🌺 Is Bali REALLY that bad?

Welcome to the Freaking Nomads Newsletter, your weekly dose of stories, insights, tools, and opportunities for digital nomads and remote workers building a life without borders.

Hey Freaking Nomads,

I've been a digital nomad for years, and until recently I had never set foot in Bali.

Instead I ended up in places like Tunisia and Zanzibar. The kind of places people raise an eyebrow at when you mention them. And somehow the island that is most famous for remote work never made it onto my list.

If I'm honest, I think I was avoiding it on purpose. Maybe not consciously. But I'd heard so many bad things. That it was overcrowded, overpriced, and overhyped.

At some point I realised how silly that was. I'd happily fly somewhere most people can't find on a map, but the one place everyone goes to was apparently too much for me.

So I went.

And honestly, it's not as bad as people say.

Is it chill? No. Not at all.

But it's a place that's built for people who work remotely. Coworkings and laptop-friendly cafés everywhere, and a community that actually gets what you do all day. And prices are still quite reasonable, especially compared to what I'd been bracing myself for.

I’ve realized I'd fallen for the digital nomad hate. As a digital nomad.

I know the conversation around nomads isn't black and white. There are real issues worth talking about. But a lot of what I'd absorbed came from people who've never lived this lifestyle, or from articles written to get a quick click. And I let it decide where I went without even noticing. Bias is sneaky like that.

Travel is also extremely subjective. The place someone else hated might be the one you fall for. The place everyone raves about might leave you completely cold. You only really find out by going.

So lately I'm trying to catch myself every time I think “nah, not that place”, and ask where that feeling actually came from.

Now I'm curious about you. What's a place you were sure would be great (or awful) that turned out completely different? Hit reply and tell me.

Irene

Who is hiring this week? Here are some top roles to check out:

Bali turned out cheaper than I expected. And one small thing that helped keep it that way was skipping the airport SIM.

Buying a physical SIM when you land usually means inflated prices, handing over your passport, and half an hour in a queue. We used Saily instead (our top pick for Bali after testing a bunch of providers).

Check Saily plans here →

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We'll see you there, Freaking Nomads 👋