Desirable islands & Find your remote role | Issue #0016

As much of the world winds down for their holiday season, there is not a lot in the way of new, revolutionary or game-changing initiatives for digital nomads at the moment.

There IS a lot in the way of destination reviews and planning for next year, so this week offers some food for thought for future plans.

In here this week:

 👩‍💻 Get your next remote role, and make it the right one
 🌍 A nomad discovers a sleepy North African getaway
 ☕️ Potential bad news for coffee-lovers…so everyone, basically 😫
 🎤 Post-Black Friday deals - staying connected

Let’s smash the week…

NEWS
Do desirable travel destinations make good nomad spots?

As we’ve mentioned in recent weeks, there are a tonne of “best of” lists doing the rounds and we are getting a bit bored of reading them all. However, Wanderlust’s Reader Travel Awards piqued our interest for a few reasons.

More than 3 million votes were cast for a start, but we were particularly taken by the most desirable island category.

We all love an island getaway, but spoiler alert, we were a little surprised that Sri Lanka won out. Not because it isn’t an incredible place, but we often look at places through the lens of a digital nomad, and it isn’t often high on the list for nomads who have BEEN.

Here’s the top 10 from the list, and we’d be curious if many - or any - of these are what you’d consider desirable as a nomad:

More nomads are seeking experiences and generally stay longer than a holiday-maker, so do any of these make your list as a dn destination?

WHAT ELSE…

🔎 What the world was curious about in 2024: With an estimated 14,000 articles added per month - as of January at least - Wikipedia is still a popular resource. These are this year’s 25 most popular searches, with a search about death ranking top for the 5th time in the last ten years.

🕵️‍♀️ Getting it right…some of the time: ChatGPT - well AI chats in general - are growing in popularity as general search engines. According to Indie Hackers, the sources for the information it might give you is still not nearly as well attributed as you’d like.

🏞️ Places to be seen to see… Not your usual best-places list, but when Time Magazine publish it’s worth reading. The World’s Greatest Places 2024 includes 100 places to stay and visit. Great for some of the more unique experiences for nomads.

☕️ The worst news of the week? In fact, this might be the worst news of the year for many of you 😅 Coffee prices are at their highest for nearly 50 years thanks to unfavorable weather in Brazil and Vietnam.

DESTINATIONS
Digital nomadding in sleepy North Africa

Online coworking sessions are a legit accountability measure, but also a great way to connect to other digital nomads and remote workers.

Toks was on a call we were on recently from somewhere across the globe, and she put us onto Taghazout, Morocco. It turns out she’s a travel blogger, and wrote about her three weeks .

Like in many countries, pockets of Morroco are jumping on the digital nomad train and more events, coliving and coworking spots are appearing. More places are making little changes to appeal to the lifestyle, and with a long coastline and appealing climate for a lot of the year, it is getting more visits.

If you’re into sun, sea and a chilled feel then this could be a nice respite from the other - what can be more cerebral - cities in Morroco, then check out what Toks thought and why she’s hoping to go back in 2025.

SPREAD THE WORD

Do you have friends who are digital nomads roaming the world? If you think they could use a quick weekly fix of what’s happening in their world, then share this link so they can get The Digital Nomad each week too.

Or, share it on your socials with the links at the top of this newsletter.

REMOTE WORKING
Are you rebelling against RTO?

Last week, you told us how you sustain life on the road. Are you working for yourself, your business, or someone else? We were a little surprised that a whopping 44% of respondents work remotely for a company.

That is music to Michelle Coulson’s ears, though.

Her company - Remote Rebellion - has been around for over 3 years, and she connects remote companies with remote talent…but only the crème de la crème! Not only does she help those of you who…

…actually, let’s let her tell you:

You passed through Chiang Mai recently. What does the nomad life look like for you?
I don’t like the term digital nomad. Location Independent is how I’d describe myself, but it isn’t quite as catchy, is it!?! Someone needs to come up with a new term. I’ve spent much of the last three years based in Bali, but the last year has seen me bounce around a lot of countries. The plan next year is to set up two European bases with a month or two travelling, and a month back home with family.

And now you’re helping others at least work remotely, if not full-on digital nomads?
In a nutshell, for the last 3 and a half years my business - Remote Rebellion - has been helping freelancers and workers looking for a fully remote j-o-b. The word “rebellion” felt apt as, when I started the company in 2021, “return to office” was beginning. It felt like a rebellion was needed against the dinosaur companies forcing people to work somewhere that doesn't work for them, despite seeing the benefits of remote work.

So, you’re helping people find work to sustain a nomad lifestyle.
Yes - or stay at home and never leave! We work to clarify exactly what they want and create a strategy to reach that goal - it’s a holistic process that is more than just a resume review. It’s important to lay the foundations before jumping into applications. We’ll work on personal branding, standing out in a crowded market, networking strategy, marketing themselves, and negotiating. The programme mixes teaching, mentorship, coaching, training and introductions to my network. Most people I work with are senior professionals who are amazing at what they do, but rubbish at selling themselves!

Who’s going to benefit most from getting in touch with you?
Firstly, individuals who want to get remote work and make the process to reach that goal easier and faster than doing it on their own. I can’t hand a remote job to someone on a silver platter, so this is for those who understand the value of investing in themselves and are willing to put in the work to reach their goal.

Also, remote first companies who want to find the right people for their business. I have a background as a recruiter and built a lot of connections in the remote world, so I work with founders to ensure they attract and retain the best talent.

