The nine-room Tapik Beach Park Guest House is light on conventional amenities -- including hot water and 24-hour electricity -- but it's a charming and secluded property with budget rates. Located along a sandy beach far from the tourist traps of El Nido, this two-pearl hotel is way off the beaten track. Guests can stay in spartan, but romantic, huts and cottages. All rooms face the sea, but not all have private bathrooms. A bar and restaurant serve Filipino fare, and water sports are available for rent. The staff can arrange excursions around the archipelago, as well as massage treatments. Guests looking for a quiet but more traditional hotel may want to check out the El Nido Cove Resort, set on the other side of the island.

The Farm at San Benito is a unique luxury jungle retreat with a focus on holistic wellness. With personalized physical and emotional cleansing programs, and a secluded location amid coconut plantations, the property draws an array of travelers, from celebrities to wellness enthusiasts to those who simply want to get away from it all. Guests can do as much or as little as they want here, including snoozing by the lovely infinity pools, taking free yoga classes, participating in guided meditation sessions, or even getting a liver and gallbladder flush at the on-site certified clinic. Accommodations range from cozy units housed in small thatched pavilions to huge villas with private infinity pools and butlers. The vegan restaurant is known across the country as one of the best of its kind, and the spa offers excellent signature treatments in a serene pavilion with indoor and outdoor facilities.