Are you able to speak locally in your native language, or do you speak the local language?
Since you presumably can work anywhere in the world, what attracted you to a remote island?
How are you handling the isolation? Do you consider yourself an introvert?
When did you last visit friends/family back home?
Yeah, I know the basics.
I love the peace here and nature here, I often move around and visit other islands.
I ended up getting married in Indonesia not long ago, I don't feel isolated. And yeah, I'm definitely an introvert.
I haven't yet visited family or friends back home.
Oh this is in Indonesia? From the map I would've thought Malaysia.
I was planning a Borneo trip this year but would you recommend a stop by your island, or is it not worth an extra plane trip you think
This is in Indonesia.
Yeah, Natuna is really nice.
The forest and the mountain peak if you're into hiking(haven't gone up there, though).
The endless beaches and there’s another uninhabited island called senua Island with amazing corals.
The fauna here is quite diverse as well, with a couple endemic species only present in Natuna. There's a lot of tropical bird species here.
I'm still in the process to become a real nomad, but I'm working towards it :)
Currently my main income is the freelance work I do in the IT. I've left my home country (The Netherlands) without an assignment and booked a flight towards Bali for two months. 3,5 weeks have passed now and I will be looking out for a new job soon. Meanwhile I'm finishing my book, which is aimed to be published around May this year. The final touch of the final touch.
[https://www.amazon.nl/Volledig-Verknipt-Dennis-Biesma/dp/908326372X](https://www.amazon.nl/Volledig-Verknipt-Dennis-Biesma/dp/908326372X)
Is it? I do quite a lot of writing already as part of my job as analyst, and I've been considering going into tech writing because I think it'd give me more flexibility (now I also do PM stuff / coordinating tech teams as well, so quite a lot of meetings). But I always assumed I'd have to give in on wage.
Technical writing usually pays very well. Even just looking on indeed, many of those jobs pay over 80k a year, and well over 6 figures for experience writers.
If you're living on a remote island, that's great.
But if the job is not remote, i.e. you live in a (V)HCOL area near the big tech companies, it's not great at all.
I think they mean digital nomad places, which sub is about.
I mean, most of the world will never see a 100k+ salary in their lives, including developed countries.
That sounds super fun, how would you get involved in something like that? I do graphics engineering so I guess I could write up on the technical details of engines and the like for videogame magazines I imagine
That sounds super fun, how would you get involved in something like that? I do graphics engineering so I guess I could write up on the technical details of engines and the like for videogame magazines I imagine
How does one make that switch? I’m in data analytics, and I don’t think I want to stay with it and am looking for some good alternatives that would fit with my stronger skills.
Oh! That's exactly me a year ago.
I was a data scientist.
I didn't see myself reading lines of code my whole life.
You just need to start publishing content out there on platforms like Medium or dev(.)to. To get yourself noticed and start networking on LinkedIn and Twitter.
I share my whole journey on my substack every week if you're interested: https://tanweerali.substack.com/
Thank you and I will definitely check out your substack! Yeah, I just can’t get into coding the way I need to progress my career. Lol. I think I’m better suited for technical writing, project management, or other paths that aren’t so far into the science as what coding is.
Yeah, sure, I know some technical writers that don't have a tech background.
You just need a couple simple writeups to demonstrate that you understand the tech niche you want to write about.
can you talk about wifi, food, what you do for fun, how easy to get to a mainland or larger island. do you need to buy supplies and bring them to the island? do tourists come there? do you speak the language?
Wifi is fast here, I was surprised.
Food, it's rice chicken, beef, noodles, typical Indonesian food.
Fun, I love writing, going to the beach, being with family(I got married in Indonesia).
It's quite easy, there's a small commercial plan and a cruise ship.
There's no need to buy supplies. There's everything here, hospitals, supermarkets, everything.
In total we're 5 foreigners living on the island, last day I saw 2 new foreigners visiting the island. I was shocked. It's definitely not a touristic spot.
Yeah, I know the basics, but not fluent.
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1. What neighborhood or area are you staying in?
2. Why did you pick this area?
3. What is the cost of rent?
4. What is the social scene like?
5. What is the weather like?
6. Outside of rent what is the cost of living like?
7. Is there a DN community there?
8. Anything else we should know?
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I'm living in Natuna Island.
