Overpriced and overhyped. Back in 2017 when Canggu got the lead on a site like this, landprices went 10x. Then came the covid situation and now the Balinese like to earn their loses over the last 2 years back in 1 day, which was yesterday. Rape tourism was mentioned not once.   In a review below the diversity of restaurants is mentioned and how good the food is, maybe this person was on a holiday for a few weeks and didn't have to cook and didn't eat for months, but the fact remains - Bali is an island and for diverse produce very dependant on what gets imported. Indonesia is a closed economy and if it ain't produced or grown inside its borders it gets taxed the s$#t of it. Education is non existant, people working the cash register need to take out a calculator to deduct 60 from 100. They never tasted a good pizza, or coffee or burger. How would they be able to cook a decent one?  And to top it off, you better not get into an accident because health care is almost synonymous to having to go to the medicine man who will dance the evil spirits away for you OR having to choose between your arm, leg or lifelong debt like in the US, and that is if the ambulance can make it on time with the amount of traffic and single lane roads.  I'm surprised Canggu still rates this high on Nomadlist all things considered. Must be the selfies and the overhypedness (branding) of Bali.   Come here to find out all which is not shown on Instagram 🤗

Canggu

It is a very easy to adapt place. Everyone speaks english, it is very easy to exchange moneey, to move around, to find western food, etc. You don't feel in Asia at all- take this into consideration if you are looking for a local/cultural experience. It is a digital nomad hub. For my linking, there is too much noise and it is too hectic. I now moved to another area of Bali (with prettier beaches and more silent) and visit Canggu on weekends for social life.

This is a horrible place, I don't recommend anyone coming over here, I have no clue why it's so so hyped. Tons of people, traffic jams to go anywhere, beaches are dirty and smell horrible (probably because of those ¨rivers¨ flowing to the sea), there's nothing really worth here, don't fall in this touristy trap, it's not worthy. If you want to eat at good places just stay in Europe, for real.

Overpriced and overhyped. Back in 2017 when Canggu got the lead on a site like this, landprices went 10x. Then came the covid situation and now the Balinese like to earn their loses over the last 2 years back in 1 day, which was yesterday. Rape tourism was mentioned not once. In a review below the diversity of restaurants is mentioned and how good the food is, maybe this person was on a holiday for a few weeks and didn't have to cook and didn't eat for months, but the fact remains - Bali is an island and for diverse produce very dependant on what gets imported. Indonesia is a closed economy and if it ain't produced or grown inside its borders it gets taxed the s$#t of it. Education is non existant, people working the cash register need to take out a calculator to deduct 60 from 100. They never tasted a good pizza, or coffee or burger. How would they be able to cook a decent one?And to top it off, you better not get into an accident because health care is almost synonymous to having to go to the medicine man who will dance the evil spirits away for you OR having to choose between your arm, leg or lifelong debt like in the US, and that is if the ambulance can make it on time with the amount of traffic and single lane roads.I'm surprised Canggu still rates this high on Nomadlist all things considered. Must be the selfies and the overhypedness (branding) of Bali. Come here to find out all which is not shown on Instagram 🤗

The places to rent are not very good. Poor design and low quality furniture. You won't find one that comes with a good desk and chair. Most of them don't have a good place to put one even if you bring your own. Hard water is common and unpleasant.Can't walk around due to small roads, traffic, sometimes unfriendly stray dogs.It does have good restaurants, lots of variety from many international cuisines. Not that great for Indonesian food though.Probably better for a short visit rather than long term.

Best foodie place ever. The beach is very average, but the quality of the food is out of this world. Sun h an insane density of delicious International cuisine!

Early January 2022- Canggu is one of the world's great foodie paradises. Really. You won't find this kind of variety outside a major city (like Manhattan in NYC, Montreal, London, Paris, etc)... but what Canggu has over all these places is that it is SO CONCENTRATED that you can, if you wish, walk between hundreds of them (a scooter is sometimes nicer)... I actually DID it. After over 20 local Google reviews (and counting), I can say if you're wanting vegetarian, vegan, carnivore, halal, Jain, Mexican, Italian, Greek, Japanese, Poki bowls, Indonesian, fusion, Chinese, Korean, French, Turkish, British pub fare, or dozens of street food choices... you name it, it's here, its fabulous, and its cheap by western standards. You want dance clubs and bars? Check. You want cozy breakfasts that will make you smile every time? Check. You want some of the world's best coffee? Super check. Sports bars with ability to stream everything under the sun and feed you some great grub at all hours of the day? Oh yeah. Bars from the ridiculous to the sublime, from beach shacks to upscale spots with bars that are 15m long... yeah they have that too. Really, if you get bored with food in Canggu, you are done with life.Oh yeah, accommodations are great. I'd suggest 7-10 days in a hotel to get familiar and then go around looking AT PLACES to rent, because with the pandemic still ongoing, the quality varies wildly... many old standards are closed or undergoing renovation. Keep an eye on security of you're in a villa. Nomad workspaces open and close depending on economics, be sure to see if what you want is still in business, and have alternatives. Laundry establishments are plenty and cheap (20k per kilo) on the main streets. Scooter rental will run you 600-900k a month. It will cost you a 250-350k taxi to get from the airport in Den to Canggu, but just do it.Longer term stays are better than one-week, try a month and go from there. I just keep adding the months on one-at-a-time. The place is addictive, and the sunsets are tough to beat. Be kind.

Canggu is a great place to live. Im a remote worker and have lived here for most of COVID and then some. In total Im thinking something like 20 of the last 24 months! It is brilliantly priced for someone with a steady income who wants their money to go far. I spent about $3,000 USD living like a king with a prime location villa, private chef, the most expensive gym and spa membership, and eating out at least 10 times a week.

Canggu is a great place to live. Im a remote worker and have lived here for most of COVID and then some. In total Im thinking something like 20 of the last 24 months! It is brilliantly priced for someone with a steady income who wants their money to go far. I spent about $3,000 USD living like a king with a prime location villa, private chef, the most expensive gym and spa membership, and eating out at least 10 times a week.Only cons I see is the road safety and the people who tend to come. For Road Safety, you really need to practice defensive driving here. It wont be you crashing that gets you, but some local moron tearing it up and driving into you. I recommend honking in advance and reminding them you are there.In addition to the road safety, People from abroad here tend to be a little pretentious. People tend to be more open but you will regularly meet people who are open because they have a few screws loose. I have to be honest though, I was quite a judgmental person and after living in Bali I felt as long as the other person was happy, thats all that mattered. However, you tend to experience people who come to bali and get their "Eat Pray Love" experience by looking for healers. This then attracts people going through severe trauma like Cancer, Breakups, Divorces, and even Evading Law Enforcement back home. These people are a mixed bag, some are fragile and kind, others are malicious and in a "taking care of myself before anyone else" mindset.The pretentious posers on the other hand are quite interesting. They tend to be extremely shallow, make sure the world knows they are living in Bali, hype it up like some new age Kool aid, but when you run into these people in real life they tend to be "posers" who lack depth and are quite toxic. Funny mix, but in this mix also comes the cool people, which are:- Surfers- Remote, Established Workers- Chefs from famous restaurants looking to retireThat being said, this place it worth checking out. Live like a King or Queen and kick up your feet.

Cons:- Traffic was something else!- Shiddy air quality from half the neighbors burning their trash.- The honking was super stressful, it's so loud even when you're at home or at a restaurant.- Many of the roads are really narrow which would've been fine if it wasn't for the congestion; crazy number of people on the roads. - Beaches = dog crap on your shoes, every time.- Villas get robbed super often, you read about it happening all the time on the Canggu fb page, but also saw it happen in the daytime.- Overpriced restaurants and supermarkets.- Staying in the overpopulated areas of Bali is necessary if you require good internet for work.Pros:- Surf is obviously great, the line ups can get very busy though.- The locals are much friendlier than in Thailand (unless you plan on seeing a volcano, lol)- Cheap grocery deliveries from market vendors!My initial reaction wasn't great, but after a year I couldn't wait to escape Bali.

Bali is amazing, but Canggu isn't really that great -- actually there are SO MANY better places, like Uluwatu, Gili Islands or even Ubud that I can't understand the hype. As almost everyone said below, beaches are crappy, roads are terrible, sidewalks are non-existent and having a motorbike is a must. On the other side, food is great and cafes are pretty reasonable with all those incredible bowls. Anyway I wouldn't recommend it for more than a week.

Spent a few weeks in Canggu and couldn't wait to leave. Packed with hipster wannabees and douchebag surfers mixed with a few pretentious dropshipppers and the like. Roads are terrible with not lights at night and both locals and foreigners drive like crazy. Beach is pretty crap compared to say Thailand or Philippines. Local food it not very good and the hipster cafes etc are way overpriced. With so many beautiful placed in the world why anyone would spend time in Canggu is beyond me.

