Hacker Paradise
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Nadia Dardón
Freelance writer
Last update
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What is Hacker Paradise?
Hacker Paradise is a traveling community of developers, designers, and creative professionals founded back in 2014 by Casey Rosengren and Alexey Komissarouk to offer digital nomads and remote workers with an ideal environment to work alongside like-minded people while working.
Ever since the first Hacker Paradise in Costa Rica, the company has continued to grow in popularity as interest in the digital nomad lifestyle expands and technology opens new doors to telecommute from anywhere in the world.
The programs organized by Hacker Paradise are intended to allow you to build your career as you travel by taking care of the most complex logistical challenges that come when taking your job or project on the road.
From getting you coworking and coliving space to organizing events as you travel the world, Hacker Paradise has your back.
Hacker Paradise pays special attention to collaboration by organizing local networking events, entrepreneur panels, workshops, talks, collaboration activities, and many other options for you to make the best out of your trip while also having fun.
9 pillars guide Hacker Paradise and will have an impact on your trip with them if you participate.
These 9 pillars are:
Inclusivity & diversity, community & belonging, growth, commitment, adventure, authenticity, progressive thinking, creativity, and pioneering. If these sound like values you live by or would like to adopt, Hacker Paradise might be right for you.
Our Community Drives it all
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How Does Hacker Paradise Work?
Hacker Paradise believes that working remotely should be easy and painless. As so, how it works is pretty simple and straightforward: Pick your destination and dates, have a chat via video call with Hacker Paradise’s team, pay for your trip, and get ready to travel!
While the name of the program might suggest to some people that it is designed for computer hackers, the program is open for anyone who can work remotely and is eager to explore the world at the same time. Sure, engineers, graphic designers, data scientists, and other tech-related fields are more open to working remotely but the program doesn’t restrict any professional activity.
If you have been thinking about becoming a digital nomad but haven’t discussed it with your employer, the Hacker Paradise team will be able to help you prepare your pitch and support you during the process.
The company offers different programs with different durations and perks, with each of them decreasing in value per day as duration increases. You can choose between 2 weeks, 1 month, or 3-12 month stays.
An important distinction to keep in mind is that Hacker Paradise differs from other digital nomad programs in the way programs are created, as every program has a specific destination in mind. While you certainly can travel to other cities during your trip, this is not included in the program.
Once you have decided if you want to travel to Colombia, the Czech Republic, Rwanda, Japan, or any of the other destinations, you will have to decide on one of the dates available for that destination.
There are optional start dates every two weeks, so you will have plenty of options on when to start your own adventure.
Hacker Paradise pays special attention to who participates in the trips as their idea is to create a community of like-minded people.
To achieve this, it is important for them and you to make sure both are a good match for each other, which is why you will then have a quick and casual chat with their team to get to know more about each other and answer any questions you might have.
As with most digital nomad programs, you will need to pay upfront for your first month to secure your spot on the trip and allow Paradise Hacker’s team to start making preparations for you. The price will vary depending on the destination and accommodation, but we will discuss pricing later on.
Once you have paid, your spot is secured, and it is time to get packing and getting ready for your trip. When the trip starts, it is a matter of getting to know your fellow travelers, participate in the events the team organizes, enjoy your destination, and work hard.
During your trip, you will be able to join any of the other programs organized by Hacker Paradise by spying the first month 1 month in advance, allowing you to plan your next destination before the program ends.
Hacker Paradise groups usually have around 20-30 members, which means you are sure to have people to connect with based on your interests and have different dynamics. You will also find that collaboration on side projects during the trips are not uncommon as they are in fact incentivized.
If you are looking for a digital nomad program that pays special attention to professional development and collaboration during the trips, Hacker Paradise might be the right program for you!
How Long is Hacker Paradise?
While Hacker Paradise offers multiple programs for specific periods, it is not uncommon for people to create their own “packages” depending on the destinations they want to visit. This allows for added flexibility when creating your itinerary, as you might want to stay 1 month in Kyoto but 3 months in Berlin.
The duration of the program will depend on the destination and its iteration. It can be a 2-week, 1-month, or 3 to 12-month program.
Another advantage of this variety is that if you want to travel to a neighboring country you meant to visit but don’t have a program for, you can take breaks between Hacker Paradise destinations to visit them.
An important thing to keep in mind is that the longer you stay in a destination, the cheaper the monthly rate gets.
