Hacker Paradise

Truly, unequivocally, one of the finest experiences of my life. During the two months I spent in Lima with Hacker Paradise I felt like I lived more than the previous two years. The people at HP are inspiring; they're brilliant, motivated professionals who work hard and play hard and showed me that you can excel in your career without clocking in to an office 9-5 five days a week. The HP team takes care of the important details (lodging, orientation, coworking space, WTF the wifi is down), and the rest of the journey is whatever crazy adventures you and your new best friends decide to go discover. Stop sitting at home wishing you could be the kind of person who sees the world and apply to HP already.

I always had the dream of traveling and working, I had a suitable job (designer/web developer) and the money required for at least a few months experiment. But between idea and realisation there's this gap. Hacker Paradise closed that gap for me.

By taking away the burden of logistics, by providing a stable work environment for productivity, by filling the free time with leisure activities, weekend trips and community events I soon realised that the only thing that was stopping me from fulfilling my dream was myself.

One month in Chiang Mai with Hacker Paradise was enough shape my vision of digital nomadism and gave me a solid base on what it takes to be a good remote worker. Credits for the inspiring HP community and our trip leaders Spencer and Dale!

PS: I'm writing this (late) review from my new favourite spot, Bali, after a crazy month in Vietnam. So yeah, if you're in doubt it will probably change your life too.

Hacker Paradise surpassed my expectations for my first workcation in every way. This program is ideal for people who are striving to pursue success in their career, but also have a passion for traveling.

Quickly after meeting the participants, I joked that I had found “my people”.
My people = ambitious, independent, outgoing, adventurous individuals who love to travel and experience new cultures

The facilitators are wonderful individuals who do a fantastic job at coordinating and executing both educational and social events. The first day I met Dale and Spencer I immediately felt included in the HP community and they have a unique ability to connect with everyone.

The second I returned home I was ready to join HP again and will be going to Italy for my second trip in a few weeks.

Warning: Hacker Paradise is highly addictive!

I can't say enough great things about Hacker Paradise. I just finished three months with them, and nearly immediately signed up for two more trips. HP has breadth and depth in both the social/community and professional/networking realms. Every person I met was interesting, thoughtful, worldly, experienced, and kind. The "work hard play hard" mentality is a strong part of the culture. Long days at the stunning coworking locations are followed by evening adventures in various global hotspots-- and after all of that, coming back to our private rooms in comfortable housing caps off a perfect, full day. There is no wonder nearly every participant I've met either has or plans to return to the program. Lifelong friendships are created, professional connections made, and personal growth expanded. If you are curious about a digital nomad lifestyle, or simply want to experience a new city with a community already at your fingertips, there is not a better choice than Hacker Paradise.

I've been to Hacker Paradise 8 times because I love it so much. It's always a great group of people, and I get to explore a city I wouldn't normally go to. The organizers are great, and super helpful. One of them even taught Korean classes while we were in Jeju, which was incredible. I love it and will be back again soon!

If you're looking for a 'digital nomad' program definitely choose HP. I did tons of research and talked to participants of other work/travel programs and in the end, decided to join Hacker Paradise. I, without a doubt made the right decision. The program exceeded my expectations and really made me feel like I was apart of a community. HP is also super flexible which allows you to get what you want out of it. Some people are looking for professional development and networking, some are looking to travel for a short period of time and some want to start a new job/business/path. The flexibility in structure attract people from very diverse backgrounds. Most of all, the facilitators are amazing!!! I can't stay enough about how awesome they were--they truly made my experience worthwhile. I can't wait to join the group again.

HP was the experience that I was always looking for start traveling and working around the world. It was incredible being surrounded by amazing people, share unforgettable experiences with them, learning fun things like surf or tango, things that I didn't realize that I'd enjoy them being just for my own and at the same time, feeling that any day was different with these people, there was always something fun to do and there was always someone to work with. It was life changing for me to have joined the program. I can't wait till next time!

