Our Favourite Places to Slow Travel and Work Remotely
Your boss is either going to love us… or hate us.
We’ve heard rumours that people can work remotely from anywhere in the world. And yes, many companies are shifting back to in-office hours. But if you’ve built up trust, maintained strong rapport with your team, and are feeling burnt out or stuck, we’d argue (alongside Einstein) that you can’t solve problems from the same mindset that created them.
Sometimes, the best thing you can do—for your work, your mental health, your relationships, and your creativity—is simply to change your surroundings. To take all your meetings, deadlines, and deep work sessions to a quieter, greener, more grounding place. That’s why we’ve curated a list of our favourite slow travel spots to work remotely from—places where instead of going to the gym, you go for a surf. Instead of a city yoga class, you settle into a work-in: a stretch of silence, a moment of real clarity.
And while yes—we are a travel company and remote work is our norm—we’re constantly meeting Americans, Europeans, and even fellow Southeast Asians who are logging on from the same quiet corners of Indonesia or Vietnam, running full workdays and pulling insane hours across time zones. So it’s not just a dream. It’s definitely possible.
If you’re based in Singapore, we know the idea might be a harder sell to your boss. But we’re convinced: if done right, productivity could be astronomical.
Because if you normally lose two hours a day to commuting, what happens when you give that time back to yourself? What if those two hours became the creative breakthrough your team’s been waiting for?
We believe deeply in the Three-Day Effect. We believe nature heals. And we believe remote work can be more than a privilege—it can be a portal to fresh ideas, better focus, and a more balanced way of being.
Below, you’ll find the prerequisites we look for in a destination, followed by the places we keep returning to when we need space to think, work, and reset.
Pre-requisites
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internet connection is essential when you’re working remotely. We look for places where the Wi-Fi holds steady enough for video calls, uploads, and smooth communication. In areas where fibre hasn’t reached, strong mobile data—paired with a local SIM or eSIM—makes it possible to stay connected from nearly anywhere, whether you’re working from a quiet café or your guesthouse balcony.
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It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it does have to be clean. A good night’s sleep, natural light, a desk or table to work from, and a warm shower go a long way when you’re slow travelling. Bonus points if the owners are kind and the place reflects the character of the region. We prioritise accommodation that’s affordable without compromising comfort—especially places that are locally owned, eco-conscious, and designed with intention.
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Food fuels your day—and your creativity. We gravitate toward destinations where nutritious meals are easy to find, and where the local food culture supports fresh, seasonal ingredients. Whether it’s a village warung or a small modern café, a place with real flavours, vibrant produce, and great coffee is always a win. You don’t need a dozen restaurants—just a few really good ones that you’re happy to return to.
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Slow travel doesn’t mean you sit still. We love places where nature is your playground: early morning surf, midweek treks, spontaneous swims, and wandering through rice fields or coastal villages on your afternoon break. Having access to outdoor activities—without the crowds or chaos—makes for a richer, more balanced remote work lifestyle.
Our Favourite Places
Sometimes all it takes is a week of working remotely to feel like yourself again. And if you’re lucky enough to stay away for a full month? Even better. The destinations we’ve listed below work beautifully for both—a quick reset or a longer, slower rhythm. They are so many places where the Wi-Fi holds up, the food nourishes, the coffee hits just right, and the hours outside of work fill you back up.
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Bali is Bali for a reason. There’s a certain magic here that makes it one of the most ideal places for remote work and slow travel. If you’re looking to deepen your yoga practice, learn to surf or free dive, or finally get certified to scuba dive, Bali offers all of it in one place—with options to suit any schedule, budget, or level of experience.
It ticks all of our remote working boxes: reliable Wi-Fi, great coffee, nourishing food, comfortable and affordable accommodation, and just enough stimulation to keep things interesting without becoming overwhelming.
If you’re coming from Europe or the US, this is a great base to justify a longer stay. On weekends, you can hike volcanoes, visit waterfalls, or head off-island to explore lesser-known gems. Bali lets you ground in nature and reconnect with yourself while still holding space for your work responsibilities.