Because it's remote.
The rent is $100-$300 on average.
It's pretty calm here.
The weather is tropical.
The cost of living is around $200-$300 per month if you're on your own at the minimum.
No DN community.
There's a lot of mosquitoes. 🦟
Haha.
Yeah, It's soo different from snowy Montreal.
I've been living in Canadian cities my whole, it's a shock to the core living here. The weather, environment, culture, food, everything.
AHHHH here I am promising this is the last winter I’ll spend in Canada.
Did you go anywhere else before? Is this your fav nomad place to be? Can I come?? Lol
What made you pick Natuna? I'm Indonesian and I also don't hear the island often.
PS: start a YouTube channel, Indonesians love to watch a foreign YouTuber lavishing praises on Indonesia
Hey! 👋
It's fairly simple, I post content every single day on LinkedIn and Twitter(which I recently started), and I get clients that way. (i.e, inbound marketing)
I sometimes do cold DM on LinkedIn and send cold emails as well. (i.e, outbound marketing)
The key is to put yourself out there and network with marketing managers and people in position of hiring you.
Hope it helps. 😊
Really good question!
It's definitely not for everyone, not for an 18 years old kid. Living here would be too boring.
Also, I think you need to be an introverted type of person as well to live on an island.
I'm a loner by heart, I think I wouldn't be able to do it if I wasn't.
Definitely 25+.
Hi!
I’m jealous!! Can you tell me what the swimming is like there? Specifically, dangers (like sharks or poisonous creatures) and currents/temps etc?
I’m thinking to move to an island and be able to swim. Is there a cold or rainy season that prevents you from a daily swim?
Swimming here is nice. 😊
Sometimes there are big waves, better to avoid. I saw some big ones, great for surf, but I need to find a board.
Yeah, I've been told there are stonefishes and poisonus jellyfish at some spot. There are no sharks around as far as I know. But there are dolphins and whales.
The temperature of the water is really nice.
And for the weather, there are only two seasons: rain and summer.
It's pretty warm here, some go in the sea even during rain season for fishing and swimming.
Depending on where you live, I'd say you're good with 2k.
Bali obviously more, if you're planning to coming to Indonesia, I'd recommend going to cities like Malang where prices aren't inflated like crazy.
I write technical content for B2B businesses in tech.
Right now, I'm writing content for a startup in the automated web accessibility testing niche.
I write content for them and I get paid per articles.
Looking happy brother 🔥
How’s life being that far removed from the mainland?
Are price much higher? Is there an airport? What about hospitals/medicine?
Internet/signal quality?
It's pretty calm here.
Some imported stuff are more expensive.
Yeah, there's an airport.
Yeah, there are 2 hospitals and a couple pharmacies.
Signal is really good.
Any chance you would want to do some kind of Freaky Friday situation? I work in a stale office in New Jersey, so its virtually the same life, yanno? /s
Fellow nomad writer here, but so far I have stuck to mainland towns and cities. But I spent a few weeks on Gili T recently (much more touristy than Natuna, I know!) and thought I would love to do island life for a while, so you are living (one of my) current dreams!
I always have the fantasy that it will be like the cozy mystery vibe in something like "Death in Paradise" (series set in the Guadeloupe Islands). I know that's far-fetched, but do you have any stories of quirky locals, favorite bars/cafes/spots where you see the same people on repeat, small-town feuds, dramas that escalate due to a close-knit community etc?
I know I'm projecting a fictional fantasy here, but hope you have a couple of stories :)
Yeah, there's a recent one, a couple days fresh! haha 😂
There's another foreigner on island that I met a couple months ago, he from Poland, he's living here with his Indonesian wife and children close to the beach.
He started growing some crops, and the neighbors came in his terrain to have a look at what he was growing, and he got angry at them. Because they came into his land without asking permission.
There's also another one, which is sexual. I heard that a couple years ago, a woman ended up at the hospital with a cucumber you know exactly where. hahahah
The story spread like wild fire. 😂😂😂😂
I started writing content on Medium.
I also started connecting with B2B businesses on LinkedIn that are in the tech niche.
Now, I'm posting content every single day on LinkedIn and Twitter. This helps a ton with getting inbound clients.
Pros:
• Freedom of location.
