Siquijor for Nomads, everything you need to know (2025)
- Andre Serrano
- Feb 12
- 8 min read
Updated: Feb 15
Real info from a real person, about Siquijor
Why should you stay in San Juan area?
Siquijor is a tiny, underdeveloped island—which is part of its charm! But for us digital nomads, “charming” doesn’t pay the bills, so choosing the right place to stay is crucial.
Here’s what we absolutely need to survive (and thrive):
⚡ Stable electricity – Because working by candlelight is only romantic in theory.
📡 Reliable, fast internet – We love island life, but not when our Zoom calls freeze mid-sentence.
📱 Good phone service – A backup plan for when the Wi-Fi ghosts us.
🏝 And most importantly… close to paradise! – Because what's the point of working remotely if your office isn’t steps away from turquoise waters and coconut trees?
For all these reasons above, San Juan in Siquijor is your place.
All the other areas of Siquijor, dont fit these criteria above.
For example, Siquijor Town, by the port, is the main and most developed area of Siquijor. Sure, it ticks the boxes around Electricity, and Internet, but the place itself is not a paradise.
San Juan, is not perfect either. But we will cover that with more details below.
Electricity, is that a problem?
Yes.
The famous brown outs happen in the island more often than we want. Sometimes they are planned, (due to some maintenance work that needs to happen in the powerline), some other times they just happen out of the blue.
The solution?
⚡ Stay in a place with a generator. Some hotels and airbnbs in San Juan area have generators, so you just need to ask them about that.
📱Stay in an area that your phone service is good enough to use it as a hotspot. That worked for me like a charm. (more info about phone service, here)
For you to be aware of the PLANNED brown outs, follow this facebook page.
Note: Prosielco announces the power interruptions for the WHOLE island of Siquijor. So when checking their facebook page posts, always look for the area San Juan.
I just saw that one will happen tomorrow from 5.am to noon. Ouch.
Internet Wifi: A Lifesaver or a Letdown?
Starlink is the hero we all need in the Philippines. But if your hotel is sharing one Starlink connection among 40 rooms, well… let’s just say even Starlink has its limits. At that point, you’re better off sending smoke signals.
The real solution? Stay in an Airbnb with Starlink—preferably a full house, just for you. That way, your internet stays fast, stable, and frustration-free.
I’ve tried fancy hotels, but by 3 or 4 PM, when everyone returns from their tours, the WiFi slows to a crawl. You can practically hear the collective groans as guests struggle to load a single Instagram story.
So before booking an Airbnb, ask these crucial questions:📌 Do you have Starlink?📌 How many other rooms or houses are sharing it? (Some buildings split one connection across multiple flats—trust me, I learned this the hard way.)
For extra peace of mind, I even ask hosts to send me a screenshot of a speed test. Because let’s be real—only we digital nomads know the sheer terror of trying to join an important meeting, only to realize the internet is not working. Better safe than stuck refreshing forever. 🚀
Phone Service what, where?
When Wi-Fi decides to take a vacation, hotspotting my phone is the backup plan. But in San Juan, Siquijor, phone service is a game of chance—in one street, you're riding the 5G wave, and the next, you’re back to the dark ages, holding your phone to the sky like a lost traveler praying for a signal.
📍 Near Paliton Beach? Forget it. Your best bet for communication is telepathy.📍 Capilay Spring Water Park? Suddenly, you’re back in the digital age with full bars and smooth calls. (And yes, I survive on seven hours of Zoom calls a day, and my phone service has never failed me—no lags, no robotic voices, no accidental trips back to dial-up speeds.)
Which Provider Works Best?
✅ SMART is king in Siquijor. Want to stay connected? Get an eSIM before you even arrive: 👉 SMART eSIM Prepaid
❌ Globe? Let’s just say… in Siquijor, their coverage is more of a suggestion than a reality.
Transport in Siquijor
Siquijor is just like any other small island in Southeast Asia—meaning scooters rule the roads (and sometimes the sidewalks).
Scooters 🛵
Rentals range from ₱250 to ₱500 per day, but the sweet spot is ₱350 for a 100cc scooter. Stay longer than 10 days? Haggle it down to ₱250 - consider it a long-term relationship discount.
Most hotels and hostels either have scooters ready for rent or know a guy who knows a guy who’ll bring one in minutes.
Worried about needing a driver’s license? Don’t be. No one here will ever ask. In fact, some hostels are so chill they’ll even teach you how to ride a scooter before renting it to you. Because what could possibly go wrong? 😆
Mind you, from time to time I see some police patrols in the island, stopping bikers. They stopped me twice, and as I was wearing a helmet and had my driving license (I have a regular UK driving license), I had no problem.
I don't know what would happen if I didn't have my driving license. I will get informed about this and share this info here. (let me know in the comments if you are interested)
Tricycles 🚖
Tricycles are the island’s version of taxis—except one ride usually costs more than renting a scooter for the whole day. Unless you love throwing money away or want a bumpy tour of the island at 20 km/h, they’re not the most practical choice.