I've been here for 5 months and have mixed feelings about Canggu.Weather: Since rainy season let up the weather has been exceptional. Sunny and warm with a nice breeze. I can’t say enough about how dreamy the weather is here. Food: Food scene is fabulous. You can get like high quality food of all kinds for well under $10. Local food will run you maybe $2 if you stack your plate high. The food is a major selling point, especially in Canggu. Also, with the covid situation, GoJek and Grab have been really nice to have as the delivery prices are low.Coworking: (sigh) I tried one coworking place, and decided my guesthouse had good enough wifi for me to work at. Plus the cafe culture here is unreal so there’s always fun places to work. BUT if I’m paying $150/month for a workspace, why isn’t the entire place temperature controlled? It is nearly 40 degrees with the heat index almost every single day here and they put fans up in a closed building? Too hot for me and too hot for my laptop! So I don’t have a great review for coworking but the speed at my guesthouse and coffee shops worked just fine.Accommodation: I stayed at at a small guesthouse about 10 minutes inland from Echo beach. It’s cheap, but fine. Usually, the further inland, the cheaper. My only gripe is they don’t clean well, and I’ve developed an indoor dust and dander allergy since coming here. I just spend most of my time outside now, but not ideal. If I were to do it over again, I’d find a brand new place to live in. The cleaning standards are very low in bali so keep an eye out when you look at places to rent. Availability of “home” comforts: For being a small island in the middle of the ocean, you can find pretty much anything in Canggu. You can also order stuff online from Lazada and Tokopedia. I found it really easy to find some western comforts if I really needed them. Traffic:(another sigh) Traffic is dizzying at best. Driving a motorbike is fun for the adrenaline junkie in me and if you haven’t been in a motorbike accident before, the odds are high you’ll be in one here. If you’re in Canggu, keep Siloham Medical Center as a saved place in your google maps in case, they take really good care of people. Also, the pollution is absolutely awful. So even without covid I began wearing a mask.Vibe: There’s good people everywhere and I’ve made friends easily as there are tons of digital nomads and just generally alot of people here. Overall though, if you’re not a trustafarian or like real into looking cool on social media, Canggu is not for you my friend. The vibe of the place is just really manufactured. Gili Islands are just a few hours out and Lombok as well, so there’s places to get away. With all of this said, I likely won’t be back. I adore South East Asia and have traveled it extensively but Canggu just is not for me.

I don't know why everybody is so mad about Bali. There are a lot of good points here. But there are also many issues: traffic is terrible, Internet is slow, good property and healthy food is not so cheap, local governments are corrupt and will try to charge you for any small thing! Сustoms was very rude and searched me at the airport for 2 hours without even telling me a reason!

The center of nomads in the world right now. Amazing food, great cafes and pool parties. A mix of internet entrepreneurs, Instagram models and influencers living in poolside villas. This isn't a place to go for local and authentic, it's not that but that's okay in the case of Canggu, it's something else.

Way too overrated hipster central/instagram influencers ghetto.Probably it was good 10 years ago, but once everyone and their dog is talking about a place, then it is usually time to leave.Not my cup of rice all in all.

Spent 2 weeks here. Liked Ubud better, but if you're more of a surfer, you'll like it here, although it's a bit crowded (in terms of nomads) at this point. Food is good and cheap and so is accommodation.

It's a cool place to stay for a while, get to know people at Dojo or Tropical Nomad, work a bit, eat some good food. But it is not relaxing at all. Noisy, dirty, hot, humid. The beach is also not super beautiful or clean. If you don't surf, or are not into beach bars and party, there is not much for you there. Loved to wake up really early when the air was a bit fresher and fewer people on the streets: that was my favorite Canggu, but that is not what Canggu really is. After one month I was ready to leave.

Cons:- Beaches are filthy- Oppressively hot (except June-Sep)- Unsanitary for such a popular tourist destination- Congested traffic, small roads, constant scooter noisePros:- Amazing health and wellness community- Great healthy vegan food options- Amazing networking. Nomad community is always #1 or #2 on Nomadlist- Some of the best gyms in the world all within 2x2 square km

Personally I hated it. Being somewhat of a SEA vet, I found it crowded, over touristed, expensive and with too many annoying hipsters. You can't walk ten feet without a scooter blocking your path and a red eyed local going "Taxi?" Literally every ten feet in Semniyak. Canggu maybe isn't so bad, but still the traffic is annoying. The roads are super small and traffic is horrible. If you're into walking places, Canngu isn't for you. You'll get run over. So either drive a scooter or get used to dealing with the taxi mafia. There's a war between them and ride hailing apps at the moment. So when you call a grab, after he drops you off there's a chance he'll be beaten to death. But this is normal around the world at the moment, for less affluent countries anyway. Pros? It's beautiful. Lots of stuff to see and do. Unfortunately you'll be charged money for literally everything, including walking through rice paddies. The landscapes, the architecture. I know Bali is a big island with a lot to do. You can rent a villa for $1200 usd a month and live like a drug dealer with your own indoor swimming pool. So gather four nomads and have your own gated compound. Lots of nightlife, clubs, if you're into that stuff. I'm not. For parties I'd rather go to a beach place with hippies in Thailand. The local food is good, the tourist food is amazing if you're willing to pay western prices. But the quality is very high. Overall it's not an expensive place, but it can be. I know Bali is a huge island but I'm just referring to Canggu. It's just to westernized for me. Too crowded with westerners. But if you want to go meet nomads and do western priced fitness, meditation and yoga classes it's the place to be. Plus the beaches are super polluted. Argh. I couldn't wait to leave. I doubt I'll be back soon. But if I do I'm definitely renting a villa and learning to surf. Cool place to do business. But not a place I'd want to live for long. Maybe I'll give it another chance one day.

Excellent place to start your nomadic life, very very easy living here. For example, having your laundry washed and folded for you is about $3 USD, eating out very healthy about $6-7 USD, and co-working spaces about $120 USD. It has been a very soft landing for starting this lifestyle.

+ startup event, good food, a lot of gyms, party, - pollution, and each year more expensive

Oppressively hot. Actually hard to find Balinesian food. There is a lot of overpriced, average, western, hipster food. People are incredibly kind and the Balinesian food is great when you can find it. The roads are ridiculously crowded while a lot of the restaurants, bars, and clubs were less than 30% full. Kind of sad for local business owners. Surrounding area is beautiful and relatively accessible. Aside from western food & beverage lodging, food and beverage can be very cost effective. Other parts of the island are better for experiencing the Balinesian life, but it is more of a challenge to mix socially with local people here than other places as most people work in service industries or agriculture. It is what it is. In the end, if you like oppressive heat & humidity, western millennial cuisine, crowded roads, and a small beach, this may be your place.

There are definitely much better places for digital nomads. Been in Canggu for 2 months (2019) and its turning into another Kuta since there are so many tourists and its not even high season yet. Something like Ibiza in Europe. Also Internet is NOT stable. Rented a place with 40 mbit but it was on 5 most of the time. Even the coworking spaces are not always stable although you are looking at 15 usd or more to pay there for a day. This is more a party holiday place now. Lots of rich kids aka trustafarians. Food can be quite expensive too. Many places you will easily spend 7 usd for a breakfast. Alc is expensive here too compare to most of SE Asia. Not sure how somebody can say this is the number one spot. All in all happy to leave.

The review that begins "Canggu is great. Here's some pointers you need to know before going:" is exactly 100% spot-on except... its not great. Motorbikes are dangerous and there are so many incredibly dangerous tourists on motorbikes either showing off on overpowered bikes or not knowing what they're doing and crashing. I've been crashes and near-misses almost every day. Had someone crash into me just yesterday. Walking is impossible and incredibly dangerous. Its not worth your life to be in a place with filthy beaches, filthy streets and incredible noise pollution from clubs and made-to-be-loud motorbikes. There are some incredibly, incredibly hot Western women but I don't like living like a colonialist. I've never seen an Indonesian in the same restaurant or pool or anything as me. That's creepy. If you miss The Raj, then its probably great for you but I like living among the local people. Not them being only servants with nothing about the place left to enjoy themselves.

Canggu is the best amongst other SE Asian area for chilling and working remotely.

Canggu is great. Here's some pointers you need to know before going:1) You HAVE TO to drive a motorbike/scooter. Canggu has no sidewalks and walking on the road is very dangerous. If you ride a bicycle you're also just endangering yourself. Drive a bike. Traffic isn't necessarily safe. But if you drive 30km/h you'll be OK. Don't drink and drive, most ppl die because of that. 2) Yes it's very Western. Canggu is essentially a 2-by-2 km resort full of expats, foreigners, nomads and tourists. Locals staff the restaurants, bars and coworkings. It's not unlike a resort in Mexico in that way. Good? I don't know, but it's how it is.3) Canggu has some of the best international food you can imagine. Italian chefs making Michelin-level food. Amazing pizzas at Crust for $5. Japanese sushi and ramen. Many chefs left their home countries to live in Bali and opened up restaurants here.4) Canggu nightlife is improving fast. It used to be only Old Man's and then a party on the beach with the same Spotify pop playlist every night. But now we're seeing techno clubs like Volt and many more open. Very good.5) Traffic is really annoying. There's just too many loud dangerous motorbikes and scooters on too narrow roads driving too fast. And often a giant car clogging everything up in there too. Canggu will kill itself if it doesn't fix this. Canggu needs a ban on petrol bikes, only allow electric bikes, set speed limits that are enforced and promote bicycle usage. Cars should be banned altogether, it's just too small for it. But apart from that it really is one of the most ideal places to be now. I think what I like most is the people that Canggu attracts. It's creatives and entrepreneurs mostly.Visit it, get a bike and explore Canggu. Stay for at least a few weeks before judging it. It's not the easiest place to start off and that's purposely to keep the noobs out. Enjoy!

Canggu is a hipster paradise with a vast digital nomade community, health foods, and fitness. Want to be a tourist? Go to Kuta or Seminyak. Want to surf? Go to Uluwatu. Want yoga and fasting retreats? Go to Ubud. Want to be part of a community that lives and breaths for arts, entreprenureal ideas, and a lifestyle of hitting the health foods, secret beach spots, and soul searching? Canggu is the place. Many westerners have settled here, and prices can reflect this unless you take the time to pinpoint the local warungs and guest houses. Not family friendly. CrossFit scene is epic.

Waves are shit, water is dirty and there's like a thousand kooks from Europe on longboards in the water fighting for that occasional 1ft mushy wave.Better off going to Uluwatu or Padang for real waves.Indonesia got some of the worlds best waves, but Canggu shouldn't even be regarded as a surf spot.

I have been there only one time but it was really chilly

This is really great place to be as a digital nomad. It's not insanely Thailand/Laos cheap however if you're a bit older, 30+ and have a moderately successful business its a steal. If you've done Thailand, Laos, Vietnam etc and want a professional alternative to a backpacker lifestyle then Bali is for you. Internet is great. Food is insanely good, people are very nice- expats + locals. Really glad I found this place. Dojo has awesome wifi :)

Dirty beaches, though I heard it's different depending on the time of year. Good food, lots of vegan/veg/clean options. No swimming at all, but good surfing. More expensive than I expected.

