Work from Goa – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
This article is for anyone living in Goa, considering moving to Goa or for anyone who is passing by on a working holiday.
You’re in Goa and it’s beautiful; but you still have to work (yes, people work in Goa)!
You can either give in to the beautiful surroundings and let them distract you from being productive, or you can look at the blue skies and swaying palms and stunning beach views as creative inspirations to work better.
There are many things to consider when working in Goa, and we’re going to try and address a few of them below.
The Good
Well, the good thing is that you have so mannnnnnnny options. Working from Goa can allow for a work-life balance because you don’t lose half your day to traffic jams and a long commute. Instead, you can put that time and energy into a morning run or a sunset swim, cook homemade meals and have time to catchup with friends and loved ones!
Here’s a few of our favourite things about working from Goa –
- The view
This has got to be the #1 reason why working from Goa is agreeable and enticing enough to abandon the comforts of city-living and take the plunge. Whether it’s a window facing out at lush greenery that is common to Goa, or a table at a beach shack staring out at the ocean, it’s a really good deal.
- Work Spaces
There are many co-living and co-working options if you need a change of scene to get those brain cells churning. Alternatively, there are quite a few cafes that would appreciate your patronage while you get a place to work with WIFI and a generator in case there’s a power cut.
For starters you can check out Nomadgao who have several locations, Clay in Anjuna, Café Rasa and 91Springboard in Panjim and Barefoot in Parra.
If you’re disciplined enough to work from home, there are quite a few serviced apartments or villas/rooms you can find on Airbnb.
- Networking and connections
Once of the nicest things about Goa is that it is teeming with people from all walks of life. If you have a passion or a hobby, you can find spaces and people who share your interests. There are Facebook groups, WhatsApp groups and Instagram accounts dedicated to connecting people in Goa! You can join the Offbeat Goa Facebook groups to find answers to your queries, find homes, jobs and lots more.
- Work-life balance
Whether it’s a quick dip in the sea, a trek onto a scenic view or into a wildlife sanctuary, fitness classes, live gigs and great food – Goa has it all and then some to offer you. If you can fight an afternoon siesta (they’re addictive), you can wrap up work early and step out even on a weekday!
Check out Offbeat Goa, Get Creative Goa, Soul Travelling and Khoj-aao for some out of the box ideas and updates on things to do in Goa.
The Bad
To appreciate the good, you need to have experienced a bit of the bad. And like everything else in life, Goa has a few glitches.
- Wi-Fi
You’ve probably heard some horror stories or experienced them yourself. The Wi-Fi in Goa can definitely be unpredictable. Depending on where you are located you could experience slow bandwidth, unscheduled breaks and more. If your job requires that you have internet connection 24/7 then you might want to live closer to Panjim in the North or Margao in the South.
There is some improvement with newer network providers but the service differs depending on where you are located. It would be advisable to check with neighbours or check online ratings before you invest in a network provider.
Here’s a few internet providers you could investigate – EthernetXpress, GWave, DNA, BSNL. You could also check out Jio Fiber or try keeping a Jio dongle as backup.
- Power cuts
Similar to the issue with Wi-Fi, Goa does experience a lot of unscheduled power cuts that can last for minutes or hours (or days in worst-case scenarios). You might want to check if your premises have a generator or you could alternatively work out of a co-working space.
However, the length and frequency of power cuts is different for different areas so do a little bit of research before you pick a place.
The Ugly
You know how a pro can also be a con?
Well, the great view can be as distracting as it is inspiring. The numerous things to do and the beautiful landscape can be a deterrent to working and last but not the least, the unreliability of Wi-Fi and electricity can hamper productivity.
If you’ve reached the end of the article, we hope that the pros have fat outweighed the cons. Here’s wishing you a productive and fulfilling work-life balance as you navigate Goa and all it has to offer.