Never heard of a workation? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. However, this new trend is starting to take off and soon you will be hearing the word everywhere. But what exactly is a workation? No, it’s not a vacation from work. Workations are all about fully immersing yourself in work, while also traveling and unwinding to improve well being and productivity.
What is the Meaning of Workation and How is it Different From a Working Holiday?
Maybe you have heard of Work & Travel before. Mostly young people go to countries like New Zealand on working holiday visas and work different jobs to finance their travels.
. The big difference between a working holiday and a workation is that on a workation you have one main job and settle in one location for an extended period of time (often months).
Workations are popular with people working in remote jobs. Alternatively many companies are also allowing their employees whose roles can be done with only their laptop and a fast internet connection to take extended time out of the office so they can have a workation and “recharge”.
Where Do You Go On a Workation?
Workation destinations are normally places where others come to enjoy their holidays. The concept of working while being in beautiful places owes its success to the digital era we live in. High speed internet allows us to work from some of the most stunning landscapes on the planet. As long as you have a stable internet connection, you could lie in a hammock, sit on the beach or enjoy the view of the snow-capped mountains while you work.
Popular Workation Destinations
Workation-ing may still be a new concept but there are places all over the world set up with all the infrastructure and pampering you need to have a successful workation. Popular destinations include:
- Bali
- Chiang Mai
- Hanoi
- Lisbon
- Tenerife
These places are great. However, with the increasing popularity of workations, digital nomads coming in and increased tourism, they are starting to become overcrowded. It’s not quite as tranquil and relaxing working on a white sand beach, staring out at the crystal blue water when there are 1,000 people around you doing the same thing.
Not to worry though, there are some great up and coming workation destinations, you may never have even heard of.
Up And Coming Workation Destinations
With popular destinations becoming overcrowded with tourists, more and more people are looking further afield to “out of the norm” locations that are open to the idea of workation guests.
Locations include places such as:
- Ecuador
- Peru
- Argentina
- Bulgaria
- Estonia
One of these places is the Hostería PapaGayo in Ecuador! The pioneers were digital nomads.
In the beginnings of workations, a group of people often rented a big house or villa at AirBnB where they would live and work together in a sharing community for their duration of the workation. Entrepreneurs and start-ups followed the trend and created their workspaces temporarily in new and different environments.
Spending time in self-catering units has the advantage that groups get to know each other very well, as they must cook together and live together. All the household chores take away quite a bit of the “vacation” time. This is why, hotels, resorts and similar destinations have developed their own workation concepts where the guest is catered for. In this way, guests can concentrate on their work and enjoy the vacation without worrying about cooking or cleaning.
Who Are Workations For?
Workations are interesting for two different groups of people mainly. Some are solo-workers/travellers and the other are employers.
Workations For Solo Travellers
Solo workers/travellers are often freelancers. They work in design, marketing, programming etc.. For a solo travelling freelancer it is possible to work almost everywhere. Therefore, they can go on a workation to almost anywhere in the world.
Often, they are looking for a quiet place in a beautiful area, where they can focus on their work and, as soon as they close their notebook, are immediately in an exciting environment with a tonne of activities to do. A place gains a lot of value for a solo traveller, when they can meet other digital nomads and can exchange ideas or even develop new projects together.
Workations For Employers
Workation look a bit different for our second group: the entrepreneur, and their employees. Joint business travel is not yet an established part of companies, but it could become a great way of building teams and working on projects.
With generation Y entering the workforce, company travel will become more and more popular. A team gets to know each other in a more relaxed environment making it easier to form relationships than in an office.
Company travel can be particularly beneficial for newly formed teams or to work on new projects. Teams work more efficiently without the distraction of daily life in the office and with more personal time to relax. For workshops or seminars the concept of workation works, too.
Solo workers and employees are just two groups of people who should consider a workation. Of course, everyone, who does not need more than the internet for their work, can take a workation.
Workations at Hostería Papagayo
Hostería Papagayo, as one of the first places in Ecuador, offers workations! We believe that a workation has many advantages for you as a solo traveller/freelancer or as an employer. That is why we suggest you try it out on the Avenue of the volcanoes. To convince you, we listed just some of the advantages of a workation at Papagayo:
- The Most Stunning Scenery In All Of South America
Let the fresh mountain air and the breath-taking landscapes of the Páramo be an inspiration to your work. Besides several activities at the hostería, we offer to take you to visit some of the most epic volcanoes on the planet, just a short drive away.
- Hiking and Climbing
Practice your climbing and hiking skills during the week and become a mountain climber on the weekends. New experiences can truly boost your creativity and therefore your workflow.
Exercise has been proven to improve mental health and productivity. Breathing in the fresh mountain air might spark that million dollar idea to help your startup or business soar to success.
- Exchange Ideas With Like Minded People
Exchange new ideas with other travellers or your colleagues in our cosy living/dining/working area. Should you need a quiet space for a meeting, we can offer you a place for this, too.
The hacienda is over 200 years old and if these walls could talk, they had many stories to tell. But as they can’t, why not get to know the other residents of Papagayo? Visitors to Papagayo are coming from all walks of life. Some are on a round trip, others came for climbing and some, just like you, are here to work and live in a new environment.
- Flexibility
When you are on workation the best part is definitely the flexibility. If you like to go on a bike ride in the morning, do it, work later. If you would like to take a break in the afternoon to spend some time with the llamas or horses, do it, work later. The freedom to decide when you would like to work comes with responsibility and requires a certain amount of discipline from you, but you will win so much time to try and learn new things.
- Healthy Work-Life Balance
At Papagayo we focus on a healthy work-life balance. Two times per day we offer Yoga classes. Additionally, you can learn a lot about yourself by spending some time with the horses. We are specialized in natural Horsemanship, where the horses are trained without force and the communication between human and horse is priority. Most of the activities at Papagayo can be done every day.
- Motivation
Workations are to get away from the normal daily routine for a while. Within a few days, you can feel how your motivation returns and you start enjoying working again.. Motivation is key to success. New people, new challenges and most importantly a new, positive environment keep you going and push you going the extra mile during your working time.
Why should you choose Hostería Papagayo as your workspace?
Easy! The Hostería Papagayo became a co-working space during the Corona-crisis. We tested the concept first-hand, and it worked more than well!
- Great Workspace
We have a tonne of work space. Sit on comfy sofas, at desks, or even outside in the sun. Private rooms also can come with their own desk if you would like to work in privacy.
- High Speed Wifi
The most important thing you need to get your work done is fast wifi. We have high speed connections throughout the main building and outside cabins. The connection is stable and we have almost no downtime.
- Coffee
We have an espresso machine, drip coffee maker, and kettle so you can help yourself to coffee and fuel up on caffeine to get through those tough work days.
- Tonnes of Activities
There is always something to do at Papagayo. If you like to take a walk and do some bird watching or party all night during our very own karaoke shows, it is your choice. In our activity folder you can have a closer look at all the activities offered with us, and we are constantly developing new ideas.
We would be thrilled to welcome you, alone or with your colleagues, at our beautiful Hacienda! Give it a try, test a workation yourself! For further information or an enquiry, please feel free to contact us!
Check out our Activities in Papagayo ➜