I think Canggu is a good place for working remotely. The good points are that it is cheap to eat healthy and sleep in nice places, if you are acting ok with the balineses and majority of people living in Canggu, you will find them really nice. You can surf, hike, drive motorbike in beautiful rices fields. You might want to find peace and (for exemple) interest yourself in the meditation stuff or you can party like.. a lot ! For Digital Nomading aspects: There is a lot of coworking/coliving spaces and digital nomads to meet and discuss with around the island. For Safety: Driving in motorbike can be tricky and dangerous in Bali but it might be the first option you'll have if you stay there (or you take motorbike-taxi everytime). BE SURE TO STAY SAFE AND INSURED - Eat in places you trustConsider: The island just had a touristic boom in the last years and the authenticity of the island might not be preserved at this rythm. Take care of Bali if you visit it.

Vastly overrated. Infrastructure is bad, not densely populated so dating is difficult. Roads are too narrow and congested. The Internet is pathetic. Expensive beer taxed by the Muslim regime and every bill has 20% tax. Amazed this place can be so well regarded. Thailand and Vietnam are far better in SE Asia for everything. Would rather rough it in Cambodia than stay here.

I don't know why this place is ranked so high. It is not cheap, not safe, the internet is craptastic, and the beaches are filthy.

Watch out for the bag snatchers at night, it never happened to me but I've heard some stories. Better to just wear a backpack, because they won't try to snatch that.

What started out as a fishing village with just a few shacks on the beach became a surfer's hotspot around 2005. Surfers would stay in Seminyak and drive north to Canggu's Echo Beach to catch waves. Around 2008, there was the first remote working nomads arriving. Mostly Eastern European and Russian programmers who'd work from Canggu's then few cafes.After the digital nomad explosion of 2014, many nomads sprawled to Bali and settled down in Ubud. Meanwhile in Canggu, the first coworking space there opened called Salty Volt. It didn't manage to attract many people though and finally closed down. Canggu just wasn't ready yet, with only a few cafes and restaurants, and well, people. It took 2 years for Canggu to get back on the radar and when Ubud's coworking spaces and cafes started getting crowded in 2016, people started mentioning Canggu again. In those 2 years, the Salty Volt had now become Dojo, had a new owner, there was now lots of hip cafes, restaurants with European chefs, and the vibe in Canggu was now a more ambitious and fashionable version of Ubud. Where Ubud was for hippies, Canggu was for hipsters.From 2016 on, every year more and more people started to move to Canggu. In late 2017, it became so popular with nomads that for the first time Dojo had to deny new memberships. At the same time, it started becoming a hotspot for Instagrammers, who'd rent luxury villas with flamingo floats and snap pictures. In turn, this started attracting more tourists and have now made Canggu the most popular spot in Bali for nomads. For now, at least.

Bangkok is a really nice city. I lived 2 weeks in Bangkok and it was a good trip !  People are very nice, smiling and the cost is affordable.  Some beautifuls temple, gardens, market etc.  Chinatown is a place to visit, and Bangkok is globally clean !

Bangkok

Bangkok is a really nice city. I lived 2 weeks in Bangkok and it was a good trip !People are very nice, smiling and the cost is affordable.Some beautifuls temple, gardens, market etc.Chinatown is a place to visit, and Bangkok is globally clean !

I've been to Bangkok for almost two weeks now and I can't understand comments about the lack of soul or everything being on sale. Sure, there are some sketchy parts like massage parlour touts and an occasional ladyboy here and there, but overall my impression is that it's just a regular big city with some clear advantages. Coming from Central Europe, I find everybody to be very calm and polite. Some may argue it's just a facade and fair enough, but I prefer a calm and kind facade over cold and indifferent or even rude facade.I've been staying mostly in Sukhumvit and it's been a very pleasant, easy stay. Nice parks, easy to go places, services and food at my fingertips. Great first impression. I also spent some time in the suburbs (around Lat Phrao). It was visibly poorer than the center and rough around the edges, but I had zero problems with either safety, food quality, or the internet. It seems that people are equally kind all around the city. The pro of going away from the center was that food prices were cut in half. I had some great street food meals for 50 baht, whereas in the center the cheapest ones will be at least double.

I've lived in Asia for 7 years, and Bangkok is, by far, my favorite city in Asia. The people are gentle, the food is terrific, it's incredibly safe, gay friendly, legal weed if you like weed, and it's a pretty clean city. I am wrapping up my 2nd month here, and I don't have any complaints about the city at all. The traffic is the only thing that can be annoying but I am ok with it since I've been in Asia so long and know that's just how it is everywhere in Asia, often worse in other cities. You can get most places on the public transit system and avoid taxis all together. When I do take one, I just get a bike taxi because they move quickly even if it is less safe. I would also recommend staying in the right part of the city. I am in Silom and everything is so easy here. I have a lap pool I joined for swimming laps, a coworking center with 24/7 access, and a wide variety of restaurants. I am looking forward to coming back to Bangkok again. I prefer it over Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Phuket. And I've been to Thailand many times and all over the country. Bangkok is terrific! It's hot like anywhere along the equator. Pack some linen shirts and all good. The AC is terrific anyway.

Housing market is becoming crazy expensive in the center. Expect to pay north of 2k USD per month to rent a 2 bedrooms 60sqm unit in a condo. In recent condos, the square meter goes for more than 10k USD (on par with Paris prices). Ridiculous

Bangkok is a place you can hate or love or have a hate-love relationship with it.The heat and humidity are always present, so prepare to sweat.But, great price for value, probably the best in the world, fantastic cafes and restaurants with local and western food.Thai local cuisine in the markets feels homemade with love. Entertainment outside the red district is so Good and Distinguish. Some people when you leave Bangkok and see it from above in their aeroplane. they wish to spend another 24 hrs in the city of Angels.

I cannot help but agree with the review from the person before me. I'm finishing my 3 weeks trip here, and something feels off. Like that person put it rightly, everything is for sale, and nothing has value. There is no soul to this city and its people, locals or otherwise. Something is wrong here.

A city right out of a dystopian novel - soulless and cynical. The air is polluted and no trees are in sight. Its inhabitants manipulative and cold-hearted - hidden behind fake smiles. A Disney Land for senile retirees. Everything is for sale and nothing has value. The streets are filled with rats - both human ones and animals. After spending time here, you understand why their king lives in Bavaria. A place that would make you feel deeply depressed if you stayed for too long.

Absolutely love this place. I was there for a few days, but cannot wait to spend a longer season there. It is THE South-East Asian metropolis you dream of. It's like "organized chaos". Massive and crowded, but everything works surprisingly well. Every corner is like a new adventure. Street food is everywhere and is great no matter where you go. Public transport just works and is cheap. It can be very oppresive because of the heat, crowds and pollution. That's why most people stay in these high-class condos where you have a swimming pool, gym, working area, etc. The vibe there is "big city" life: people spend most of their time indoors, in their condos or in malls. I suggest to go out, get a tuk-tuk and get lost. The feeling this city can give you is unbeatable, you feel like everything is possible.

Don't believe the prices on here for an apartment. 686 usd/month refers to an apartment in a high class condo, right in the city centre and seconds away from the BTS(train station). Just remember this, people working at supermarkets make 2 usd/per hour. If you want to live like a local, then you can save a lot of money. If you don't mind a 5-10 minute walk from the BTS, then you can easily get a one bedroom apartment for 300 USD per month, in a high class condo, plus with free golf cart service to the BTS station. I have literally gone to a restaurant to pay 8 USD for a meal, when the exact dish was available on the street for only 1 USD and tastes much better. I ate out everyday and went partying a couple of times a week, and my total monthly expenses was still under 1000 usd. TIPS-Gyms are fucking expensive in Thailand. Expect to pay at least 60 USD/month for the gym, which is crazy when you consider the average wage in Thailand is 15 usd/per day. -Vitamins and supplements cost double the price than what you would get at home. Thais do not take supplements. Maybe only foreigners and really rich Thais. People spending 1500 USD per month must be eating steak daily and hanging out at places meant for foreigners.

Cost of living over 1.000 usd? Is any of of this website went to Bangkok? You can live on a palace above 1.000 usd rent. Mine was 22.000 bahts and was in the party street, amazing building with jacuzzi, pools and even its own cinema..

One of my favourite cities in the world for being a nomad. A great blend of both local and foreign population. Anything you could possibly want to eat or buy is in this city. Plenty of nightlife to be found (12x12 is a hidden gem I love). Most foreigners you meet are there to have a good time, there's just a laid back and comfortable vibe to the whole city. Traffic is horrible, so recommend the train whenever you can, or GrabBikes, which will allow you to weave between the traffic unlike any bus or taxi. However, the city is getting increasingly more expensive over the years. Don't expect to be living dirt cheap like other southeast Asian spots.