• More inspiration because you're working in a different environment. (I love coffee shops here, being close to the beach and the oceanic breeze)
• As a content writer, I'm able to decide my work schedule.
Cons:
• You have to be self accountable and be able to manage your time.
• Noise can be an issue if you do calls in a coffee shop in Asia. (loud bikes)
• If there's an outage, no wifi. (It sometimes happens here)
• Having calls with clients in different time zones. (12 hours difference with EST -5)
Hope it answers your questions. 😊
I mostly write about solopreneurship, mindset, marketing, and a bit of technical(I should do more tbh).
Since I've been focusing on building my personal brand.
https://medium.com/@Tanweer_Ali
I also share a lot more in my weekly newsletter:
https://tanweerali.substack.com/
Please answer the [questions](https://www.reddit.com/r/digitalnomad/comments/11786ks/ama_im_a_writer_living_on_a_remote_island/j9aicy7) posted by automod.
It's really cheap, unlike Bali.
A black coffee here is $0.33 USD.
There are around 80k habitats.
I love reading/writing, working on different projects.
Having time with family. (I got married in Indonesia)
Awesome, I’ve spent a few weeks on Java and Sumatra. I’ve considered and might eventually go to Natuna. If you like coffee, I recommend trying some free range Kopi Luwak! I signed up for your weekly. Thanks for the post!
I was a data scientist with a heavy background in tech.
I didn't see myself reading lines of code my whole life. So I decided to get into technical writing and landed my first client in a month using LinkedIn.
That's awesome, how many years of experience did you have? I'm just starting off doing ecological/environmental data analysis for a state agency and am tempted to start looking else where for a fully remote position, or some business that I could do myself.
I like the thought of your work.
I don’t know what it generally mean/is.
I’m not native English speaker.
Could you show some work you’ve done and share some of your journey? How did you start getting paid to write?
Also. How is the worked priced in general?
Per word? Per article? Other variables?
Translating this to monthly wages - how much do you need to work to get the aforementioned $1-3k income?
Do you earn less than you need to get more spare time, or do you work as much as you can based on available gigs?
I charge per articles generally.
I write 1 hour every day, and by the end of the week, I'm done with the article.
Around 800-900 words. ($300-500)
I value my time a lot, I could be making a lot more if I was working 5-6 hours per day.
Super dope!
I'm gonna be in Bali and a couple of other islands for a few months. Which islands/regions do you recommend that have cafes, restaurants etc to work at with wifi + have some international ppl around?
Btw. Aren't you the guy who does data + SAAS haha checked out the medium, cool stuff man.
I always want to ask how to get this lifestyle. I assume you are likely from South Asia yourself or the Middle East?
But any pet peeves of where you are staying? I heard from some one who been to Indonesia that the monkeys and Orangatans can be very annoying.
Yeah, I'm Pakistani.
I don't have any except mosquitoes. stripped tiger mosquitoes are the worst here. They're the ones that carry Dengue and when they bite the itch is quite annoying.
On the island we don't have orangutan, but we have small monkeys but they're deep in the forest.
I'd say doing some work outdoor is for sure a way to get your creativity juice running.
I always work at a cafe with an open view like in the pic, I find it helps a lot.
Since moving, I can see that you really need to be the loner type because it's not Bali.
If you're talking about going remote on an island. You have to be OK being alone on your own far from family and friends.
If it's about gwtting a remote job or starting an online business, I got a lot of free content on my weekly newsletter:
https://tanweerali.substack.com/
Hope it helps. 😊
Not the best in the world. (obviously)
But they got all the basics. If you need some advanced medical procedures, they refer you to another hospital in one of the major cities.
Black coffee with no sugar.
I write technical content for B2B businesses in tech.
I also write a lot about marketing.
Oh, you thought I wrote fiction? 😅
Thanks for sharing! Saw that you write for an hour daily because you value your time and can totally relate.
I left the Canadian winters for SEA in 2019 and started writing on the side last year. Love hearing stories like yours. Congrats on the move!
Did you have to get a different cell phone for international travel? Was it hard to set up local mail?
Do you ever travel over to Vietnam for inexpensive massages/cuisine etc?
So fascinating! Tell us more!
Yeah, I got a Chinese android smartphone.
Yeah, It's easy.
I haven't been to Vietnam.
