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Getting started: where to?


by @vforvalerio87 6yr  | 3 comments

Hi everybody!

I just joined this community because Iโ€™m currently in a place in life where I can live the digital nomad lifestyle and I feel like I would really be missing out if I didnโ€™t catch this opportunity. I work fully remotely, no fixed hours, I currently live in northern Italy and I basically have no partner or kids.

So, the question isโ€ฆ where to? I would love to hear the advice of more experienced digital nomads!
Laptop and internet is enough for me to work but I need decent internet for conferencing and I really have to put in the hours: some days are more relaxed, others Iโ€™ll have to work all day and night.
I enjoy more temperate climates, so no torrid heat or unbearable humidity, if possible.
I like decent food but Iโ€™m very adaptable in terms of tastes: anything is fine as long as quality is good and sanitary conditions are acceptable.
I absolutely do not enjoy the club life and would just rather go hiking during the weekends and pubs (or breweries) during the evenings. Iโ€™m a social person though and I donโ€™t particularly enjoy places where people are too introverted (been in Seattle for four monthsโ€ฆ the freeze is real); I really look forward to making friends or acquaintances wherever I end up.
I enjoy decent transportation so places where thereโ€™s a viable metro system or Uber actually works would be nice.
I prefer places with a bit more of history and culture (this is one of the reasons why I absolutely loved Portugal, for example).
Iโ€™d like to spend under $3k average per month for rent, food and going out.

For now I was thinking either:

  • Staying close to home for a first experience, so something like Vienna or Berlin
  • South East Asia; Iโ€™ve been to Hong Kong a few times before, now I was thinking either Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi, or possibly Thailand
  • South America, especially Colombia. I also have some people I know in Bogota and in Medellin, which I think would be a plus

When? Ideally I would leave anywhere from mid to late March and stay away for 2 or 3 months.

Sorry for the long read, I hope to get some input. Thank you for your time, if we ever meet in person I owe you a beer (or whatever youโ€™d prefer).

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@duncanm 6yr

Congrats on making the leap and getting started! I solo travelled Europe from March to May, 2018. From the cities I visited (Prague, Amsterdam, Porto, Madrid, Barcelona) I would say Prague is the best place to start based on what youโ€™ve said.

Internet and Remote Working Conditions
You wonโ€™t have an issue at all with strong internet. Most cafeโ€™s have free wifi. Also there are a TON of cafeโ€™s all around Prague. The coffee culture is huge there so youโ€™ll see a lot of people chilling in coffee shops for a few hours working. The businesses are also very open to people staying there all day. Just be friendly and order at least a tea or coffee to support the business and youโ€™ll feel totally welcome. I can suggest a few of my favorite cafes to work in if youโ€™d like. Just send me a message on here.

Climate
I was there in March and it was freezing Iโ€™m not gonna lie. But by the end of March there were some beautiful and warm days. I would suggest going in April based on my experience for the perfect weather. Everyone takes advantage of the weather too, so youโ€™ll see a lot of people outside walking and eating outside. There are also some nice parks and great places to run if you enjoy โ€œurban runningโ€ and exploring the city that way.

Food
I found all the food to be just OK. It wasnโ€™t great, but it wasnโ€™t bad. The good thing is itโ€™s very cheap compared to big city prices, so you can afford to go to better restaurants for higher quality stuff. Comfort food is more popular hereโ€ฆa lot โ€œmeat and potatoesโ€ kind of places. Dumplings and Goulash (spelling?) are some of the traditional dishes.

Social
I was there for a month, and during that time I made a lot of friends. Everyone was so friendly and approachable it was incredible. Pro tip, learn basic words and phrases in Czech. They will be surprised and love it if you can pronounce the food and order in Czech. Itโ€™s also a great conversation starter. The language is pretty easy in my opinion so learning basic phrases shouldnโ€™t take you long. People were not shy or introverted at all. Like I said, making friends was really easy.

Transportation
I had a great experience with public transportation. It was on time for the most part. Google maps was pretty reliable in terms of delays, changed routes etc. Prague a great place to fly out of because itโ€™s close to some other great cities for weekend trips. Flights are pretty cheap from Prague as well.

Price
Everything was very cheap when compared to big city prices, as I said. Iโ€™m not sure what prices are like in Northern Italy, but Prague was the cheapest of the places I travelled toโ€ฆPorto might have been a bit cheaper?? You wont have a problem spending under 3k for the month. What kind of places are you planning on staying? Hotel? Airbnb? Do you like nice amenities or hostel life?

If you have any other questions Iโ€™d be happy to help, just send me a message. Good luck!

