk to get to. Overall I would recommend this for people who want to experience something different. #ThereAreNoStrangers #TheReturnOfTheSouthSwell
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Great family run hostel”
Like I said above, the hammocks are a great touch. They have built in mosquito nets. From the website I expected thereto be ton of people and a lot to do outside of the hostel. There's really not much to do, but it's stil worth a trip, especially I'd you have friends traveling with you, if you're a surfer or have a great, long book to finish in a peaceful atmosphere. When I went into town, people would stare, I don't think this town gets many tourists. It was easy enough to get to though. When you get into town just take a trike or about 40php and they'll take you to the secluded Circle Hostel. If you're staying Ina hammock, make sure to out your bag in another hammock though, one of the cys peed on my bag. I'm still trying to get the smell out. All in all it was a great stay, could have been much better with company though. Also, don't book through Agoda. Circle hostel will still charge you when you get there.
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Worth it experience”
I just love this hostel because it feels like home to me. It is very simple place that is minutes walk to the beach. I've extended two more nights instead of my original booking because I am so much drawn to the remote and calm vibe. I also joined their Tribes and Treks tour which we planted trees on the hillside and visited the Aetas. In the Aeta village, we had fun mingling and dancing with them. I also met new friends Ben and Cherish. I will be visiting the place again in the future. God Bless.
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Easy going and cheap”
Me and my girlfriend only stayed for one night, we would have liked to stay one or two more nights but we were on a tight schedual. It's a pretty cool place as long as you take it for what it is, a cheap hostel. There is nothing fancy about this place but it has it's charm for sure. Besides, it's pretty much your only choice of residence if you are looking for a place to stay while surfing Liwliwa The three (and only) biggest drawbacks were that even though it was said breakfast would be included we were sent to the resturant on the other side of the road. It wasn't much money so we didn't really care but if you are on a tight budget you might. The other drawback was the roosters. They started with cookooing at around 2 in the morning and then kept going all throughout the morning. If you are used to it I'm sure you will just sleep through it but we sure didn't. The last one is that since we were white we got a bit over charged for the tricycle rides into town, but we got that everywhere in the Philippines haha. All in all we were happy with our stay, it was super cheap and you really can't expect any more than what they are offering. We would recommend it to others going there to surf and who want to meet nice people.
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It's a hostel - you get what you see”
The Zambales beach is quite nice since there is a commercial ban and no shops directly on the sand. The Circle Hostel has a nice hang out area with bean bags, which is nice if the fans work. There are 45 beds with 4 showers... and since there was a brown out when we were there, there was absolutely no airflow in the huts and it got very hot and stuffy at night. We left one day early since we couldn't get good sleep in the heat with loud people screaming at the bar outside until 4am. If you are 18 and a frat-boy, this is the perfect place for you.
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Fun Family Getaway”
It was such a welcome break from the city. It was a convenient distance from the city - a a painless car ride away but far enough that it felt like a well-deserved vacation. My 8-year old daughter loved the bright colors, the quotes-on-the-walls, and the overall rustic, boho vibe! She was the only kid during our stay but she was made to feel welcome by Ate Vangie, Paco, and our fellow guests. It's a tight-knit community where I could let my kid roam around and play on her own. She relished the freedom that came with it. We're starting to break her in with the backpacking circuit/adventure weekend getaways and this was the perfect starter. We're getting Paco to teach her surfing on our next trip.
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Excellent”
Good location near the beach. Friendly staff and good atmosphere. It's kind of loud because the walls aren't thick and there's lots of noise outside (i.e barking dogs, taxi guys standing outside) so bring ear plugs.
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Very good”
Booked beds in the female dorm, but we were placed in the coed. Not a big deal as there were only 2 other guys, but will definitely be an issue if the placed were packed. The breakfast they used to give (bread, bananas) also wasn't available anymore. Hot showers were great though. Also appreciate the free drinking water.
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No wifi and water shortage”
My stay was good. The staff was helpful and friendly. The only problems were there's no wifi and they have water shortage problem, They should just have pale and bucket instead of the unfunctional shower since the water coming from the faucet was better.
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Exciting Adventure at very low price!”
If you are looking for an adventure at very low price, they are the rightful candidate. Very close to the beach for surfing.
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Hardware and staff ok but location not convinient”
the hardware is OK, staff also good but the hostel locates a bit far away from the San Felipe town center (I mean from the bus stop).
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Had a nice quick beach fix”
The placed was fully booked due to long weekend. The staff are approachable and let my kids stay for free (bed sharing). Loved their bread, banana and peanut butter breakfast. The beach was a good walk (about 10 to 15 mins depends on how fast you are) The place has a poor internet signal though. I literally worked at the beach with my laptop and pocketwifi ( the reception was good there :) We were fortunate to have bunk beds at the corner of a mixed dorm so we had our privacy and good air ventilation. I hope they'd add more shower stalls in the near future to accommodate their guests esp during "rush" hours. Also it would be nice if they'll have their own canteen/carinderia. It was a nice stay and experience. Basic yet convenient. Oh, the place is quite remote so twas a good thing we brought our own car.
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even without the waves”
we're not lucky enough to experience good waves during our visit but thanks to this "home feels" place where you get to laugh, play games and joke around people you just met. A place filled with goodvibes, music, love and creativity, surely you'd almost want the weekend not to end. haha.
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stressful”
Honestly speaking, I was hella stressed while staying at this place. we had to sleep in a tent for one night just for some quietness. Maybe because me and my friends chose a wrong time to go, we went during holy week. The place was packed during holy week. Facility wise, there is no enough space for everything. beds to beds, restrooms are super small and the floor was always wet. They only have 3 restrooms and 3 showers, but one toilet was broken, imagine in such hot summer condition, you have to wait in queue to shower or use the toilet. I suppose you get what you paid for. there were some guests very disrespectful, they were making so much noise even when someone were sleeping in the dorm in an very early morning. and they were also singing and baning the bed on the beat. But the staff are really nice and helpful. if you are going to stay at this place please avoid going there during philippines holidays. Other days, it's pretty okay to stay there.
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Quiet Place”
Stayed here for one night last March with my friends, we find this place as a simple one and makes it fancy because of the paintings or arts. Just a complain about the big mosquitoes when you stay outside your room at night.
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