10 Programs and Retreats Offering a Digital Nomad Lifestyle
Digital nomads are on the rise. 15.5 million American workers currently describe themselves as digital nomads, increasing 112% from 2019, according to The MBO Partners® 2021 State of Independence research study. The waning of the pandemic has made it easier to work remotely with a growing number of countries offering digital nomad visas that allow for visitors to combine work and extended vacations.
Think you want to be a digital nomad, but want a taste before you go all-in working remotely with no fixed location? These 10 short-term programs let wannabe digital nomads sample the digital nomad lifestyle without a long-term commitment.
Nurall Workation Packages & Goa Residency
With a mission of cultivating the next generation of digital natives and promoting a lifestyle of freedom, choice, and adventure, Nurall recently launched its Workation Packages and Goa Residency in collaboration with Dean Kuchel, the "King of Digital Nomads" to get digital nomads working in India. Nurall curates workation logistics, including places to stay, cowork, and access to local remote work communities. Each property's internet speed is vetted and, for nomads who prefer to work outside their home-away-from-home, Workation Passes can be purchased that grant access to coworking spaces in Goa in India's southwestern coast. A concierge team addresses destination questions, provides recommendations, and connects nomads to the local community. In 2023, Nurall plans to expand across India to Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Bangalore, Mumbai, Pondicherry, Rajasthan, and Rishikesh.
The Goa Residency, a 10-day program that includes peer-to-peer workshops with digital nomads, locals, and explorers, plus coworking space, accommodations at luxury properties with a pool in the beach villages of Anjuna and Morjim, wellness activities like mindfulness meditation and yoga, happy hours, cultural experiences like a history of Feni and Latin quarter crawl, and barbecue brunch. The program is $999 for a twin-sharing room and $1,499 for a private single room and includes one-on-one time with Dean Kuchel, financial freedom workshop with Kuchel, claim your freedom conference with the local community, and skill sharing sessions.
DISCOVER: Check out our calendar for upcoming digital nomad retreats.
Hacker Paradise
Founded in 2014, Hacker Paradise is a remote work and travel group whose 1,000+ members have visited 24+ countries so far. Members choose when, where, and how long they want to travel, and HP plans the rest. On upcoming trips, hackers can live in a 12th century château in Normandy, France, stay in an eco-lodge in Kilifi on the coast of Kenya, lodge in eco domes in Bocas Del Toro, Panama, and sleep in refurbished sea containers in Tallinn, Estonia.
A community facilitator is included on each trip to manage logistics, plan activities, and organize professional workshops and a weekly potluck for the trip's 15-20 remote workers. Participants get private rooms, coworking space, and a SIM card arranged by HP. A two-week experience starts at $1,690, four weeks at $2,490, and three- to 12-month commitments at $1,990 per month.
Noma Collective
Founded in Belize in 2020 by a trio of friends and remote workers, Noma Collective is "a brand that markets and delivers a digital nomad experience" (aka provides logistics planning, including private accommodation, WiFi, weekly fitness activities, community events, weekend excursions, and access to a Slack group with 400+ members).
Upcoming trips include a three-week workation co-living in a villa with 10-15 participants in the beach village of Canggu in Bali, Indonesia for $2,450 and a 24-night stay at Noma Collective's headquarters in Placencia, Belize for $2,150. There is a $5,500 family trip where families stay in two-bedroom condos at Umaya Resort in Placencia, Belize. Children enjoy staff-led programs during the day while parents work and then families can partake in program-organized activities after work.
Nomad Base
What began as Nomad Cruise, a traveling transatlantic cruise-conference for entrepreneurs, digital nomads, and aspiring digital nomads, has evolved into Nomadbase, an international travel club for digital nomads and remote workers. Membership includes access to an online community, Nomad Academy with 90+ talks and workshops on nomad life, remote work, mindset, and entrepreneurship, skillsharing, and online events plus invitations to four live reunions. This year, reunions are in Bali and Spain. A quarterly membership is €87 and an annual membership is €290.
Nomad Village
Through Startup Madeira, the Madeira government developed a program in February 2021 to attract digital nomads for one to three months to Madeira Island by creating a Digital Nomad Village at Ponta do Sol, a village of 8,200 people on the southern coast. Registrants are provided a list of local accommodations in furnished flats or hotels, free coworking space at the John dos Passos Cultural Center, exclusive events, and a Slack community. The program has had 15,000 registrants aged 18-80 from 133 countries with 8,100 who have visited the Portuguese island off northwest coast of Africa.
