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| 25 May | 2mo | 25 Jul | 25 Jul 25 May |  | Canggu, Bali30°C | Indonesia | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 May | 5d | 14 May | 14 May 9 May |  | Tokyo24°C | Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 May | 3d | 9 May | 9 May 6 May |  | Seoul25°C | South Korea | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22 Apr | 11d | 3 May | 3 May 22 Apr | V | Vietnam | Vietnam | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 Apr | 13d | 14 Apr | 14 Apr 1 Apr |  | Taipei26°C | Taiwan | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25 Feb | 3mo | 25 May | 25 May 25 Feb |  | Bangkok34°C | Thailand | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 Sep '17 | 4d | 12 Sep '17 | 12 Sep '17 8 Sep '17 | | Bangkok34°C | Thailand | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 Sep '17 | 3d | 8 Sep '17 | 8 Sep '17 5 Sep '17 |  | Chiang Mai32°C | Thailand | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 Sep '17 | 4d | 5 Sep '17 | 5 Sep '17 1 Sep '17 |  | Phuket31°C | Thailand | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 28 Aug '17 | 3d | 31 Aug '17 | 31 Aug '17 28 Aug '17 | | Bangkok33°C | Thailand | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 28 Apr '17 | 12d | 10 May '17 | 10 May '17 28 Apr '17 |  | Manila35°C | Philippines | |||||||||||||||||||||||
✨ Recommended destinations
This is an algorithmic recommendation based on @jimmy_colina's trips history to find places people they haven't been to yet that other people with similar travels as them also went.
Nomad-ed here for a month. A totally ok place if you have the budget for it. Coworking spaces are good, 4g everywhere, transportation is effective. Lots of things to do. I was able to find friends. Lots of international people, very few digital nomads. If you're there, consider not renting in the center (as it gets expensive fast) and being creative with places to eat to find cheap options. Be prepared to use cash unless you live in a luxury.
Stay in luxury Airbnb with all mod cons for less than $700 per month. Eat for less than $5. It’s clean and has everything you need, including great supermarkets and restaurants. Stay away from KL if you want history etc, but if you’re an expat this ticks every box.
It's possible to live in Hong Kong on the cheap. You've got to live far out in the New Territories, or on an outlying island. I spent a summer living happily on Lamma Island for ~$500USD/month in rent for one bedroom in a shared flat. Rent is really the only tricky part--everything else is relatively cheap.
London is an amazing city but it's eye-wateringly expensive, don't expect to save money... Expect to be paying a minimum of £600/month for a bedroom in a shared house (and for this price you'll be in zone 2/3). Look on spareroom for houseshares and openrent for flats. Download the app Citymapper to help you get around it's a godsend - London is a massive city and it can take ages to get from one place to the next. There's tonnes of cafes, workspaces and public spaces to work in (Google campus, Barbican, Southbank centre etc). World class food, world class culture, people from all over the world! Liberal city, mostly safe... Bad air quality though. Don't come here thinking you can do it cheap as you will end up in a 10 person houseshare with a dodgy landlord and be stuck in some crap area of town. It's a hard, ruthless and expensive city to break into, plus we have a population of over 8.6MILLION so competition is tough. There's start-ups on every corner so plenty of people in similar situations. Just factor in the cost and be willing to stay for a while (so you can properly embrace the city) and you'll have a blast.