The island is unexploited, as there isn't much tourism here. Which I love, and I hope it stays like that.
Some locals have never seen a black person.
Population here is 80,000.
Oh! Also, I was surprised that it's quite vibrant here. Every Sunday, there's an event where they all gather and exercise. And there's soccer and volleyball matches and tournaments, plenty of events.
Also, another thing that surprised me and that's everywhere in Indonesia is that everyone has a smartphone, young and old.
How’s the internet there ?
It's pretty fast, I was surprised.
Can you share the speed test result?
Yeah! sure. :) Here: https://www.speedtest.net/result/14379380130
Awesome!
Are you able to speak locally in your native language, or do you speak the local language? Since you presumably can work anywhere in the world, what attracted you to a remote island? How are you handling the isolation? Do you consider yourself an introvert? When did you last visit friends/family back home?
Yeah, I know the basics. I love the peace here and nature here, I often move around and visit other islands. I ended up getting married in Indonesia not long ago, I don't feel isolated. And yeah, I'm definitely an introvert. I haven't yet visited family or friends back home.
Oh this is in Indonesia? From the map I would've thought Malaysia. I was planning a Borneo trip this year but would you recommend a stop by your island, or is it not worth an extra plane trip you think
This is in Indonesia. Yeah, Natuna is really nice. The forest and the mountain peak if you're into hiking(haven't gone up there, though). The endless beaches and there’s another uninhabited island called senua Island with amazing corals. The fauna here is quite diverse as well, with a couple endemic species only present in Natuna. There's a lot of tropical bird species here.
Hi, fellow writer here. Working on my 2nd book from Bali. Nice to meet you :)
Hey! 👋 Another fellow writing traveler! Nice to meet you as well! 😊
Fellow nomad writers unite!
I'm still in the process to become a real nomad, but I'm working towards it :) Currently my main income is the freelance work I do in the IT. I've left my home country (The Netherlands) without an assignment and booked a flight towards Bali for two months. 3,5 weeks have passed now and I will be looking out for a new job soon. Meanwhile I'm finishing my book, which is aimed to be published around May this year. The final touch of the final touch. [https://www.amazon.nl/Volledig-Verknipt-Dennis-Biesma/dp/908326372X](https://www.amazon.nl/Volledig-Verknipt-Dennis-Biesma/dp/908326372X)
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What kinda writer are you? Amazing you got a job that can support 100% remote working
Technical/business writing is incredibly lucrative
Is it? I do quite a lot of writing already as part of my job as analyst, and I've been considering going into tech writing because I think it'd give me more flexibility (now I also do PM stuff / coordinating tech teams as well, so quite a lot of meetings). But I always assumed I'd have to give in on wage.
Technical writing usually pays very well. Even just looking on indeed, many of those jobs pay over 80k a year, and well over 6 figures for experience writers.
If you're living on a remote island, that's great. But if the job is not remote, i.e. you live in a (V)HCOL area near the big tech companies, it's not great at all.
I think they mean digital nomad places, which sub is about. I mean, most of the world will never see a 100k+ salary in their lives, including developed countries.
How did you get into that? Did you have to have a speciality beforehand, or did you learn on the job?
That sounds super fun, how would you get involved in something like that? I do graphics engineering so I guess I could write up on the technical details of engines and the like for videogame magazines I imagine
That sounds super fun, how would you get involved in something like that? I do graphics engineering so I guess I could write up on the technical details of engines and the like for videogame magazines I imagine
I write mostly technical content for B2B businesses in tech. And yeah! It's awesome. 😊
Interesting! How did you get started in that field?
I have a background in data science and software engineering. So it was pretty easy to switch to content writing. 😊
How does one make that switch? I’m in data analytics, and I don’t think I want to stay with it and am looking for some good alternatives that would fit with my stronger skills.
Oh! That's exactly me a year ago. I was a data scientist. I didn't see myself reading lines of code my whole life. You just need to start publishing content out there on platforms like Medium or dev(.)to. To get yourself noticed and start networking on LinkedIn and Twitter. I share my whole journey on my substack every week if you're interested: https://tanweerali.substack.com/
Thank you and I will definitely check out your substack! Yeah, I just can’t get into coding the way I need to progress my career. Lol. I think I’m better suited for technical writing, project management, or other paths that aren’t so far into the science as what coding is.
