On one of our latest visits to the “island born of fire” we were looking for accommodation where we could feel at home. Our mission was to spend at least a week there to keep expanding our Camiguin Guide. Luckily, after researching other alternatives, we came across Camiguin’s Mountain View Cottages, a place where we felt very comfortable from the very first moment.
Location of Mountain View Cottages: ideal
Since we intended to explore the island from end to end, we needed well-located accommodation in Camiguin. Therefore, the requirements it had to meet were: being close to an area with restaurants to eat/dine, easy access to the main road (some of Camiguin’s most famous hotels are quite far away), and being in a strategic area to see the island’s must-sees.
All of this led us to focus our search on the Yumbing area, and that’s where we found Mountain View Cottages in Camiguin, a great choice.
Mountain View Cottages, a highly recommended hotel in Camiguin
Once you enter Camiguin’s Mountain View Cottages you’ll find a huge garden, perfectly tended every day, with a stone path that leads you to the different cabins. In its center is the small reception where Henry or his wife will make you feel welcome from the very first moment.
The first thing that surprised us when we entered the cabin was its huge size and layout. After crossing the door you find a large room that functions as a dining room and kitchen. A large fridge to chill drinks, a couple of gas burners, a toaster, a kettle to boil water, a full set of kitchen utensils and a table with 2 chairs make up the perfect set for being able to cook whenever you feel like it or, simply, make breakfast without needing to go out to any café or restaurant. A big plus that gave us a lot of comfort, especially with a local market very close by.
The next room in the cabin at Moutain View Cottages is the main bedroom. Just like the rest of the facilities, its large size is a big plus. The bed is really comfortable and in front of it there is a unit with a TV. Although we don’t usually use it much, the endless channels it has eventually led us, unintentionally, to watch Televisión Española during some breakfast.
The room has a large wardrobe to leave your luggage, a large fan and an air-conditioning unit. We usually look for rooms that have the newer air conditioning, the so‑called split units, as they tend to be cleaner, odorless and less bothersome. On seeing that at the Moutain View in Camiguin they had one of the old ones we thought it would be a first negative point, but later we found that, beyond being a bit noisier than the new ones, it worked perfectly and cooled the room really fast.
If we had to mention a negative point about these rooms it would only be the lack of a safe, something we always like to have to keep money and documents safe. Even so, after a week at Moutain View Cottages, we can say that we felt very safe and at no time was there any problem with this or other aspects.
The bathroom is medium‑sized and stands out because the shower has a good stream of really hot water that leaves you as good as new after a day of adventures around Camiguin. In general, neither the bathroom nor the rest of the accommodation have particularly attractive décor. It is simply functional, with the typical nipa touch you can find in many places to stay in the Philippines.
Another big plus we also really liked was the presence of mosquito screens in all the rooms. The bathroom has a screen, the main room has a screen, the entrance door has a second screen‑door and, best of all, one of the walls in the kitchen area is directly a screen‑wall. You’ll have great ventilation assured and mosquitoes (which we didn’t see many of either) kept at bay.
Finally, each cabin at Mountain View has its own private terrace with a small table and a large bamboo armchair. It’s an ideal place to relax, dine in the open air and even to hang wet clothes
Fun fact: Henry, the friendly owner of the hotel, told us a very curious anecdote. The first guest that Mountain View Cottages had when it was inaugurated, 7 years ago now, still lives there! He liked the cabin so much that he has continued staying in it ever since. And, believe us, it would be a place where we would also stay for quite a few months.
Common area and services at Mountain View Cottages
We haven’t forgotten to talk about the wifi but, since the routers are distributed around the garden to be able to provide coverage to the different rooms, we mention it in this section. It’s wifi that we could say is above the average you can find in the Philippines. We were able to use it at all times at good speed and without problems.
If you need to, which you most probably will, rent a motorbike to get around Camiguin, you can do it right here. Henry has a bunch of practically new motorbikes and helmets that he rents at an excellent price.
As a bonus, inside the reception hut there is a fridge where you can buy beer and soft drinks at a good price without having to go looking for a nearby shop or restaurant.
Nearby restaurants to Mountain View Cottages
A few minutes from Mountain View you’ll find restaurants where you can have lunch, dinner and breakfast. In our guide to Where to eat in Camiguin you’ll find in detail the options you’ll find at each one, but these are some of our favorites to whet your appetite:
- Northern Lights Restaurant Agoho: The closest restaurant, and you can easily walk there. They have a very varied menu and a good list of tasty pizzas that they make really fast.
- Hayahay Café: ideal for breakfast. They prepare delicious coffee (with a soy milk option) and super tasty smothie bowls.
Accommodation summary video
We know you like to see accommodation in a much more up‑close way. That’s why we’ve recorded this video where you’ll be able to see the Moutain View Cottages almost live.
Final opinion on Mountain View Cottages
As we usually say in our accommodation reviews, a yardstick that helps a lot in recommending a hotel or not is asking ourselves “would we come back”. And in this case the answer is a resounding “YES”. In fact, if we didn’t stay longer it was because all the cabins were already booked for several weeks. If you want to sleep here, book as soon as possible!
Pros:
- It is in a highly recommended area. Close to restaurants and places of interest
- Very spacious and clean rooms
- Very friendly staff always willing to help
- Kitchen and large terrace overlooking the beautiful garden
- Large potable water tank for private use in the room
Cons:
- Décor is not, obviously, its strongest point
Final score: 9’5/10 Filipino suns.
Check prices and book
Check the availability of Mountain View for your travel dates from here or take a look at the Recommended hotels in Camiguin guide:
