Over the past 8 years I have been fortunate enough to have lived and worked in many tropical destinations around the world. With the recent lock down restrictions of COVID-19, many companies have been forced, or have chosen to allow their employees to work remotely (end of offices as we know it?). . Once we are past this pandemic, many companies may adopt more flexible remote working programs. This change could provide employees the opportunity to work from practically anywhere in the world (with a stable wifi connection)! Given this, I thought I would rank my top 5 tropical destinations to live and work.
5. SIHANOUKVILLE CAMBODIA
Located in Cambodia, Sihanoukville is a beach town on the border of Vietnam and Cambodia. A taxi from Phnom Penh, Cambodia will take roughly four hours (depending on the amount of road side cows wandering onto the road!). Sihanoukville boasts relaxing beaches (Otres Beach, Independence Beach, Serendipity Beach, Ochheuteal Beach and Hawaii Beach) and a slow pace of life. In recent years, Sihanoukville, much like Macau, has morphed into a Casino destination and lost some of its culture and coastal charm. These recent developments have turned this once sleeping beach town into a Casino mecca, thus only earning the #5 spot on my rankings.
PROS
- Excellent Coffee
- Kind Khmer people
- Relaxing beaches
- Fresh Seafood
CONS
- Unstable Wifi hindering productivity
- Noisy development and construction
- Predominantly a Gambling Destination now
4. KO SAMUI THAILAND
Located only an hour and half from Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, Ko Samui is a highly developed island with all the amenities you will need for work and play. The Island has many of the necessities found in the capital but with a beach culture to boot. The internet is stable and the people are friendly but with all the activities the Island provides, getting work done can be difficult at times.
PROS
- Fantastic Beaches
- Thai Boxing Matches
- Amazing Thai food
- Smiley friendly Thai locals
- Relaxing aesthetic
CONS
- Too many of fun distractions
- Slow Island pace may cause unproductivity
- Not knowing Thai language can make it difficult to communicate with locals
3. JACO BEACH COSTA RICA
Jaco Beach is a resort town located on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Only taking about an hour and half from the capital, San Jose, Jaco Beach is popular for both tourists and locals. With amazing surf and friendly locals, Jaco beach is a great destination to live and work. Be warned, Jaco beach is frequented by tourists from all over the world as a vacation destination which can inhibit your productivity.
PROS
- Incredible Surf
- Friendly locals (Purda Vida!)
- Busy Nightlife
- Lots of daily activities
- Excellent beaches
CONS
- Heavy tourism
- Not consistant wifi
- Too many fun distractions!
2. MALTA
Malta is an island in Southern Europe that hosts many online gambling firms & tech start ups. A vibrant nightlife, the lowest tax rates in Europe and incredible infrastructure, all make Malta a great place to live and work. Malta is an English speaking Republic, so you can forget about those awkward communication breakdowns you may experience in other destinations on this list. Malta is incredibly safe both day and night and the locals are friendly and inviting. . Many nationalities call Malta home and this is reflected in the excellent food selection and culture. If you want to get some work done Malta gives you all the opportunity, or if you would like a break to relax the sea is near by!
PROS
- Amazing Italian Restaurants
- Fascinating historical sites
- Excellent internet infrastructure
- Thriving tech community
- Excellent business networking
- Low crime rate
- English Speaking
CONS
- Island time Government business hours
- Excellent pasta dishes and local Cisk beer may cause extreme weight gain 🙂
1. SAN JUAN DEL SUR NICARAGUA
Number one on my list of top tropical destinations to live and work is the sleepy beach town of San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua! The We Stay Lost Resort provides an amazing work environment (fast internet and office appliances) with some of the greatest surf in the world!
PROS
- Great community
- Friendly and helpful host
- Great Surfing
- Fast Wifi
- Comfortable accomodations
- Excellent work and leisure life balance
CONS
- None