How Much Does Hacker Paradise Cost?
Providing the level of assistance that Hacker Paradise provides certainly can’t be done for free and as such, the company charges for its services. What sets Hacker Paradise from some other programs is that you only need to worry about monthly fees.
While you will have to pay upfront to secure your spot, the price of that payment will be only for the first month of your program. It is not uncommon for down payments to be more expensive than the monthly fees but with Hacker Paradise, this down payment should be lower.
Once the down payment is paid for, the Hacker Paradise team will start doing all the preparations for your trip and you will be required to pay the rest of the program’s cost one month before the start.
If you are participating in more than one trip, you will be charged one month before the start of each trip.
Let’s talk numbers now to get an idea of what the cost of the program might be for you:
2 Weeks trips Get your toes wet on the Hacker Paradise experience starting at $1550.
1-month trips Get to know the city like a local by living and working for a longer period starting at $2190.
3-12 months trip If you want to stay for even longer while paying less and having more time/money to know the city and its surroundings. These trips start at $1860 per month.
You should also keep in mind that you will be able to save money on your trips if you decide to share a room with another traveler or pay only $1200 if you decide to find your own housing, but those options are up to you.
Something you should keep in mind is that the team will start making preparations for you as soon as you make the first payment, so you should not expect a full refund if you cancel your trip for some reason.
You might also want to consult with your personal tax accountant if you can get tax deductions by claiming a Hacker Paradise trip as business expenses, as many digital nomads have been able to do so.
These fees will cover a lot of your expenses during the program, which we will discuss in the next section but you will still need to have extra money for other expenses.
You will need to make estimations based on your specific lifestyle and expectations:
Are you planning to go shopping?
Partying every weekend?
Will you be looking for extra activities like side trips?
Are you planning on cooking or eating out every day?
These are questions only you can answer.
Our Community Drives it all
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Where do You Travel To?
The destinations you will visit will vary depending on the program you choose but most trips will be limited to a single city. Your trip might include neighboring destinations depending on the itinerary, but it will depend on your choice.
Hacker Paradise has 2 locations available at all times throughout the year, so you will always have options to choose from if you can’t wait to start your adventure.
As the destination varies depending on the time of year, with new locations being added or removed each year, it is not possible to make a list of all the destinations you can choose from.
However, you can expect an extensive list of destinations with a good fit for every type of person.
The current list of destinations includes Indonesia, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, Kenya, Argentina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Rwanda, Germany, Colombia, Italy, Japan, and Brazil. The choice is yours!
It is not uncommon for participants to organize side trips during the weekends, so you may be visiting more destinations if you decide to join them!
What is Included?
Paying for the Hacker Paradise program will provide you with a lot of benefits that range from assistance on pitching remote working to your employers to access to their global community once your trip is over.
The program includes:
Private room in a co-living space that you will share with your fellow travelers. These accommodations are located close to places of interest, stores, gyms, etc. It also includes housekeeping and good quality wifi.
Coworking space with flexible hours, active community, and speedy wifi.
SIM card with data on arrival so you are always connected.
Professional development resources to improve your professional development.
Hands-on workshops to collaborate with your fellow travelers.
Access to 2 onsite facilitators to help you during your stay, providing you insider knowledge, organization, troubleshooting, or anything you need.
Weekly lunches and potlucks to interact with other members of your trip and enjoy some great times.
Networking events with locals as well as industry talks.
Excursions, health & fitness events, cultural experiences, and one big weekend activity.
Goal settings & reciprocity ring to help you achieve your goals during the trip.
Access to the global community during and after the trip, as well as all the benefits it includes such as exclusive deals, meetups, job boards, etc.
If you want to do even more than all of the events that Hacker Paradise offers in the package, you will still be able to do it and you are likely to find that other travelers will join you.
Just ask your facilitators for what you are looking for and you are sure to receive the best information that local insiders can provide.
Now that you know what Paradise Hacker is and what to expect from it, it’s up to you to decide if it is the right program for you.
Choose wisely and have a nice trip!
Author
Nadia Dardón is a freelance writer from Guatemala. In early 2022 she embarked as a digital nomad, traveling through Europe, focusing mostly on the literary history of each country. She has worked fully remotely for the past four years as a reader, writer, and content creator with experience creating pieces for different industries. She also has a personal blog where she writes about her cultural and literary travels.
