Two weeks in Feb - sunshine, swimming and remote working - where would you go? Not too pricey...

[loveyouradvice]

Just that really ... I can have the luxury of self-funding two weeks away in Feb. I'll be working 6-7 hours a day, and outside that I'd love to swim twice a day, eat healthy food and relax... so almost like a cross between treating it like a spa and a work holiday.

Where would you go? Or where have you been?

I've realised Im looking for:

• enough warmth for swimming and sunbathing so not Egypt/Canaries
• good wifi for work
• a decent pool for swimming twice a day
• relaxed as a solo woman
• decent healthy food so I eat well and lose weight without really thinking about it
• fairly quiet
• interesting enough for wandering around - whether walking by the sea or exploring night markets... Im fairly easily pleased

And yes, not too expensive....

Egypt in February is ideal though - hurghada/sharm is around 22/25 degrees, no?

Long ago in a different life I visited Antigua and it was beautiful, with some interesting things to see as well. I loved that the beaches were all public. I haven’t travelled alone to the Caribbean though. A well-travelled friend of mine said that Trinidad & Tobago was/were her favourite Caribbean islands.

Sri Lanka

Thailand! Perfect weather in Feb, great for a lone female, great food, people and scenery, cheap massages…

I regularly go away Feb half term.

Egypt - sea will be warm enough to swim in but sunbathing will be pushing it except in the very middle of the day.

i have been to Marrakesh and hotels with heated pools are good but sunbathing is only if the sun comes out otherwise it’s blankets (runs between 15 and 20). Much warmer than the uk though and I got a room that had a private hot tub which was honestly amazing.

We go to Lanzarote most Februarys and it’s definitely warm enough to swim in the sea and sunbathe at least 80% of the time I’d say. We’ve had the odd blustery day or spot of rain but that’s been minimal compared with the sunny, warm beach days. But I only go to the Canaries because I have small kids and it’s easy with short flights.

If money was no real object and I was by myself I’d go on a two week retreat to Sri Lanka or Bali. Maybe Mexico around Tulum or Thailand. Or to St Lucia.

Florida Keys ?

I dont know re other countries but usa esta said you cant work there even online

Thailand was my first thought too - it feels like a healthy lifestyle and a friendly place.

(I’m so envious of you OP!)

Malta ? Plenty to see and visit

How would they know?

Coral Cotillo Beach hotel, El Cotillo, Fuerteventura (Jet 2 / TUI), I just returned as a single traveller, very safe, lovely setting, heated pool, B&B and eat out.
Rooms compact (no desk for working). Rock pools and glorious little beaches and coves.

TUI Magic Life, Jandia, Fuerteventura - 4 pools, 1 heated, great buffet food selection in main restaurant, fabulous beach walks.
Attractive, quiet, adult outdoor sauna/naturist zone…
Very few single options though…there’s a queue of us all waiting to grab them when they occasionally appear.

Personally, I wouldn’t go as far as Antigua if needing to work 6 hours per day - if flying that far I would save that for when it was an actual holiday…

I find Fuerte plenty warm enough for sea and pool swimming, esp from mid-Feb onwards.

Defiitely looking for warmer than Canaries or Egypt... high 20s rather than low 20s...

Any thoughts about Gambia? Or anywhere else? Preferably not too far, and not too much jet lag

Thailand is gorgeous but feels a bit far for a couple of weeks... trying to keep costs down! And jet lag minimal given working... Definltey keen to go to Thailand another time, but going to try for a 4 week work trip to justify the flights (both cost and environmentally) and jet lag...

Yes @BinseyPoplars - its something I've dreamt of doing for a long time, now DC at uni it is possible!! First time and looking forward to it...

Oman?

Qatar ? Doha

I'm going to be a total bore, but have your work approved it?

Working abroad has tax implications.

When you decide on your country check your company is ok with it (mine has a list of countries where we can't even open a work email in, never mind link to the network).

Also, some countries have their own digital nomad restrictions.

Oman is beautiful, Fujairah or Ras al Khamiah in the UAE would also be options though Ramadan starts mid Feb so maybe avoid Muslim majority countries. Kenya or the Seychelles would be nice or Kerala or Goa. Someone has already suggested Sri Lanka which is a good iption, great food, ayiuverdic treatments, lovely people.

Was coming on to say this.

Many employers have restrictions on taking work equipment abroad, connecting to unknown networks etc.

Unless you're self employed or have permission from your employer to do this, it might not be as easy as you'd hope.

In accommodation WIFI isn't always reliable/sufficient speed either.

It was 25 degrees here today. (Tenerife)

My company allows 4 weeks of international remote working a year.

OP do you need to consider time difference at all, for being in touch with colleagues & work calls etc?

Hmm based on what you have said in this thread: I’d go to Carribean- Dominican Republic cheapest. the Caribbean or Florida Mexico or Cape Town would be warm (warmer than canaries)

You will have jet lag if not going pretty much directly south (canary’s, Egypt, Africa)

cape town 12 hour flight but no jet lag. Not cheap. Warm. But cold sea. Beautiful

Carribean/Florida/mexico warm good for swimming in sea. Jet lag, but it’s not awful awful. I really liked Tulum (pricey)

Thailand is fab in Feb!

South Africa? Kenya? No time difference issues…

This. My work is very strict about this and unless I am on a business trip I have to work UK office hours, so no logging on when everyone else is on the way home.

Also, I need very secure and stable wifi, most hotel ones and simple AirBnB do not support my network.

I’ve been to the Gambia, about twenty ish years ago so info out of date but our experience was you couldn’t really leave the hotel. The hassle/crowding was another level. Think eating in an outdoor restaurant and men standing 4 deep at the perimeter wall watching you. At the hotel steps were fifty men ready to drive you/guide you so it was a complete scrum when you stepped foot outside. We eventually “picked” a driver and guide and that gave you some protection as you’d sort of been claimed. Didn’t feel unsafe but it wasn’t relaxing. Even in the hotel we were constantly being befriended by the staff in a way in that they were trying to make a special relationship with you, get you to visit them at home, bringing their kids to the fence so you could say hello etc.
Weirdly the President of the Gambia did visit our hotel and shook our hands whilst we were lying on a sun bed.