People these days are more concerned about their overall well-being than ever before. They are also finding new ways of managing a good work-life balance. One way people are catering to both of these situations is through working vacations or workations.
A digital nomad is someone who works remotely while on a working vacation. This trend has existed for a while but has only recently gained popularity. If you, too, have heard of this term and are intrigued by the possibilities such a lifestyle has to offer, you should, by all means, go for it.
However, before you do that, you must first choose the right location for your workation. After all, there is no point in going on such a vacation if you cannot make the most of it, both in terms of enjoyment and managing your professional life.
Having established that, let us now look at five things you must consider before you go on your first workation.
Table of Contents
Visa Requirements
As this is your first workation, you would be better off staying in a country that offers digital nomad visas. That is mostly because these visas make life much easier for digital nomads, which is why they are perfect for those new to this lifestyle.
The visa requirements vary from country to country. To keep things simple, let us look at some of the most popular workation destinations that offer digital nomad visas and the requirements you need to meet to obtain them.
- Georgia: A one-year visa. Must show a monthly income of $2,000.
- Croatia: A one-year visa. Must show a monthly income of $2,385.
- Estonia: A one-year visa. Must show a monthly income of $3,743.
- Iceland: A six-month visa. Must show a monthly income of $7,777.
- Portugal: A one-year visa. Must show a monthly income of $3,205.
- Indonesia: Visa for 180 days (including extensions).
Safety
Whenever you are abroad, safety should always be one of your first priorities. To play things safe, it will be best if you pick cities that have a record of ensuring the safety of their tourists and digital nomads. This includes the safety of life, property, freedom of movement and so on.
For instance, if you are planning a workation in Mexico, you should consider staying in Mexico City. Mexico City is one of the safest cities in Mexico and also a popular tourist destination. There are several tourist areas in and around the city and the city center, and you get access everywhere using public transportation.
Mexico City has one of the lowest drug-related violence rates in the country. The very little crime that does take place here includes the usual theft and pickpocketing, which is common in most cities and small-town areas.
Then you have cities like Lisbon in Portugal, Melbourne in Australia, Budapest in Hungary and Ubud in Bali, Indonesia. These are also some of the safest cities in the world for digital nomads.
It is crucial to ensure the protection of our possessions as well, particularly technological equipment. Acquiring high-quality EMP bags is a crucial preventive precaution since hazards like electromagnetic pulses (EMP) can disrupt and damage delicate equipment. These bags defend against solar flares and electromagnetic interference by acting as a protective Faraday cage, ensuring the continued operation of our essential technology and maintaining our communication in emergency and unpredictable situations.
Internet Connectivity
When you are on a workation, you have to get your priorities right. The priorities are mostly divided into two parts. The first one is, of course, the experience of exploring the place you are staying in, and the second is your work. For the latter, having stable internet connectivity is of the utmost importance, especially when looking to teach English online.
Since this is your first workation, you will most likely be anxious about everything, especially work. After all, you are probably in a different country or region, working a remote job. Therefore, if you do not have a stable internet connection, your anxiety levels will be off the charts.
In most popular digital nomad countries, including Mexico, Indonesia and Estonia, a good monthly internet plan will cost you around $27 to $30. Apart from your regular broadband or WiFi connection, you should also have mobile data with you as a backup.
Your workation internet connection must be stable and fast. Do not settle for anything that does not offer a buffer-free experience.
Weather and Tourist Season
When you are moving to a new place as a digital nomad for the first time, you are likely to get overwhelmed by a lot of things, including the local weather. This is especially true if you are moving to a different climate zone.
For instance, if you had been living in a tropical climate zone like France but recently moved to a humid climate zone like Indonesia, the heat would feel unbearable. Likewise, if you come to a colder area like Canada from a humid climate zone country like Indonesia, the cold will feel equally unbearable.
Therefore, it is always a good idea to understand the climate conditions of the place you are moving to before you actually settle down over there for a few weeks or months. You should also take into account the daily weather. Otherwise, it, too, will get overwhelming. For example, if you move to England for your workation, the overcast weather is sure to get you annoyed at some point.
Thus, never decide on a workation destination without studying the climate and weather first.
As you do so, you should also check to see when the tourist season arrives at your preferred destination. If possible, avoid these tourist seasons. That is when the prices of daily necessities and accommodation skyrockets in those areas. At the same time, it is also likely that you might not feel that comfortable working in a place that is crowded with tourists.
This is why you should check when the tourist season arrives at that place and avoid it completely unless you are fine with working at a place that gets crowded with tourists during certain times of the year.
Local Community
As it will be your first workation, you will want to avoid complications with the locals of wherever you plan to visit. Whether it be in terms of cultural dissimilarity or some other factor, such clashes or confusion with the locals is nothing uncommon for digital nomads. However, if you want to completely avoid this, opt for a country or working vacation destination that frequently welcomes digital nomads.
The best countries for this are obviously the ones that offer digital nomad visas since they are regularly anticipating visits from digital nomads across the world.
Countries and regions like Argentina, Armenia, Cyprus, Colombia, Iceland, Indonesia, Estonia, Latvia, Mexico, Montenegro, Hungary, Georgia, Bahamas and Antigua & Barbuda are some of the most popular workation destinations in 2023.
They also offer digital nomad visas and are gradually seeing the rise of small but close-knit digital nomad communities. Visiting these places will be ideal for you if you want to be a part of such a community.
Besides, since these countries are regularly welcoming digital nomads, the people there are also getting used to these visitors. Thus, they, too, will know how to best deal with you and ensure that your stay is as comfortable as possible.
Conclusion
Your workation should be an enjoyable one, and for that, you must pick the right destination. To make sure of that, keep the above-mentioned points in mind, and you will surely find yourself the ideal workation destination.