I'm looking into beach getaways that are near Manila. How are the beaches at Puerto Galera? Any hotel recommendations? How much can I expect to pay for about five nights?

I'm planning on getting there around May 2nd, is this too close to the rainy season?

The disadvantage is that you have to drive 2hrs (? sorry, can't remember exactly) south of Manila to get the boat across. I stayed at Coco Beach Resort, which was pretty good, but there are many cheaper alternatives if you are on a budget. It is popular with filipinos, so there are many places that are cheap, but reasonable if you don't mind mixing it with the locals.

Look around at resorts that are only a short flight away also - flights can be very cheap and many resorts will pick you up from the airport for a reasonable price. A flight to Boracay will probably get you in a room quicker than to Peurto Galera

This site gives some good info:
http://www.puertogaleraboard.com/

Thanks for the information, the site has a lot of good information. I looked into Boracay briefly, but it seems a little more expensive. I would have been fine, but my partner is on a strict budget since she is still a student.

There are plenty of accommodation for those on a strict budget in Peurto Galera. The more expensive it is, the more private it is. Boracay does have cheap accommodation also, but the flights are more expensive that a bus trip from Manila down to Peurto Galera. Both still have beers for about US$1. The bus trip is around P200, which is about US$4, but not air conditioned I think.

If you are coming from the US for a holiday, a little extra spent on accommodation can make the holiday a whole lot more enjoyable.

Puerto Galera is nice, but if you are willing to take a short flight, you can get to many other destinations in the Philippines with better beaches. You say that you do not want to spend a large sum of money, but you can easily find promo fairs for less than $50 USD RT/person (Check Cebu Pacific, Air Phil, Philippine Airlines). Rooms can be had for less than $40 US per night depending on your destination and desire for luxury. That said, if you are set on going to Puerto, you can find rooms for about $20/night for a very standard room. Food and alcohol are both cheap and you can easily feed two of you for less than $10 (500 pesos) per meal, and that will be quite alot of food. You will be able to get a beer for less than $1.

May is not close enough to the rainy season that you need to worry about the weather, in fact it will be quite warm. Enjoy!

If it helps, you can fly to Puerto Galera. PR, 5J and Z2 have flights to San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, which is on the southwest side of the island of Mindoro. Puerto Galera is on the northeast side of the island in Oriental Mindoro. You should be able to get a van or something from SJI to Puerto Galera.