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There are so many options to consider which is really exciting. My first real home away from home was Chiang Mai, Thailand. Iโ€™ve been to a dozen countries since becoming nomadic and I still consider it the best location for nomads. Itโ€™s just so easy and the value for money canโ€™t be beaten.

Iโ€™ve also spent some time in Athens which is closer to you and Iโ€™d also consider it as an option. Itโ€™s cheap, the food and culture is amazing and the weather is also decent most of the year. The biggest issue for nomads is the Internet and lack of quality co-working spaces.

Iโ€™m currently in Medellin and would also recommend it. Itโ€™s not as good as Chiang Mai but a good option. It has the best weather Iโ€™ve experienced outside of my home country of South Africa.

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Hi there!

Iโ€™d recommend going around Taiwan. Itโ€™s less popular and crowded than Thailand, but thereโ€™s a number of good spots to visit and stay. The island is stretched to North and South and transportation is efficient and reliable, so take a train or head for hitchhiking/bike adventure if you like. Also going South will give you warmer temperatures.

Staying along the East coast in a place like Hualien will give you plenty of hiking opportunity while staying around Kenting in the South will result in lots of surfing. The internet is pretty good throughout Taiwan and of course, you should get a local sim card with lots of data to tether in case of emergency :slight_smile:

Cities are concrete jungles, quite similar to what youโ€™ve seen in Hong Kong. What I liked the most are natural landscapes there. If you enjoy Portugal, itโ€™s worth to mention that some time ago Taiwan was called (for good reasons) Ilha Formosa, which is Beautiful Island :wink:

Enjoy and hope to meet you there or elsewhere :beers:

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Read and participate in 14,117 discussions on Nomads.com

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How do I ensure that getting refused entry to the UK won't keep me from getting an Australian 462 (work and holiday) visa?


in Australia by @allisonkirschbaum 6yr 6 years ago  | 0 comments

On New Yearโ€™s Day this year, I was refused entry to the UK due to not having proof of funds, an outward-bound plane ticket (I was road-tripping out with a friend via car) and not being able to prove that I had indeed canceled the lease on the apartment I had leased during a prior recent trip.

I havenโ€™t had any entry issues to any of the several countries Iโ€™ve visited after, but now Iโ€™m applying for a 462 visa (work and holiday) visa in Australia, and since Australia and the UK share an immigration info system, I want to make sure getting refused entry wonโ€™t keep me from getting a visa. None of the issues that cropped up in the UK (the proof of funds, the plane ticket, and the apartment) will be an issue in Australia, as Iโ€™ve never traveled there before, donโ€™t know anyone and will have proof of more than sufficient funds for the trip and an outbound plane ticket.

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Many thanks in advance! :smiley:

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Anyone have tips for preventing or getting over jet lag? ๐Ÿ˜“๐Ÿ˜ดโœˆ๏ธ


by @artofbryce 6yr 6 years ago  | 10 comments

We just finished our first stint around South East Asia and somehow survived 3 days of way too many flights, leaving me to feel like death.

Too much shitty airplane food, not enough sleep, big time difference from Mexico to SEA.

Anyone have tips to prevent that more in the future (aside from better flight plans)? More importantly, how do I recover faster from this horror?

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in Russia by @shaulsolomon 7yr 7 years ago  | 1 comment

I am an English/American currently in Israel, and heading in a week to Georgia/Armenia for two weeks and then want to head to Russia for a week.
As I am only in Israel for another week, would it be possible to apply for the visa in Israel and ask to receive it in Armenia (my last stop before I want to go to Russia)?
Or perhaps there is another better option that I have available?

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How to avoid getting your stuff stolen?


by @matthieudrula 7yr 7 years ago  | 8 comments

Hey guys,
My question might be blunt ahah but โ€ฆ how do you get your stuff stolen?
Do you stay in hostels, or shady hotels? Or do you get robbed?
I stopped using hostel with outsiders and I pretty much only use budget hotel now.
I have heard about an app that take screenshots of your room and send it to you if it detects movement too so you can alert the hotel staff.
I donโ€™t want to make everybody paranoiac too ;).

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Am I being silly by worrying about getting Zika in Bali? ๐Ÿ˜•


by @metamas 7yr 7 years ago  | 5 comments

Bali was at the top of my short-list of places to go DM for 1-3 months until I saw it had the โ€œZykaโ€ tag on Nomad List :scream: . Iโ€™m not super read-up on the whole state of Zyka, other than occurrences of infection being on a decline (for now), but I am a worrisome enough person about such things that it has got me reconsidering. Though, it still seems to not be stopping the rate of DMs visiting Baliโ€ฆ

Is there cause for large concern here, or I am just being a nut? โ€ฆItโ€™s been known to happen pretty frequently over such things :anguished: :face_with_thermometer: :mask:

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Is it just me or are Airbnb prices getting way out of hand?

