Somado | 5 types of DN | Beach rankings | Issue #0028

Spring is in the air, and in our step!

The weather is changing, wherever you are, and it feels good to be a nomad when you can pick your spot based on the climate you like. But, are you a “typical” digital nomad, or at least one of 5 accepted types? Find out below.

Also today…

🎌 Get settled in Japan without breaking the bank
🎠 Carnival season isn’t just in February
🗻  Save on Bansko tickets…and Vietnam Nomadfest too!
🏖️ Are you a beach kind of nomad? How do these beaches rank for you…

Enjoy your week!

INSIGHT
What type of digital nomad are you?

Most of you probably don’t care what the definition of a digital nomad is, and equally as many won’t even describe yourself as one anyway. A straw poll usually tells us you don’t even like the term!.

However, Dave Cook’s heralded study of digital nomadism did define the 5 types of digital nomad:

1. Freelance digital nomads

2. Digital nomad business owners

3. Salaried digital nomads

4. Experimental digital nomads

5. Armchair digital nomads

Undoubtedly you fall into one of these, but if you read Dave Cook’s report you’ll definitely understand a little better different needs of different types of nomad. You will likely unwittingly resonate with much of it too.

It is likely that those nomads who find it harder than others to find connection on the road might benefit from reading about the other types of nomad to help solve this, even just a little.

WHAT ELSE…

🏨 Ready to settle? Following Itay’s story here recently - owner of Coco Space - do you fancy buying your own coliving/coworking place?

🇧🇬 Have you heard of Bansko? Of course you have, duh. Tickets are now on sale for Bansko Nomadfest. Grab €25 off with TDNBANSKO.

🇪🇸 Call out Last week we shared a thought on the local impact nomads have. The Canary Islands were rather more direct, albeit to tourists mainly.

🥂 Is there a problem? Dating as a digital nomad is notoriously tricky territory. Here’s advice for the other party. Does this sound about right?

GET CONNECTED

We’re building a resource for nomads to connect with other nomads in your next or current destination. Find WhatsApp & FB groups from nomad destinations here:

If you are in a nomad hotspot then help another nomad out and share any communities you are in or know of with this quick form.

DESTINATIONS
Making moves to make Japan your next stop

Our poll last week was telling. Japan was the runaway winner as the country then most of you are excited to visit this year, and coincidentally, there are a LOT of moves being made in a lot of corners to bring nomads to Japan.

One of them is John Ahn, who’s service - Somado - is solving a lot of the headaches nomads will have faced in the past…

You are beating the drum for Japan, trying to tempt more nomads.
Japan is considered inaccessible by many nomads. Most of the time they are limited to hotels which are usually expensive and not in many budgets, and that can be the end of the road for many of them. However, we have developed a platform that provides affordability by accessing the apartment market.

How are you making accommodation more affordable?
There are a lot of real estate developers who are happy to house nomads in their portfolios of apartments. We handle all of the screening, payments, and connection - difficult for foreigners in Japan with the many regulations in place.

Where in Japan do you have units for nomads?
We are not just in Tokyo. We have units in Hokkaido, Osaka, and now Fuokoka as well.

We looked at Somado, and you can book more than just a room, right?
When you go on the platform, you add your room to your itinerary, but you will also get matched with coworking space, as well as local support and get information about local cultural experiences.

Other than Somado, what else should bring nomads to Japan?
Well the culture is great, the food is great, and the people are great too! The young people in Japan are really keen to connect with foreign visitors and learn from them, but also share Japan.

Where are places in Japan digital nomads should check out?
Osaka and Kyoto are great cities for nomads, but watch out for Fukuoka is going to be a huge hub. It has the perfect balance of islands, beaches, forests, and modern living too.

Somado.jp is live and ready for nomads who want a seamless, all-in-one solution for accommodation and working space while you’re in Japan. They have over 1500 units in Tokyo and are expanding this network in the coming months.

We love to feature nomads and what you do that can help the rest of us. Fill out this form to show us your thing!

CARNIVAL
You are missing carnival season…or are you?

Yes, we know this week was Rio Carnival (did we tell you about the time we were Rio Carnival champions yet?), and with Mardi Gras, the carnivals of Tenerife, Venice and Bolivia all but done too you might feel pretty bummed if you’ve missed them all.

Fear not, as there are still some legendary - and underrated ones you can book in yet:

• Notting Hill Carnival, UK - The streets of West London are not the place to be on a chilly February weekend. Luckily they realised this so book in the last weekend in August for a visit to London.

