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Ask HN: I want to take a vacation and code; where should I go?

22 points by maroonblazer ↗ HN
I'm a hobbyist programmer who only gets to code mornings, evenings and weekends. I need a break from work - and the Pacific Northwest - so want to get out of town and spend it working on my current project. I'm targeting late Feb/March 2014. These are my requirements:

- Within the western hemisphere, between Hawaii and the Caribbean, inclusive. Probably no further south than Central America (I'll be traveling from the Pacific Northwest)

- Sun, temp in the range of 75-85 F (23-30 C) and near natural water (not just a pool)

- No family resorts

- Some low impact activities for when I want a break from coding

- Fairly low-key vibe; I don't want my attention competing w/ drunk college kids

- WiFi outdoors (I recognize this is a nice-to-have)

The few people people I've put this question to (non-programmers) have responded w/ raised eyebrows, wondering why I'd want to take a vacation to code. I can't be the first person who wants to do this.

Anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks in advance.

25 comments

[ 3.3 ms ] story [ 60.8 ms ] thread
lsiunsuex
I've thought about a vacation to code, but the only place I want to go on vacation to is Las Vegas.

Aside from the natural water part (it is in the middle of a desert) i think sitting by a pool would make a great place to work. Most (all?) of the pools have outdoor music, wifi, people watching, etc... Mandalay Bay has sand but they've since started a Day club which I don't think would be very good for the life span of your laptop... If you got a cabanna, it wouldn't be so dangerous.

I have worked in the lobby of a vegas hotel in a pinch so it's not bad...

The only problem with my plan, its not exactly cheap to stay at a vegas hotel...

cjbprime
And laptop screens are not exactly readable in bright sunlight.
joelrunyon
I imagine Vegas hotels are much cheaper than any other sunny/beachy locale in the US because of the casino industry.
easong
Not entirely what you're looking for, but I just finished hitchhiking and urban camping up the Arab peninsula, and Oman is pretty great for coding. Lots of cool and easy to access beaches, very friendly people, modern infrastructure, and I never encountered another Westerner, tourist or otherwise. There are resorts, but they're easy to avoid. Wifi is difficult to come by, but 4g hotspots are cheap and easy.

The UAE (Dubai in particular) is all kinds of awful, though.

charlesdm
Out of interest, why? Too much consumerism?
easong
The population is something ridiculous like 83% non-citizens, many of whom are victims of human trafficking. The locals I talked to were very unfriendly and several officials went out of their way to give bad directions to myself and other travelers. The internet is censored and the laws and social mores (particularly regarding women) can be charitably described as medieval. As far as I could tell, the entire city was an enormous temple to waste and empty consumerism built on the blood of not-technically-slaves and I look forward to its collapse within the century.
munimkazia
I was born and brought up in Oman. I don't think its especially cheap to live there, and the internet connectivity isn't great. You do have 3G, but it is quite pricey.
easong
I can't comment on total cost of living as I was camping and hitching rides for free, but (restaurant) food and random consumer items seemed noticeably cheaper than their bay area equivalents. 3g/4g data in particular was way cheaper than the US - I walked up to a random telecom booth in the airport and prepaid for far more data than I needed with whatever I had in my pocket at the time...under $20? The equivalent service in the US costs around $80/month via ATT, I think.
munimkazia
I was comparing the 3G prices to India and other Asian countries. I guess US has some of the highest prices around.
dubfan
Costa Rica might be the place. Find a reasonably well-developed town on the beach that isn't too touristy and I think that will fit most of those criteria.
ms013
Hawaii. Rent a condo/house on VRBO, that way you are not stuck at a resort with tourists. Typically can find these near resorts, so you are close enough to enjoy them when you want to close the laptop. I've had some good weeks of hacking between snorkeling and sunning on Maui, renting a condo on a golf course near the resorts north of Lahaina. Kauai and the Big Island have similarly nice places with reasonable housing and food, with the ocean nearby. Avoid the resorty areas of Oahu.

As for outdoor wifi, often just making sure I'm in a spot with LTE connectivity is sufficient to live with tethering to a phone or my ipad to do basic net things like access repos, web pages, and occasionally download packages.

mixmastamyk
This is a tough question... so many possibilities.

First thing that comes to mind is the Cadillac Hotel in Venice Beach, CA. Fun, sunny, laid-back area, easy to get to, lots to do. Close to the Getty. Not too expensive. Biking/rollerblading at sunset is wonderful.

http://www.thecadillachotel.com/

The Santa Monica library is also a great resource and alternate place to work if you are tired of coffee shops and hotel wifi.

vermasque
Thanks for this recommendation. I was looking at Los Angeles to do something like this because I wanted to see some stand-up comics on the side at places like the Laugh Factory.
deedubaya
San Jose, PR. It's a common wealth, so travel there and back is easy. They use the US Dollar. I was there earlier this month, and the connectivity was really good compared to most places I visited in Costa Rica. Also, no roaming charges for most US cell carriers.

Weather was great, nice beaches, fairly nice people (Costa Ricans are nicer).

midas007
This huge Russian IT manager I know (6'3 / 250 lbs) was robbed at knife point in the doorway of his hotel in San Jose, CR in 2007. When he went to ask a taxi driver what to do, the driver handed him a knife and suggested he get his own wallet back. He did so and recovered his wallet, as the robbers failed to leave the scene. Street justice FTW.
nkg
I left Paris for the Caribbean almost a year ago. First I've been in Martinique, and now I'm in Guadeloupe. Martinique has been an ideal place to work on my side project.

If you don't speak french, I would recommend Saint-Lucia :

-the people are kind and welcoming

-life is cheap

-you can rent some remote house on a hill where no one will bother you.

-activities are within the usual island-vacation-pack : beach sports, volcano trek, museum, golf

midas007
How are the hurricanes?
deadfall
Hurricane season in Florida/Caribbean is from June 1 to November 30.
cmer
A cruise might be your best bet! Read this: http://tynan.com/cruisework

FYI, wifi is now a bit cheaper on some cruise lines. Last time I was on Royal Caribbeans they had an unlimited wifi package that wasn't so outrageous.

EdgarVerona
Agreed - the cruise idea is fantastic. I went on a cruise and only had programming as a secondary objective (secondary to hanging out with my girlfriend), and even when it wasn't top priority it was still much easier to get it done there.

Cruise ships have a lot of relatively quiet nooks where you can camp out somewhere with a beautiful view of the ocean and just code all day if you want. If you get a balcony room, you could just park yourself there the whole damned trip and take up their free room service for food (just remember to tip them very well at the end if you do this!).

midas007
Pick up surfing in Malaysia or Philippines. Super cheap living.