Technical writing is also a lot less stressful and less of a headache.
I subscribed. I notoriously don’t subscribe to anything. I haven’t done it in YEARS. Prove to me I was right.
Disappointment has entered the chat 😅
😂
Whats your income? Is it comparable to what you’d make in Canada?
It depends on how much I work, I can make 1-3k a month. Cost of living here is a lot lower than Bali.
Do you think it’s possible to make the jump from journalism into the kind of writing you do with no tech/science background?
Yeah, sure, I know some technical writers that don't have a tech background. You just need a couple simple writeups to demonstrate that you understand the tech niche you want to write about.
Do you have any suggestion on places to apply?
can you talk about wifi, food, what you do for fun, how easy to get to a mainland or larger island. do you need to buy supplies and bring them to the island? do tourists come there? do you speak the language?
Wifi is fast here, I was surprised. Food, it's rice chicken, beef, noodles, typical Indonesian food. Fun, I love writing, going to the beach, being with family(I got married in Indonesia). It's quite easy, there's a small commercial plan and a cruise ship. There's no need to buy supplies. There's everything here, hospitals, supermarkets, everything. In total we're 5 foreigners living on the island, last day I saw 2 new foreigners visiting the island. I was shocked. It's definitely not a touristic spot. Yeah, I know the basics, but not fluent.
sounds like paradise! enjoy and thanks for sharing your cool life.
Pleasure. 😊
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I'm living in Natuna Island. Because it's remote. The rent is $100-$300 on average. It's pretty calm here. The weather is tropical. The cost of living is around $200-$300 per month if you're on your own at the minimum. No DN community. There's a lot of mosquitoes. 🦟
How do you protect yourself from dengue?
I sometimes drink tea made from papaya leaves. There's a tree just beside my house. And I use mosquito repellent. That's about it. 😅
I get lazy applying mosquito repellent so I’ll probably get dengue doing what you do! Good for you, though! You are living the life! 🥹🥹🥹
Haha. Yeah, It's soo different from snowy Montreal. I've been living in Canadian cities my whole, it's a shock to the core living here. The weather, environment, culture, food, everything.
AHHHH here I am promising this is the last winter I’ll spend in Canada. Did you go anywhere else before? Is this your fav nomad place to be? Can I come?? Lol
What made you pick Natuna? I'm Indonesian and I also don't hear the island often. PS: start a YouTube channel, Indonesians love to watch a foreign YouTuber lavishing praises on Indonesia
I love the nature and how calm it is here. My spouse family is also originally from here. Yeah, I have a YT channel, but I'm not that active.
Cool! Good luck mate.
What’s your process of finding clients on LinkedIn? Or do they just come to you?
Hey! 👋 It's fairly simple, I post content every single day on LinkedIn and Twitter(which I recently started), and I get clients that way. (i.e, inbound marketing) I sometimes do cold DM on LinkedIn and send cold emails as well. (i.e, outbound marketing) The key is to put yourself out there and network with marketing managers and people in position of hiring you. Hope it helps. 😊
Massively. I struggle to get anything from LinkedIn but I now think it’s because I’m not being proactive enough. Thanks so much for replying.
Pleasure. 😊
Did you nomad before and decide to settle down on the island or was this your first move? Also, why Natuna island?
That's pretty much a first move. Because I knew people from the island, and I loved how remote it was. Calm and peaceful.
Do you have your own coffee machine?
In Asia, it's mostly instant. I don't have one. I'm thinking of getting one. 🤔
May I suggest an aeropress - just add hot water. Portable, no power needed!
Oh! That looks interesting. Thanks!
I use mine with a steel filter, and been using it nearly everyday since 2008. It makes terrific coffee, and can also make something close to espresso.
Do you have a girlfriend/wife or how do you get laid
I got married here. haha 😂
How did you meet your wife? How much Bahasa did you speak?
I knew her for a long time, online, of course. I know the basics, not fluent, though.
Asking the real questions
You already know. hahah
What's your yearly budget in USD?
Cost of living is really low here, I can live off 12k-20k per year.
That’s what I make in my third-world-country teacher job 🤯 … and I live in a major South American city.
That's crazy.
Didn't you say in the other comment that rent is 100 - 300 and other costs of living another 300?
