I’ve Lived in 6 Locations As a Digital Nomad; One Was Greatest for Working

The Mediterranean sparkles to my left as I sort from a foldable desk on the terrace of a comfortable dwelling in a quiet coastal city in Spain. Rolling inexperienced hills stretch to my proper, framing the area that shall be dwelling for the following three months, till we pack up and transfer once more.

It has been 12 months since my husband and I launched into a nomadic life. We bought the whole lot, ended our four-year condominium lease in Singapore, and boarded a one-way flight to Bali. Since then, we have labored from Bali, Rome, Tuscany, Bangkok, Phuket, and now the coast of Alicante in Spain.

Associates and fellow vacationers usually ask, “The place’s your favourite place to work?” I am generally hesitant to reply as a result of it is so subjective. Selecting a base as a nomad includes a unique set of standards than selecting a trip spot. For me, components like neighborhood, longer-stay visas, dependable WiFi, quick access to nature, and a vibrant wellness scene are on the high of the guidelines.

Nonetheless, if I had to decide on, the place that stands out— and one I might fortunately return to — is Bali.

I felt at dwelling

Bali was my first port of name as a digital nomad, and I spent a cheerful 4 months working and dwelling there.

Regardless of web discourse about how “overrun” components of the island have change into, it stays my favorite place to work remotely to today. Maybe I am biased — with my Indonesian roots and years of vacationing there, I really feel immediately at dwelling.

My husband and I selected Berawa as our base, a laidback neighbourhood simply outdoors the thrill of Canggu. Positioned on Bali’s southern coast, Canggu has reworked from a sleepy surf village into the island’s hippest enclave, filled with fashionable cafés and black sand seashores that draw yogis and surfers in equal measure.

This was my first time staying in Berawa, and it turned out to be the perfect spot for an prolonged keep. You get proximity to the motion of Canggu with out really dwelling within the thick of it. My two-bedroom villa, tucked down a quiet lane off a principal street, positioned me lower than 10 minutes from central Canggu.

Bali’s value of dwelling has crept up lately, however it nonetheless supplied worth for our longer keep. Our villa hire was $1,800 a month, which included a pool, quick WiFi, and weekly cleansing — lower than half of what I might paid for my condominium in Singapore.

A distant employee’s dream setup

Bali was a straightforward place to get began on my nomad life. The island is exceptionally well-equipped for lengthy stays: the WiFi is usually dependable, there are many supermarkets and pharmacies out there for every day requirements, and ride-hailing apps are reasonably priced and handy.

After a yr on the street, I’ve come to understand how uncommon this mix is.

The island additionally boasts top-of-the-line distant work ecosystems I’ve skilled, from coworking areas like Outpost and BWork to laptop-friendly cafés. I rotated via just a few favourites: the workspace upstairs at Woods, Zin Cafe, and Lighthouse, a coworking café with lovely rice discipline views and its personal on-site podcast and video studio.

It is also straightforward to remain lively and wholesome in Bali. Gyms, yoga studios, and reasonably priced massages are aplenty, particularly round Berawa. And meals choices are nice: from warungs serving aromatic native dishes to health-forward cafés and world-class eating places.

When work felt overwhelming and I wanted a break, I might hop on a scooter and be on the seashore in minutes. There have been additionally many choices for weekend escapes: We managed journeys to the pristine Nusa Lembongan and Ceningan islands, a day journey to serene Sidemen, and explored the east coast’s slower-paced seashore cities like Amed and Candidasa.

These experiences revealed a quieter, extra soulful aspect of Bali — one I might missed on previous quick journeys.

The downsides

After all, no place is ideal. Site visitors in Canggu may be chaotic, and the island’s infrastructure remains to be catching up with its tourism progress. There’s additionally a digital nomad neighborhood that, at occasions, can really feel like a bubble and disconnected from genuine native life.

However as soon as you discover your rhythm and favorite nooks, it is simple to tune out the noise and settle into Bali’s slower, softer tempo.

I made it a degree to skip the touristy spots, keep simply outdoors the primary areas, and design my life and routine across the form of expertise I needed.

A yr into nomadic dwelling, I’ve felt uprooted, disoriented, and sometimes exhausted. However in Bali, I discovered a model of myself I favored: Centered, centered, and rested.