HN Explorer

Ask HN: Best island to live and work from?

12 points by amix ↗ HN
I would like to try to live on an island for a few months (with my girlfriend who needs to finish her thesis). The timeframe is from January to March 2013.

We have looked at Curacao, Bali, Cahuita and Seychelles.

Does anybody have any experiences doing this? If so what would you recommend and what are the pitfalls?

24 comments

[ 2.9 ms ] story [ 77.8 ms ] thread
scottmcleod
Bali-I sepnt a couple of weeks there for "Startup Abroad" and connected with the local scene. There is a new 'Startup City' in the process of being built, theres co-working spaces, lots of great ex-pat locals, foods amazing, money goes far, its paradise, people are amazing, local culture is rich and evident, cheap to do small weekend tours to Indonesian Islands etc.

Contact me if you want some more thoughts / have any questions.

_ryanschmidt
Hey Scott, I'd love to work remotely from Bali for awhile with my wife and baby. Where should I look at staying? I'd like to be close to the action (tech startups) and food, etc. Thanks!

ryan at skycatchfire dot com

shirkey
Seconding @scottmcleod as well as @taligent below -- key issues with Bali are traffic and tourists. You could also consider neighboring Lombok / Gili islands which are growing more expensive and more trendy, or if you find you can do without any western amenities, there any number of hidden coastal gems through the archipelago such as Manado / Bunaken. IMHO, quality of Internet varies inversely with quality of life -- live happy :)
amix
Thanks a lot for the feedback and would love to hear more. Don't have your email, but please contact me at amix _at_ amix.dk Thanks!
mblenek
Hi Scott,

I'm interested in these co-working spaces in Bali. I could only find one named Hubud but it seems not currently running. Could you name any others?

taligent
Australia. Maybe Tasmania for something different ?

Otherwise Thailand would be nice. Cheap. Great food. Decent internet in parts. Good beach. Bali will suck a bit because of all the tourists (Bali is Australia's Cancun). But inland it is much better.

amix
Where would you stay in Thailand?
murtza
Chiang Mai. It's in the north of Thailand.

Pros: cheap, people are really nice, more relaxed and cleaner air than Bangkok, some expats, the food is delicious, and the internet is not fast but reliable.

Con: Not an island

tsuyoshi
I don't know what your criteria are, but I have some experience with this. I lived on Honshu Island for 5 months, Penang Island for 2 months, and Manhattan Island for 2 years. I recommend all three. The pitfalls: 1) the islands are somewhat expensive compared to many other islands, although there are inexpensive locations on all three 2) and they are somewhat noisy and distracting.
antidoh
One of the San Juan Islands in Washington state, US. Possibly San Juan Island itself, depending on your needs and what's on offer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Juan_Islands

antidoh
Ah, I notice you may not be US-based.

If you don't want to pass through US customs, you can probably get a similar experience on an island near Vancouver BC, Canada.

bobf
Curacao is a gorgeous place to visit - not sure if I would want to live there for more than a few weeks. It is incredibly small -- maybe try a bigger/more populous island? I loved St. Kitts, although that's still quite small and there are lots of gorgeous, secluded areas.

Good luck!

amix
Is it possible to get any work done on Curacao given how hot and humid it is? And does air conditioning cancel this issue? Also what about the Internet :-)?
sol2k
Singapore. Seriously, check it out. Great stability, awesome for business, gateway between east and west (in both directions), thriving startup scene, govt grants for entrepreneurship. Downsides: cost of living is a bit high, culture can be hard to adapt to for some, weather can be stiffling (equatorial tropics are hot and muggy).
mdda
Are you in Singapore at the moment? Would you mind answering a few questions about the 'scene' there? My email is in my 'about'.
gadders
Great Britain. Friendly locals and no language issues.
ALee
Tuvalu - not only have they only gotten their money from the .tv domain, but they'll be gone once climate change wreaks its havoc. The dollar goes a long way and it'll be a very unique experience and you'll likely work hard too.