After having spent 3 months in the Philippines I’ve decided to write a post that will hopefully help Digital Nomads with finding the best wifi in the Philippines!
Throughout the 3 months of traveling around the Philippines, I received a lot of questions from other remote workers and Digital Nomads that wanted to know whether it was possible to be a Digital Nomad in the Philippines.
My short answer is YES! It is possible. I did it. But I wish someone would have told me beforehand where the best wifi in the Philippines was and where it would be best to take a day off to work.
So here are some tips and tricks that will hopefully make your stay as a Digital Nomad more enjoyable by knowing where to find the fastest wifi in Philippines.
Ps: I only need the most basic internet connection for the following things:
- WordPress
- Social media apps
- Uploading images
- General internet browsing
- Emails, WhatsApp, Messenger, Skype, etc.
Get A SMART SIM Card ASAP
You will definitely need a Philippines SIM card as sometimes you can’t rely on the wifi. Make sure you get a SMART SIM card and not a Globe one.
If you want to save some money I highly recommend buying a Philippines SIM card at the next closest SM Mall. The SIM card and packages that are being sold at the airport are much more expensive.
Alternatively, you can purchase a SMART SIM card online before arriving.
Search All → Philippines SIM Card
I always bought 8GB for 500 pesos which usually lasted between 7 – 12 days (I use data a lot). The SIM card also came in handy to hotspot my laptop at times when the wifi wasn’t reliable.
Lastly, you can get your hands on an e-sim card, which is the last trend and will surely get you some high-speed WiFi.
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Simply buy online, install it on your smartphone, and you’re good to go!
Best Wi-Fi In The Philippines Is In The Cities
In the big cities, mainly Manila and Cebu, you’ll have some of the fastest wifi in Philippines. There are lots of cafés with free wifi and even coworking spaces that are designed for the Digital Nomad lifestyle.
There are actually quite a few Filipinos that make a living online as Virtual Assistants and therefore, the connection is solid.
However, if you’re planning to explore more of the Philippines and go island hopping, you’ll have to rely on your accommodation’s wifi or hot-spotting your smartphone.
Do Your Research Before Island Hopping
If you are planning on discovering different islands in the Philippines it will be hard to find a ‘western-style’ cafe with wifi. Therefore, you’ll have to rely on your accommodation’s wifi.
I can’t stress how important this is as some islands don’t have an internet signal and you will want to avoid booking accommodation in a no-service zone.
I spent a significant amount of time reading reviews on Agoda, Bookingcom, and Hostel World each time before booking a new accommodation to make sure their wifi was reliable.
Starbucks Internet Is Not A Thing
Even though every single Starbucks I went to in the Philippines was always packed, the internet there is not suitable for your remote work.
To get wifi at a Starbucks in the Philippines, you’ll have to register with your phone number only to discover that you have a limited time of 60 minutes access to the wifi. Also, signing up with 2 devices at the same time won’t work.
Related Article → 3 Weeks Philippines Itinerary
Most Starbucks and cafés use the city-wide Go-Free-wifi which is accessible in most cafés and restaurants but are always limited to a 60 minute browsing time.
In fact, even in the big cities, I struggled quite a bit to find cafés that had their own unlimited wifi, that had charging stations, toilets within the facility and good food.
Further, I also realized quite quickly that the popular hostels usually had the worst wifi because all the tourists are on it. So sometimes, the very simple guesthouses, hostels, and pensions had the best wifi because no one was there.
That’s why I started writing down the accommodations and cafés where the internet was good enough to get some work done.
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Best Wifi In The Philippines For Digital Nomads
Below is a list of all the places and islands that I visited in the Philippines including where to find the best co-working spaces, the best cafes with high-speed internet and the best accommodations with fast wifi and working areas.
Manila
The best wifi in the Philippines is in Manila and more specifically in Makati and BGC area.
There are many coworking places in both Makati and BGC where you can get day passes starting from 700php and you usually get free coffee and tea for the whole day.
My favorite coworking place was Common Ground Rockwell in Makati.
Cafés with great wifi in Makati
- Dean & DeLuca (my personal favorite)
- Single Origin
- UCC Mentore
- Refinery
- Eight Cafe by UCC
Cafés with great wifi in BGC
- Arabica
- Luna Café
- Harlan & Holden
Cebu
The best wifi in Cebu will be found in IT Park and surrounding suburbs.
- Coworking space at Murals Hostel & Cafe (my absolute favorite. I actually used this as a base in between travels to other islands)
- Plenty of coworking spaces that are 500php / day
- Café Jasmin (I had the whole upstairs area every day completely to myself).
- Coffee Bay in IT Park (open 24/7 lots of students come here to do their assignments so be prepared to be surrounded by them)
Cebu Travel Guide → 15 Things To Do In Cebu
Camiguin Island
This island was one of my top three places to visit. The scenery reminded me of Tahiti. Absolutely beautiful and definitely worth a visit.
Make sure you stay close to the ‘Checkpoint’ area as there are a couple of places on the island where there is no service.
- Paguia’s Cottages (Simple accommodation with great wifi)
- Peninsular Kape Art (Restaurant / café with great wifi)
Camiguin Travel Guide → 13 Best Camiguin Tourist Spots
Camiguin Island
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Bohol
Panglao Beach is very popular amongst tourists and has some of the best wifi in the Philippines. There are several resorts that I assume would have great wifi.