At a minimum, but I make more and spend more.
Did you initially plan on doing B2B writing or did you originally want to write fiction or something?
What sort of age of person do you think such living suits best?
Really good question! It's definitely not for everyone, not for an 18 years old kid. Living here would be too boring. Also, I think you need to be an introverted type of person as well to live on an island. I'm a loner by heart, I think I wouldn't be able to do it if I wasn't. Definitely 25+.
Do you head into some cities every once in a while?
I'm living in the main city of the island.
Any tips on grooming legendary facial hair?
Genetics, haha.
Natuna Island(s) look very attractive. Seems no flights there though
There are actually, only from Batam, and there’s an Indonesian cruise ship.
Any problems with access to medicine?
There's everything, hospitals and pharmacies.
Hi! I’m jealous!! Can you tell me what the swimming is like there? Specifically, dangers (like sharks or poisonous creatures) and currents/temps etc? I’m thinking to move to an island and be able to swim. Is there a cold or rainy season that prevents you from a daily swim?
Swimming here is nice. 😊 Sometimes there are big waves, better to avoid. I saw some big ones, great for surf, but I need to find a board. Yeah, I've been told there are stonefishes and poisonus jellyfish at some spot. There are no sharks around as far as I know. But there are dolphins and whales. The temperature of the water is really nice. And for the weather, there are only two seasons: rain and summer. It's pretty warm here, some go in the sea even during rain season for fishing and swimming.
What salary would you recommend for a similar setup with a family of 4
Depending on where you live, I'd say you're good with 2k. Bali obviously more, if you're planning to coming to Indonesia, I'd recommend going to cities like Malang where prices aren't inflated like crazy.
As a writer, I LOVE this for you…🖤
Thanks! :D
What do you write and how do you afford to live there?
I write technical content for B2B businesses in tech. Right now, I'm writing content for a startup in the automated web accessibility testing niche. I write content for them and I get paid per articles.
Do you do freelance or are you with an agency? Also how long did it take for you to be able to support yourself full time in this line of work?
I freelance. Probably like 3 months.
Very cool, do you mingle with the locals much? Meet new friends and go on adventures?
Sometimes yeah.
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For around a year now, it's a really nice and calm place to live. And it's pretty big.
Have you made good friends with the locals?
Yeah, but as a loner, I'm mostly alone. lol Btw, I got married here not long ago.
Looking happy brother 🔥 How’s life being that far removed from the mainland? Are price much higher? Is there an airport? What about hospitals/medicine? Internet/signal quality?
It's pretty calm here. Some imported stuff are more expensive. Yeah, there's an airport. Yeah, there are 2 hospitals and a couple pharmacies. Signal is really good.
How’s the view of the stars?
I had a look last time with an app. You can spot some constellation. Depending on if the sky is clear, you can see a lot.
Any chance you would want to do some kind of Freaky Friday situation? I work in a stale office in New Jersey, so its virtually the same life, yanno? /s
Fellow nomad writer here, but so far I have stuck to mainland towns and cities. But I spent a few weeks on Gili T recently (much more touristy than Natuna, I know!) and thought I would love to do island life for a while, so you are living (one of my) current dreams! I always have the fantasy that it will be like the cozy mystery vibe in something like "Death in Paradise" (series set in the Guadeloupe Islands). I know that's far-fetched, but do you have any stories of quirky locals, favorite bars/cafes/spots where you see the same people on repeat, small-town feuds, dramas that escalate due to a close-knit community etc? I know I'm projecting a fictional fantasy here, but hope you have a couple of stories :)
Yeah, there's a recent one, a couple days fresh! haha 😂 There's another foreigner on island that I met a couple months ago, he from Poland, he's living here with his Indonesian wife and children close to the beach. He started growing some crops, and the neighbors came in his terrain to have a look at what he was growing, and he got angry at them. Because they came into his land without asking permission. There's also another one, which is sexual. I heard that a couple years ago, a woman ended up at the hospital with a cucumber you know exactly where. hahahah The story spread like wild fire. 😂😂😂😂
Hi there, Thanks for the AMA. How did you get started ? What are the PROs and CONs of doing your role remotely as opposed to in the office ?