 

by @srg_b 7yr 7 years ago  | 37 comments

I had this impression for a while now, but now it seems impossible to find a monthly stay over airbnb for a decent price. Just now I was looking at Utrecht which averages at 2500 euro per month for a studio. People seem to provide only small monthly discounts. In my last few trips I relied on Facebook groups for finding stay. I do have decent budget but paying โ‚ฌ1500+ for a studio in a European city simply seems ridiculous. How is everyone else finding accommodation?

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How do you avoid getting charged large fees by your bank when withdrawing overseas?


by @creative_nomad_ 7yr 7 years ago  | 14 comments

Hi All,

My question is about banking when it comes to being overseas/working etc. How do you avoid getting charged large fees by your bank when withdrawing overseas?

Iโ€™m originally from Australia and do my banking still in Australia. I live in the UK and most recently was living in Vietnam where I found I had to withdrawl money just to get charged very large amounts from my Aussie bank.

How do you get around this? What can you recommend.

Thanks

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How do you deal with getting data on your mobile while travelling?


by @nomads_and_drifters 8yr 8 years ago  | 15 comments

Hi,
I wondered how everybody deals with getting data on their phone in each country they travel. Is there a way around it? It is always such a pain having to buy and activate sim cards everywhere. I have tried the company โ€œworldsimโ€ and had an international sim for a while, but they where terrible and ended up to be super expensive.

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As a woman and/or minority, are there any places you would not recommend traveling to?

 

by @gigigriffis 8yr 8 years ago  | 29 comments

Hi all!

So, Iโ€™m in Colombia at the moment and have experienced some really intense harassment and even violence here. I was shocked because itโ€™s been recommended to me by so many people, and so I thought perhaps it would be useful to start a thread here where we (we being women and other minorities) can talk about places where we recommend either not traveling or being particularly on guard.

So, are there any places youโ€™ve been where youโ€™ve experienced more violence, harassment, or maltreatment? Are there any places that you recommend other women/LGBT/ethnic minorities be particularly careful or not travel to?

I donโ€™t want this to become a super negative thing or a personal preference thing, but I am hoping to get some insight into areas that might be more concerning and/or unsafe for certain groups so that we can all make informed decisions about where we want to spend our time. I really wish someone would have been frank with me about the issues here in Colombia, so Iโ€™m hoping we can be frank with each other about places where we havenโ€™t felt 100% safe.

So, Iโ€™ll start:

Iโ€™ve had little to no problems in other parts of South and Central America, but here in Colombia I have witnessed not only street harassment, but also actual violence and malice and, worse, have seen people who could do something to stop it shrugging it off and saying โ€œitโ€™s normal here.โ€ I would not recommend it for women and particularly women traveling alone.

Similarly, in Morocco I felt very uncomfortable as a female traveler. There wasnโ€™t as much yelling or in-your-face harassment, but there was a ton of staring, men invading my space (standing over me in a bus and staring down at me from less than a foot away, for example), and men treating me like a second-class citizen (refusing to let me pass them on the sidewalk and instead forcing me to go around them into a busy street). I was traveling with a friend and we were both pretty exhausted by the end of the trip.

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Working remotely in New Zealand and getting permanent residency?


in New Zealand by @mmorris 8yr 8 years ago  | 4 comments

Soโ€ฆ Trump is Prez. The world looks to the US as a role model. He doesnโ€™t think Climate Change is real. Weโ€™re !@#$ed.

Canadian Citizen here. Was considering Costa Rica for a long term solution, but they wonโ€™t deal with the impact as well. We were always fond of NZ and my parents spend at least 3 months of the year there along with knowing some citizens.

Questions:

  1. How can we gain a Permanent Residency Visa? It seems the Skilled Migrant Category makes the most sense as I am a Systems Analyst (by NAFTA requirments) and my wife could probably qualify as a Nutritionist/Naturopath/Counsellor. Anyone have experience with this path?
  2. I currently work for a US non-profit remotely. Does NZ allow for this? do I need a job in NZ to be considered for the Skilled Migrant Category? Can I work for the US org while my Permanent Residency is processed?

Thanks!

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Worth waiting until getting to Asia to buy gadgets?


by @skewed_corp 8yr 8 years ago  | 7 comments

Iโ€™m ticking off my lists before I venture off again and am starting to purchase stuff like 4G Routers, Wireless speakers, Mice, etc.

The only thing isโ€ฆ all of the stuff is shipped from Asia in the first place. Are all these gadgets readily available in a place like Bangkok and is it worth waiting to save on costs?

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Where's home? Where do you return to?


by @magalhini 8yr 8 years ago  | 10 comments

Hi there!