Remote Year
Since its founding in 2015, 4,000 remote professionals representing 50 nationalities have worked while exploring 80+ destinations with Remote Year. Members can join for one, four, or 12 months with accommodations, coworking spaces, and transportation taken care of. One-month trips include living and working in Split, Croatia for $2,738 and Athens, Greece for $3,538. Four-month regional journeys include Asia (Chiang Mai, Thailand, Osaka, Japan, Hanoi, Vietnam, and one surprise destination) for $12,000 and Europe (Lisbon, Portugal, Valencia, Spain, Tirana, Albania, and Istanbul, Turkey) for $13,000.
Year-long around the world journeys include Medellin, Colombia, Mexico City, Osaka, Japan, Valencia, Spain, Bali, Indonesia, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Hanoi, Vietnam, Istanbul, Turkey, Lima, Peru, Lisbon, Portugal, and Marrakech, Morocco for $32,000. Remote Year also offers one-week retreats and virtual and in-person events for Remote Year members.
Semester at Sea's Lifelong Learners
Since 1963, Semester at Sea has been hosting voyages of discovery for college students seeking to explore the world. SAS offers adults at least 30-years-old the opportunity to join its academic community through its Lifelong Learners Program. Unlike a regular cruise, Lifelong Learners—a mix of retirees, professionals on leave, digital nomads, and adventurous travelers—can attend the same courses, field programs, and activities as undergraduate participants plus sail with their children on the MV World Odyssey. Lifelong Learners can opt to sail one or more segments or the full 100+-day voyage with rates starting at $26,950 for solo travelers and $22,350 per person (double occupancy).
Unsettled
Started in 2014 as a coworking retreat, Unsettled has grown to be a community of solo travelers who work remotely—or not (employment is not a prerequisite). So far, 2,500 people from 80+ countries have participated in Unsettled's one-week adventures, two-week creative breaks, and one-month coworking retreats, which include accommodations in a private apartment or room, an office space, workshops, and access to the local Unsettled team.
Upcoming trips include a week of living in a mountaintop villa in Phuket, Thailand followed by five days on a live-aboard boat sailing Thailand's Similan Islands for $3,595 and one week coworking and living in a renovated Spanish farmhouse in Cadavedo, Spain followed by one week hiking the final 115-kilometers of the Camino de Santiago for $3,050.
Venture with Impact
Founded in 2016, Venture with Impact arranges 30-day programs of four to 10 participants that include accommodation in a private room in two- or three-bedroom apartments, coworking space, cultural activities, day trips, and a skills-based volunteering project. Participants are matched with pro-bono opportunities with Venture with Impact's local partners based on interests, skills, and schedules.
Upcoming programs include one month living and volunteering in Mexico City, Mexico for $2,600 or Lisbon, Portugal for $2,800. In 2024, Venture with Impact will begin offering one-week themed retreats on education, career transition, and wellness — all with an emphasis on social impact.
WiFi Tribe
Started in 2016, WiFi Tribe has grown to a community of 1,000 remote professionals from 62 nationalities who co-live, co-work, and collaborate. The group travels together on four-, six-, or eight-week "Chapters" with several Chapters running concurrently in different countries so members can choose where they want to go next. The accommodations and WiFi are organized ahead of time and everything else is collaboratively arranged by the Chapter's Tribe. Members must have jobs and about three-quarters are between 25- and 35-years-old.
Upcoming Chapters include staying at a traditional riad in Marrakesh, Morocco for $1,610 in a shared room or $2,590 in a private room and living in an apartment in Seoul, South Korea for $1,890 in a shared room or $3,070 in a private room.
WiFly Nomads
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, WiFly Nomads offered five-day intensive professional development workshops in Bali, Indonesia for $3,997 to train people how to go remote, including supporting budding entrepreneurs and freelancers to launch their own businesses and brands, personal and professional development, and how to live the nomadic lifestyle.
Founder Kate Smith, who traveled for one year on Remote Year, has created an online alternative: The Remote Career Accelerator, a seven-module online course for $1,497 that includes 12 weekly live coaching sessions and private Slack group with a goal of participants finding a remote job, so they can be digital nomads.
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