Working Remotely from the Pacific Ring of Fire
We were about to spend a month working remotely from the Pacific Ring of Fire in Bali. A place surrounded by palms, perfect weather, great food and excellent living conditions. The perfect destination to get into a new frame of mind and work on ideas, right? From swimming in deep waters with giant manta rays through to erupting volcanoes. This was our experience.
One of the biggest buzz terms of 2017 was ‘remote working’ the perfect work/life balance. The dream of landing a gig that allows you to travel the world whilst working amongst palms, dream beaches or bamboo forests. Many tech and start up companies have adopted the idea. Not because of the sex appeal, but because it is proven to make employees happier, more productive and better at their jobs.
There are numerous articles on how to champion remote working but the truth is, it’s easier said than done. We decided to trial a month. The idea was to take a break from usual client related work and focus on personal projects. Projects that were placed on the back burner over the course of the year. It’s safe to say we didn’t make as much progress as we would have liked.
During our trip, we stayed in four areas — Ubud, Manggis, the Gili’s and Canggu. Each location has a unique culture and local scene. Ubud is renowned as the artistic capital. Full of independent artists who paint, draw and sculpt — all exceptional at what they do. Most noticeably in the stone work found in the architecture across Bali. Ubud bustles with international tourists on the main strip. You find yourself tussling on the pavements for space. Whereas up in the paddy fields you find serenity, eco spa’s and majestic sunsets.
Manggis is located in the East. A haven of serenity set amidst a coconut grove, nestled between the sea and Mount Agung. Bali’s most sacred mountain. The volcano had been erupting and during our stay Mt. Agung had hit emergency level, just before local authorities evacuated the surrounding areas we were onto our next location.
The Gili’s are a group of three tiny islands — Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air, off the mainland of Lombok. We stayed on Gili Air, characterised by sandy beaches fringed with palm trees. Air was the island known for coral reefs and beachfront sunset bars. Air’s reputation is the ‘chilled island’ of the three. Unlike Hindu centric Bali the Gili’s are Islamic, meaning you wake to morning prayer from the islands central mosque.
Our final location was Canggu on Bali’s south coast. Renowned for strong surf and bohemian culture. Today Canggu has become the number one location for remote workers. With many innovative and passionate freelancers, tech workers and start-ups working from the town. A hotspot for tank tops, ripped denim, beach bodies and healthy food.
In Ubud we stayed ten days at the amazing Artist Inn Residency (AIR) where we met guests from around the globe and the host Efnu. AIR is a creative retreat of sorts, placed deep in the paddy fields away from the craziness of Ubud. A large open studio facing a lush green backdrop. It’s a good spot to be alone with your thoughts. Every morning we would meditate facing out on to a bamboo forest. Our daily routine was to head upstairs for breakfast, do some reading, explore the local area then head back to do some work. In-between it all we would socialise with other guests and share recently discovered spots. After we settled in and overcame the jet lag, our first two hurdles came to light.
We realised how essential aspects of technology are. As an overarching rule, Bali isn’t known for it’s reliable, high speed internet. Almost everywhere we went the internet was sub par. Connection drops, slow speeds, it dawned on us how we take it for granted back home. Our room was on the lower ground by the river with the studio space based at the top. The lower ground had a separate connection which died on the second day. Most technicians and call outs take about a month. Sometimes they don’t even show. Working in the studio was great but sometimes you just want to write emails without having to hunt down Wi-fi and on the odd occasion, sink into a sofa to Netflix and chill. But that’s ok we thought. We’re in Bali! There’s plenty to do and we’ll find ways to get things done.
The second hurdle was the huge time difference. Although the idea of the trip was to focus on personal projects, there was still an element of managing clients and keeping them happy. This came in the form of Google Hangouts to discuss handovers and other small design tasks. For us, our client base is predominantly the UK and US. For the UK it wasn’t too bad. We’d spend the day exploring the area and experiencing what Ubud had to offer, then work in the evenings. Switching the 9-5 notion to more of a 5-10.
For the US, it was a bit more drastic. Any correspondence would have to be either 7am or midnight, due to literally being on the other side of the world. If there was any feedback, we’d have to wait a day to get a response. Communication was challenging, but the reality is we had a very flexible schedule. It was simply a case of getting used to a different approach to working. Once we got comfortable it worked, it was fine... unless the internet dropped again.
