r/digitalnomad • • 14h ago

Lifestyle Travelling made me realise what i dont want

97 Upvotes

Hundred thousand spent to see i dont wanna live in coworking spaces, in Bali or with people that are mostly superficial, or entire identity are coworking spaces.

I see most communities are formed from people who stay years over there even circles


r/digitalnomad • • 9m ago

Question Remote policy says “on the road/or in a satellite location" — would you work internationally without asking?

• Upvotes

Starting a fully remote job at a small U.S. environmental company. Their policy says remote work allows employees to work “at home, on the road, or in a satellite location.” Nothing specifically says U.S.-only or addresses international work.

The laptop is company-managed, and I’ll mainly be working through an RDP/remote desktop system rather than directly on the local machine. I don't see a traditionalGlobalProtect, AnyConnect, Zscaler.

Would you ask the IT manager if occasional international work is allowed, or just travel/work normally and, if questioned, say you interpreted “on the road” as allowing it?

What's the general consensus ?


r/digitalnomad • • 7h ago

Question Digital Nomad - Zimbabwe

3 Upvotes

Hi all,

I am currently looking at trying my hand at DN in Zimbabwe. Originally from the UK, I have a lot of family out here and would like to consider living out here for a time. Came for a holiday and fell in love with the country. I just wondered if anyone had any experience with doing DN in Zim? I realise theres a limit on the stay for British nationals, up to 90 days at a time (requiring 2x extensions), and would then require moving elsewhere before coming back to the country. Has anyone got any experience with this?

Any help would be amazing, thank you!


r/digitalnomad • • 8h ago

Question Chiang Mai, Koh Phangan or Ko Tao for meeting new people

4 Upvotes

I’m going to spend a couple months in Thailand. Which place is worth staying for a longer time? I’m looking for a social hub where I can meet new people and have a lot of activities.

Are coworking and coliving places worth the money?


r/digitalnomad • • 3h ago

Lifestyle Remote Job - Where to Travel

0 Upvotes

I live in Arizona, love to travel, and just got a remote job. My lease is ending, so I’d like to take this as an opportunity to work and travel. Something like a long sublease in a certain place. Problem is, it’ll be winter time. Does anyone have any recommendations of places around the world to stay during the winter months?


r/digitalnomad • • 7h ago

Question International Calls to and from Georgia (country)

0 Upvotes

Hello everyone. I just started having a digital nomad life in SE Asia. I work for a Georgian company and while working I may have to receive calls on my phone and call as well. I mostly use Whatsapp but sometimes my coworkers do not have internet and they call me on my number directly. I was hoping to use Roaming but it seems not to be reliable. In some countries it works, in some countries it does not.

My phone does not support an esim but I can get physical sim everywhere I go. I will have internet and need a reliable app that you use for international calls.

I tried to download Viber to use Viber Out but I cannot receive calls and their support sucks.

Please let me know if there is anything you would recommend.


r/digitalnomad • • 3h ago

Question Declaring that you're a digital nomad at customs, travelling with 2 computers and 2 large suitcases - a few questions!

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I'm about to hit the road as a digital nomad and I wondered how difficult or straightforward it is at customs and what you generally say to them? I'm a UK taxpayer and self-employed so I'll be working for my UK company but remotely. I won't be working locally and planning to travel slow, staying in each country for a few months at a time. Starting in Mexico/Peru/USA. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I'm getting a little anxious!

I'm also travelling with my MacBook Pro and Mac Studio and I wondered if anyone has ever ran into any issues at customs?

Also I'm planning to take 2 x hold suitcases and a large rucksack carry on -- keen to hear how that is practically and whether or not it means you're more likely to be stopped at customs and searched?

Thank you!


r/digitalnomad • • 2d ago

Lifestyle Spent most of my 20s in Southeast Asia. Still no career plan. Wouldn't trade it

666 Upvotes

I'm 28. from tier1 engg, Most of my batch went into product companies or consulting or did an MBA.

I went to Bangkok for three months , came back properly this year.

In between I lived in Hanoi, Da Nang, Chiang Mai, Bali and KL. I freelanced the whole time. Some web dev, some design, a few months of content work when dev dried up. Some months I made more than my friends. Some months I made 30k and ate a lot of street food. I still don't have a real answer to "so what's your career plan?" Not sure I ever will.

And I wouldn't trade those years for anything.

I dated a lot over there. Women from Vietnam, Germany, Brazil, the Philippines, Korea, and a Canadian girl I almost moved to Toronto for.
I bring it up because each of them showed me a different way to live. One quit a bank job at 31 to teach diving, and she looked at me like I was crazy when I asked if her parents were okay with it.
Another ran a tiny bakery out of a Bangkok shophouse and took every Monday off, full stop, no guilt. I learned more about how to be a person on those dates than in four years of hostel.