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Lombok is like Bali’s quieter, more low-key sibling—with just a little less variety, but all the same charm. In the south, Kuta Lombok has grown rapidly since COVID and is now a fantastic base for remote work, especially if you love early morning surfs, ocean views, yoga sessions, and the occasional dive.
The pace is slower, the roads are quieter, and the landscape still feels raw and spacious. If you’re here for more than a week, we suggest splitting your time between the south and the north. Work from Kuta during the weekdays, then head to Senaru or Sembalun for a weekend hike, or even attempt the mighty Rinjani if you’ve got time to fully disconnect.
Whether you’re staying plugged in or switching off, Lombok gives you the breathing room to do both.
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Hoi An is one of the calmest and most charming cities in Southeast Asia to base yourself out of—quiet, scenic, and steeped in cultural history. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, the old town offers a slow rhythm that’s perfect for focused remote work, with incredible food, affordable accommodations, and a strong café culture.
Need a reset between tasks? Wander along the river, hop on a bicycle through the rice fields, or treat yourself to a tailor-made outfit. If you’re craving the ocean, surfing in Da Nang is just 45 minutes away. And Hue is a very comfortable sleeping train away as well.
If you have more time—or want to unplug for a while—head north to Phong Nha National Park. It’s a great spot to base out of for a week with waterfall hikes and cave explorations each morning. And when you’re ready to truly disconnect, you can take on multi-day treks into some of the world’s largest caves deep in the jungle.
Slow, grounded, and full of surprises—Central Vietnam ideal for both remote workers and rewilders.
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North Sumatra might be one of the most underrated places to work remotely—especially if you’re looking to slow down and reconnect with nature between tasks. The only caveat? Power cuts do happen, so you’ll want to have a strong mobile data plan as backup and ideally a lighter meeting schedule that week.
There are two main bases we love: Bukit Lawang and Lake Toba. Spend a week in Bukit Lawang, where you can trek with orangutans in the early mornings and settle into riverside calm to work the rest of the day. The jungle soundtrack does wonders for your nervous system.
Then, travel on the weekend (so you don’t cut into work time) and head to Lake Toba. Lakeside working is peaceful, grounding, and surprisingly productive. When the laptop closes, there are waterfalls, hot springs, Batak culture, and delicious local food to explore.
Just be warned—you may never want to leave.
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For those with a bigger budget who enjoy the energy of cities, Singapore is an easy “yes” on this list. It’s a global hub with blazing-fast internet, efficient public transport, and an unbeatable food culture. Whether you’re diving into the city’s legendary hawker centres or hopping between locally owned cafés, your tastebuds will be in for a ride.
And because Singapore is a fully developed city—not a struggling tourism economy—you’re not adding to tourism leakage by staying in chain hotels or using credit card points to book extended stays. In fact, this is one of the rare places where doing so doesn’t extract from local communities in the same way it might elsewhere.
While meals may not always be the healthiest, they’re consistently delicious—and with so many cafés offering strong Wi-Fi, it’s easy to change up your workspace every day.
If you’re coming from the West, Singapore offers a refreshing shift in rhythm. Clean, organised, safe, and surprisingly green, it’s an ideal base to reset your perspective—while keeping productivity sky-high.
You handle your 9 to 5—we’ll fill in the rest
Whether you’re surfing before your morning stand-up, trekking on the weekends, or planning a multi-day escape to bookend your work trip, we’ve got you. In places like Bali, Lombok, North Sumatra, and Central Vietnam, we’ve designed our itineraries and support systems to seamlessly blend productivity with purpose.
Even better? If you’re part of a small team looking for a change of scenery, we can help you plan an off-site that actually means something. Real connection, real nature, and real perspective — no trust fall exercises required.
All you have to do is show up. We’ll handle the rest.
TL;DR: If you’re dreaming of taking your work calls in a place where you can surf at sunrise, eat delicious local food for lunch, and soak in mountain or ocean views by dinner—these five destinations are for you. We’ve worked remotely from each one ourselves, and they tick all the boxes: solid Wi-Fi or mobile data, clean and affordable accommodation, good food (and coffee!), and something new to do every day. Whether you stay a week or a month, these places will keep your work flowing and your spirit refreshed.