One of the most well known cities, few will be surprised by what they see and experience. Very high cost of living can make it tough for many nomads. A lot of things to see and do but most of that costs money. Can feel overwhelming and oppressively business oriented (ie, full of very serious yuppies and places catering to them), especially in Manhattan south of Harlem. Ton of single people, which is good on paper but means everyone you date will get distracted by another person, or multiple, unless you are extremely exceptional, before you have a chance to meet again, never ends. Weather sucks hard from July to August and January to March/April. It's an okay city if you're a biker and varies a lot. Some areas are quite protected, others have no bike lanes. In general, it can be dangerous if you want to commute by bike, it's not Amsterdam. Friendliness of the people varies a lot. I think income/wealth, where they grew up, where they live within NYC, their job, etc. can often give you an idea of what to expect. Service at stores is usually pretty unhelpful and unfriendly but, again, it varies, even within the same store. Internet is fast for the most part. Great selection of food, just a bit pricey besides some of the cheaper pizza slices. Transportation system is good, no need for a car. However, the subway lines are notorious for having issues during rush hour and are usually jam packed. Also, the stations look decrepit and are way out of date. It's pretty safe. Street scams are more prevalent in tourist areas, pick-pocketing and random phone snatching isn't really anything most people worry about. Can be very noisy depending on where you live. You may wake up to extremely loud construction every morning.
This used to be the hotspot for digital nomads in Bali until 2016 when Canggu took over. It’s more deserted now and mostly filled with Chinese tourbuses, older Euro families and some yoga girls and yogi’s. Not as hip as it once was. Who knows when it will make a revival. I hope.
Been living in 3 different centrally located airbnb in Berlin (2018), each between 800 and 900€ per month for 40-45 sqm (we're two, so 400-450€ each). Each time a full flat and not a shared airbnb, legal now since some months (though it was always possible to get a full flat before as well). Internet was always between 15 and 50 mbps. I spend 100€ per week on food, including restaurants (pretty cheap here), check for Turkish market on Maybachufer and Turkish stores in Neukölln (I spend less on food here than in Chiang Mai!). Berlin is such an awesome place to live, very multicultural, very tolerant, many different neighborhoods, quite relaxed feeling, many parks, lakes all around. No need to speak German at all. Come over here, probably one one of the best place on earth ;) (written in Sept 2018)
"omagad they like totally stole my iphone", "it's like the worst, everybody is like so aggressive" welcome to the Real World, maybe you now learn to appreciate your cosy first world country and stop bitching about your oppression and your rights. Ho Chi Minh is an awesome upcoming city. It has an original and still traditional look and vibe to it, interesting colors (check out japanese district) not swamped with brand shops (the local coffee shops dominate starbucks in terms of quality and design and some are open 24h !). The nightlife also has plenty of options and be sure to enjoy the view from a the many rooftop bars in the city. You get to see a city full of energetic, young people growing their country after a devastating war and under an authoritarian regime. You get a choice between older buildings in D1 or totally new apartment buildings in D2 all at great value prices. There are a lot of people coming here to work remotely and also to start businesses. Decent sports facilities readily available (check out mach's gym, UFC center). If you don't want to spend money on the gym you can always do a workout on one of the many parks that have bars for chalistenics available. However, beware the pollution and always wear a mask, especially in D1. This is the biggest con here in my opinion.
🌎 Regions collected (1 of 9)
🚩 Flags collected (7 of 193)
🛬 Frequent visits
You get somewhat acclimated to the weather after a while (and yes, the right wool fabric is the most breathable one so ignore that previous reviewer). I've stayed here on and off for about 4 years now. The expat crowd is great and there really is a lot of opportunity for collaboration. Many networking events every month and a vibrant startup community. The variety of food is some of the best in the world (although you will have to pay to get quality Western). Shopping is great. Nightlife could be better but should satisfy most people. The real downside is the traffic which has become basically as bad as Jakarta, although Bangkok has much better transporation (both skytrain and subway). Living expenses have risen lately so don't count on this being a budget trip unless you want to resort to street food. Internet speed generally has becoming really great. Fast 4G in all operators. If you stay in a new condo or hotel you will average at least 30Mbit – my current co work place runs at 600.
Really bad city to live and to visit unless you have money to live in BGC.
