For a digital nomad, choosing their next travel location is one of the most exciting parts of life. There are always so many countries to see and experience that it’s difficult to pick, so most of us long for a little inspiration to guide our way. Fortunately, that’s what we’re about to provide. If you’re eager to travel away to a new location that can provide exotic adventure, excellent work opportunities, and memorable places to visit, then Hong Kong should definitely be your pick! If you’ve always wanted to visit this great city but aren’t sure whether your bank account can handle it, don’t worry, we can offer you a guide. For those who want to thrive in Hong Kong, here are some tips to help you out.
Wifi & accommodations
While everything else can be found fairly cheaply in Hong Kong, there’s no way around their pricey accommodations. This is where most of your money will be going, but it’s not impossible to find a good place for a decent price. Count on spending at least $30 a day on hostels or Airbnbs, or up to $70-$100 if you want something really luxurious. Airbnbs are generally a better option because most of them will offer good wifi, and as we all know, our livelihood does depend on having a good internet connection. You really should focus on finding a place to stay that has it because working from coffee shops in Hong Kong isn’t easy to pull off. Residents don’t have a habit of doing that, so there aren’t many bars and coffee places where you can work uninterrupted.
Co-working spaces
Fortunately, there are plenty of co-working spaces, and they are relatively cheap. The fact that they’re so numerous means you can find one at almost any part of the town, and most of them offer free coffee, excellent wifi, and a great working atmosphere. After all, digital nomads are the future of the industry, so you’re bound to be more than welcome to bring your laptop and start networking with the crowd.
Local gigs
Hong Kong also offers excellent job opportunities, particularly if you know English well. In fact, if you’re eager to pick up new skills and enrich your resume, why not apply for a TEFL certificate (teaching English as a foreign language)? There are excellent schools in Hong Kong, and you can apply for a Monkey Tree TEFL course if you want to get training as a teacher and improve your language skills significantly. It’s a renowned school that also offers job opportunities to talented teachers, so if you like working with people, this is a great choice. Having the right certificate can also help you get jobs in other countries, so you can improve your digital nomad lifestyle even further.
Phone data
There’s absolutely no fuss involved with getting a new Hong Kong number. You can get a SIM card for about $20, and you can also get a monthly plan for unlimited 4G internet for about $10. You just need to walk into Chungking Mansion or any 7-Eleven that you see on the street, make your purchase, and walk away with a brand new number. If you want to make frequent international calls you might have to invest a little more cash, but it still won’t be very pricey at all.
Eating local
Food in Hong Kong is a thing of dreams. Delicious, versatile, and most importantly, very affordable. If you plan to eat out at restaurants very often then you’ll probably have to spend a lot, but if you just want to enjoy local food or cook your own meals you’ll see that it’s quite cheap.
Weather
Summer is the toughest season to handle because it can get unbearably hot and humid, but other months are very mild and easy to handle. Even summer is completely okay as long as you have access to A/C, but do try to plan your trip for spring or fall if heat is really not your thing.
Safety for women
Hong Kong is one of the safest cities in the world, so you’re unlikely to experience too much trouble here. The only thing we’d recommend is to avoid getting drunk alone, and to stick to public, well-lit places at night. Basically, the same kind of precautions you’d take anywhere else, you should take here. As long as you follow basic common sense, you should be completely fine.
Hong Kong is a fast-paced, urban city that never sleeps, and digital nomads are bound to find their place there. Visit it at least once in your lifetime if you want a very unique experience, and you won’t regret it.
