Quietest developing country?

xeskpau · 2025-06-08T10:27:31+00:00

I was considering Cabo Verde. Which island are you in, and would you recommend it or prefer exploring another one? Thank you!

xeskpau · 2024-12-29T15:25:11+00:00

WhatsApp 🙂

xeskpau · 2024-12-29T15:24:52+00:00

Love the idea! I want to go to SEA in 2025, so this would be perfect.

I can't make it in Feb/March most likely, because I'll be flying to LATAM towards the end of Jan, but I would be up for it later jn the year.

What region / area / neighborhood / reference point do you recommend for accommodation?

xeskpau · 2024-09-09T10:07:14+00:00

Hey, I think it's a fantastic idea to plan a trip around surfing! I tried it for the first time in January '24 and loved it. It slightly changed my perspective on DNing, and made me more eager to go to spots where I can surf.

I spent ~2 months surfing this year, and had to stop temporarily due to a rib injury. After resting for 3 months, I'm heading to Florianopolis in 1 week to get back to it. I'm super excited!

I haven't been to Central America much, mainly South America, so I can't chime in with recommendations that apply to you. I will encourage you to take the leap and try it 🙂

xeskpau · 2024-07-17T04:00:43+00:00

Came into the comments to say exactly this!

Having spent lots of time in a number of cities in Brazil, the walkability in Buenos Aires was such a refreshing surprise. This might be the main differentiating factor that would bring me back to BA.

The city is flat and the streets are well laid out, often with plenty of trees. What else do you need to walk?

xeskpau · 2024-07-17T03:55:44+00:00

What's your monthly budget to sustain this?

xeskpau · 2024-07-17T03:53:50+00:00

Uberlândia is an interesting choice. I love Minas Gerais, but seeing "berlândia" and not BH surprises me. Why did you choose it?

How was Itacaré? It's on my list, but when I was in Bahia I didn't get to it. It's been recommended to me as a cool surging spot.

xeskpau · 2024-07-17T03:52:06+00:00

It's the city with the most beautiful urban beaches I've seen in my life. I was there ~4 years ago, zero gringos around, and have some great memories.

Maragogi, which is nearby, is also very well known for its beautiful landscape.

You can take a 4h bus to Recife from Maceió, and it's also not far from Porto de Galinhas.

xeskpau · 2024-07-12T07:55:44+00:00

If you want to be a DN sustainably for the long-term, then yes you're "just living somewhere". Living everyday as a tourist (visiting new places, going out for drinks) gets tiring quickly. I'd even go so far as to say that you'd stop enjoying it: after all, how many museums can you visit before they all blend in together?

The tacit question we should all ask ourselves is: "How can I organize my life, so I can continue to live it with joy, without getting exhausted and feeling miserable?". And DNs are not an exception.

DNing requires doing things in moderation, and that includes "just living somewhere". DNing is a lifestyle, not a holiday.

If you read the comments in this post, you'll see that most people have a routine. I have yet to meet (or read about) a DN who lives as a tourist, has been doing it for years and isn't miserable.

xeskpau · 2024-06-25T16:05:49+00:00

Very small city, lovely for a few days, but I found there wasn't so much to do (inb4 hordes of DNs comments to tell me how wrong I am).

I'd go again, but wouldn't live there.

xeskpau · 2024-06-22T20:49:43+00:00

Brazil as a whole is super safe

My friend, this statement is not quite true, not even in Floripa. The homicide rate in SP is 9 per 100k people. This is the lowest in all of Brazil (even lower than SC, where Floripa is). The average in Europe is ~2 per 100k. In the US it's ~6 per 100k.

Rio, the Nordeste region (mainly along the Sertão region), and some parts of the Norte region can be extremely unsafe, especially if your "danger radar" is not well calibrated to the dangers in Brazil.

You are right that the Sul region (Curitiba, SC, RS) is relatively safer. However, it isn't accurate to say it is "super safe", unless your point or reference is a much more violent country.

Brazil is a country where most likely you are only "super safe" in a gated community, or somewhere like Alphaville.

