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I would say that most of us digital nomads who like Southeast Asia alternate a lot between these two places: Thailand and Bali. Keep in mind that when we talk about Thailand we are talking about a whole country and when we talk about Bali we are only talking about an island within Indonesia. And while in Thailand there are several attractive places for digital nomads (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, the islands of Koh Phangan, Koh Samui ...) in Indonesia all the limelight goes to Bali (maybe a little Lombok too, but very little if we compare it with Bali).
Does that mean that Thailand is better than Bali for digital nomads? Not really. Because there is no one better than the other. They are different places and as I have spent a long time in both I will give my personal opinion and what I like more of each destination:
Thailand for digital nomads
Depending on your tastes you will choose one area or another in Thailand to settle for a while as a digital nomad. In my case I am more of a beach person, so when I come to Thailand I prefer to stay in the islands, in particular Koh Phangan. I know other people who like the city more and prefer Chiang Mai. In any case the information I will give will be general for the country, keeping in mind that my experience comes mainly from living in Koh Phangan.
Internet in Thailand
Here the Internet is glory compared to Bali. The truth is that in the accommodations in which we have stayed the Wifi works well and in the cafeterias and restaurants also. As for the mobile data also they go fast and it works in most places. The SIM card is usually sold at the airport, in 7/11, in some official stores and then there are street stalls. We bought it in one of the street stalls and it was half the price of what we were asked in the other places mentioned.
You can buy the SIM card per day and per amount of data. We got 480 BAHT for 30 days unlimited data. My boyfriend had read in some blogs that these could be a scam, but the truth is that we have been using the SIM card for 2 weeks now and we have not had any problems.
Beaches in Thailand
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This depends a lot on the zone where you live in each place. I the beaches to which I was accustomed in Bali were those of Canggu that leave much that to wish. In fact there I did not go in the water there for the waves and for the dirty thing that was normally. However in Koh Phangan the beaches are glory. They are more like those of Cadiz because of the clear water and white sand. But here there are no waves. So if you are of surf you are going to prefer the beaches of Bali to those of here. But if you just like to go to the beach to sunbathe and soak, the beaches of Thailand are much more enjoyable.
Also if you like the hippie beach vibe I recommend you to check out Zen beach in Koh Phangan. On Saturdays they do jam sessions and a lot of international people gather to play music and dance. There is also a nudist part of the beach.
Food in Thailand
Here Bali beats Thailand. When I talk about food I don't just mean local food, but in general. In fact I eat a healthy vegetarian diet and many times I avoid local places because they put sugar in the food or MSG or the oil is reused too many times, etc.
Here on Koh Phangan we have found some local vegetarian places that cook without these things. In these places the price of the average dish is 80 BHT (2,5 € approximately). If you want to eat in an international restaurant the prices go up quite a lot (an average of 250 BHT per plate (7 € approximately).
As for coffee there are some places where you can find barista coffee and the price is between 80 and 100 BHT depending on the size.
Rent in Thailand
The rental price is similar in both places. It should be noted that in recent months has risen sharply by the large influx of Russian population.
In Koh Phangan what many people are looking for are the typical bungalows. The closer to the beach the more expensive. A bungalow near the beach and with a view can cost you about 20.000 BHT per month (555 € approximately). If you go further inland and in less touristic areas you can find it for 8.000 BHT (222 € approx.).
In Chiang Mai a friend of mine was renting a studio for 14.000 BHT per month (about 380 €).
Events and coworking in Thailand
It is true that in Koh Phangan there are some coworking spaces but it is not very popular. Here yoga and "spiritual" events are more popular than digital ones. For events and digital communities Chiang Mai offers more.
If we compare it with Bali maybe there is even too much there now. Although I will go into more detail below.
As for the musical sphere I like it better in Koh Phangan than in Bali. Here there are more live concerts and better musical taste. In Bali the majority are DJs and music of beach club.
Thai massage
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In the subject of the massages Bali is unsurpassable. Personally I love the massages. In all the places where I have lived I look for a masseur that I like and Bali for me is the paradise in this sense. However here we are going to talk about the famous Thai massage.
Perhaps I have taken a little bit of mania for the disappointment of the first time I had one. It was on my first trip to Southeast Asia in 2016. I went in hungover to have one thinking it was going to be a nice, relaxing experience like Bali and found myself in torture, regretting having booked 1 hour massage instead of 30 min (or even going there in the first place). Instead of undressing you they put clothes on you and apply pressure and movements to twist you whole.
In Koh Phangan they are usually given on the beaches. They have wooden stands in front of the sea open and also offer oil massages. It is not a bad experience but I prefer them in a private room with a good atmosphere. As for prices, a one-hour traditional Thai massage is usually between 250 and 300 BHT (between 7 and 8.5 €).
Bali for digital nomads
(Picture taken by me and edited in Canva Pro)
If Bali is one of the top destinations for digital nomads will be for something, right? For the Internet of course not, but the rest of attractions offered by this island is unbeatable. For me it is one of my favorite destinations in the world and then I tell you why:
Internet in Bali
This as I commented is not one of its strong points. And I understand that as a digital nomad it is something important. In fact I do not recommend anyone whose work depends on video calls to come here. In my case that most of my work is written is fine. But for example my partner has had a hard time as an English teacher. Sometimes even in coworking spaces it doesn't work properly. And when you are teaching a class and the whole time it cuts out it can be desperate.