If you are looking to retire here: Life can be cheap once you get past the initial euphoric stage where, you eat in expensive restaurants that cater to foreigners. Watch where the locals eat and you can really eat rice & “gab kao” (any soup, stew or curry you decide to pour over it) for USD 1.50-2. A small bottled water 30 cents. (To put it into perspective minimum wage here is EUR10/day for locals, 2-3 people usually share a room which cost THEM €135/mo. You can do the math.) Unofficially there is double pricing going on toward foreigners (foreigners pay more). Beware of Mosquitos, Dengue is serious. Sweating can bring it’s unexpected problems. We are naturally covered in yeast which can be caused to accelerate growth in hot humid climates and especially during Monsoon season, you may find yourself subject to Yeast infections and skin Eczema’s, especially if you are overweight and insist on maintaining a bread (Yeast) based diet. Side walks are rare so, if you plan on getting exercise through walking, you will have to drive (transit) to places suitable for safe walking. Jungle walks are nice but with their own natural hazards. Biking, relatively dangerous, unless you go to a track. Automobile drivers practice “instinctive driving” and are ignorant of many rules. There is little consideration for pedestrians or bicycle riders. Properly organized public transportation has begun recently; the oldest form for locals was the Songteaw (an covered open sided, converyed truck with 3 long benches) however, the scheduling is unreliable. Snakes, lizards, spiders and ants are common. The common green garden snake is innocuous however, the mildly venomous, gliding Golden Tree Snake and Cobras are often sighted. Red ants with painful bites are ever present If you intend to build or buy a house, look for as little wood as possible, Termites love a nice wooden door or frame. Phuket is mainly Buddhist & Muslim so, if you want to attend Christan services you will have to transit to them as there are few places here (only 2 or 3 that I have heard of). Pets: plenty of strays (cats & dogs) you can take in or adopt but, please don’t have a pet if you plan on moving away and abandoning it. Tap water cannot be consumed. Phuket is a great home base if you plan on exploring the “oriental” side of the globe. Work is hard to find unless you start your own business which, comes with plenty of it’s own hassles - you will ALWAYS need a Thai intermediary, the system is not transparent and ALL the paperwork is in (bureaucratic) Thai. Please do not try to work locally if you do not have the right visa to do it, the trouble is not pretty. Retired tradesmen often innocently/inadvertently fall into the trap of doing small jobs illegally. If you get paid (money) for your activity, you ARE working. If you are not a repeat offender, you will get off with a salty fine. (Not nice if you are living on a budget). Finally, just let me say, HAVE A HOBBY, have a plan if you tetire here and stick to it. Create/find your routine and find your spaces, this will take about 2 years. Don’t get “distracted”! .... or you may find yourself going back to your native country to escape or live off welfare .... or the parents. Get to know people (locals & expats) well before you share personal details, i.e. be guarded. Good luck!🍀
I just got back here in late 2018 and it's better than ever. People who say "Chiang Mai is overrun by nomads" are really mistaken. I hardly saw them. I did see lots of Chinese and some Korean tourists, but they were all quite nice and mostly around Nimman. There's also the few American vegan midlifer's in the Old City center, but that's about it. Chiang Mai is cool and breezy, there's now public bicycles literally everywhere that you can rent for 250 THB or $6 (per month!) with the MoBike app. The red buses (or Songthaew's) are now legit and don't rip tourists off anymore, so you can drive everywhere for 30 THB or $1. People are nice. It's still super safe, even late a night. The food is better than ever. And thanks to the nomad wave of 2014 in Chiang Mai, there's now lots of hip cafes that allow coworking too. It's a great city.
Seoul is lovely but still has some challenges for nomads. Korean food is great, but most restaurants are used to serving groups, or at least couples. Many times you'll simply be refused service entering a restaurant alone. Unlike Japan, eating alone is stil frowned upon in Korea and mostly impossible. Exceptions are of course expat areas like Itaewon which are more used to it. Also outside signage and menus are mostly still in Korean, without any English translations generally. Even if you learn the Korean characters, you won't know the words, so this makes it impossible to order. This is slowly changing though, especially in hipster areas. You might ask "why does this reviewer care stuff is in English or not, they're in Korea, what does he expect?". Well, it's 2018 and Korea presents itself as an international country, English should be the default sub text. There's more challenges, it's very difficult to meet Koreans, you'll always be seen as the "token" foreigner in social groups. This is understandable and to be fair it's much worse in Japan than Korea. Unless you're in expat areas, you'll feel fairly isolated because Koreans will generally avoid you for fear of having to speak English. This makes it a potentially very lonely experience for any nomads. This is kinda vicious because Koreans look down on people that are alone. Hence the group-eating thing. Solutions to that? Come here with a group of friends. You'll have a MUCH easier time.