Iโ€™m sorry if this question has been asked before, whether in disguise or directly, but I couldnโ€™t find its own dedicated topic and I find it very interesting to talk about.

One of my issues with the remote working world is the lack of knowledge of where to return to. After a one/two/ten month stint living and working somewhere else (say Airbnbโ€™ing or a short let, meaning a place that is NOT yours by any means), where do you return to?

  • Do most nomads own a place that you rent while you travel?
  • If not, is this something that you consider doing?
  • Do you return to your home country before deciding where to go next? Or do you jump directly somewhere new?
  • And when you return, do you find the need to be in a personal, private space? (ie, not sharing with strangers 24/7 365 days a year)

Speaking for myself, Iโ€™ve gotten rid of my apartment in Portugal 2 years ago and moved to London simply for the pursuit of new and interesting opportunities. Iโ€™m now, at last, working remotely and I plan on working and living for a few weeks/months in random European cities, but not knowing where to return after to after thisโ€ฆ is killing me! (I still own too many possessions to carry in a backpack. Not too many, but moving is a hassle).

  • Those of you who travel without a set of keys on you, how do you deal with this thought? Iโ€™m really curious to get to know your views on this.

Thanks in advance. This forum has helped me a lot convincing me that this is a leap I need to make sooner or later :slight_smile: cheers!

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Is getting a work visa then quitting a possibility to stay long-term? (For Colombia)


in Colombia by @matthieudrula 9yr 9 years ago  | 0 comments

In Colombia, I have heard people telling me that once you have a work visa you can enter and not care about what happen if you get fired.
Unlike the USA where if you lose your job, you are *****ed.
Is it a possibility to get a job, get in, open a bank account(not sure if thatโ€™s a good idea since itโ€™s not going to receive a consistent flow of cash from a Colombian company), then quit and work as a freelance remote.

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Which city in Belize should we go to?


in Belize by @zoxel 9yr 9 years ago  | 1 comment

Hello every one, me and my wife are looking into moving to Belize next year to try it out :slightly_smiling: We are looking for quite place to rent, comfortable with ADSL internet or faster and we will probably buy a car if we like Belize. What can you advise? What city\village? Looking forward for your advice

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Should I buy a SIM card for a country before getting there?


by @idrisraja 9yr 9 years ago  | 7 comments

Does anyone know of a service where I can buy SIM cards for countries before actually getting to the country? My mobile coverage doesnโ€™t work most places out of the US (or itโ€™s an exorbitant cost). I just want to land in the country, and pop in a SIM card right at the airport.

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by @nunoarruda 9yr 9 years ago  | 13 comments

This is probably a weird question but yeahโ€ฆ I want to get dental braces to fix the gaps on my teeth but I travel each month to a different city/country and I know I would need adjustments/tightening on the braces once in a while.

I guess I would have to visit a different orthodontist every time depending on where I am. Whatโ€™s your opinion?

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A place in Melbourne I can send a box to?


in Melbourne , Australia by @robetus 9yr 9 years ago  | 5 comments

Anyone know of a place I can send a medium sized box to in Melbourne, Australia for up to 60 days? I plan on moving there after a tour through India and SEA and I donโ€™t know exactly when Iโ€™ll be able to pick it up, but it will be within 60 days for sure. I just donโ€™t have an exact date.

There are all kinds of virtual mailbox places in the US that will hold a parcel for up to 60 days for a small monthly fee, but after some searches on the net for places Melbourne I thought Iโ€™d ask here. Thanks for any input.

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Which Canary Island should I go to?


by @jammingsloth 9yr 9 years ago  | 11 comments

Itโ€™s getting cold! I would like to head to the Canaries for a bit come January, and Iโ€™m looking for recommendations.

Desired characteristics:
-good internet (10mb at the very least)
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-accessible (no car required)
-donโ€™t need a party town, but not a geriatric town. Good hiking and outdoor activities.

Anyone have any town/city recommendations?

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Can I ship my MacBook to Thailand without it getting stolen?


in Thailand by @asaf142 9yr 9 years ago  | 2 comments

I plan to be in India for the next 3 - 4 months and then move to Thailand to work.
I plan to keep my MacBook at home till then.

Can I trust the mail in Thailand with it?
Is it safer to take it with me to India? (I really prefer not toโ€ฆ)

To be more specific, by Thailand I mean Chiang Mai or Phuket

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How do you deal with not getting paid when working remotely?


by @pixelfiesta 10yr 10 years ago  | 10 comments

I have had bitter experiences of not been paid for assignments when I have been remote. Its either not paid completely or pair partially or delayed payments. How do you tackle such issues?
Do you take advances? Do you use escrow? or other third-party payment collection agencies?

What payment related problems do you face in working remotely and how do you tackle them?

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