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- Bali roads | Freaking Nomads spill it | NZ on the map | Issue #0030
Bali roads | Freaking Nomads spill it | NZ on the map | Issue #0030
Spring time is always busy.
With all the nomad events and Spring air (though admittedly this is better in some parts than others!) let’s get straight into it and fill your coffee break with something useful…
🚧 Is the chaos in Bali about to change….eventually anyway
⭐️ Some of the most underrated, yet incredible, digital nomad spots
🦸🏻♀️ Hear from the nomad superheroes making digital nomadism fun again
🇳🇿 North or south…NZ is welcoming you!
📱 Find nomads, wherever you are
Have you been forwarded The Digital Nomad by a friend? If so, don’t miss out on future issues by getting it every Tuesday.
Don’t forget our resources and coffee break sections, and the quiz down at the bottom!
NEWS
Big plans for Bali announced
Love it or hate it, Bali is on firmly on the digital nomad map. On paper it has it all, but even the most hardened Bali advocates will tell you that there are infrastructure issues that make life less than idyllic at times.
Well, it sounds like finally there will be some improvements in the pipeline as the re-elected governer announced major infrastructure projects from this year through to 2028.
As you’ve probably guessed, while road and travel improvements on the island are undertaken it is likely to get worse in the south of the island. The short-term pain might mean avoiding parts - or all of - Bali, but if all goes ahead as planned then in a Bali could be answering some of the main issues nomads experience.
WHAT ELSE…
🇹🇭 The honeymoon is over Thailand are planning to end the 60-day visa exempt stay that was introduced in July last year.
🔋 Overnight changes on flights After an incident on a Korean Air flight several Asian airlines are banning powerbank use, and expect more to follow!
🛏️ Hostels in the air Talking of flying, would you book a bunkbed on a long-haul flight? We’re in if they look like this.
👢 Boot camps Nomadexcel run regular bootcamps for entrepreneurs. One has just wound up, but Bansko and Koh Phangan are in the diary this summer.
GET CONNECTED
Thanks to Eran who is adding to the reach of To.do and added a daily events in Bangkok resource, and has more cities on their way. Find WhatsApp & FB groups in your current or next 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.
NOMADAPEDIA
It’s like wikipedia, but for nomads…
Isn’t the internet full of great information? Whatever you are looking for it is there, somewhere. It’s often a mission to find what you are looking for though, and no chance if it’s stuff you didn’t know you should be looking for! AI has helped, sure, but there is still nothing like hearing from actual experienced people in that field.
Digital Nomadism is no different, and when Irene and Luca started their journey, they decided they would solve this minefield of information by putting it all in one place for all of you Freaking Nomads…
So, Irene, when did you get Freaking Nomads started?
Me and co-founder Luca started it after we’d started nomadding right after the pandemic, in 2022. There was a lot of information scattered around the internet but not one place that had everything. We wanted a resource that had everything both aspiring and existing nomads might need for this lifestyle.
So you got it off the ground while nomadding?
It started as a passion project, as a website and IG when we were in Madeira. It got a lot of interest from people wanting to contribute and collaborate. Now, we have a lot of people sharing city guides, lifestyle, etc. and its grown into a community-driven resource, which now has a newsletter too.
You’ve got a distinctive tone and style.
That was the other reason we started FN. Everything out there was a bit serious, very corporate, which I suppose is because of the remote work side. This is a bit apathetical to the digital nomad lifestyle and didn’t represent the freedom it offers. We wanted to be more fun and friendly, and sassy at times!
So you think digital nomadism is still a bit mysterious to many people?
The idea is to pull back the curtain on the lifestyle, make it more inclusive. I am mixed heritage, and the stereotype when I first started was not me. I found when I got out there a lot of nomads were like me. We think we’ve helped show that diversity with a more modern approach to talking about digital nomadism.
How do you think digital nomadism is going to look in future?
We’re passing through the phase of proving that remote work can be done from anywhere, and it’s now about how it’s done. Other than the change of where nomads choose to live (popular destinations are seeing price-rises and local pushback), there is growing competition from nations to attract digital nomads.