I traveled around from 2007 to 2010: North and South America, Europe and Asia, staying a minimum of a month (often 2 months) in each country. My work was online and I wasn't looking to settle but when I came to Bangkok on the last day of major political unrest, I was shocked by how nice people were... If kindness of local people, manners and respect for your personal space mean anything to you, you will love Bangkok. Since 2010, I lived in condos and rented buildings in Bangkok and all is very easy, a smile and showing good will open most doors. Even dealing with burocracy is simple if you dress up and are polite - I've never met a Thai who didn't want to help. After living for 20+ years in NYFC, this was a shocking surprise... Bangkok is great for: independent people who want access to everything. You can live here on $10 a day or a $1000 a day and still can spend more. Try doing that in other places... There is a lot of money in Thailand so there are many startups, jobs (very, very low unemployment), lots of expats and internationals. Bangkok is not great for: people who expect it to be something else, people who are rude, aggressive (A types) who can't wait or who need things to be done immediately. This is not a place where you come in and expect things to work how you expect them to work - even if you pay for it. The reason is above: Thais can find a better boss or a better coworker in a day so people will just leave you with no notice if you're aggressive or rude. I've heard many stories of maids or employees leaving without even asking for their last pay - they value ''saving face'' more than money... Thais really value manners, patience and something they call ''jai-dee'' (being kind hearted). You see this everywhere you go - there is no honking in traffic (at all!!), if you bump into someone in a line, chances are that you'll both apologize to each other, no one smells on the trains (it is considered rude and onlly westerners do that), no one is loud in a restaurant... The streets are free of any broken glass because monks walk barefoot every morning when they are begging for alms... You have to see this place to believe that people can still live together while being nice to each other. Finally, the traffic is not dangerous at all. I am not sure where did that info come from. In Bangkok (as you'll confirm if you've been here), drivers don't change lanes like they do in Europe - as if driving a race car. Thais are very calm, non aggressive people so you can imagine that they don't turn into maniacs once they get into a car. The only danger are people who speed but even that is predictable and common sense - late at night, when roads are not crowded: use caution.... Simple. I've lived in all of Nomadlist top 10 cities. There is Bangkok and then there is the rest...

Bangkok has some of the best private hospitals in the world. Which is interesting if you're in Asia a lot and you want medical care better than you can get in your home country.Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok is ranked #7 in the world. I did an executive health checkup there and it was great. Prices range from $250 to $750 depending on how many checks you want. You can get blood count, X Ray, ultrasound, hormone check, etc.They also have most other medical disciplines. I also got vaccinations renewed. The hospital is private so it's so much better than the overloaded public healthcare systems of Europe, Canada and UK where everyone tries to avoid helping you, is overworked and angry. In Bangkok they're super nice and helpful and you can make appointments straight with a specialist. Not blocked by a GP like in your home country.

Bangkok is good for remote working. But you will feel it boring after 2 months.

Over-hyped. Bangkok isn't what I was expecting. After a month in Thailand's capital, I couldn't wait to escape. Chiang Mai is far superior if you have a desire to stay in Thailand. It feels unfair to compare Bangkok to Saigon... Go to Saigon.

Llargest expats and nomad community, cheap rent, cheap food, the best food city in the world, crazy night life, friendly people and city itself has a lot of energy.

You get somewhat acclimated to the weather after a while (and yes, the right wool fabric is the most breathable one so ignore that previous reviewer). I've stayed here on and off for about 4 years now. The expat crowd is great and there really is a lot of opportunity for collaboration. Many networking events every month and a vibrant startup community. The variety of food is some of the best in the world (although you will have to pay to get quality Western). Shopping is great. Nightlife could be better but should satisfy most people. The real downside is the traffic which has become basically as bad as Jakarta, although Bangkok has much better transporation (both skytrain and subway). Living expenses have risen lately so don't count on this being a budget trip unless you want to resort to street food. Internet speed generally has becoming really great. Fast 4G in all operators. If you stay in a new condo or hotel you will average at least 30Mbit – my current co work place runs at 600.

The weather is nice, a little bit too hot, but all these airconditioned spaces drive me crazy! Some people wear wool (!!) clothes at 32 degrees (facepalm). Noisy, griddy, but comfortable enough

The way to approach Bangkok is to go from aircon to aircon. You wake up in an aircon apartment, you walk out into the aircon BTS or aircon Uber and arrive at the aircon cafe or aircon mall with aircon shops. If you think you can get out of the aircon and walk for longer than 5 mins outside, STOP! You can’t, you’ll turn into a wet towel of sweat. Nights are do-able in Bangkok though, good temperatures and no traffic. But when the sun rises, get back into the aircon!

Bangkok’s digital nomad community has grown rapidly due to its comparatively low cost of living and position as a bustling metropolitan city with great co-working spaces and high-speed internet. As it is popular with tourists and has a large expat crowd, foreigners are welcome and most people speak at least some English.

The Shanghai of South East Asia. It's got everything from crazy nightlife, to hipster cafes and high-so venues.

Chiang Mai used to be N.1 for the digital nomad life. It is still great and you can find really cheap apartments (300-400$) and restaurants (2-3$ for a main). Wouldn't recommend staying there during the burning season. The best area is Nimman, but it's also the most expensive. You can stay in the old city that's very nice but that gets noisy during the weekend for the night markets. Last but not least, very safe city. All in all would go back in a heartbeat.

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai used to be N.1 for the digital nomad life.It is still great and you can find really cheap apartments (300-400$) and restaurants (2-3$ for a main).Wouldn't recommend staying there during the burning season.The best area is Nimman, but it's also the most expensive. You can stay in the old city that's very nice but that gets noisy during the weekend for the night markets.Last but not least, very safe city.All in all would go back in a heartbeat.

A solid spot to live and work remotely. Plenty of things to do and relaxed quality of life. Many places to work from. Downsides are the lack of sidewalks makes walking around town uncomfortable. Also the traffic is very bad.

It’s the cheapest digital nomad friendly spot in the world, that is also nice and convenient. Although the earlier reviews do point out the issue of air quality and transportation. the local food is great plus there’s a variety of world class restaurants, there’s nature and lots of places to see that aren’t tourist spots, loads of coworking spots and cafes, .. but it’s also just boring enough to be a good spot to settle down and focus on work.. plus month to month rentals are super common here, can show up at many places and rent a room for a month

I have to agree with previous review from 6 days ago. Its definitely not like before- the vibe has definitely changed. I have lived here on/off for the past 2 years on METV visa, 60 Day visa, and now its not worth staying and dealing with the hassels. Infrastructure is terrible with dirty roads, definitely not a walkable city which is a shame since the Nimman area could have been a walking street, but cars and scooters dominate this city. Just try to cross and walk the streets and you will see what i mean- no mercy! I no longer feel CM is a good digital nomad city, its gotten way too inconvenient with visa's, dirty polluted air, smokey season as of Jan, just not a nomad paradise. If you're traveling alone single ladies- dating pool is terrible- Vietnam could be the better choice or Eastern Europe as a base. Good Luck.

Chiang Mai has THE WORST AIR QUALITY of any city in the world for >= ~2 months every year (Google "burning season"). So impossible to ever live here permanently, even if you like the place. Also, Thailand is now cracking down on people using back-to-back visas or visa free entries to stay as well (just Google for it on the forums). It was getting harder and harder to stay (before I left) and the vibe wasn't as good as it used to be. Most people have moved onto Vietnam, which is much easier to stay in, much more up-and-coming, and where the authorities are much friendlier towards digital nomads.

I have been told it's the vanilla of digital nomads : easy, cheap, risk free. I loved it so much I want to move there ! Great food, great places to see and awesomely polite and nice people.

Can't recommend it enough. Been a nomad now for 2 years and this ticks a lot of boxes. Great quality people you meet here compared to the rest of Thailand.

Great place. You can avoid the dropshipper, FBA and MLM webinar course people who have infested the coworkings here for years, by, well, just not visiting the coworking spaces here.

Great place. Very easy to live here.Every self confessed "Digital Nomad" in Chiang Mai is borderline psychotic/delusional. Luckily, they're easy to avoid. Stick with the expats, locals, and tourists and you'll meet some great people. My second digital nomad pick after Saigon.

I really can't see what's cool here. The air is highly toxic, the old city is charming but outside of it there is so much traffic it's so noisy and you can never cross the streets. If you don't have a sccoter it's super annoying to go from a point to another quickly. No real transports. The coworking places or made of unfriendly western people.

Why Chiang Mai? Because it's the easiest place to live of anywhere IMO. You can afford everything, you can do everything, you can access everything, and everything is available. It's very very low stress place compared to everywhere else, which is one of:- expensive (north america)- cold (europe)- terrible food (most places)- terrible airbnb/apartments (most places)- no modern amenities available like apple store, mall, normal shops (bali)- awful local transport (bali)- not easy to get around with just english (europe)Chiang mai is just the "everything is easy" nomad capital which means I can focus on work and not be stressed out about everythingactually my only complaints about Chiang Mai are:1. bit boring, not THAT much to do2. hard to find normal humans to hang out with who aren't delusional dropship scammers trying to escape real life

Spent a little over 2 months in CM. Loved it. A little bit annoyed with the hippy western backpackers who suddenly becomes more Thai than the Thai's themselves with their ridiculous elephant pants, but you can easily look past that. Still way too many dodgy dropshippers and FBA bros hanging out at the coworking spaces, but with the abundance of hipster cafe's serving great coffee for 80 baht you don't even need to go to a coworking space to get stuff done.Regardless, I'm definitely going back. It's a fantastic place to be productive, meet cool people and enjoy Khao Soi.

Chiang Mai is a gas chamber. The smokey season starts beginning of January and goes on till end of May. But apart of that: the air is bad year around. The city has grown too fast. Pity because Chiang Mai is a fantastic place!

I just got back here in late 2018 and it's better than ever. People who say "Chiang Mai is overrun by nomads" are really mistaken. I hardly saw them. I did see lots of Chinese and some Korean tourists, but they were all quite nice and mostly around Nimman. There's also the few American vegan midlifer's in the Old City center, but that's about it. Chiang Mai is cool and breezy, there's now public bicycles literally everywhere that you can rent for 250 THB or $6 (per month!) with the MoBike app. The red buses (or Songthaew's) are now legit and don't rip tourists off anymore, so you can drive everywhere for 30 THB or $1. People are nice. It's still super safe, even late a night. The food is better than ever. And thanks to the nomad wave of 2014 in Chiang Mai, there's now lots of hip cafes that allow coworking too. It's a great city.

It's no surprise that Chiang Mai is currently the top city for digital nomads to live and work in. It has the far lowest cost of living in comparison to other cities, including low rent for decent apartments. With a variety of great co-working spaces on the rise, not to mention the number of coffee shops with decent Wi-Fi, you'll be spoilt for choice.