So, what’s happening in 2025?
Lots! We're launching our very first remote job fair, both online in April and in person in August. As well as the '“do it with you" programme, we're introducing a “do it for you” approach, for business professionals who want a new remote job but don't have the time to search and apply. We're also working on a platform to connect remote workers with the top 500 remote-first companies…like a remote-only LinkedIn, but without all the BS & noise!

Fun coincidence - when we chatted, Michelle was sunning it up at Tiki Beach in preparation for Beach Meets, which we featured in last week’s issue.

Michelle runs Remote Rebellion, so reach out to her there if you are looking for the next role or next addition to the team. She is super-connected in the remote work space, so is definitely worth having a conversation with!

MAKE YOUR NOMAD LIFE EASIER
Staying connected, wherever you are

Not all of you are sitting in a city-centre coworking space, with fast internet connection and a cheap 5g SIM. A couple of partners reached out to offer readers of The Digital Nomad end-of-year deals.

1. SIMO’s hotspot device offers mobile wifi in over 135 countries, and a nomad passing through here a couple of weeks ago swore by it. Great if you travel as much as they do - sounded like a new place every 1-3 weeks! It was surprising how often they had to use it in hotels though.
   Their Black Friday deal has ended, but click here and you can get 20% off SIMO’s 5g & Solis Lite Hotspots.

2. Airlo eSims are perhaps less commonly used by travellers around Southeast Asia - SIM cards are super cheap. We’ve featured Airlo before, but it was explained to us this weekend by Tom - a nomad that uses their eSim - that as he travels further than that it was overall worth getting one.
   To get 15% off their sims click here and if you are new user use the code NEWTOAIRALO15. Or you’ll get 10% off if you are an existing user using AIRALOESIM10.

POLL

BRAIN FOOD
What nomads have recommended this week

Books - The NYT is the word when it comes to ranking best sellers. However, they do also know a thing or two about what is in books. Their 100 Notable Books of 2024 list is out in case you’ve missed a masterpiece.

App & TV - If you’re a TV watcher but miss the pleasure is watching with friends, a partner - or just someone - then this could be for you. Marathon will find you new shows and people to watch them with.

Podcast - Wondery won’t be new to many you if you’re a podcast listener. Their Business Wars series is a great way to hear about origin stories, though. Remember, nearly every big company started with one person!

Drop us an email at [email protected] if you have any recommendations we should share!

CONNECT TO CHIANG MAI
Fill your social calendar in Chiang Mai

Steve’s Email: A weekly resource and email for events around the city.

Digital Nomad WhatsApp: A long-standing group that spawned a range of sub-groups for almost any niche and interest in the city.

For up-to-date events in the city, join the Activities/Events WhatsApp group.

ChiangMai Fit WhatsApp: If you want to do something active (trust us, being fit isn’t a prerequisite!) then wholesome activities throughout the week in here.

The Nomad Summit is coming to town next month.

Yellow Coworking Telegram: For more about what is happening at Yellow and to be part of their conversation, join in here.

THE DIGITAL RESOURCE

We’ve shared some useful resources over the first few weeks, and while you can access back issues here, several nomads have asked us to share them again. So, to save lots of email back-and-forths or searching through previous newsletters, here are the most asked for resources:

• Safety Wing, who also offer digital nomad insurance, started running community events in various locations around the world. A few participants in a Chiang Mai one even won a meal out at a top restaurant in the city!

• Genki also do worldwide digital nomad insurance.

• Connect with other digital nomads and build your network with Digital Nomad Adventures. Their December Beach Meets event still has a couple of spots left!

• Contact Liselle for a LinkedIn or resume revamp.

• If decision-making is not your forte, get in touch with Hannah Wang - a decision-making coach for entrepreneurs, business owners and big corporates.

• Stay safe online - and get TV from any country! - using NordVPN. They’ve got a Black Friday sale on now too.

• Airalo - a marketplace for eSIM data packs for more than 200 countries. Get 15% off if you are new and use this link and the code NEWTOAIRALO15, or 10% off if you are an existing user using AIRALOESIM10.

If you’re in Chiang Mai, these are some of the nomad favorites:

• Healthy Junk is the go-to for healthy food if you are in Chiang Mai. Dine in, out or get it delivered.

• Grab a coffee a few steps from Yellow at Toffee Roasters. Go and say hi to Tem, the owner, who is opening a sandwich joint next door in the coming weeks.

• Get your meal prep from Chef Fuji. Healthy, macro-focused food delivered in Chiang Mai.

QUIZ
Higher or lower

If you checked out Wiki’s top searches of the year above, you’ll have an advantage here. Who got the most searches of the two?

1. Elon Musk / Kamala Harris

2. Sean Combs / Taylor Swift

3. Christiano Ronaldo / JD Vance

4. Deadpool & Wolverine / Dune Part 2

5. UEFA Euro 2024 / 2024 Summer Olympics

6. Indian Premier League (IPL) / 2024 Indian general election

Answers below!

COMMUNITY
Get seen by digital nomads everywhere

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.

This is an opportunity to get some extra eyes on your thing, or if you just like to write or provide information to other nomads.

Drop us an email at [email protected] if you:

• have a product or service that could help other digital nomads

• run a travel blog, channel or platform that we can spotlight

• made a photo or picture we could feature along with your portfolio or IG

• know a great event or place in Chiang Mai we might have missed!

• …just have a great digital nomad story!

COWORKING IN CHIANG MAI

If you are in the city, or heading over soon, then check out the current packages - from day passes to monthly or annual memberships - here.

Or, just get in touch with Mickey or the team at Yellow Coworking at [email protected].

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

1. Kamala Harris. 2. Taylor Swift. 3. JD Vance. 4. Deadpool & Wolverine. 5. 2024 Summer Olympics. 6. Indian Premier League (IPL).