In future, we expect there to be a shift in focus to how much we work, and flexible “portfolio careers” with a range of types of income streams. It won’t be just about freedom of location, but also freedom of time.
Any favorite places nomads might not have ventured to yet?
Definitely check out San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua. You have powercuts and no water sometimes so I’m not going to lie, it can be challenging, but it’s so underrated. The vibe is amazing. Also Dali in China - it’s like Chiang Mai 15 years ago.
What’s next for Freaking Nomads?
We have just launched our community platform to help nomads connect, so that’s a big focus for us. We just want to continue celebrating the freedom lifestyle and helping more people experience it with our content and collaborations - like our chat with you! Even with a base in Sofia, Bulgaria, we are full time nomads and will continue to be so we can share more about this lifestyle as it shifts.
Freaking Nomads are making becoming digital nomads much more accessible, so check out their website for some great resources to make the most of it.
Their new community can be found here, and it is totally free to sign up.
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!
Do you like the look of The Digital Nomad? You can easily build a great-looking newsletter of your own with beehiiv, even on their free plan.
DESTINATIONS
New Zealand makes moves, but where to go?
Off the back of New Zealand’s out-of-the-blue announcement earlier this year to welcome digital nomads without any additional effort than to walk into the country, the question has been raised…where to go?
Well, luckily we have some answers. Here are 5 spots worth checking out as a digital nomad in New Zealand. (NOTE: there is an absence of the main tourist spots here as even the government are scaling back tourism promotion to the popular places due to over-tourism.)
Raglan - bohemian, beach-town vibes. Surf & coworking spaces.
Wānaka - established tourism spot, hikes, skiing and lake views aplenty.
Lyttelton - creative hub, harbour views and great walking and cycling trails.
Kerikeri - year-round sun, local produce and nearby excursions.
Napier - good coworking options, wineries, cafes and near other towns.
Check out Stuff New Zealand’s full list of places you might enjoy.
POLL
Where does the best breakfast?We're sure most of you skip it (damn you intermittent fasting!), but what is the best? |
BRAIN FOOD
Book - Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World. Anne-Laure Le Cunff
App - Resource for nomads, contributed by nomads - Nomadmania.
Useful - Keep those earbuds clean.
Watch - How to choose where to nomad next.
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.
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:
Press Pulse are the modern HARO for content writers or journos needing content.
Create factually accurate, engaging web articles for less than a dollar each with ComposeQuickly. Get 50 free credits on sign up.
Find a cafe or cowork near you with Nomadwise.
SafetyWing are now their own provider of digital nomad insurance, streamlining their claim processes.
Use a VPN - 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
5 underrated digital nomad destinations
Irene at Freaking Nomads suggested earlier second-tier and lesser-known destinations will become more popular for nomads. Here are 5 underrated spots according to Traveloffpath:
Vitoria, Brazil - Yes, loving Brazil atm, and Vitoria is not on the trail enough, though language barrier could be, well, a barrier.
Sanur, Bali - Hmm, not sure Bali counts at all as underrated, but Sanur is perhaps a nice happy medium on what is an overcrowded island.
Mendoza, Argentina - Wine. That is all…
Chiang Rai, Thailand - Perhaps a little too sleepy for most and not really a dn community like Chiang Mai, but plenty of cafes!
Baku, Azerbaijan - The next Tbilisi?
See their breakdown here.
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
True or fake?
Which of these news stories did NOT happen in the last week?
An internal flight landed in Lahore missing one of its wheels.
A flight to Chicago was turned back to Delhi due to blocked toilets.
28 tourists had to be rescued from a leaky speedboat in south Thailand.
The Eurostar is to be taken over by Richard Branson and Virgin.
COFFEE BREAK
🍕 History - Find out how your fore-fathers strove so you could be a nomad.
📷 Pictures - Some pretty unbelievable nature out there, huh?
📺 Watch - There will be at least ONE hack you take away from this reel.
WHAT DID YOU MISS?
ANSWERS
4 is false, though he is aiming to raise money to compete with the Eurostar.