The city where digital nomadism essentially started. There's no other place where you can walk out of the airplane, get a cheap place to rent, find a boutique cafe to work, and then meet locals and nomads in the same day. Some people say it's overrun by nomads, which is fair. But it still remains one of the best places to start out.

Bengaluru, January  4-9, and 13-13, 2020.  Had a good time in Bengaluru ( formerly Bangalore). At first I stayed at the Parijatha Gateway Hotel, Near Soap Factory Metro, which was ideal for my purposes.  Transit & shopping was nearby, and there was a mall and good food.  The Metro in BLR is VERY modern and smooth- be prepared to be patted down (women and men separately) to get into the station, and you can but a metrocard at the ticket window.  In Bangalore the internet is VERY fast (it is India's Silicon Valley) and every other person is an engineer... and can chat you up in multiple languages.( their English may be better than yours :).  Uber works well inside the city, but I advise a pre-paid taxi from the airport to your hotel (as flagging down your Uber at the airport is a bit difficult because of the congestion there).  Now, lets talk about  traffic- I have lived in NYC and I can say with authority that, yes, Bangalore has the worst traffic congestion I have ever seen. Any time that Google maps gives you to get anywhere by Auto or bus in Bangalore can be Doubled or Tripled to get the actual time of transit- you can't make this sit up... I am not kidding. All that aside, I never felt unsafe in Bangalore.   Food in Bangalore is varied and tasty...  You will have a good variety of Vegetarian and non-vegetarian options available to you.  I did not seek out the night life, but there sure are some fancy upscale places if you want them.   My second stay ion the trip was at the Conrad Hilton, which is in a class all by itself but not your everyday Nomad kind of place (My expenses were being covered for that, the price per night is insanely low by western standards, and so if you need some amazing pampering for a night or two, this is your go-to place) .  Internet was fast, staff was attentive, scenery can't be beat. Uber back to the airport was easy.  I will return to Bengaluru in the future.

Bengaluru

Bengaluru, January 4-9, and 13-13, 2020. Had a good time in Bengaluru ( formerly Bangalore). At first I stayed at the Parijatha Gateway Hotel, Near Soap Factory Metro, which was ideal for my purposes. Transit & shopping was nearby, and there was a mall and good food. The Metro in BLR is VERY modern and smooth- be prepared to be patted down (women and men separately) to get into the station, and you can but a metrocard at the ticket window. In Bangalore the internet is VERY fast (it is India's Silicon Valley) and every other person is an engineer... and can chat you up in multiple languages.( their English may be better than yours :). Uber works well inside the city, but I advise a pre-paid taxi from the airport to your hotel (as flagging down your Uber at the airport is a bit difficult because of the congestion there). Now, lets talk about traffic- I have lived in NYC and I can say with authority that, yes, Bangalore has the worst traffic congestion I have ever seen. Any time that Google maps gives you to get anywhere by Auto or bus in Bangalore can be Doubled or Tripled to get the actual time of transit- you can't make this sit up... I am not kidding. All that aside, I never felt unsafe in Bangalore. Food in Bangalore is varied and tasty... You will have a good variety of Vegetarian and non-vegetarian options available to you. I did not seek out the night life, but there sure are some fancy upscale places if you want them. My second stay ion the trip was at the Conrad Hilton, which is in a class all by itself but not your everyday Nomad kind of place (My expenses were being covered for that, the price per night is insanely low by western standards, and so if you need some amazing pampering for a night or two, this is your go-to place) . Internet was fast, staff was attentive, scenery can't be beat. Uber back to the airport was easy.I will return to Bengaluru in the future.

Bengaluru is a city in India which is known for its night life. Nightlife in Bengaluru is very vibrant and colourful. In Bengaluru, you get a lot of options to have fun at night. You can go for a disco night at a famous club or restaurant. You can enjoy the nightlife in Bengaluru and also visit the famous parks, gardens and tourist places.Bengaluru is located at the foot of the Western Ghats, on the Deccan Plateau. The city is often referred to as the "Silicon Valley of India" and "IT Capital of India" because of the large number of information technology companies that were established in the city in the last decade. The city is also referred to as the "Pensioner's Paradise" because of the large number of pensioners that reside in the city.Bengaluru is famous in India for its gardens, parks and lakes. You can visit the most famous parks such as Cubbon Park, Lal Bagh and the Bangalore Palace.

Beautiful island. For me it hits a sweet spot combining some of Canggu and Ubud. There's good stuff like breath work and ecstatic dance close by but you don't have to scooter a whole hour to get there. It's not too hippy and you can easily avoid that vibe if you're not into it. The mountainous landscape makes for some lovely scootering - so nice that I've taken a few rides just for the pleasure of it. The bigger roads are lit at night and pretty good, not much traffic.   Compared to Bali many restaurants are bit more basic with uncomfortable bamboo chairs and the same Thai menus (but great food). There are also good modern/western restaurants but not too many.    Main downside is that there's no really good coworking space. There is Remote&Digital (several locations), High Life has one, BeachHut. None of them is conducive to a community I find. There are regular nomad meetups though and there are whatsapp groups.    The pro/con review below also sums it up quite well, but here are two updates: - there's food delivery now (phangan-delivery dot com). Takes about 60 minutes (I got used to that) and works well - electricity is stable, no blackouts in 3 months (except one after a powerful storm that got fixed quickly)  I also enjoy that there are Thai people coming to Phangan for what it has to offer and it's nice chatting with them.

Ko Pha Ngan

Beautiful island. For me it hits a sweet spot combining some of Canggu and Ubud. There's good stuff like breath work and ecstatic dance close by but you don't have to scooter a whole hour to get there. It's not too hippy and you can easily avoid that vibe if you're not into it. The mountainous landscape makes for some lovely scootering - so nice that I've taken a few rides just for the pleasure of it. The bigger roads are lit at night and pretty good, not much traffic.Compared to Bali many restaurants are bit more basic with uncomfortable bamboo chairs and the same Thai menus (but great food). There are also good modern/western restaurants but not too many.Main downside is that there's no really good coworking space. There is Remote&Digital (several locations), High Life has one, BeachHut. None of them is conducive to a community I find. There are regular nomad meetups though and there are whatsapp groups.The pro/con review below also sums it up quite well, but here are two updates:- there's food delivery now (phangan-delivery dot com). Takes about 60 minutes (I got used to that) and works well- electricity is stable, no blackouts in 3 months (except one after a powerful storm that got fixed quickly)I also enjoy that there are Thai people coming to Phangan for what it has to offer and it's nice chatting with them.

Love this island so much! The first time I went I only stayed in Haad Rin and hated it, second time I went, I ventured west and stayed nearly 3 weeks! Lots of great yoga retreats and healthy food

Koh Phangan has potential to become an awesome nomad hotspot. It's close, but it’s not quite there yet. I’ve spent 5 months here during the 2021 COVID-lockdown.Pros:- Stunning nature all around you- You can live right on the beach, or have a sick view from a hill- Can be very affordable- Laid back, Bali-like lifestyle- Low amount of traffic, very chill to drive around- Lots of yoga, gyms, muay thai, etc- Easy to explore other parts of Thailand (when there's no lockdown)- E-commerce is fantastic, including grocery delivery (e.g. Paleo Robbie)- Great electronic music parties (when there's no lockdown)- Barely any crimeCons:- Not too many tech nomads. Mostly hippies, party people and families with young children- No solid co-working space - please build a Tropical Nomad here!- No ride hailing or food delivery apps- Shortage of high quality, nicely designed places to rent - they exist, but the demand seems higher than the supply- Easy to get lost in all the hedonism - be careful if you're prone to indulging- Plenty of toxic people in the "conscious" community- Some areas are straight from a zombie apocalypse movie - e.g. Haad Rin, the area of the Full Moon Parties - Frequent power cuts

The Thai Bali and one of the best place to be in Thailand now. I know I had preconceptions about it too, like there'd be too many hippies, and pseudo-science spiritual bs people. But it's not like that. The people we met were actually mostly really chill and friendly and not at all pushing their stuff on us. Also there seems to be an increasing group of just non-hippie general nomads who I'd say are more focused on living healthily (like in Canggu, Bali). Focusing on good food and fitness. It's a similar crowd you'd meet in Bali, or Mexico, or Portugal. The right people.Ko Pha Ngan is MUCH more driveable with a motorbike than Samui. The roads are a bit worse, BUT there's no real fast cars traffic like in Samui. It's all jungle roads which is heaven to drive through. Then at random spots you'll find hipster cafes with great coffee and food (and aircon!). There's also lots of beautiful accommodation for very affordable prices. Think beautifully architecture designer houses in the jungle with night-lit luxury pools.The only negative I heard about Ko Pha Ngan from people is there's no real good coworking space yet. But there's enough big cafes.To get to Ko Pha Ngan: fly from Bangkok to Ko Samui, then take the 30 minute speedboat ferry from Samui.

I have been staying on this island for about 2 years, and would like to remind everybody something : working remotely is illegal in Thailand, and can get you in serious troubles if you do any kind of work without a work permit. There has been in the past reported cases of arrests in so called "co-working spaces". I think it is only a fair warning to people who plan to come here and hang in co-working spaces. 2 years ago koh phangan did not have a good rating on nomad list, not much as changed since, but i've seen over this time a group of european businessmen investing in many facilities for digital nomad, they are now craving for customers and massively trying to market the island as a digital nomad heaven.That being said, for anyone aware of the risks, it is an amazing place to live, nature is beautiful and you will find wifi ranging from wacky to high speed depending on your location on the island, and mobile internet is really handy and cheap. Because of tourism, it is also one of the most expensive places in Thailand when it comes to food and housing, which makes it difficult for thais to move in, but you will find the local families who have been staying there forever and others who come for jobs in tourism. There is a big hippie/yogi community here and a lot of activities around this. And of course, it is a party island.

This island is a total gem. It has everything one desires in a paradise island! There is a huge higher consciousness/yoga/meditation/vegetarian/vegan community plus epic full moon and half moon parties, omg totally worth checking out! And the internet connectivity and speed on the island is good too. I've had no problem doing work from my laptop as a Digital Marketing Specialist either.