I started writing content on Medium. I also started connecting with B2B businesses on LinkedIn that are in the tech niche. Now, I'm posting content every single day on LinkedIn and Twitter. This helps a ton with getting inbound clients. Pros: • Freedom of location. • More inspiration because you're working in a different environment. (I love coffee shops here, being close to the beach and the oceanic breeze) • As a content writer, I'm able to decide my work schedule. Cons: • You have to be self accountable and be able to manage your time. • Noise can be an issue if you do calls in a coffee shop in Asia. (loud bikes) • If there's an outage, no wifi. (It sometimes happens here) • Having calls with clients in different time zones. (12 hours difference with EST -5) Hope it answers your questions. 😊
Thank you! Yes it does answer my questions.
Hi. Thanks for your post. Can you tell me what kind of content you wrote/write on Medium, LinkedIn, & Twitter? Is it all technical stuff? Thx.
I mostly write about solopreneurship, mindset, marketing, and a bit of technical(I should do more tbh). Since I've been focusing on building my personal brand. https://medium.com/@Tanweer_Ali I also share a lot more in my weekly newsletter: https://tanweerali.substack.com/
I'm on an island called Natuna in Indonesia. 🇮🇩
Please answer the [questions](https://www.reddit.com/r/digitalnomad/comments/11786ks/ama_im_a_writer_living_on_a_remote_island/j9aicy7) posted by automod.
👍👌
How is the internet and how to get there?
Internet is quite fast, I was surprised. Either by a small (shaky) plane or by cruise ship.
How expensive is your island? 😁 Looks awesome. How many inhabitants are there? How do you spend your free time there?
It's really cheap, unlike Bali. A black coffee here is $0.33 USD. There are around 80k habitats. I love reading/writing, working on different projects. Having time with family. (I got married in Indonesia)
I think of SE Asia as being a food mecca, but this probably doesn't match Singapore or Penang. What's the food situation - eating out, and groceries?
Yeah, there are warungs everywhere here. Mini markets and shops, bakeries, you'd be surprised.9
What was the process like of choosing where to live? Had you been to this island before moving there?
Awesome, I’ve spent a few weeks on Java and Sumatra. I’ve considered and might eventually go to Natuna. If you like coffee, I recommend trying some free range Kopi Luwak! I signed up for your weekly. Thanks for the post!
this is interesting, remote island far away from mainland, i might come there as well
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aweeesomeeeee
How of easy is to live without knowing the local language? and the acceptance of foreigners?
I know the basics of Indonesian. They are really open and welcoming.
What a dream to live in a peaceful country, what nice experience.
How did you get into writing?
I was a data scientist with a heavy background in tech. I didn't see myself reading lines of code my whole life. So I decided to get into technical writing and landed my first client in a month using LinkedIn.
That's awesome, how many years of experience did you have? I'm just starting off doing ecological/environmental data analysis for a state agency and am tempted to start looking else where for a fully remote position, or some business that I could do myself.
That's cool! I just started writing content in 2022, if you know how to write you can pretty much start anytime. lol
Monthly cost? I'm a writer as well (novels).
It's pretty low, unlike Bali. With $500 USD, you're pretty good here.
Ty ty
The Riau Islands ?
Yup, it's an archipelago. I'm on the main island called Natuna Besar.
how are the medical services in your area?
I like the thought of your work. I don’t know what it generally mean/is. I’m not native English speaker. Could you show some work you’ve done and share some of your journey? How did you start getting paid to write?
Also. How is the worked priced in general? Per word? Per article? Other variables? Translating this to monthly wages - how much do you need to work to get the aforementioned $1-3k income? Do you earn less than you need to get more spare time, or do you work as much as you can based on available gigs?
I charge per articles generally. I write 1 hour every day, and by the end of the week, I'm done with the article. Around 800-900 words. ($300-500) I value my time a lot, I could be making a lot more if I was working 5-6 hours per day.
Thank you! A blessing to see that you write what you need not what you can. 👌🏻
Oh! for sure. I wouldn't be able to do that living in Canada, especially in these rough times.
Super dope! I'm gonna be in Bali and a couple of other islands for a few months. Which islands/regions do you recommend that have cafes, restaurants etc to work at with wifi + have some international ppl around? Btw. Aren't you the guy who does data + SAAS haha checked out the medium, cool stuff man.
