Tech Experts Say ‘Silicon Bali’ Will Remain Digital Nomad Haven In 2024  

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For more than a decade, Bali has been the destination of choice for digital nomads.

Whether working as graphic designers, web builders, data analysts, or travel influencers, Bali is the original digital nomad haven. But in 2024 and beyond, the island could become Asia’s next tech startup hub. 

Bali has long been a travel destination for dreamers and seekers, though typically of the spiritual kind.

Yet, in the last decade, the island has attracted an increasing amount of entrepreneurs and tech startups.

Attracted by the lifestyle the island has to offer, affordable cost of living, and community of like-minded business thinkers, tech entrepreneurs have made Bali a home. 

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Unlike digital nomads who can stay temporarily in Indonesia on a tourist visa or socio-cultural visa, tech entrepreneurs must set up formal businesses in the country.

A process that can be tricky but that the government is working to make increasingly more accessible.

The launch of the Golden Visa makes it easier than ever for high-worth individuals and businesses to set up a base in Bali. Though, for startups hustling on a shoestring, this is a little more difficult. 

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As more startups and tech entrepreneurs use Bali as a launchpad, more digital nomads are interested in making a move to the island.

As some OG Bali digital nomads are starting to look elsewhere to call home as areas like Canggu and Uluwatu become increasingly tourist-orientated, a whole new generation of digital nomads and remote workers are coming to the island for the first time in search of new connections and opportunities created by the tech enterers. 

Speaking to Eco-Business Magazine, Nicolo Castiglione from Bali Investment Club told reports, “Bali is the best place in the world to work from. It’s in such a strategic location and is a place that genuinely empowers entrepreneurship.”

@propertia.bali POV: DIGITAL NOMAD WORKING FROM BALI BEACH 🌴🌞 #pov #digitalnomad #baliliving #balibeach #bali #worklifebalance ♬ original sound – Propertia Bali

However, Castiglione also feels that entrepreneurs shouldn’t put all their eggs in one basket. With so many opportunities cropping up in Jakarta and Singapore, and in relation to Indonesia’s new capital city that is under construction in East Kalimantan, he feels a wide aperture is beneficial.

He added, “It’s best to spend one week a month in Jakarta for meetings. There’s so much happening in the capital, the opportunities are almost endless.”

What is clear is that business entrepreneurs in Bali know the importance of playing by the rules. As the government becomes increasingly hot on digital nomads and long-stay tourists working and conducting business activities against their visa conditions, everything must be above board to guarantee success. 

One tech enterer told Eco-Business, “Make sure you have the right visa. Otherwise, you’ll be on a plane out of here faster than you can say ‘bye-bye paradise.”

He added, “But as long as you respect the culture and comply with the regulations, you’ll be left alone.”

In 2024, there are heaps of opportunities for digital nomads to thrive in Bali. Co-working spaces are busier than ever, with remote workers and entrepreneurs from around the world and all sectors sitting down to hustle hard before enjoying the Bali lifestyle once the working day is over. 

Top co-working spaces where digital nomads can get down to business and meet like-minded folks include Outpost, which has sites in Canggu and Ubud, as well as Tribal, also in Canggu.

Many co-working spaces also offer co-living spaces that many digital nomads find to be a great way to really elevate their experience of the island by living in close proximity to fellow business-hungry travelers. 

Without a doubt, Canggu is the epicenter of the digital nomad world in Bali, with Ubud remaining the home for creatives and Uluwatu a solid choice for those looking for the perfect work-life balance.