- Mobile internet is great, Wifi heavily depends on your place- A scooter is needed to get around, but that's easily organized and not too expensive- For people coming from Chiang Mai, expect things to be at least 50% more expensive- The food is great! Not as cheap as in other places in Thailand (although cheap street food can be found), lots of vegan and health-oriented restaurants- Cafes are of decent quality, there are definitely some in which you can get work done, although they close early (most around 6-7 pm). The coworking space situation has massively improved in the last year and although I don't want to advertise here you'll figure out what I mean by a quick Google searchAlthough the island is small, it heavily depends on your location and yourself what kind of lifestyle you can live here:You could stay around Haad Rin and permanently live for the party (not recommended if you are actually a Nomad and intend to work, although it can be a lot of fun once or twice).You could stay around Sri Thanu and live a perfectly healthy lifestyle, working out, doing Yoga and meditating, this could be a very good experience, but mind that people there are usually quite spiritual (or pretend to be), so it's up to you.You could live in the main village in Thong Sala, but I honestly don't see the point of doing that, as it's the most polluted area, so only stay here for budget reasons.You could stay in the very east of the island (Haad Yang) or in the very north (Chaloklum) and enjoy the laidback experience, although you might need to commute quite a while to get to any workable place.If you stay anywhere else on the island, it's about the same experience as in other places in the South of Thailand, so I would say medium-level touristy but very convenient and doable for anybody.Some places are not listed here and they kind of have their unique vibe, I'll let that to you to find out ;)I personally recommend sticking with one place and one lifestyle here on the island. It's quite tempting to jump into something else, but for me, it is sometimes a huge distraction and quite bad for my overall productivity and happiness switching between those different lifestyles. That's why I developed some kind of love-hate relationship with the island. The only other place with such vast differences between spots I found so far is Bali.

Spent a lovely two weeks in Hin Kong in a guest house. Only had a car for a week. You can get around without a car on the songthaews, but they are overpriced. Scooter is better, they are cheep and easier to park. The island is mellow and very relaxed. A great place to escape. Internet is very reliable.

A really great island. One week before the full moon party it's full of tourists, and a great place to be single. After the party, it empties out completely except for locals, couples and expats. You don't need to go to the party and if it's not your thing you won't really notice. Still lots to do if you have a scooter and make some friends. It's not as touristic as Samui or Koh Tao. A scooter is absolutely necessary. If you can't drive you'll need a friend who can. There's a small nomad community and a couple of co working spaces. Overall it's a lovely island with many different scenes.

The noise pollution here is insane. The prayer calls from the mosques seem to reverberate throughout Penang. Seems like they are competing for who can be the loudest. This really ruined Penang for me and I cut my time short. 

Penang

The noise pollution here is insane. The prayer calls from the mosques seem to reverberate throughout Penang. Seems like they are competing for who can be the loudest. This really ruined Penang for me and I cut my time short.

We picked up 4G SIM from the airport for $5 that got us 20Gb for the 2 weeks we visited the place to see if we wanted to work here.

Penang is great.It's everything the rest of Malaysia is not: Penang is clean, super safe, people are friendly, the food won't make you sick.Penang probably is not the next nomad hotspot soon though but it could be. There's quite a lot of cafes, but not many are good for laptopping. Very few cafes have solid airconditioning, so it'll be hot. They do usually have fans though. Most buildings are small built here, so cafes can also be quite cramped and get crowded fast, especially around lunch and late afternoons. Also cafes close very early, like 5pm or 6pm.Internet is legendarily slow, doesn't matter if it's in your hotel or cafe. Internet in Penang in general is just very slow. But there's an easy fix for that: buy a 4G Hotlink SIM card and top it up every day/week with a few gigabyte. Then use your phone to tether. It'll be extremely fast at around 40 Mbps, vs the WiFi's at 1 Mbps (!).Great thing vs. for example Thailand is that people here speak almost perfect English, and compared to Kuala Lumpur people here are generally quite educated. Also about the people: Penangites are just really friendly and nice. They know you're a tourist and it doesn't matter, they're happy to help you get around and give tips where to go. Really friendly and chill people.Food is good but I'll be real here, there's kinda limited options. Everything is either Malay, Indian or Chinese. Which is nice, but gets limited fast.Some recommendations to work:- Wheeler's cafe (ask or book beforehand to make sure you sit in the aircon area upstairs)- Coffee Addicts cafe- Daily Dose (make sure you order food here though cause they don't seem to like laptops that much)To eat:- Nasi Kandar Line Clear, yes it's an alley way but nice and you won't get sick, very clean: go there ask for rice and beef or chicken and vegetables and curry sauce, it'll be $2 or $3 USD, ask for hot tea, that's how locals eat it. It's open 24/7.- Halab, a Syrian restaurant, it's not cheap (think $20 for a meal) but it's a loooot of grilled meat, good if you need protein after gym, also didn't get sick it so seems safe.I think if Penang gets some nice aircon'd hipster cafes that like laptops, fixes its slow WiFi speeds everywhere and gets more nomads coming, it could very well become a new nomad hotspot in Asia.

Beware of slow internet speed! It's also difficult to get month-to-month accommodation. Airbnb is basically the only choice. I got a great studio apartment at the Kim Haus for $620/month, which includes tourist tax of RM10 per day. Excellent location. But the internet is so slow it is unusable. And there are very few cafes that have better internet. One of the better cafes in town happens to be across the street from the Kim Haus. It's called Coffee Addicts.

I've been living here for a year. English is widely used everywhere so you don't need to learn any other language. Internet at home fiber 1Gbps super fast. Rental is both cheap and expensive, you can find places as cheap as $100 per month and as expensive as $1000-$2000 for luxury style condos. Food is excellent, you can literally eat every day out for less than $5 per meal + drink and never repeat the same restaurant. Maybe the only downside is that as it's so hot people only do exercise very early in the morning or at night or in the gyms (usually condos have a gym).

Loved Penang! I rented an Airbnb 1BR apartment in Straits Quay for a month @ $35/nt and rent is probably lower if you stay longer or live in a less touristy area. Great food, easy transportation, nice beaches, super affordable plus my host upgraded wifi to 30mbps. Everyone speaks English, thanks to Malaysia's colonial history and the people are so hospitable. I hope to move there permanently someday!

SLOW internet speed and local people mostly relies on 4G/LTE networks instead of cables. However, I need to recommend the Wheeler's: https://goo.gl/maps/Z2cLP2y9hqT2 It has the fast internet speed in town, around 20Mbps download/upload.

Not sure where the last person went in the city for him/her to say that there are zero expats. Throughout my years with Davao, I would bump into at least 20 expats in one night out in just a single area. Davao City is only boring if you don't know where to go, and as someone who lives outside of Davao, I find myself coming back more than five times a year for the people, the culture it has, and how conveniently close it is to beautiful vacation places. You'll love it when you know the gems that you can only find if you approach the right people. You attract the right people if you're a cool person yourself. 

Davao

Not sure where the last person went in the city for him/her to say that there are zero expats. Throughout my years with Davao, I would bump into at least 20 expats in one night out in just a single area. Davao City is only boring if you don't know where to go, and as someone who lives outside of Davao, I find myself coming back more than five times a year for the people, the culture it has, and how conveniently close it is to beautiful vacation places. You'll love it when you know the gems that you can only find if you approach the right people. You attract the right people if you're a cool person yourself.

Terrible internet even taxi drivers can't use maps and don't know where they are going. Super boring. Congested with traffic and horns. No infrastructure. Bums everywhere. Sketchy people. Davao city is a scary and weird place. There are zero foreigners here. Check the expat group on Facebook it's a handful of creepy old men. I guess Filipinos that live here that are pumping up the reviews for this place because they are proud of where they are from and love their president and his beloved city. Lots of fake crap about how amazing it is all over the internet. Really far from the truth. Police and military all over yeah maybe that makes some people feel safe but I'd rather deal with threats from pickpocketers than terrorists and kidnappers!

Very safe, very cheap city to live in. They have a couple decent gyms and coworking spaces. Overall, the city is quite boring with very little to do - unless you enjoy walking around the 2-3 big malls they have dotted around the city. They have liquor restrictions so clubs and bars stop serving alcohol after midnight. A great place to live if you want to get a lot of work don with no distractions and live cheaply - also close to other hot spots like Cebu, Manila and the rest of Asia.

Luang Prabang

I have been both HCM and Da Nang. Da Nang is obviously a winner. Cooler climate, nicer people, less crowded, less pollution. Love it here

Da Nang

Let's make it short again: (1,5 years living experience in Da Nang)Da Nang is Chiang Mai with a Beach without the annoying nomad scenes.-Most foreigners are English teachers or retired Australians. If you don't like it, mix up with locals. 90% of my friends are Vietnamese. -Be careful with Constructions at the Beach Side. If you want a quiet life go to Son Tra. If you want more Action go to An Thuong Area. If you want local experience go behind the bridge - Nightlife growing and enough Options there. (Check out DJ Mad Tea Party in Da Nang) - Clean Air and Beautiful Environment- Amazing Girls that are easy if you are good-looking. ( But logically not comparable to Saigon or Hanoi ) But if you are not good-looking go better to Thailand or Philipinnes.- Locals English level is very low besides some young peopleIf you need this whole scam Digital Nomad Events, you are wrong here. If you are able to earn yourself a nice income and want a beautiful and amazing place with BEACH AND MOUNTAINS. Welcome to Da Nang!I love it so much.PS: the rain season sux asf. See it as the burning season in chiang mai without the burn :) Avoid it!