Really fun city. I think the easiest big city in Asia for westerners to feel comfortable in. People are generally pretty friendly on a superficial level, quick to smile, laugh, and help. Unfortunately, becoming real friends with Japanese is much more difficult and most cannot speak English. Store staff are mechanically polite like robots, which is better than rude, but also a bit weird. A bit pricey and gets more expensive after a year of residence (after you get taxed based on previous year's salary, same for health insurance fees). You can drink in public at any time, though it's not really a drinker city like some European cities are known for. Clubs and music events are expensive unfortunately, though quite a few options. Great public transport system, can just be a bit confusing with all of the different names. The street layout is completely chaotic, which can be fun but also disorienting. You will often have no idea which direction you are facing, like you are in a giant maze. You can find most major international food options but not in great numbers. Obviously, Japanese food is everywhere though. It's technically on the water, though odds are you will live more inland. Still, you can reach the bay within an hour or so and an actual beach further south in Kanagawa within 90min. Japan itself has a lot of cool things to check out as well. Best time of year are spring (cherry blossoms) and fall (cooler, leaves changing cooler), though there are a series of summer festivals that start in August that are incredible (people dress in traditional clothes, food vendors all over, tons of fireworks, etc.) and they have a lot of Christmas lights and displays in December. Dating for men is not bad, just don't come expecting every woman wants you. As mentioned before, most cannot speak English and they're somewhat conservative overall, not big on casual sex. You may have an advantage in the dating pool if you're not an English teacher, since most western foreign guys there are and that job is known for not paying that well, and definitely do if you can speak Japanese near fluently. Some negatives besides those already mentioned: it's really humid and mold develops quickly, there are A LOT of crows that creeped me out and cicadas that are VERY noisy in the summer, finding the right specialist doctor that also speaks English can be tricky, the friends you make from other countries come and go constantly, a lot of guys with issues come here (socially awkward, major womanizers, right wing nuts, escaping something from their home country, stereotypical anime fanatics, etc.), Japanese men are not anywhere near as friendly as the women are and are more likely to be xenophobic (pretty much like every other country), living space is really small for the price, vegetable selection is pretty limited and expensive, a lot of food products contain soy, subways get really overcrowded during rush hour, popular areas get really overcrowded on weekends, it's not that English friendly especially dealing with contracts and anything government related (there is a free foreigner help service that can help you via phone and usually whatever government stuff you're dealing with will have at least one person on hand who understands English and can help you).
This is really great place to be as a digital nomad. It's not insanely Thailand/Laos cheap however if you're a bit older, 30+ and have a moderately successful business its a steal. If you've done Thailand, Laos, Vietnam etc and want a professional alternative to a backpacker lifestyle then Bali is for you. Internet is great. Food is insanely good, people are very nice- expats + locals. Really glad I found this place. Dojo has awesome wifi :)
🛌 Longest stays
You get somewhat acclimated to the weather after a while (and yes, the right wool fabric is the most breathable one so ignore that previous reviewer). I've stayed here on and off for about 4 years now. The expat crowd is great and there really is a lot of opportunity for collaboration. Many networking events every month and a vibrant startup community. The variety of food is some of the best in the world (although you will have to pay to get quality Western). Shopping is great. Nightlife could be better but should satisfy most people. The real downside is the traffic which has become basically as bad as Jakarta, although Bangkok has much better transporation (both skytrain and subway). Living expenses have risen lately so don't count on this being a budget trip unless you want to resort to street food. Internet speed generally has becoming really great. Fast 4G in all operators. If you stay in a new condo or hotel you will average at least 30Mbit – my current co work place runs at 600.
