During the month of July, I spent some time travelling around South-East Asia whilst working. Fully in my digital nomad era. I’m fortunate to be able to do this as Google offers 4 weeks during the year for remote work – called your ‘work-from-anywhere’ time.

There were multiple reasons why I decided to do this now, and why SE Asia. But one of the main reasons is because I have transferred to a team based in Tokyo, and so working the TK-LON timezone was just not practical, as the day was essentially just ending in Japan, when it was just starting in the UK. So it made sense to head further east to make working with my new team easier.

Also another reason is that SE Asia seems to be the place to be for digital nomads and remote working, with places like Thailand and Bali being hotspots for co-working spaces and aesthetic cafes for getting lots of work done. Therefore you get the best of both worlds, fresh and tropical vibes but with the practicalities of reliable internet and amenities.

So, let me give you a rundown on where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to!

1st stop: Bangkok

With only a one-way ticket and a week’s worth of accomodation in hand, Bangkok was the first stop on the trip. I have never been to Bangkok, but it has been somewhere I’ve wanted to go for a while. The city certainly didn’t disappoint- it’s a vibrant mix of old and new, with the cultural wonders of temples and beautiful gardens, to glowing back streets filled with bustling restaurants, stalls and markets.

I spent most of the week working in the Bangkok Google office, which was amazing. Even though it only comprises of 3 floors of a high-rise building, the views of the city were amazing (so much greenery!), and the office felt Googly but with many Thai touches in its decoration.

I felt super productive this week being in the office and being somewhere new. Having a dedicated space to go and work quite close to my hotel was great, which left the evening free for exploring the delights of the city!

2nd stop: Chiang Mai

The next stop was in Northern Thailand, in the historical city of Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai was a very different vibe to Bangkok, it is a more green, lush and mountainous terrain than the capital, and it did mean that I got bitten to death whilst I was there (much more so than Bangkok!)

I spent my time working in the Airbnb building that we were renting for the week, both in the apartment and in the cute little coffee shop in the complex lobby. It was great to get the workday started with a gym and swim session and then feel fresh and ready to work for the day – definitely one of the highlights of remote working from somewhere hot and with amenities!

Other highlights of Chiang Mai were doing a day trip on the weekend to the largest point of Thailand, visiting an elephant sanctuary, and staying one night in the mountains in Chiang Rai (even further up north next to the border of Myanmar.)

3rd stop: Krabi

After experiencing the wonders of the North of Thailand, we headed down south to the beaches of Krabi. Our accomodation was right by the ocean, so it was incredible to be able to swim in the sea right after you wake up before starting work. Admittedly, this area is pretty touristy – but because we went during the monsoon season, it wasn’t too busy (and surprisingly wasn’t even that rainy.) My favourite thing to do was get work done at the local cafe right below our hotel room with a view right to the sea. I also took this time to take some vacation days so we could explore the stunning Phi Phi islands, and really switch off from work – which is sometimes harder to do when working remotely I find!

4th stop: Kuala Lumpur

The next and final stop was Kuala Lumpur – just a 1.5 hour flight from Krabi. I have been to KL quite a few times, but coming back after nearly 9 years was so nostalgic. KL has to be my favourite city, because it’s such a melting pot of cultures due to the population demographics.

This week I worked from the Google KL office, which was small but very connected; you could feel that all of the employees knew each other, and that everyone got on very well and did many social activities together. The highlight of the trip was going all the way up the Petronas Twin Towers for spectacular views of the city. And of course, I took the week to splurge on all of the amazing food the city has to offer too.

If you’re lucky enough to work for a company that allows remote working – I would highly recommend making the most of this perk and taking the chance to integrate work with exploring new places. I find that working in a different environment and shaking things up abit can help so much with new ideas and creativity!