After having lived here for two months, I've got to say that this must be one of the worst places in Asia. The only reason I am still here is because I'm stuck due to the covid-19 situation. There is nothing to do here, except going for a walk at the beach. No events, no social life, no activities. Mind you, this has nothing to do with the current situation, it was the same before things got shut down because of the virus.The locals don't really like foreigners and you can feel that often, even though the city wants to be a tourism destination. There is no mingling between locals and foreigners at all, because the city is divided by the river. All the locals live on the left side and all the foreigners on the right side. A few foreign guys date Vietnamese girls, that's it. That means you are living in a bubble with other foreigners which has nothing to do with living in Asia. The expat community consists to 90% of English teachers. It's really hard to meet people here who are actually nomads or are doing something else with their lives than teaching English. If that's your crowd, go ahead.

Pro's:- Beach is beautiful- Food pricing is decentCon's- This whole city starting from the airport to the beach is trying to take advantage of your tourist intentions, feels like everyone is trying to overcharge or scam- Barely any english spoken here, hard to communicate- Lot of construction because it is still developingIn summary: Ok for a 2 days visit, skip living here long term

I previously wrote a very long review on Da Nang and wanted to update my experience after almost 1 month here. As mentioned, Da Nang is an up and coming place but is not for everyone. From my perspective the main pros and cons are as follows:+ very affordable. Rent, food, and taking grabs around is very cheap.+ beautiful area and surrounding. A lot of interesting day trips, especially with a motorbike.+ good place to digital nomad in, plenty of coffeeshops and places to work. An expat scene too.- You'll feel like a walking wallet. We've been ripped off by immigration, taxi drivers, restaurants, etc. Most of the restaurants in our area have fake reviews. You sort of have to be on your guard more than other places in south east asia.- Its not pleasant to walk around here. Crossing the road is terrifying (you get used to it a bit) and there's construction everywhere so sidewalks are a mess.- Still developing. At least where I live (My Anh), there is tons of construction (really loud). People selling various foods with loud speakers (Banh Bao!) into the late hours of the night (which gets old really fast. This area feels like a mix of tourist traps and construction sites. However, there are some gems to be found and once you're here for a week or so, there are plenty of good places to regular.To summarize: While I had a very negative impression of Da Nang, i don't think it's such a bad place. Compared to a place like Chiang Mai, it is a much harder place to live as a DN, but you also may be rewarded with a bit more authenticity. There is something fun about living in a place that is changing at such a rapid place, but many downsides as well. Personally, I would probably advise waiting several years before coming to Da Nang until it's more developed. Or if you do stay, trying to stay in neighborhoods by the main city rather than near the beach, which feels more like a tourist trap under construction. In general, it's a reasonably livable city. You'll get some of the vibrant energy that makes Vietnam special, but without the convenience of a place like Chiang Mai or the culture and history of somewhere like Hanoi.

There's another long review here that's based on (1 week) but is very accurate.Been here almost 3 months, If you've lived around Asia, you'll find the Vietnamese to be louder and rude in comparison to Thailand / Korea / Taiwan.Da Nang is a huge construction site, Vietnamese food is bland.They tend to rip each other off, and foreigners aren't treated differently as well.Do not pay Grab taxis here in advance (cash only, avoid credit cards) the locals like to "pick up" without actually picking you up.Hoi an is near by, and its got a nice beach (An Bang)In general, have to agree with the one week reviewer, Da nang is relatively safe but if you've lived in Bangkok or Chiang mai in the past, you won't like it.

This is going to be a long review but hopefully it will be helpful. I understand this is my subjective experience after only a limited amount of time (1 week) in Da Nang and your mileage may vary. I could imagine some people really enjoying living here but for me it is not a great place to live and I decided to shorten my stay as a result. To start, some good things about Da Nang: It is a very cheap place to live and I think you get decent value too. There are many coffeeshops to work out of and if you search you can find some nice spots to eat, drink, and hang out. There are things to visit in the surrounding area. The city itself has an interesting vibe, like the rest of Vietnam it is very vibrant, but also is in an extreme period of transition and it shows.I have been living in the My An area of Da Nang (by the beach). I could imagine some people really enjoying living here but I personally do not like it here for a few reasons.To start, some good things about Da Nang: — It is a very cheap place to live and I think you get decent value too.— There are many coffee shops to work out of and if you search you can find some nice spots to eat, drink, and hang out.— There are things to visit in the surrounding area. — The city itself has an interesting vibe, like the rest of Vietnam it is very vibrant, but also is in an extreme period of transition and it shows. — The traffic isn’t so bad and roads are decent for the region.— There is a decent expat scene and some nice people to hang out with, although this seems in isolation to the rest of the city.However, there are many negatives, I’ll just list the two main ones for brevity:— You will feel like a walking wallet and people will try to rip you off everywhere. We had some majorly inconvenient and expensive issues with the visa process, experienced blatant lying and short changing by taxi drivers, ridiculously priced items at shops. In our neighborhood, tons of the restaurants have fake reviews and terrible food. Basically, you feel like you need to be on your guard or you will be taken advantage of, which makes it not very enjoyable to stay here.— Rapid Development Pains. Because Da Nang is developing so fast, there are a lot of rough edges, as one could expect. Construction is everywhere and makes it hard to walk around. To add to this, crossing the street in any city of Vietnam is quite a stressful experience. Most of the ATMs in the city seem to not work. There are random power outages in our neighborhood. The area we live feels like a depressing mix of construction lots and tourist traps. To summarize: We had a very negative introduction to Da Nang, but after several days here, things did get a bit better. Compared to a place like Chiang Mai, it is a much harder place to live as a DN, but you also may be rewarded with a bit more authenticity. There is something fun about living in a place that is changing at such a rapid place, but many downsides as well. Personally, I would probably advise waiting several years before coming to Da Nang. Or if you do stay, trying to stay in neighborhoods by the main city rather than near the beach, which feels more like a tourist trap under construction.

Scenic beach + mountains, decent internet, excellent cheap food and a vibrant expat community makes this one of my favorite spots in SEA.

I've been here a couple times, living in HCMC right now. Compared to HCMC, there's alot less traffic and pollution. Beach is a huge plus. Locals are super friendly. Loads of Korean tourists. Nightlife is actually pretty decent given it's not an especially big city. I'd say there's a fair amount for a young single guy to do. Considering moving here. One of the other reviews mentioned the construction, that's everywhere in Vietnam. But it's easy enough to avoid it in Da Nang if you get a place closer to the river/downtown. I'm honestly surprised to see Da Nang hasn't taken off more with the remote working crowd. Way better than Bali. Yuck!

I have spend 2 months there but their is not a lot to do. The city is not very special. And the beach is ok for walking. But that is about it.

Wrote a really long review that disappeared. To summarize it: way too much construction going on here. Might be a nicer place 5-10 years from now.

One of the best places to live in Vietnam. I'm glad not many people have discovered this city yet :)

Siem Riep has a nice suburb feeling. At first sight it seems there's not much to do besides Angkor Wat and Pub Street, but you can go swimming, do bicycle tours, floating village day trip...  I don't have best social skill, but in Siem Reap it was so easy to make new friends. Locals and tourists!  I've worked at Garage Society Coworking Space. Pretty nice place.  I don't understand the cons of slow internet. I've bought an LTE 4G Sim card for 10 USD with 10 GB. There's also free and mostly fast wifi at almost every cafe, restaurant, bar and hotel.   And about cost of lining: I've met some locals. First local was a single mom with 3 kids living 10 minutes away from pub street by tuk tuk. She is spending only 100 USD for 1 room studio apartment including water and power and 50 USD for food for her and the kids (I've been at her home). Second local was another girl who earned 120 USD per month by working at a hotel. So 400 USD cost of living for a local is waaay too high as it is mentioned here.   And night life is pretty awesome (at least it was before Covid 19). Bars and clubs everywhere at pub street and really crowded every night in high seasons. Temple Bar was awesome. 

Siem Reap

Siem Riep has a nice suburb feeling. At first sight it seems there's not much to do besides Angkor Wat and Pub Street, but you can go swimming, do bicycle tours, floating village day trip...I don't have best social skill, but in Siem Reap it was so easy to make new friends. Locals and tourists!I've worked at Garage Society Coworking Space. Pretty nice place.I don't understand the cons of slow internet. I've bought an LTE 4G Sim card for 10 USD with 10 GB. There's also free and mostly fast wifi at almost every cafe, restaurant, bar and hotel. And about cost of lining: I've met some locals. First local was a single mom with 3 kids living 10 minutes away from pub street by tuk tuk. She is spending only 100 USD for 1 room studio apartment including water and power and 50 USD for food for her and the kids (I've been at her home). Second local was another girl who earned 120 USD per month by working at a hotel. So 400 USD cost of living for a local is waaay too high as it is mentioned here. And night life is pretty awesome (at least it was before Covid 19). Bars and clubs everywhere at pub street and really crowded every night in high seasons. Temple Bar was awesome.

Kathmandu has frequent power outages as of December 2019 even though everyone says otherwise, as does Pokhara.  The old outages are referring to the load shedding issue which were routine power outages for the majority of the day.  Now power outages are not routine and can last unknown amounts of time, even the main (and only) airport loses power often.  Buildings are unheated, water for showering is generally unheated or lukewarm, many houses get their water from urban aquifers which may be heavily polluted, as city water is yellow and oily.  Many roads in the city are dirt, and air quality is extremely poor, especially during the crop burning season.  Locals are friendly and helpful and many outside of tourist areas may have never met a foreigner before.  The locals and the mountains make the place special, everything else about it is quite bad, notably hygiene, food safety, traffic danger, and exposure to all sorts of environmental pollutants.  That said, I will be returning to visit the local friends made while there.

Kathmandu

Kathmandu has frequent power outages as of December 2019 even though everyone says otherwise, as does Pokhara. The old outages are referring to the load shedding issue which were routine power outages for the majority of the day. Now power outages are not routine and can last unknown amounts of time, even the main (and only) airport loses power often. Buildings are unheated, water for showering is generally unheated or lukewarm, many houses get their water from urban aquifers which may be heavily polluted, as city water is yellow and oily. Many roads in the city are dirt, and air quality is extremely poor, especially during the crop burning season. Locals are friendly and helpful and many outside of tourist areas may have never met a foreigner before. The locals and the mountains make the place special, everything else about it is quite bad, notably hygiene, food safety, traffic danger, and exposure to all sorts of environmental pollutants. That said, I will be returning to visit the local friends made while there.