In fact I have seen many other digital nomads complaining about this aspect. There was one (and I think there is a lot of truth in this) who said that most of the digital nomads on the island are either unemployed in reality or living on rents. I have done the Become a Digital Nomad course in Bali and I had to be very patient when it came to uploading videos to Hotmart (I insist that I was also doing it in the Tropical Nomads coworking...).
Beaches in Bali
There is something very unique of the beaches in Bali that I have not seen in other places and in the black sand. This color is due to the volcanoes of the island. The beaches of Bali are famous for the surfers for their waves, especially the zone of Uluwatu. For there the beaches are more beautiful than in the zone of Canggu. In Canggu the beaches are dirty. The color of the water and all the garbage around the beach do not invite you to go in. I went to the beach to walk, but not to swim. In the area where I was (Cemagi/Canggu) I preferred the pool to the sea.
I still really enjoyed the walks on the beach to watch the sunset where you would meet familiar faces.
Food in Bali
(Picture taken by me with Redminote 9)
For me the best place to eat in the world is Bali. As I mentioned previously, especially if you are vegetarian/vegan, you like the healthy food and in addition accompanied by a good coffee or smoothie.
As for the local food the typical thing is the Nasi Campur or Nasi Goreng. In local places you can eat between 15K and 45K rupiah (between 1 and 3 €).
Referring to international places it obviously varies depending on what you order. You can estimate an average of 10 €. Also keep in mind when you go to see a menu, that most international restaurants (or stores) charge you the famous "plus plus", ie more taxes and more services. And in some places it can end up being 20% more.
My recommendations for restaurants with healthy and delicious international food are:
- Shady Shack
- Secret Spot
- Falafel Temple (the best Falafel I've ever eaten)
- Word Hummus Bar
- Revolver (here is the best coffee for my taste)
- Coach Coffee
- Sensorium
- Ubud Kitchen (this one is for juices, the most delicious that you will find in Bali)
- Akasha
Most of the indicated places are in Canggu and surroundings. Akasha is in Ubud and Ubud Kitchen is both.
Rent in Bali
As I indicated previously, the prices of the rent in Bali have not stopped rising since I arrived in August 2022 until now. When we arrived we found rooms in Guesthouses for 5.5 million rupiah (335 €) and for the same room (without any improvement) in January they were already asking 7.5 million rupiah (500 € approx.). These prices are too high considering the quality of what they rent. They are taking advantage of the fact that there is now a lot of demand, especially Russian.
Looking to rent a simple villa we did not find anything for less than 1.200 € per month and most of them looked like scammers.
As for motorcycle rentals the price has doubled from pre and post covid. Before Covid the average was 500K (30 € approx) and now 1 million per month (60 € approx). Still it is cheaper than in Thailand.
(Picture taken by me of the last place we used to rent)
Events and coworking
In Bali there are a lot of co-working spaces. Dojo was one of the first and most famous and has recently closed the coworking space I think to do only coliving. The one I was going to for a month was Tropical Nomad. It is located next to Shortcut. They organize interesting events there, especially related to blockchain and crypto. Although the atmosphere is a bit weird and the internet slow.
The one that is now trendy and located on my favorite entertainment street, Jalan Nelayan ,is B-work. Apparently there is a waiting list to become a member and the monthly unlimited plan costs 3.550.000 IDR (220 € approximately). I had a friend who went there and some plans also include yoga or boxing classes, hours in a private room, drinks, access to the pool, etc.
Then as for "spiritual" events of breathwork, yoga, tantra, ecstatic dance, full moon ceremony, kirtan,... you have enough to get bored (I actually ignore them because they are also charging some ridiculous prices).
As an emblematic event on Sundays are still the Udara sessions, only now they are no longer free, they cost 150K. Actually the price is not bad for everything included (yoga+ecstatic dance+sound healing), but the atmosphere has changed a lot to the pre-covid era. Anyway, Udara is my favorite place to do aerial yoga. Both for the quality of the teachers and for the views and decoration of the place.
Massages in Bali
This is the main reason why I always come back to Bali (and I'm not kidding). There a one and a half hour massage belongs to my weekly routine. The reasons why I love Balinese massage are:
- It's a relaxing massage. You can feel the relaxing energy in most of the masseuses. They are also in private places, with high massage tables, that are well decorated and whose aroma and music accompany the feeling of relaxation.
- The quality of the therapists. A Thai massage is very different from a Balinese massage. In Thailand they are brute women with little softness. However in Bali they have a sweet energy that transmits relaxation and serenity.
- The price. A massage of one hour you can find it from 100 K (about 6 €) and of one hour and a half from 150(K) 10 €. You can also find them for 20 € an hour and a half and it is well worth the difference of 10 €.
Conclusion: Thailand or Bali?
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The comparison I just made in the table is obviously based on my personal tastes. The themes I evaluate I think are quite common among digital nomads that's why I compare them.
In general I prefer Bali to Thailand. Bali is a more elegant island in many ways. In fact just by observing how people dress you can tell the difference. The energy is also very different. In any case I like both places. Simply that Bali I see it more for long seasons and Thailand for short stays.
I hope that you have enjoyed this article and that you find it useful 💖