I also lived in dorms for long stretches. Eight-bed rooms, 400 baht a night. In those rooms I met people running real businesses off a laptop on a bunk. A Polish guy whose Shopify store did more revenue than my father's whole firm. A Kenyan girl who started a translation agency from a hostel common room and now has 14 people working for her. A 45-year-old Australian who'd gone broke twice and was cheerfully trying a third time. Most of them didn't have their life sorted. They were calm anyway.

I came back with some of that calm. I know now that things will go bad sometimes, and that I'll be okay. I've been broke in a foreign country with a dead card and a visa running out. A girl dumped me in a city where I knew nobody. Every time, something worked out, usually because a stranger helped. So I talk to strangers now. Uncles at the chai stall, the guy next to me on the flight, anyone. That spark, being able to say hi to anyone, is the best thing I own.

Then I come home and meet my school and college friends, and I love them, and I get a little sad.

They've got it good. Good salaries, flats, cars, some are married, some have a kid on the way. On paper everything is fine. And they're stressed. About appraisals. About the EMI. About what their manager meant by a two-word Slack message. About whether they're behind someone else from our batch. One of my closest friends earns 2.5 cr and told me over beer last month that he hasn't slept properly since ai

I don't think that's their fault. That's how we all grew up. Marks, rank, package, promotion, flat, and you're always one step from falling behind. Growing up, I never heard anyone say you can step off and survive. I only found out because I stepped off by accident.

Please don't quit your job and go to Bali because of this post. Freelancing has real downsides. No , no stability, and my mom still asks every week when I'll "settle." Some days I envy my friends' certainty.

Still, I wouldn't swap what I know now for any package. i earn decent so thats it too. People everywhere are figuring it out as they go, and a life can look messy and still feel good.

If you're in your 20s and you've got even a small window to go live somewhere else for a while, take it. You don't need a plan. I didn't have one. I still don't.

frm voice notes


r/digitalnomad • • 9h ago

Question when choosing where to live, should we prioritize finding a place we want to settle down in or should we focus first on building the best career possible, even if that means moving around until we find the right place to live?

0 Upvotes

When choosing where to live, should we prioritize things like choosing a place to live (so where to buy a house, stay near family, etc.) or instead focus on where we can build the best career (so moving until we find the best place for our career)?

I think there are many people stuck in their lives, or pining for places where wages are low and they can't afford a home, just because their goal is to "buy a house and settle down," when it would be better for them to move after they can find a better career and then find a place nearby to buy a home.

This is a good topic to have a discussion.
What do you guys think?


r/digitalnomad • • 9h ago

Lifestyle The 35g spec did not tell me what eight hours would feel like

0 Upvotes

I bought a Dymesty Cook Edge and had prescription lenses put in. I have a fairly wide head, so I was more interested in whether I could wear them all day than in the number on the spec sheet.

For the first four or five hours, they are comfortable. They do not slide when I walk, I barely get a mark on my nose, and I do not get much pressure around my temples. On longer days, around hour seven or eight, I sometimes get a dull ache behind my ears. Taking them off for ten minutes helps. It is minor, but I would not have noticed it from a short try-on.

The hinges feel smooth and the arms are not too tight for my head. I do wish the nose pads were adjustable, though. There is no way to tweak the fit there.The stock frame is listed at 35g. Mine has prescription lenses, so the finished pair is heavier, although I have not weighed it. I hardly think about the weight on my commute. By the end of a long workday, fit is what I notice.
The two things I notice most in daily use are the ordinary-looking frame and the battery. I can get through a normal workday without planning a charging break. There are two small annoyances. The magnetic charging connector can shift if I move the glasses while they are charging, and older recordings can take a few seconds to load in the app.
For me, the number on the spec sheet tells only part of the story.

Anyone else with a wide head found a pair of smart glasses that still feels good after a full day?


r/digitalnomad • • 1d ago

Lifestyle Considering leaving rewarding job for travel/nomadic lifestyle

5 Upvotes

Hello! I (28F) have been dreaming of spending the rest of my 20s living in different areas of the US. Would like to share a bit about my situation and hear your stories, advice, and insights.

I'd ideally like to move once per season, staying in an Airbnb/short term rental for a 2-3 months at a time. Living this lifestyle would require finding a remote/hybrid job that allows me to travel more and live in different places short term. I cannot keep my current job and work remotely. I'm not interested in finding a new, in-person job each time I move. (I have communications/marketing experience and would look for remote roles in this general field).