This is really great place to be as a digital nomad. It's not insanely Thailand/Laos cheap however if you're a bit older, 30+ and have a moderately successful business its a steal. If you've done Thailand, Laos, Vietnam etc and want a professional alternative to a backpacker lifestyle then Bali is for you. Internet is great. Food is insanely good, people are very nice- expats + locals. Really glad I found this place. Dojo has awesome wifi :)
Really bad city to live and to visit unless you have money to live in BGC.
Really fun city. I think the easiest big city in Asia for westerners to feel comfortable in. People are generally pretty friendly on a superficial level, quick to smile, laugh, and help. Unfortunately, becoming real friends with Japanese is much more difficult and most cannot speak English. Store staff are mechanically polite like robots, which is better than rude, but also a bit weird. A bit pricey and gets more expensive after a year of residence (after you get taxed based on previous year's salary, same for health insurance fees). You can drink in public at any time, though it's not really a drinker city like some European cities are known for. Clubs and music events are expensive unfortunately, though quite a few options. Great public transport system, can just be a bit confusing with all of the different names. The street layout is completely chaotic, which can be fun but also disorienting. You will often have no idea which direction you are facing, like you are in a giant maze. You can find most major international food options but not in great numbers. Obviously, Japanese food is everywhere though. It's technically on the water, though odds are you will live more inland. Still, you can reach the bay within an hour or so and an actual beach further south in Kanagawa within 90min. Japan itself has a lot of cool things to check out as well. Best time of year are spring (cherry blossoms) and fall (cooler, leaves changing cooler), though there are a series of summer festivals that start in August that are incredible (people dress in traditional clothes, food vendors all over, tons of fireworks, etc.) and they have a lot of Christmas lights and displays in December. Dating for men is not bad, just don't come expecting every woman wants you. As mentioned before, most cannot speak English and they're somewhat conservative overall, not big on casual sex. You may have an advantage in the dating pool if you're not an English teacher, since most western foreign guys there are and that job is known for not paying that well, and definitely do if you can speak Japanese near fluently. Some negatives besides those already mentioned: it's really humid and mold develops quickly, there are A LOT of crows that creeped me out and cicadas that are VERY noisy in the summer, finding the right specialist doctor that also speaks English can be tricky, the friends you make from other countries come and go constantly, a lot of guys with issues come here (socially awkward, major womanizers, right wing nuts, escaping something from their home country, stereotypical anime fanatics, etc.), Japanese men are not anywhere near as friendly as the women are and are more likely to be xenophobic (pretty much like every other country), living space is really small for the price, vegetable selection is pretty limited and expensive, a lot of food products contain soy, subways get really overcrowded during rush hour, popular areas get really overcrowded on weekends, it's not that English friendly especially dealing with contracts and anything government related (there is a free foreigner help service that can help you via phone and usually whatever government stuff you're dealing with will have at least one person on hand who understands English and can help you).