- Conrada’s Place Hotel & Resort (accommodation with good wifi)
- Barefoot Alona Bohol Resort (accommodation with great internet speed)
Bohol Travel Guide → 31 Epic Things To Do In Bohol
Siargao
My absolute favorite place in the Philippines. Make sure you stay in the General Luna area for a good internet connection. In some places up north in Pacifico, there is little to no signal.
In General Luna, there are cafés with good wifi and also accommodations that have solid wifi. Rumour has it that they are starting to build a co-working space for 2020.
- Harana Surf (great accommodation, restaurant, and wifi. Every Digital Nomad seems to come here)
- Kook Café (small café with good wifi)
- Bravo (great accommodation with great restaurant and wifi)
Siargao Travel Guide → 15 Things To Do In Siargao
Siquijor
A typhoon went through Siquijor when I was there but luckily that didn’t affect the wifi at the hostel I was staying at.
- Lazy Lizard Hostel (very basic hostel with great wifi and working area)
Siquijor Travel Guide → 3 Day Siquijor Itinerary
Malapascua
There are several Diving resorts with good wifi connections however, I decided to stay on the other side of the island which still had some of the fastest wifi in the Philippines.
- Neverland Hostel (basic hostel with great wifi and working area)
Malapascua Island Guide → 11 Things To Do In Malapascua
Bantayan Island
On my top three places to visit in the Philippines. Bantayan Island is said to be the Boracay of the south and it sure gives it a run for its money!
- Sf Cantina (basic accommodation with good wifi)
Bantayan Island Guide → 15 Things To Do In Bantayan
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Boracay
Boracay Island is the most talked-about island in the Philippines and it’s easy to see why! Boracay is covered with resorts and hotels so it will be easy finding good wifi there.
- Ferra Hotel & Garden Suites (amazing hotel with great wifi)
Boracay Travel Guide → 15 Things To Do In Boracay
Carabao Island
A tiny undiscovered island close to Boracay. There aren’t too many accommodations here but the main ones will have wifi but it’s not the best internet in the Philippines.
- The Beach House (great accommodation with okay wifi)
Carabao Travel Guide → 7 Best Things To Do In Carabao
Carabao Island
Tablas Island
Tablas Island is actually quite a big island, however, there are little to no tourists there. The wifi connection is ok in the two places I stayed.
- Cummings Highlands Resort & Treehouse (great accommodation with good wifi)
- Footprints Beach Resort (good accommodation with good wifi)
Tablas Travel Guide → 10 Things To Do In Tablas
Romblon Island
A small island with several beach resorts. Definitely not the best wifi in the Philippines but the beauty of the island makes up for that.
- Reggae Vibes De Isla Romblon (good accommodation with wifi)
Romblon Travel Guide → 12 Epic Things To Do In Romblon
Puerto Princesa
Puerta Princesa has a lot of accommodations, restaurants, and cafés so you’ll easily find some of the best wifi in the Philippines here.
- White Breeze Boutique Hotel (amazing hotel with great wifi and working area)
El Nido
El Nido is quite touristy with lots of restaurants, cafés, and accommodations. You shouldn’t struggle to find good wifi.
- Sea Cocoon Hotel (great hotel with fast wifi)
El Nido Travel Guide → El Nido Island Hopping
Coron
The most popular Hostel in Coron is Hop Hostel and we were going to stay there but it was booked out.
Instead, we decided to book a very basic local accommodation and after hearing from our friends that the internet at Hop Hostel was not working since everybody was on it, I’m glad we didn’t stay there.
- Apo Pension House (Basic hostel with great wifi and working area)
Coron Travel Guide → Coron Island Hopping
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Summary – WiFi in Philippines
I hope you enjoyed reading this article and if you have any questions, please leave me a comment below this post and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
For a quicker response, be sure to join Jonny Melon’s Travel Tribe on Facebook and post your questions or recommendations to our awesome community.
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THANKS FOR READING
Hey friend, thanks for reading this guide!
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Many thanks!
Hi! Thanks for Your tips! Do you think it is possible to have Teams/ zoom meetings in El Nido or Coron?
You’re most welcome, and yes that should be fine!
Hi Jonny,
we are thinking about going to Siquijor for 10 days to get some remote work done. Right now we are in Coron and it is really annoying to work here. Would you say it’s better in Siquijor? Is there more cell phone coverage? We mostly use our cell phones as hot spots.
Thanks a lot for your great (and very helpful!) website – we already found a lot of tips here!
All the best, Kathi
Hi Kathi, I am glad you enjoy my site and find it useful! I feel ya, I struggled to get any work done in Coron, and unfortunately, Siquijor was no better, unless you book a nicer hotel and they have solid wi-fi. I would reach out to the hotel directly and get them to send you a screenshot of the download and upload speeds. Hope this helps and let me know if there’s anything else I can help you with 🙂
Okay, thanks a lot for your fast reply. Then we will skip Siquijor for now and find another place for our workation 😉
thanks for the guide can you talk about what kind of plane ticket we should buy if we want to stay for 3 months ect… i have read you have to have a return ticket with in your initial visa of 59 day did you buy a return ticket land extend your visa and then change the the ticket ?
hey lewis, usually i buy a one way ticket and no return ticket. i use a website called best onward ticket which generates a legit flight leaving the country that you can show at the check in counter if they ask for a return or onward ticket, the cost is around $20.
I love you for this list man!! Life saver.
A pleasure, thanks for reading!