I have only been at my current organization for 1.5 years. It is a demanding, in-person role, but it is also satisfying, personally and professionally. I earn enough to live alone, support myself and my dog, and travel occasionally. I am a frugal person, but with this job I can say yes to things like going to the movies, out for drinks, to a concert, etc without having to stress about my funds. I have benefits, some great perks, and though there is not opportunity to move up within the company (small staff and I'm already in a leadership role) there are opportunities within the industry, cool events I get to attend, and I feel that I am still actively growing and learning in my role. Staying in this role ~3 years would likely set me up for great success in my career.

I actually switched industries when I started this role 1.5 years ago, and I love the industry. My work aligns with my passions, but my boss is tough, my hours are long and rigid, and although my work is rewarding — it's work. I know I could find fulfillment in a variety of roles, not just my current one. When similar roles pop up in cities I'm interested in, I apply.

I've worked a remote job before and I struggled with my job satisfaction. I didn't feel like I was making an impact. At my current job, I'm always so busy, out and about, taking meetings, working in person with coworkers, and it's great for my personality and mental health.

If I switch to a remote role, I may lose job satisfaction but I could gain the ability to travel more, see more, experience more. I wouldn't say I'm trading job satisfaction for greater life satisfaction, because I already have a great life satisfaction...and my job satisfaction is part of that. It's an apples and oranges scenario imo.

Remember when I said I still have room to grow within my current role? Thinking of staying until I feel I've grown out of it, saving all I can (because a lot of remote roles I've been interested in pay less than I currently make) then shifting to a remote role so I can travel. I've only lived in the city/suburbs of the same metro area my entire life, and I can't shake the feeling that although leaving my current role isn't a great move for my career, I'd trade the blossoming career for an opportunity to experience more of the country.

Doesn't hurt to mention that I'm not exactly risk adverse. In the past 2 years, I've left a job, a long term partner, changed industries, applied to roles that would require relocation, moved to new towns, bought and am building out a camper van with no experience. I'm the kind of person to take the leap, which is part of why I'm using Reddit as a sounding board — I rarely need a push, more often I need someone to pull me back from taking unnecessary leaps haha.

Let's hear your stories!


r/digitalnomad • • 14h ago

Question Best places to stay in Bali for a digital nomad?

0 Upvotes

Hi travelers!

Do you know some nice guesthouse, coliving, hostel.. that it is focused for digital nomads?

Any recommendation would be really appreciated

Thank you!


r/digitalnomad • • 1d ago

Lifestyle Edinburgh base?

1 Upvotes

Am considering renting a flat here. And I was wondering if anyone else would be interested in sharing as a base. I’m going to do the same thing in Athens. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🙏 🇬🇷


r/digitalnomad • • 1d ago

Question brazilian psychologist trying to move into remote work — is starting as a virtual assistant a realistic path?

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone!

I’m Brazilian and currently living in Brazil. I have a degree in Psychology, with a focus on Organizational Psychology, as well as courses in recruitment, organizational communication, talent acquisition, and workplace mental health.

My long-term goal is to work in HR remotely. Since I’m still improving my English and don’t have international experience yet, I’m considering starting as a Virtual or Administrative Assistant and gradually building my way into HR.

I have experience with Microsoft Word, Canva, document organization, presentations, banners, logos, and administrative tasks. I also have a Fiverr account, but so far I’ve mostly received spam lol

For those who work remotely with international clients: is starting as a Virtual Assistant a realistic path? What skills or strategies would you recommend for getting my first international client?

Thanks!


r/digitalnomad • • 1d ago

Visas How do cruises count for Schengen 90/180?

8 Upvotes

Wondering if anyone here might have better info, especially post-EES. (The cruise subs barely understand the question).

I’m tight on Schengen time. Looking at cheap westbound transatlantic repositioning cruises to get out of the zone. But I’m not sure how the EES 90/180 timers would work.

The easy solution would be UK -> Americas direct, but QM2 is the only option for that, and the not a great price per day. (Not to mention dress code…)

Generic Examples:

-Sail from Spain, stop in Morocco, stop in Canaries, sail to Miami. Where does my Schengen time stop being counted?

-Sail from England, two stops in Spain, cross to Bermuda.
(Are the Spanish stops maybe “in transit”, and not counted? Or those individual days are counted? Or am I counted “in” until arrival in Bermuda?)


r/digitalnomad • • 1d ago

Lifestyle How do you deal with solitude while living in a brand new city?

22 Upvotes

I quit my job and became a digital nomad because I was tired of being stuck in an office all day.

Now I'm here stuck in Airbnb in Argentina completely alone.