I joined HP in Bali last December. I'm NOT at all the type to get sobby about stuff like this, but I can honestly say it changed my life. I met some truly incredible people (and some duds, but what can you do? Juuuust kidding) and realized that I want to travel + work AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, forever. Because IT IS A THING YOU CAN DO.

Spencer and Dale are dream-team facilitators, we hiked a damn volcano, I was covered in monkeys multiple times, come on now y'all, this shit was amazing. AND: I got a ton of work done, including submitting exam materials for a certification I'd been putting off for a literal year and hearing some truly great ideas for an invention I'm working on. 10/10, cannot wait to join HP again soon.

This is no hyperbole: Hacker Paradise has been one of the most productive and enjoyable experiences of my life. As a first-time nomad, I was nervous about balancing productivity and fun while traveling abroad, but the HP community provides a perfect balance of structure and spontaneity. Some highlights from my time in Porto and Jeju: port wine tasting in port caves, pot lucks with homemade food from half a dozen countries, weekend trips to the beach, swimming in rock pools, climbing South Korea's tallest mountain, experiencing a Korean sauna for the first time, and good old Goofy Foot (need I say more)...

Of course, what really makes the whole thing work are the people -- from Spencer and Dale who are absolutely amazing at keeping the ship running and setting the tone, to all the other attendees who are invariably 1) working on cool projects, 2) willing to share their knowledge and insight, 3) always down for a pint after a long day at the co-working space. If you're on the fence, don't be: just do it!

I first joined Hacker Paradise for 4 weeks in Jeju, South Korea. I've enjoyed it so much, that I've decided to also come for Peru trip. This time, for 8 weeks.
Travelling with HP is a great way to meet new people, visit interesting places but still stay on track with your career.
Spencer and Dale are working hard to make sure, that you have everything you need to stay productive and enjoy your stay. They organize meetups with local communities, talks and workshops.
Community itself is also amazing. People are always willing to help each other.

I cannot recommend it enough!

Currently on my fourth trip with Hacker Paradise. The top four things that keep me coming back are:

1. Program organization - Facilitators Spencer and Dale are work relentlessly to make sure accommodations and co-working spaces meet the needs of the participants. If there are issues, for example with internet speeds or housing problems, they are on top of the problem right away, sometimes before we even notice it happening. They are responsive and understand the needs of digital nomads because they both been there.

2. Participants - Hacker Paradise does a great job of selecting people for their programs. Most everyone I've met during my trips have been dedicated, accepting, interesting, friendly, curious, and just generally good travelers. They work hard and yes, they party hard too but it's all great fun. I've made friends for life here. You can judge how great the group is and how addicting this lifestyle is by that fact that so many people either extend their stay or wish they could because the group is so hard to leave.

3. Diversity - Not only is there a diversity in gender but also in age and in career paths. Usually Hacker implies developer but in reality there are people from a number of different jobs here and the facilitators seem to put emphasis on choosing people from variety of backgrounds.

4. Lastly, Location - HP has gone to places this year that I've wanted to visit and the program allows me time to really get to know places with other people who are interested in seeing them too.

Hacker Paradise was a wonderful experience for me. I was impressed with the level of organization Spencer & Dale were able to uphold throughout my stay in Argentina. Throughout all the issues with accommodations, co-working space or what have you, they did an amazing job. Equally as impressive, was the quality of people present in the program. Ultimately, you get out of this what you put into it. If you're looking for an incredible community, new memories, and are able to put yourself out there, this comes highly recommended :)

After a phenomenal 4 weeks in Portugal, I have returned to join Hacker Paradise Lima. I've had an amazing experience at Hacker Paradise, the people are great, the locations are exciting, and the adventures are real. Spencer and Dale do an amazing job running the program. The community aspect is impressive, with a lot of diversity in knowledge and expertise, so there are always interesting people to talk to and learn from. Hacker Paradise puts a lot of effort into getting everyone involved in the local tech community which makes for a much better experience. Overall its a great community with awesome events and even better organizers!

Hacker Paradise is my family away from home. It's a fantastic opportunity to meet amazing people, work from cool locations, and constantly be inspired by people doing cool things who are always willing to share their knowledge. And eat a lot of dessert.