It’s a Lifestyle
Championing a Live Work Play ethos means so much more than speedy wifi and communal desk space. As the remote work space becomes more sophisticated, smart providers are building communities that offer everything from business counselling to wine tastings in locations all around the world. So how do you choose the workation destination that’s right for you?
UK telecoms provider CircleLoop launched the Digital Nomad Index in January this year to help answer this question. The index ranks 85 countries based on factors such as cost of internet speed and rental apartments, search statistics for remote jobs and ranking on the World Happiness Report.
The results are in – and they might surprise you. Canada takes the top spot, followed by the UK, Romania, Sweden, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Australia, Switzerland and, finally, Germany.
While the weather is clearly not a factor in this index, it’s a huge motivator for many in the ‘techpat’ community and part of the reason why many dedicated hubs are springing up in warmer parts of the world.
Now open in Belize is Umaya Village, a beachside utopia for remote workers and the first designated community of its kind in the Caribbean. The former hotel offers all the tech and toys necessary for a next level workation as well as weekly business seminars, “mentorship matching” and community meals that bring residents together. Plans for the Umaya Academy, a residential business school that teaches the skills needed to earn a remote income, are also underway.
Europe’s first digital nomad village opened on Madeira in February this year, offering remote workers a free wifi and work space plus access to a dedicated Slack community, meanwhile iLand is Estonia’s first coworking and co-living space, with a special focus on community, diversity and creativity.
In Germany, Coconat, “a space for anyone to be inspired, concentrate, work, and play in the countryside”, joins Spain’s PANDORAHUB – an incubator for people craving the rural lifestyle enabled by remote working – that runs month-long safaris to digital nomad-friendly villages.
Fancy starting the working day with a massage or a “life-enhancing” workshop? Balance Holidays is running a series of curated wellbeing workations that include all meals, wifi and a private space to work, plus access to gym equipment, activities and even babysitting services
For a truly off-grid experience, just hike into one of Japan’s national parks and set up shop: thanks to a government initiative, they now feature designated workstations available for digital nomads to rent.