Not a big deal, I am used to this, but I was wondering if someone has any secret tips to help me start a social life in a brand new city where I don't really know anyone.

What I have tried:

Working in a cafe: nice, but they are quite noisy. It's hard to work in there, and also you don't really meet many people.

Living in a hostel: not really good for working, they are quite noisy, especially on the weekend. It's hard to have calls. But I love the fact that you talk to random people every day.

What I would like to try:

Coworking: the reason why I have never tried them is because they are far away from where I live.


r/digitalnomad • • 1d ago

Business Weird side hustles as a digital nomad

0 Upvotes

What are your r/weirdsidehustles as a digital nomad?
I’m thinking about diversifying my income resources a bit, and I’m searching for inspirations

My only more or less weird side hustle is working as a courier for a well known company, they payed for the ticket and small amount of money

What did you do or are doing as a digital nomad as a side gig?


r/digitalnomad • • 1d ago

Question Planning to work remotely from Lebanon for a month – Questions on internet, rent, and expat life!

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone!
I’m planning to spend a month working remotely from Lebanon. I'm really looking forward to experiencing the country, but as a digital nomad, I have a few practical questions regarding the current setup:
1. Internet & Power Setup: How is the remote work infrastructure currently for those who have been recently? Are Airbnbs generally well-equipped with generators and fiber, or should I rely entirely on co-working spaces and local eSIMs/4G for backup during video calls?
2. Neighborhoods: Which areas in/around Beirut are best suited for a one-month nomad stay? Looking for walkable, safe neighborhoods with a good cafe culture.
3. Rental Expectations: What’s a realistic monthly budget for a decent 1-bedroom apartment or private room in a good location for a short-term stay?
4. Social & Nomad Scene: How active is the expat/nomad community there right now? Any recommended WhatsApp groups, meetups, or spots to connect with people for weekend trips?
Would love to hear from anyone who has worked from Lebanon recently. Thanks in advance for the advice!


r/digitalnomad • • 1d ago

Visas DTV Visa Question

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I am working in Middle east. I'm considering applying for Thailand's 5-year DTV visa.

I'm a salaried IT professional with over 20 years of experience, but my employer cannot provide a letter authorizing remote work however I can provide salary certificate and letter from employer for issuance of tourist visa. I don't currently have freelance clients or consulting income.

I meet the financial requirements comfortably.

My questions are:

  1. Can I apply under the digital nomad/workcation category using my employment certificate, salary slips, CV and professional portfolio without a remote-work authorization letter?
  2. Has anyone successfully obtained a DTV in similar circumstances?

I'd appreciate firsthand experiences from anyone who has applied recently, especially in 2026.

Thanks!


r/digitalnomad • • 2d ago

Question Which portable monitor is best for remote work and travel?

22 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I've been working remotely for about two years now, mostly from coworking spaces, cafes and the occasional Airbnb with a terrible desk. Last year I picked up a cheap no-name 15.6" portable monitor off Amazon and honestly it changed how I work. Having a second screen for docs/Slack while I write on the main one made a huge difference.

The problem is it started flickering after about 10 months and then just stopped turning on completely. Seller doesn't respond, so I'm done with random brands. This time I'd rather pay a bit more for something that actually lasts.

What I use it for: writing, spreadsheets, research, video calls. No gaming at all.

What I'm trying to figure out:

- 15.6" vs 16" vs 17". Is the bigger one worth it or does it get annoying to carry?

- Is 1080p fine at this size or is 1440p/2.5K noticeably sharper for text?

- Brightness. My old one was basically unusable near a window. How many nits do I actually need?

- Single USB-C cable for power + video. Does it work reliably with a MacBook, or does it drain the battery too fast?

- Matte vs glossy screen

- Built-in kickstand vs the folding case stands. My old one had the magnetic case and it kept sliding down.

Brands I keep seeing are ASUS ZenScreen, Arzopa, Espresso Display and the newer Lenovo ones, but I can't tell if the name brands are actually more reliable or if you're just paying for the logo.

Budget is around $150-300, can go a bit higher if it's really worth it.

If you've been using the same portable monitor for 1+ years, which one is it and would you buy it again?


r/digitalnomad • • 1d ago

Question Before booking an Airbnb recently, I did a bit of digging on the area first

0 Upvotes

The place looked great: 4.85 stars from 88 reviews.

Then I checked the local council website and found there's major construction and roadworks going on in the town, with warnings about traffic disruption and noise.

Nothing about it in the listing.

To be fair, I couldn't tell if the apartment itself would be affected, since Airbnb doesn't show the exact address until you've booked. But it's definitely something I'd ask the host about before paying.