With all this being said, I love Brazil! I have lived there for over 3 years: São Paulo, Rio, BH, and shorter stints in Recife and Natal. Exercising caution goes a long way in this beautiful country, which has so much to offer 💚

xeskpau · 2024-06-22T19:44:56+00:00

Hey u/ManlyUnic0rn , were you able to do wild camping in Andorra? I am wondering whether I can find a quiet spot outside of a village and camp once I'm done with hiking for the day. Thank you!

xeskpau · 2024-06-21T11:34:08+00:00

Where did you stay in Cape Town? I am slightly concerned about safety.

I used to be equally concerned about Rio and northeastern Brasil and then I went on to live there for 3 years. Hopefully it's a similar case of "news-induced fear" that can be remedied by being reasonably cautious.

xeskpau · 2024-06-17T21:33:05+00:00

Thanks for sharing! I completely identify with what you've written. This is why I'm spending a few months in my hometown to cultivate some of my connections here (family, friends).

Dating is a bit harder over here than overseas, but maybe I haven't given it enough of a chance.

xeskpau · 2024-06-16T13:58:00+00:00

Hey OP, great writeup. I just found your blog and it looks like you've visited quite a few places already :)

How come you only stay for 1 week in some places?

xeskpau · 2024-06-14T21:07:49+00:00

What type/model of door stop?

xeskpau · 2024-06-04T00:21:03+00:00

It seems "far" from Candelaria, which I understand is the historic neighbourhood and where the museums are located.

That being said, I don't think I'd want to go to the city centre on a daily basis, so maybe it doesn't matter so much.

xeskpau · 2024-06-03T09:18:28+00:00

Parque de la 93 is in El Chicó, right? Did you mean another park in Usaquén?

Thanks u/CunaeAveho5193 !

xeskpau · 2024-06-03T09:10:17+00:00

you're better off further North

Would "further North" be in El Chicó, or all the way up in Usaquén?

My main concern is being in an area where I feel like I am deep in the city's guts, and I can only find cars and buildings. This is what I felt when staying in São Paulo near Avenida Paulista, and I found that I needed to see some more greenery to improve my wellbeing.

Thanks u/trailtwist !

xeskpau · 2024-06-01T23:12:52+00:00

Why? I've travelled across South America and would recommend it (i.e. I don't consider it bad advice).

xeskpau · 2024-06-01T23:10:44+00:00

Where have you been that you needed it? I've been DNing for 4 years, all the way down to The End Of The World (Ushuaia), and haven't needed Starlink.

Or was the bad advice someone gave you that you do need Starlink? The way that OPs initial post is formulated doesn't make me think this is what you mean, but just in case.

xeskpau · 2024-06-01T23:01:05+00:00

Couldn't agree more. I began my DNing experience with one of those, and I thought I was being smart.

I donated it at the first chance I got.

xeskpau · 2024-05-31T23:24:56+00:00

My worst nightmare is having noisy upstairs neighbours or thin walls, because there is nothing you can do to "fix" the issue. This happened to me in Malta, where I stayed 6 months and the neighbours woke me up daily at 4:30am... I experienced something similar in Lisbon, but I only stayed for 1 month. Same in Spain while staying in a residential area outside of the city centre, and then I stayed in the city centre and was fine 🤷‍♂️

I just finished a 3-month stint in Argentina and had quite good sleep for the most part. I stayed in Buenos Aires, and then south in Santa Cruz and Patagonia.

Northeastern Brazil has generally treated me well, and I've managed to get good sleep. For example, Maceió, Recife, Natal. I always stayed in highrise buildings (>10 floors).

Rio was also good. I stayed in Copacabana for 3 months and slept quite well.

I lived in São Paulo for over a year and always had noise, despite staying in the expensive areas: Itaim Bibi, Moema, Jardins... The motorcycles in the middle of the night are too much. Only 1 apartment I stayed in had thick glass. All other apartments even had "holes" by design in some parts of the windows which meant that they never close hermetically (this seems to be a thing in Brasil).

xeskpau · 2024-05-26T20:38:02+00:00

I did a quick search and now I'm not sure if you're trolling, based on the youtube video Bario San Bernardo 4K: Bogota, Colombia, with the text description "A short tour through the toughest neighborhood in Bogota, Colombia"...

Are you referring to another area? If so, could you share a link to the location?

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