I can't relate to many of the ratings here. I spent half a year in Kathmandu and it's amazing for digital nomads. I would give high scores for all mentioned categories except air quality. Great happiness. Great wifi (better than Munich in many places), good hospitals, amazing culture and people. Nomads there know each other. The community is small but growing

Kathmandu is an upcoming destination in the digital nomad community for its cheap living, great outdoor opportunities and its vibrant expat community. After the earthquake the country had to recover and with it came some major improvements: Internet connectivity has reached levels similar to many places in Asia such as Bali and the Philippines. Power cuts have been brought down to a minimum. And more and more places have started up co-working and living places that suit the digital nomads’ needs. Kathmandu now is a place that is alive with positive energy and is moving forward.

MMM I really think these ratings are really wrong. Kathmandu is a super polluted city, air quality get you dizzy dizzy... cost of living is really expensive if you want to have small comforts... like a swimming pool is 6euros, the zoo is 20 euros... you have to think that if you are a foreign you have an extra tax in most of the prices, there is a local price and a tourist price. Also taxis can become really expensive, short ride can jump into 6 euros, moto is a better solution but again, pollution and safety is not really into vogue. Also about food, there are no fridges in the supermarket so your milk or daily products must be buy in local shops, and again hygiene is not at its best. Woman friendly is not so much... you must cover you up in order to don't attract followers... there are no go zones in Kathmandu... and also be aware of bands of dogs... Internet is good speed after the earthquake, most houses have solar power so you will be able to be online full time... getting a SIM card needs the help of a local, since again SIM cards for foreigns need a permission, so is not easy going as a city... in fact is really chaotic and super dirty.... is not a 100% walkable city... is a moto city, and again is super dirty, so I you want to walk in rainy season better to not have bear foot... Pokhara is a better option...

There's an exciting buzz in Nepal now with the current government providing some stability and power cuts largely being a thing of the past.

Putrajaya is the only place I would recommend due to its close proximity to the airport.  The Shaftsbury Hotel is modern with two convenience stores, pharmacy, restaurants, dental, and more in the actual building. There is a rain fountain in "mall" of the building that would be Putrajaya's attempt at Singapore's airport one.  The location is also literally right across from the bigger mall that has restaurants, international grocery store, movie theater, bowling, electronics, etc.  It's a safe area if you're going to be in Malaysia for a week or two.

Kuala Lumpur

Putrajaya is the only place I would recommend due to its close proximity to the airport. The Shaftsbury Hotel is modern with two convenience stores, pharmacy, restaurants, dental, and more in the actual building. There is a rain fountain in "mall" of the building that would be Putrajaya's attempt at Singapore's airport one. The location is also literally right across from the bigger mall that has restaurants, international grocery store, movie theater, bowling, electronics, etc. It's a safe area if you're going to be in Malaysia for a week or two.

First time I was in KL was in 2015 as a backpacking student. I stayed for 2 weeks at an airbnb in Bangsar South and I loved it. Met up with Uni friends, made new friends and I really like the relaxed atmosphere, despite being in a huge city.Fast forward, 3 years later, I went by myself to KL for a 3 days stay on a visa run from Chiang Mai. I stayed in a hotel near Bukit Bintang. I actually really didn't like it - I think because I was by myself, in a fairly wild part of the city and got so used to all the conveniences of Chaing Mai prior to coming here. I couldn't wait to leave this hell hole.... Ironically, as a student, I loved the crazier parts of the city, but maybe as we get older, that changes.But then, 6 months later, I decided to give it another go, coming from Penang. This time with my girlfriend and back to the area where I first got to know KL back in 2015. We booked an apartment in Bangsar South. Swimming pool, gym, 1gbps internet connection, walking distance to supermarket, convenience store and metro to go exploring. Was an absolutely great month and ended up extending our stay by another 15 days until our visas expired. Cannot wait to go back after corona.

Kuala Lumpur is a modern metropolitan filled with fun loving people and excellent choice of food, available around the clock. Night life could be a little boring in downtown area but the suburbs are where the fun is in the evening. Internet speed is world-class, modern roads and highways, good connectivity and comfortable to live and work. Safety at night is a bit compromised so extra care is needed when travel alone. Most of the people speak reasonably good English. Alcohol is cheap and conveniently available.

Great city. I got a lot of work done. Luxury residences are overbuilt so the key to reserving sight unseen is determining how many units they have open (more=bad) and how many people aren't paying their maintenance (which you can determine from requesting a photo of their elevator interior which posts the debts.) Empty buildings with lots of debtors mean poor maintenance and perks like restaurants and pools being in disrepair or closed.

You can settle for a few months in the two Jaya areas (burbs) where modern conveniences are around (food deliveries, malls, nature parks, etc). Cyberjaya is a more youthful Jaya with college students, 24 hour bookstore, etc. You can still find families around though. It's rather quiet and "boring" to some though. It's good for relaxing, working out at the infinity pool gyms, and taking a travel rest.

Been Many times and it it wow. And if you have been anywhere in Asia you will know what I mean when I say - its modern. I didn't know why so I asked - they have oil off their shore - thus have $$$. And is still affordable - I like it more than Singapore even. Great hotels, great food, great taxi service and great internet.

Kuala Lumpur is one of the dirtiest and dodgies cities we've ever been. Everything looks broken down, messy or unmaintained. It seems completely mismanaged (or not governed at all) by the city government. It's relatively unsafe, with high crime, and especially if you're a woman, you'll get followed and harassed if you're out in the evening or night. To top all that off, it's boring with not many reasons to go here except shopping in malls.

Fantastic internet, pretty good co-working spaces, ridiculously affordable especially considering such a large city with all of the modern amenities, and all of the fun and nightlife you can ask for. I can see KL being one of my standard go-to places.

KL was a great place when I went. Affordable (and quality) apartments, good and affordable food (although spicy), and especially, very, very welcoming people. I will certainly come again!

I think KL will be the next hub for nomads. It's affordable, safe, convenient, has decent Internet and has decent weather. (Yes it's hot during the summer but it gives you a good reason to be inside and get your work done) Mostly it's quite chill, not as hectic and messy as other major SEA cities like Bangkok, Hanoi and Jakarta. There's not that much to do, but Malaysia has wonderful nature and getaway places, accessible with cheap AirAsia tickets from KL.

It's funny how 15-20 years ago, KL was almost devoid of travelers - presumably because "Muslim country", 9/11, whatever. THAT was actually a time when not only was everything ridiculously cheap; the locals were happy, friendly, courteous, always giving you a huge smile. I have so many happy memories of back then. Fast-forward to 2019: Yes, KL is now "on the map". Yet the cost of living is exploding; much of the city's heritage has been bulldozed away; a high-rise is going up at every corner; and more and more people are visibly stressed, frustrated, hostile. As a foreigner, I encounter silent treatment every day; have people shut the elevator door in my face; rarely get a Please or Thank You or even Excuse Me; the little annoyances just keep mushrooming. But all in all, and especially for those who never experienced the fun and relaxed KL of yesteryear, it's still a relatively safe and affordable place. Nowhere near as pricey as Singapore, and also not as prone to power cuts and violent crime and accidents as Thailand or Philippines. I see private doctors, and they are excellent, London/Cambridge-trained and yet affordable. Also, phone apps work quite well when it comes to payments, booking a Grab car or ordering food / groceries. And of course, the sky is blue and the sun is shining all year round.

Mostly great weather year round and some of the best food in the world at cheap prices. Probably the best standard of living for the cost in an international city.Good but not excellent public transport.Some questionable reviews being left here by people who possibly never visited,

It's hot and always cloudylack of good & delicious foodgood co-working spaces are available with good internetif grab doesn't work for you, use gocar

An Islamic consumerist utopia.Boring, dangerous, and overall average.Alright for a week or two if you're a couple or male. Hell on earth if you're female (DO NOT GO OUTSIDE ALONE AFTER 8PM IF YOU'RE MORE THAN 2KMs FROM THE CBD).

Stay in luxury Airbnb with all mod cons for less than $700 per month. Eat for less than $5. It’s clean and has everything you need, including great supermarkets and restaurants. Stay away from KL if you want history etc, but if you’re an expat this ticks every box.

I hope less people will come to KL so i have more of the city to myself LOL. Where else can you get fresh made roti canai with teh terek for less than US1.00 for breakfast? Where else can you stay at a 5star hotel for 1/3 the cost of overpriced Singapore. Please, tourist, stay away and leave KL to expats who appreciate the good side of a typical crowded Asian city.

Whanted to write a review, wrote about 200 words than pressed the arrow key and left the page and the review was gone. Fix this shit. You obviously don't give a rats ass about UX

I am confused why anyone wants to visit Kuala Lumpur, it’s a dirty, messy and crime infested city.

It’s hard to love Kuala Lumpur. Because everything here is average. Malaysia’s food is marketed as a mix of all cultures’ cuisines, that’s nice and all but that mix of the same cultures is tastier in any food court in Singapore. Because in KL the food is average. Malaysians are also far behind in cafes, you’ll see Starbucks rated 5 stars, while arisanal boutique cafes are rated 2 stars on Foursquare. Why? Because they have a prehistoric obsession with big brands and consumerism. The coffee in the few artisanal cafes is outstanding. Everywhere else? Average. A day in KL means you’ll be going from mall to mall. Chinatown still has some remnants of local street authenticity, but even that’s starting to be bulldozed by malls its edge. Admittedly Kuala Lumpur has come far since a decade ago, its citizens are getting close to middle class (that is if you're not one of the millions of illegal immigrants). But where Kuala Lumpur now thrives in money, it still lacks in class. And that makes it, well, average.

Top Places to Live in Asia