Who wants to be looking at a screen when you have such beautiful surroundings?🌴
After ten days based in Ubud the craziness of the centre started to take it’s toll. We were ready to move on. We treated ourselves and booked a beautiful resort in Manggis. Quiet by contrast, Manggis is a located in East Bali. If you’re looking to chill, it is beautiful. The resort had exceptional service, spotless surroundings and excellent food. Our room had direct access to a huge pool overlooking the Indian Ocean. Each night we were lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves. There were lounge areas everywhere, in the lobby, by the sea, by the pool, by the gardens with bean bags. Depending on your mood for the day you could choose where to work. Cue realisations.
As expected, the internet wasn’t great. Even in an establishment such as this. It turns out internet costs premium in Bali for what we consider a mediocre connection. It’s understandable that most places don’t have the connection we’re used to. It also occurred to us that most people in East Bali aren’t on work retreats. In fact they’re taking a break from technology – which makes total sense. Who wants to be looking at a screen when you have such beautiful surroundings?
Bali is beautiful, filled with adventures and an abundance of distraction. It’s far more difficult to sit down and focus when the option to dive in the pool, get a complimentary massages or swim with Manta Rays is on the cards. Even locking yourself in the hotel room didn’t work. Everything was a bit too nice. Rather than work, we wanted to go snorkelling... and we did. We expected distractions to some extent and figured we should roll with it.
Our next destination was the Gili’s, a bumpy two hour ride extremely early in the morning. The boats in Bali can only operate during certain hours. This is due to volcanic activity causing rough seas and choppy waves.
We said our farewells to Manggis concluding it was our ‘switch off’ period of the trip… not that we needed it.
Progress was slow, but it was progress none the less.
Gili Trawangan is know for it’s party vibe, whilst Gili Meno is a popular honeymoon destination, donned the love island. Gili Air is considered the more relaxed, bohemian island of the three. The island itself is very small, you can walk the entire circumference in about an hour. The island is littered with chill restaurants and laidback bars. Evidently not designed for the work crowd. The copious amounts of beach bars and reggae themed cocktail joints didn’t quite cut it. Yet we gave it a shot.
For once, certainly in our bungalow, the internet worked! Fast enough to send emails and do research. After a day in Gili Air we managed to do most things. The island is small, so there’s a limit to the amount of activities available. We spent a good day or so catching up with loose ends. Because of the rural setting, the only drawback we experienced was having a comfortable space to work. We found ourselves doing stints of one or two hours, then needing a break. Progress was slow, but it was progress none the less.
With another looming boat ride ahead of us we were eager to get to our next destination. From a profuse amount of research, we estimated that Canggu would likely be our favourite place in Bali. So we went with the notion of saving the best for last. We were not disappointed.
On the taxi ride we noticed dozens of great looking cafés and spots. All of which had obvious ‘Fast Wifi’ signs like a prestige badge of honour. It had a certain vibe that felt comforting and familiar, a place we looked forward to soaking in. We settled in and by far, Canggu topped every other place we’d been. There was always somewhere that had fast, reliable internet speeds. The culture and crowd helped us get into the right frame of mind. Creative types starting their own independent ventures. Whom in their spare time enjoyed some good surf, good food and good music. A place that’s perfected the art of balance down to a tee.
As always with travel, we’ve returned home with a little more perspective.
We spent our final ten days in Canggu working from a number of cafés, whilst soaking in the local scene and culture. Eventually we had to leave and when the time came, we left Bali with a heavy heart. Although there were many obstacles and subsequently got little to no work done. Our month stay gave us something far more valuable in return.
As always with travel, we’ve returned home with a little more perspective. We’ve had new experiences, met wonderful new friends and acquired a newly found hunger to achieve our goals.
In the months that followed, we have achieved more than ever. In a round about way remote working worked for us. Not whilst away, but upon our return.
This article was first published in the Curate 2018 Annual Digest. An annual report that focuses not on statistics and performance, but rather experience, lessons and perspective.
More at www.curatemag.co