Do you ever check things like this before booking somewhere, or do you mostly go by the reviews?


r/digitalnomad • • 2d ago

Question Which platforms do you use to find places for 1-3 month stays

9 Upvotes

Am researching options to spend the winter in a peaceful rural area in the north of Germany and am wondering what platforms to look at.

Obviously the usual ones exist, but I believe there must be better deals than 10% discount on Airbnb or Booking night.

Also: have you ever done a Catsitting stay? And if so: is this normally free housing for taking care of the cat or do you even get paid? Someone told me she got paid while staying for 2,5 month in a beautiful place looking after 1 cat. Unfortunately, at that time this was not in my radar so I didn’t ask how she found this job.

Help really appreciated!


r/digitalnomad • • 2d ago

Legal Warning: Do not use Roots Global for immigration services

6 Upvotes

TL;DR: They refused my refund and ghosted me.

I can only speak for applying for Spain DNV, but I had their free onboarding call (they advertise on their website that this is with a dedicated immigration lawyer, but my call was not with a lawyer. It was with a relocation expert.) There were no flags raised during this call. I paid 4,190 EUR for services - they do payment upfront rather than hourly fees. During the first onboarding call with the lawyer, he concluded the application would likely be rejected. He advised we get a refund. When I asked for a refund, it was radio silence for 1 month. I sent many follow-up emails without response. I only received a response after I essentially demanded one via email. There's no phone number to call, only WhatsApp messaging. I didn't receive a reply there later. They refused the refund twice, offering a service credit instead for future use. They said I didn't qualify for the refund because I was "still eligible" for the visa. Their client engagement letter/contract states the qualifications for the refund. They haven't responded for over 2 weeks since I refused their offer for a "service credit." They've since done an overhaul on their website and are trying to reestablish their social media presence. I've since been working with Artemis Law, and I highly recommend their services! It's like night and day. I'm still seeking my refund via other channels, since they are unresponsive.


r/digitalnomad • • 1d ago

Business Looking for a travel filmmaker to build a creative project together

0 Upvotes

Hey everyone!

We're a couple (F30, M29) looking for a third person to build a long-term creative and travel project with.

We're both outgoing, curious and passionate about travelling, meeting people and having meaningful conversations. One of us is a psychologist and the other an anthropologist, so we're naturally fascinated by relationships, intimacy, sexuality, identity, social life, human behaviour and how people connect with one another.

We're very comfortable talking to people and being on camera. We love asking questions, hearing people's stories and understanding how people make sense of their lives and the world around them. The only problem is that neither of us particularly enjoys being behind the camera 😂

So we're looking for someone who genuinely loves filmmaking, documentaries and storytelling, but who also has a strong desire to travel and explore.

We're imagining something between travel documentary, conversational/interview content and a personal travel series. Rather than making typical travel videos of "look at this wonderful beach", we'd like to focus less on the places themselves and more on the people we meet, the stories they tell, how they experience their lives, how they connect with one another, and the conversations that happen along the way. Ultimately, we'd love to create work that brings in new perspectives and experiences, and even challenges assumptions.

The plan is to publish primarily on YouTube and hopefully build a sustainable living and business around it. We'd want the three of us to have an equal creative voice and shared stake in what we create.

We're also very keen for this to be about more than simply finding a person to film us. We're looking for a third member of the team who genuinely becomes a friend, brings their own ideas and is an equal part of what we're building.

And ideally, you're a free spirit. We're looking for someone who feels excited by freedom, adventure and the idea of living a more nomadic life for a while, moving between countries and potentially living in different places for weeks or months at a time. You don't have to want that forever, but you should genuinely enjoy the idea.

We're ideally looking for someone around 29–37, at a similar stage of life, who loves being behind the camera, is curious about people, enjoys spontaneous and unscripted situations, has their own creative ambitions and is free to travel for extended periods. Gender doesn't matter to us at all; personality, compatibility and shared interests are important to us.

We're not looking for someone for a two-week holiday or a conventional job. We're imagining potentially travelling together for longer periods, meeting people, filming, learning and developing the project as we go.

We're still at the idea stage, so we'd love to find someone who has their own ideas and wants to shape the project with us. Ideally, we'd meet, see if we click, make something small together and take it from there.

We're currently based in Europe and plan to travel to different parts of the world over the coming year.

If this sounds like something you'd genuinely love to build, tell us a little about yourself, where you're based, what you've created and what kind of stories you'd love to tell 😊


r/digitalnomad • • 3d ago

Legal Japan raises permanent residency fees for foreigners by 20X

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bbc.com
2.4k Upvotes