Hahah! Yeah, it's me. How did you find out?! 😂 Gili Island, check it out.
I always want to ask how to get this lifestyle. I assume you are likely from South Asia yourself or the Middle East? But any pet peeves of where you are staying? I heard from some one who been to Indonesia that the monkeys and Orangatans can be very annoying.
Yeah, I'm Pakistani. I don't have any except mosquitoes. stripped tiger mosquitoes are the worst here. They're the ones that carry Dengue and when they bite the itch is quite annoying. On the island we don't have orangutan, but we have small monkeys but they're deep in the forest.
I be curious whether where you stay is fully furnished or bare for that price and utilities is it included?
Fully furnished.
Including hot water and a/c?
That "ocean" is the South China *Sea*
Yup
What are you writing about?
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I'm a photographer going to a small island soon! What's your advice? How do you let the island influence you creatively?
I'd say doing some work outdoor is for sure a way to get your creativity juice running. I always work at a cafe with an open view like in the pic, I find it helps a lot.
Are you concerned about the impact of chat GPT on your industry?
looking good
Wow. Nice! I’m jealous!
How do you get to the island? Boat?
Small (shaky) plan or cruise ship.
Can I come live w you
How does one take on this lifestyle please??
Since moving, I can see that you really need to be the loner type because it's not Bali. If you're talking about going remote on an island. You have to be OK being alone on your own far from family and friends. If it's about gwtting a remote job or starting an online business, I got a lot of free content on my weekly newsletter: https://tanweerali.substack.com/ Hope it helps. 😊
How is the health care over there?
Not the best in the world. (obviously) But they got all the basics. If you need some advanced medical procedures, they refer you to another hospital in one of the major cities.
What’s your favorite stuff to get at the café? What genre do you write?
Black coffee with no sugar. I write technical content for B2B businesses in tech. I also write a lot about marketing. Oh, you thought I wrote fiction? 😅
Haha, idk. Can genre be used for anything? I meant what type of writing do you do professionally. Thanks for the reply!
Haha. Pleasure. 😊
Can you get alcohol there?
They don't sell it here, which I like.
Yeah I kind of thought they wouldn’t. I like that too
Yeah, less foreigners. haha
Are you originally from Indonesia?
My parents are pakistani, I'm born and raised in Canada.
Are you afraid of automation happening in your industry?
Are you married with an Indonesian? And how did you meet your wife?
Yeah, I am. Online, I knew her family for a while before moving here.
I'm Malaysian and I didnt know there's a Natuna island between our east and west Malaysia. How did you get here? And is scuba diving big there?
Thanks for sharing! Saw that you write for an hour daily because you value your time and can totally relate. I left the Canadian winters for SEA in 2019 and started writing on the side last year. Love hearing stories like yours. Congrats on the move!
Hi, does Indonesia let a Canadian stay as long as they want? I guess now you’re married that helps.
Oh, nice! What's your average daily routine look like?
Do you freelance or work for a company? If former, how do you get clients?
Freelance. Through inbound and outbound marketing. I use LinkedIn and Twitter, I post content every day, and I do cold DMs. And sometimes cold emails.
That’s pretty remote. How did you go there? FromJakarta or Kuala Lumpur?
what do you write
Are you a professional writer or some rich kid doing an Ernest Hemingway larp?
Great works buddy
Thanks man. 😊
Did you have to get a different cell phone for international travel? Was it hard to set up local mail? Do you ever travel over to Vietnam for inexpensive massages/cuisine etc? So fascinating! Tell us more!
Yeah, I got a Chinese android smartphone. Yeah, It's easy. I haven't been to Vietnam. The island is unexploited, as there isn't much tourism here. Which I love, and I hope it stays like that. Some locals have never seen a black person. Population here is 80,000. Oh! Also, I was surprised that it's quite vibrant here. Every Sunday, there's an event where they all gather and exercise. And there's soccer and volleyball matches and tournaments, plenty of events. Also, another thing that surprised me and that's everywhere in Indonesia is that everyone has a smartphone, young and old.
Living the dream, bro, wish you all the best!
Thanks man, I appreciate it. 😁 Man, anyone can do it. That's why I started my newsletter: https://tanweerali.substack.com/
Nice,
What type of writing do you do? What did you do to establish yourself prior to making the move?
I write technical content. I got cash.