Europe's new gems & Beach life | Issue #0015

Winter is upon Europe, North America, and even touches Asia in it’s own way. But that makes it the perfect time to plan where to go when winter breaks.

A very interesting list of Digital Nomad destinations for Europe has just dropped, with some more elementary data such as sunshine hours, more focus on the visa available and avoiding the herds during summer season.

Where are you choosing"?

Also this week:

🏖️ A beach retreat that might just interfere with your December plans
 ✈️ Today is apparently THE day to book your travel
 🎄 Christmas gifts for you
 📍 An app to help you find those gems down hidden streets

Have a great week.

NEWS
Heading to somewhere less known once winter closes out?

Fortune magazine published their list of top European cities for digital nomads this week, with 25 cities that tick the boxes of their criteria. Now, it’s behind a paywall - though only $1 for a month - so here’s the list in case you wanted to do some digging.

Their methodology offers a little more practical thinking, though it includes criteria these lists usually offer (internet, cost of living, visa, sunshine, geography…) - but we were struck by how many smaller cities hit the list.

Are any of these on your list for next year?

Italy feature well - they did launch one of the better digital nomad visas this year - and Albania and Greece feature a LOT.

Do your own research if any hit a chord with you - or you’ve just not heard of them! - and let us know if you have any experience of the lesser-known ones!

WHAT ELSE…

🌆 Where should you settle?: Ok, we’re taking a risk here as the word “s***le” can be triggering for some nomads, but one day you might become an exp*t. InterNations have made up a list of the top Expat cities (albeit Chiang Mai is erroneously missing), which might be helpful even if it just for a nomad dip-in-dip-out.

🥗 The world’s healthiest city. Again: Valencia - making it’s presence amongst the digital nomad big-hitting destinations known the year - has been declared the world’s healthiest for a second year running. This X thread gives some insight.

✈️ Travel Tuesday: We’re not sure if this is a real thing, but Skyscanner are claiming that after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Travel Tuesday exists. They reckon today is the day for the best travel deals that are left over after everyone jumped on the Black Friday ones. Give it a try I guess and let us know!

BUSINESS & PLEASURE
Beachside work/play beats the office, any day

Correct us if we’re wrong, but one of the things that got most of you on the road was the posts of people working and living by the beach. Tapping away at the laptop one minute, running into a tropical sea the next.

Well, that is rarely a daily routine for most of you, but it is definitely good for the soul to do it some of the time!

Not everyone finds it easy to dial into their business or work when the beach is that close, but that is where Joe Fallon comes in….

Tell us your origin story.

Originally I started an adventure travel company for backpackers - some 12 years ago now - and Thailand was the first stop…and I’m still here. The pandemic changed backpacking obviously, and as we came out of it all we had here on Koh Phangan were digital nomads. So we shifted toward what they needed, and my real love, of building businesses - that’s DNA.

So, what is DNA - Digital Nomad Adventures?

We’ve combined what we did with backpackers - adventure, travel, community - with what those digital nomads needed. Coliving, adventure retreats around Thailand (though watch this space for other countries!), events and most importantly really, forge in-person business connections.

Who is it for?

The people who get the most from spending time with us are remote entrepreneurs - digital nomads with, building, or starting a business. It is open to any digital nomads - we have had a wide range of remote workers through the doors!

What do they get?

We have three main functions. We offer coliving, which we host at our beachfront resort - Tiki Beach - with daily fitness groups, business and social events. Secondly, Digital Nomad Adventures which are 9-day itineraries starting in Bangkok and finishing in Koh Phangan - they are a cross between an adventure tour and business/personal development retreat. And then there’s Beach Meets.

Ok, a nomad told us about Beach Meets recently. What is it?

So, it’s a 5-day “conference” - not that it is what you’d expect a typical conference to be. We get 40-50 business owners together by the beach for masterminds, keynotes, partnership pitches and workshops. Add in some social and fun activities in this environment, and they can make a lot of meaningful connections.