If you are looking to retire here: Life can be cheap once you get past the initial euphoric stage where, you eat in expensive restaurants that cater to foreigners. Watch where the locals eat and you can really eat rice & “gab kao” (any soup, stew or curry you decide to pour over it) for USD 1.50-2. A small bottled water 30 cents. (To put it into perspective minimum wage here is EUR10/day for locals, 2-3 people usually share a room which cost THEM €135/mo. You can do the math.) Unofficially there is double pricing going on toward foreigners (foreigners pay more). Beware of Mosquitos, Dengue is serious. Sweating can bring it’s unexpected problems. We are naturally covered in yeast which can be caused to accelerate growth in hot humid climates and especially during Monsoon season, you may find yourself subject to Yeast infections and skin Eczema’s, especially if you are overweight and insist on maintaining a bread (Yeast) based diet. Side walks are rare so, if you plan on getting exercise through walking, you will have to drive (transit) to places suitable for safe walking. Jungle walks are nice but with their own natural hazards. Biking, relatively dangerous, unless you go to a track. Automobile drivers practice “instinctive driving” and are ignorant of many rules. There is little consideration for pedestrians or bicycle riders. Properly organized public transportation has begun recently; the oldest form for locals was the Songteaw (an covered open sided, converyed truck with 3 long benches) however, the scheduling is unreliable. Snakes, lizards, spiders and ants are common. The common green garden snake is innocuous however, the mildly venomous, gliding Golden Tree Snake and Cobras are often sighted. Red ants with painful bites are ever present If you intend to build or buy a house, look for as little wood as possible, Termites love a nice wooden door or frame. Phuket is mainly Buddhist & Muslim so, if you want to attend Christan services you will have to transit to them as there are few places here (only 2 or 3 that I have heard of). Pets: plenty of strays (cats & dogs) you can take in or adopt but, please don’t have a pet if you plan on moving away and abandoning it. Tap water cannot be consumed. Phuket is a great home base if you plan on exploring the “oriental” side of the globe. Work is hard to find unless you start your own business which, comes with plenty of it’s own hassles - you will ALWAYS need a Thai intermediary, the system is not transparent and ALL the paperwork is in (bureaucratic) Thai. Please do not try to work locally if you do not have the right visa to do it, the trouble is not pretty. Retired tradesmen often innocently/inadvertently fall into the trap of doing small jobs illegally. If you get paid (money) for your activity, you ARE working. If you are not a repeat offender, you will get off with a salty fine. (Not nice if you are living on a budget). Finally, just let me say, HAVE A HOBBY, have a plan if you tetire here and stick to it. Create/find your routine and find your spaces, this will take about 2 years. Don’t get “distracted”! .... or you may find yourself going back to your native country to escape or live off welfare .... or the parents. Get to know people (locals & expats) well before you share personal details, i.e. be guarded. Good luck!🍀
I just got back here in late 2018 and it's better than ever. People who say "Chiang Mai is overrun by nomads" are really mistaken. I hardly saw them. I did see lots of Chinese and some Korean tourists, but they were all quite nice and mostly around Nimman. There's also the few American vegan midlifer's in the Old City center, but that's about it. Chiang Mai is cool and breezy, there's now public bicycles literally everywhere that you can rent for 250 THB or $6 (per month!) with the MoBike app. The red buses (or Songthaew's) are now legit and don't rip tourists off anymore, so you can drive everywhere for 30 THB or $1. People are nice. It's still super safe, even late a night. The food is better than ever. And thanks to the nomad wave of 2014 in Chiang Mai, there's now lots of hip cafes that allow coworking too. It's a great city.
Seoul is lovely but still has some challenges for nomads. Korean food is great, but most restaurants are used to serving groups, or at least couples. Many times you'll simply be refused service entering a restaurant alone. Unlike Japan, eating alone is stil frowned upon in Korea and mostly impossible. Exceptions are of course expat areas like Itaewon which are more used to it. Also outside signage and menus are mostly still in Korean, without any English translations generally. Even if you learn the Korean characters, you won't know the words, so this makes it impossible to order. This is slowly changing though, especially in hipster areas. You might ask "why does this reviewer care stuff is in English or not, they're in Korea, what does he expect?". Well, it's 2018 and Korea presents itself as an international country, English should be the default sub text. There's more challenges, it's very difficult to meet Koreans, you'll always be seen as the "token" foreigner in social groups. This is understandable and to be fair it's much worse in Japan than Korea. Unless you're in expat areas, you'll feel fairly isolated because Koreans will generally avoid you for fear of having to speak English. This makes it a potentially very lonely experience for any nomads. This is kinda vicious because Koreans look down on people that are alone. Hence the group-eating thing. Solutions to that? Come here with a group of friends. You'll have a MUCH easier time.
🕺 People they cross paths with most