We need to EAT as well
Good news—food in Siquijor is cheap compared to other islands in the Philippines. You can dine at a fancy restaurant with live music and still spend no more than ₱600.
But let’s be real—we digital nomads aren’t on vacation. We need to stretch our pesos (because let’s face it, more savings = more travel). So here’s the lowdown on where to eat, whether you’re feeling fancy or just need a solid, budget-friendly meal.
Cool Restaurants (Great Vibes, Not So Cheap) 💰
📍 BahaBar – My absolute favorite on the island! Delicious Filipino food with a great atmosphere.
📍 Dolce Amore – The most expensive restaurant in Siquijor, but worth every peso. High-quality Italian food that’ll make you question why you’re in the Philippines and not Rome.
📍 Don Juan Bar and Restaurant – Beachfront dining with an extensive menu. One of the best spots for a scenic meal.
Good Food, Super Cheap (Because We Love a Bargain) 💸
📍 Lovez – Tiny roadside spot serving Filipino food for just ₱120 per meal. Pro tip: If you want their barbecue, RUN! They sell out by 6:30 PM.
📍 Enchanted – A bit far, but some of the best food on the island. And guess what? They deliver. Digital nomad-approved. Meals under ₱200.
📍 Annabelle – The only 24/7 restaurant on the island (as far as I know). Local Filipino food, great for both locals and foreigners. Meals for ₱150 or less. Perfect for late-night hunger emergencies.
Night life in Siquijor
San Juan’s nightlife is exactly what you’d expect from a small island—laid-back, low-key, and scattered across a few bars.
Nothing too wild... unless it's Friday or Saturday.
On weekends, the entire island has a one-track party mind—and that track leads straight to JJ’s Backpackers.
🎶 Live music? Three bands playing all night.
🌍 Crowd? A perfect mix of locals and foreigners.
🏖 Vibes? Dancing barefoot on the beach until 3 or 4 AM.
What else do you need?
Oh, right—the prices. 💸
🎟 Entrance fee: A whopping ₱20 (basically free).
🍺 Beer: Around ₱100 on average.
🥃 Rum & Coke Tower (1 LITRE!): Just ₱500—because moderation is overrated.
Clearly, JJ’s is made for both locals and backpackers—affordable, fun, and probably where you’ll wake up with sand in your pockets.
Best things to do in Siquijor
I love this island so much that I have created this video, showing the best places to visit in Siquijor.
I hope this shows you how much love I have for this island and what are the amazing things there is to do there.
The places I show on the video are:
Cambugahay Falls (for the waterfalls)
CangBangag Falls (for the waterfalls)
Lugnason Falls (for the waterfalls)
Canghaling Cave (for caving)
Cantabon Cave (for caving)
Paliton Beach (for the best sunset in the island)
Salagdoong Beach and Cliffs (for the beach and cliff jumps)
Tubod Beach (or Coco Groove beach- for the beach and snorkeling)
Tubod Marine Sanctuary (for snorkeling)
Sawang Point (for snorkeling)
Tulapos Marine Sanctuary (for snorkeling)
Pitogo Cliff (for cliff jumps)
Best time to visit Siquijor
As with every island, you want to avoid the rainy season.
So, officially all the forecast websites will tell you that the dry season is from Jan to Jun, but are the other months really that bad?
This graph will help answer this question
From my personal experience
Even during the so-called "rainy season," the weather in Siquijor isn’t that bad. Sure, you’ll get a little wet here and there, but rain showers are usually quick, and even on a rainy day, you’ll still get hours of sunshine.
That said, the weather is unpredictable.
Take one November, for example—I got a full week of non-stop rain. No sun, no blue skies, just me questioning all my life choices. But in my experience, that was the exception, not the rule.
But hey, don’t just take my word for it—I’m no meteorologist. I just check the sky and hope for the best, like everyone else. 😆
Places to stay in Siquijor
Siquijor might be a small island, but when it comes to accommodation, it’s got options. Whether you’re looking for:
🏝 Fancy resorts like Coco Grove (for those who like their island life with a touch of luxury),
🏡 High-end hostels like Fable and Blue House (where the vibe is as good as this paradisiacal island), or
💸 Budget-friendly stays (for when you'd rather spend your pesos on adventures).
You can spend anywhere between ₱500 to ₱10,000 per night—so pick your comfort level (and your budget).
My Personal Struggle with Accommodation
I like my privacy. No shared dorms. AC is a must. But I also love that hostel community vibe where you meet awesome people. That’s why I always face the great travel dilemma: comfort vs. social life.
My Recommendations
👥 For the social butterflies: Fable or Blue House – These hostels are designed to bring people together. They host family dinners every night, and the layout makes it impossible not to make new friends.
🚫 Where I wouldn’t stay: Mad Monkey. It’s a well-known hostel chain, but in Siquijor, it’s in the middle of nowhere. I keep hearing travelers complain about feeling isolated—so unless your idea of fun is being stranded, I’d skip it.
At the end of the day, it all depends on what you want—beachside luxury, a social backpacker scene, or a quiet place to recharge. Just choose wisely... or risk being that person who has to hitch a ride back to civilization. 😆
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