• Caribana, Canada - North America’s largest Caribbean carnival falls from 31st July to 4th August this year. Three days in the Toronto sun, where there are parties on every corner and most buildings.

• Dia de los Muertos, Mexico - A little darker themed than most, this infamous celebration in November is also in a digital nomad haven. If you’re going to hit Mexico, this is a great time to do it.

• Up Helly Aa, Scotland - We say Scotland, but Shetlandis quite the trek north of the mainland. Yes, the next one is January 2026, but if you’ve your sights on something less mainstream this might need some planning!

We’ll remind you later in the year to start booking your February and March carnivals.

POLL

BRAIN FOOD

Books - Our attention span is shrinking, as demonstrated by this year’s International Booker prize list. Most of them are shorter than 200 pages.

App - Where have you been, in detail. Tracking exactly where you travel so you can brag about it faster.

Read - Is coffee just coffee? Not if these guys have their way.

Watch - Pretty sure most of you have seen BHD, but Netflix’s very detailed documentary is a story all of its own - Surviving Black Hawk Down.

If you have any recommendations we can share here, let us know.

MAKE DIGITAL NOMAD LIFE EASIER
Resources that are actually helpful

Check out our new resources page for the longer list and a range of discounts across useful digital nomad products, services and events. Here are a few notable deals for retreats or getaways coming up:

• Bansko NomadFest is in June and tickets are now available. €25 off with code TDNBANSKO.

• Mastermind Event for Business Starters - Join Max’s retreat in a luxury pool villa in Hoi An next month - the perfect time of year for a visit. Focussed on learning, sharing and leveling up. Get 5% off using code TDN5.

• Vietnam Nomadfest in Da Nang & Hoi An is only a month away. Get tickets here, and use code TIM for 10% off too!

• Alt_Coliving’s popup in Japan is only a few weeks away. More on the off-the-beaten track destination they are holing up in here.

• Kaya Connections’ April retreat in Siargao - for entrepreneurs and business owners - that we featured recently is filling up fast. Mention The Digital Nomad for $50 off!

Other popular products or services right now:

• We mentioned Bansko earlier. If you want to know what it’s like as a nomad, Digital Nomad Trip Report published a nomad’s review of what it is like this week and you can read it here.

• Learn how to write effective copy for your business or product with Johnny Ross’s simple-to-follow persuasive methods.

• SafetyWing are now their own provider of digital nomad insurance, streamlining their claim processes.

• Get an eSim from Airalo, using code NEWTOAIRALO15 for 15% off with this link.

• VPN - NordVPN have a birthday sale on. You’ll get up to 70% off and 6 months free on most plans using this link.

Check out the new resources page for an extensive list of useful tools and services.

THE LIST
The people have spoken

Tripadvisor have announced the world’s top beaches as determined by people who bother to rate a beach on there when they visit one. Whether that’s a good gauge or not, well you decide. Here’s the top 10:

Here’s the full list. We can only assume Tripadvisor users don’t go to Brazil, Mexico, or the more remote islands in Thailand…

BE SEEN AND HEARD

We would love to hear from you if you have some valuable knowledge, products or services, information, or just a fun or crazy digital nomad story. Get more eyes on your thing, or maybe you just like sharing with fellow nomads!

Fill in this form if you want to FEATURE FOR FREE in The Digital Nomad.

TRIVIA
How well do you know foodie spots?

Tripadvisor also dropped their top-ranked food destinations. Which five of these made the top 10? (Remember, food is subjective and the PEOPLE have spoken - not necessarily food experts!)

Answers below.

COFFEE BREAK

🎬 History - The inventor of IMDb is stepping down. Here’s the story of how everyone’s go-to for movie and tv facts.

🕹️ Game - How fast can you spend all of Elon’s wealth?

📺 Watch - Wish you were somewhere else right now? Tap into the feed and see if it really is all that today with Earthcam.

SPREAD THE WORD

Have you been forwarded The Digital Nomad by a friend? If so, don’t miss out on future issues by getting it every Tuesday.

Or do you have digital nomad friends, or ones planning to be? They could use a quick weekly fix of what’s happening in their world, so share this link or share on your socials with the links at the top of this newsletter.

WHAT DID YOU MISS?

If you are new to The Digital Nomad - or just want to go back and read a previous issue - then you can find them all here.

ANSWERS

The five to make the top ten were:

Rome (#1), London (#2), Marrakech (#3), Paris (#4), Naples (#5).

The others were NYC (#13), Bangkok (#14), Kyoto (#16), Mexico City (#18). Hanoi, despite being #1 in 2024 did not rank in the top 25 this year.

See the whole list here.