What makes it different from a conference?

Other than being beachside? Most conferences I attend have hundreds of people, which is cool. But your time is spread thin and you don't get to connect with many people on a deeper level. When people connect properly, they are much more likely to help each other. The purpose of DNA is to connect people, and help each other get closer to their goals in life and in business. We tailor the program to foster deeper connections than your average conference.

The next Beach Meets is on this month in case you haven’t made plans yet - or are down to change them. It runs from 17th-21st December.

If that’s too soon for you, then they run them throughout the year. Also check out Digital Nomad Adventures for a more fun way to network for business growth, or Tiki Beach if you fancy some beachside coworking and living.

POL

MAKE YOUR NOMAD LIFE EASIER
A time for giving…and receiving

Christmas is around the corner, so if you haven’t submitted your list to your family for what might be useful then you’re in danger of getting socks and jumpers (no good for most of the destinations you’re probably planning!).

The digital nomad life is alien to a lot of people, so your loved ones might not totally understand what you NEED and, crucially, that will fit in your luggage.

Here are some ideas that might spur more useful gifts:

• The new Kindle.

• Get a 3-pack of dry bags. Far more versatile than you’d think!

• Airpods (well, any wireless headphones) adapter for airplanes…say less.

• A toiletries bag that is actually leak-proof.

• Or if you prefer a drop-down set-up, this is one great for regular travellers.

• The Scrubba Wash Bag really saves the rest of your clothes.

• If you know, you know…durable packing cubes.

• And for those airline restrictions, a portable luggage scale is worth its weight.11

• If you’re a healthy eater, a bento box can hold valuables in transit, but be a sustainable way to eat well when you are there.

• Until you’ve used one, you might not realise how much you’d use a portable steamer.

• A charging cable that fits everything.

• Also, Rolling Square’s system for multi-screen is super simple

• Talking of multi-screen, these screen extenders are increasingly common in coworking spaces.

• It’s not all work though, and Netflix still leads the streaming wars.

• Though, for productivity and growth, an Audible sub might be more useful.

A lot of these were inspired by New York Magazine’s list of 100 gifts for travellers, so check it out if you need some inspiration for gifts for you or the other nomads in your life 🎅🏻.

BRAIN FOOD
What we’ve been recommended this week

Book - Unstressable: A Practical Guide to Stress-Free Living; Mo Gawdat & Alice Law. Previously famed for his leading role at Google, Mo Gawdat has morphed into a writer and commentator. His systematic approach to stress is evident in this collaboration with Alice Law.

App - This might be the simplest and best thing shared with us yet, and it’s free! Go for a walk, run or cycle wherever you are in the world, and randomly discover your area with Route Shuffle. If you are bored of your current routes, this is for you too. Plug in how far you want to go and you’ll get an instant new route.

Apps - Each week this month we'll feature a “best of the year list” (there are LOADS of them at the moment). Apple’s 45 apps and game finalists of 2024 have been announced.

Art - Get inspiration or awe-struck - or both - with this year’s Pictures of the Year from National Geographic. Travel really is amazing so don’t forget to embrace the lifestyle you’ve chosen 🙏

Movies - This will be divisive, and most of you will have a different idea of what travel is compared to the average person on the street, but apparently these are the 100 greatest travel movies of all time.

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.

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

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.

CO-WORKING 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].

NOMAD RESOURCES

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.

• 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.

• 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

We’re skipping breakfast as we write this, so we’re hungry. So, this week we’re testing your world food knowledge:

1. What sort of dish is Bombay Duck?

2. What is Hungary’s national dish?

3. Which country produces the most bananas?

4. If you are in Mexico and order a “small donkey”, what are you eating?

5. Churros originate from which country?

6. Feijoada is a popular meat and bean stew from which country?

Answers below!

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.

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

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

• took a photo worthy 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!

ANSWER

1. A dried fish. 2. Goulash. 3. India. 4. A burrito. 5. Spain. 6. Brazil.