It is possible to go to Curacao on a workstation, although there are a few things to consider. You want to work productively and concentrate, so you will need to make some preparations. In this blog I share my experience in the Caribbean and tell you exactly what you need to pay attention to for your workation in Curacao.
Working with quite a time difference
The most frequently cited reason for not working remotely from Curaçao is the time difference. It is 5 hours earlier than the Netherlands. Prior to my workation I had my own doubts whether this would be convenient. But it turned out to be 100% better than expected. You can even use your jet lag to your advantage, because you wake up early and then you are pretty much in sync with the working day in the Netherlands. Nearly all flights go to Curaçao during the day, so you arrive in the evening (local time) and then go to bed. Back to the Netherlands, many flights are at night, so you can adjust somewhat easily to the sleeping rhythm.
Preparing your work week
For example, if you start work at 6:00 a.m. (which your jet lag makes easy, even for non-morning people like me) then your colleagues/customers/suppliers will be at 11:00. A great time to do meetings and have a productive morning. Also, if you make a long trip, you often plan it well in advance, so there is plenty of time to adjust your work schedule accordingly. For example, I scheduled all meetings during my stay in Curaçao weeks in advance in the afternoon on Dutch time, then in Caribbean morning. This way, working remotely does not affect your productivity.
Anyway, it is important to look critically at your work schedule in advance. Work will continue while you are abroad, but also take enough time to enjoy your destination.
Be realistic in your schedule. It is not at all crazy to temporarily work 6 hours a day, for example, or to take an extra day off. In consultation with your supervisor, of course, if you have one. A proper work-life balance is important during your workation.
Setting your work calendar in the correct time zone
You can set multiple time zones in your calendar and display them in parallel. In Curaçao, the time zone is GMT-04 and in the Netherlands GMT+01. You can set a primary and secondary time zone. This way you can see the times of both countries side by side in your calendar and see at a glance what time it is in both places. Very handy!
Internet quality
Beforehand, I heard some ghost stories about the wifi on the island. It would not be too good in some places and the connection is not stable. That’s a bit exciting when you do all your work online! But I didn’t suffer from anything. Everywhere I went to work, the wifi was fine. Even such that I could download heavy files, my video meetings always went smoothly and watched webinars flawlessly. There is also wifi at almost every restaurant or bar.
Practical tips for your workation
There are a number of preparations you can make to ensure your workation goes smoothly. Here are the most important things:
– Your calling bundle is not valid outside the EU so you will not have 5G and calling will be costly, so use wifi everywhere or buy a local SIM card or calling bundle. – Bring a world plug so you can always charge your laptop anywhere. – To navigate offline, download the map on Google Maps in advance or use Maps.me. – Read blogs about your destination so you know where you want to spend your free time. – Bring water shoes, as there are many rocks in the water. – Make sure you have mosquito spray, otherwise you will get punctured if you are unlucky. – Don’t forget your snorkel because the underwater world is beautiful. You can often rent those locally as well. Read the blog here for more tips on the best places in Curaçao.
Choosing the right accommodation
During your workation, the comfort of the accommodation is even more important than during your vacation. After all, you just need to be able to do your work well. Not only a nice bed for a good night’s sleep and a quiet environment is important, you also want a good table and chair to work at. A desk is especially nice. If you go on a week-long workation you can do without a desk chair, but for longer you shouldn’t want one. In this blog you will read my tips for good workation accommodations and fun activities in Curacao.
Workplaces in Curaçao
In many accommodations and restaurants, the wifi is good enough to get your work done. Whether you can sit there quietly is another question. Check that out on your first day when you arrive so that your work days go smoothly. Highly recommended in Pietermaai is Van Gogh Coffee, where almost everyone is working on their laptops. You can also opt for a (co)workspace, such as Workspot Curaçao or Co World. If you are considering a workation with your team to Curaçao, check out the available accommodations.
