The Philippines is beautiful; with it’s crystal blue waters, remote beaches and friendly locals. So why wouldn’t I go back there?
As a Digital Nomad I have certain expectations and criteria that have to be met in order to stay in one place for an extended period of time. It has to feel like a home away from home and provide me with all the necessities to exist and work there.
Maybe I am just picky? But here are my 5 reasons why I wouldn’t go back to The Philippines as a Digital Nomad.
1. A Digital Nomads' Worst Nightmare
When you’re working remotely, what is the one thing you can’t live without? INTERNET. This has to be one of the worst places for internet. Manila, being that it is the main city was okay, but the other islands I visited the internet had very sketchy wifi and 4G was almost nonexistent. I have been to parts of Mexico and found internet problems, but I can put up with it if there are other amazing aspects. Unfortunately with The Philippines there was little else to offer.
Some cafes and restaurants I went to didn’t have internet at all, which is fine is you’re not working.
2. Don't Expect Avo On Toast
If you are looking for a healthy lifestyle, you probably won’t find it here and definitely not from the food. Do you know what the cuisine is of The Philippines? I’m still not exactly sure and I spent a few months there! It mainly consists of fried food and meats. Being a vegetarian this was challenging for me, so I cooked a lot at home. Although I found fruit and vegetable markets, the choice was limited.
3. Too Many Choices
This is obviously a very first world problem to have. There’s just too many Islands to choose from. And when you only have a limited amount of time to stay in The Philippines due to visa restrictions, it takes a lot of time and effort to research and decide where to go.
I spent weeks googling all the Islands and reading loads of blog posts, trying to decipher which one would be better to spend my time in. I settled on Manila (city), Palawan and Cebu, but towards the end of my time I was wishing I had gone to Siargao.
Once you’ve decided on where you are going, then you have to figure out how to get there, which I will come on to next.
4. Getting Around Is A Faff
The main airport hubs of The Philippines are in Manila and Cebu city. This means if you are flying from one Island to another, the chances are you’ll need to do two flights with a stopover in one of these airports making the journey unnecessarily long and a faff.
Some of the Islands are pretty big, for example I flew to Puerto Princesa in Palawan and got a shuttle bus to El Nido which should take around 5 hours.
I always Rome 2 Rio to help me figure out my travel routes.
5. Where's The History And Culture?
I spent a lot of time in Bali and even though it is incredibly touristy now, Bali still has so much wonderful history and culture. You really feel it from the locals too, where you can find them out early in the morning tending to their rice fields or doing their religious rituals. The Philippines doesn’t have this. The islands are beautiful, but it’s been built up purely for tourists so you don’t get a true Filipino community feel.
Now if you are a city person, I wouldn’t recommend any of the cities I went to. Manila is purely a business city. Cebu and Puerto Princesa have nothing going for them as far as cities go. I personally didn’t feel safe when I was there and that’s key for when you are travelling.
If you are looking for somewhere that has lots of rich culture to immerse yourself in, Mexico is the place! You can read my post; The Best Destination For a Female Digital Nomad.
The Best Parts Of The Philippines
Those are the reasons why I wouldn’t go back to The Philippines as a Digital Nomad. However if you are travelling, holidaying or honeymooning then there are plenty of reasons you SHOULD visit The Philippines.
- Every local you meet is really friendly and always willing to help or give advice.
- There is a lot of beauty to see and a lot of islands to explore. You can hike through lush forests or go island hopping to find untouched, white sandy beaches. You will never run out of things to do.
- If you are in to sea life, The Philippines is one of the best places for snorkelling and diving. There’s plenty of diving schools that cater for complete beginners to expert divers. I swam with turtles, a huge school of sardines and loads of bright and beautiful fish and coral.
- Food and drinks are very cheap, particularly in the more remote places like Moalboal. Cocktails can cost £2.00 and dinner is around £4.00. But you can eat and drink even cheaper if you go to the more local places.
- The weather of course! You can expect lots of sunshine and blue skies, but do your research and avoid typhoon season.
- There are plenty of people travelling around The Philippines so you won’t struggle to make new friends.
Don’t get me wrong, I would like to go back to The Philippines, but not as a Digital Nomad. Travelling around and enjoying the pristine beaches, visiting different Islands and going on a few excursions in a shorter period of time would be better. It’s more difficult to set up a home away from home there.
Let me know if you have been to The Philippines and if you loved it or felt the same as me?
Amber x