Movement outdoors nourishes me. As a writer, it’s the difference between kneeling in a desert, rummaging through hot sand for words – and bursting a well of water in my mind.
9 to 5 in an office feels misaligned. In 2022, working full-time as a ‘travel copywriter’ from a global travel company’s London office was like trying to cook a 3-course dinner in the dark. Writing travel blogs (without travel) champions unfelt information over lived experience.
The dishonesty was grating. The lack of movement was stifling my creativity. Fixed work hours ran my frustration up the wall.
My workcation escaped the daily grind and opened the doors to a new work identity
My senses had been starved in London. Same commute. Same job. Same desk. Same colleagues. I felt myself wilting as a creative and asked myself: ‘Do I need to be here?’
With the rise of remote working since the pandemic, murmurs of footloose creatives pinging emails on sunloungers gave me tingles of excitement. So I packed up my laptop and left the office. I wanted to prove to myself and others that I could go anywhere and mix roaming outdoors with writing time in creative workspaces; and that my writing would be beautiful because I was nourishing my body and mind with movement in nature.
I chose Cape Town for a month-long workcation that would be spilling with sea, sunshine and serene working conditions.
Workcation definition:
A workcation means working in a different destination to normal. This particularly suits remote workers who don’t need to be confined to one place. As my adventures will show you, my workcation gave ‘work from home’ a dynamic new meaning – as I pitched up in Cape Town and soon believed I’d lived here for years.
My workcation helped me take charge of my work by being the author of my own schedule. Mixing focused work sessions with adventure outdoors and cultural curiosity.
Can I take a workcation?
Many people don’t realise they can take a workcation, meaning they get stuck in a mundane cycle. It depends on your work life – and how much variety and adventure it allows. If any of these personas sound like you – it’s time to pack.
- You are a remote freelancer. You are not employed by a company and do not have to request a holiday.
- You are fully employed but your company allows fully remote work.
- You are a ‘hybrid’ remote worker. Your company requires you to be in the office sometimes. (This invites you to negotiate workcation deals and packages with your boss).
Opening the doors to a wonderful, aligned work life starts with you. Back in 2023, any workcation ideas would have been shut down by my company. So I decided to be my own boss – and my happiness and productivity has skyrocketed since.
What makes a good workcation destination?
It’s important you find somewhere you feel comfortable when picking workcation locations. Safety, fast Wi-Fi, varied workspace options, comfortable and affordable accommodation are all essentials. You will also want somewhere that makes you smile. Imagine watching local life float by from sand-sprinkled seaside cafes. Running 5km by Cape Town’s waterfront between meetings. Or waltzing into a Viennese concert after a productive day. Does this sound like you?
What are the most popular cities for a workcation?
Embedding yourself in an enchanting city makes you the protagonist in your own film. Popular spots include Lisbon; Istanbul; and Spain’s Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia. Plus Paris, Amsterdam (Netherlands), Bangkok (Thailand), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Vancouver and Toronto (Canada), Florence, Bologna and Milan (Italy). Seattle, Sonoma and Washington (USA). Honolulu (Hawaii) and Mauritius.
How long do workcations typically last?
The choice is yours. Workcations can range for 2-day break in Edinburgh (I can recommend) to a 3-month stay in Thailand (a popular workcation trend). If you intend to hop between workcation destinations over an extended period of time (over 3 months) – you are a digital nomad.
Why did I choose Cape Town for my workcation?
I wanted freedom. And a cocktail of soaring sun, free-spirited African music and splashing waves was the taste. Sandwiched between mountains and sea, Cape Town proved a stunning landscape to explore in between emails and writing blog posts.
I also felt an authentic calling to South Africa because my great aunt Betty was from Hermanus – 75 miles down the coast. I wanted to come home.
Starting my workcation in Cape Town
A local called Caitlin — who I met at a dinner party 3 months’ before — told me February is the best time to visit. So I landed in Cape Town on 31st January 2023.
Is Cape Town safe?
It was always the same look. Somewhere between bemusement and horror when I tell people I’m going to Cape Town. Why? Despite the friendly name, ‘The Mother City’ is dangerous. And the amount of ‘stay safe’ texts that punched through my WhatsApp before my flight piled up as high as Table Mountain herself.
But I felt calm. Caitlin, plus another local whom I’d connected with through a friend (Justin), advised me on no-go areas. Like volatile townships even the police don’t visit. And safety essentials like always taking an Uber after sunset and never hiking alone. As well as one line responses to people who ask you for things on the street.
I came home from the month without a scratch.
What is load shedding in Cape Town?
All of South Africa has scheduled blackouts. Meaning you’ll quickly get used to living with no electricity for hours at a time.
I knew about this before my workcation began. During my month, I managed to plan my work sessions around the power cuts (thanks to the Eskom app’s notifications, which give you the precise outage times). And LED lamps in hostels and Airbnbs came in handy.
But it certainly takes getting used to. I jumped awake at 4am during my first night in Cape Town. The lights were on full power, but they were off when I went to bed. Lesson learned: check your light switches before you sleep
Loadshedding can disrupt unprepared remote workers. I recommend charging your devices in good time before the cuts, taking a portable charger with you, and hot-spotting mobile data to your laptop. Top tip: an easy way to expose yourself as a traveller is to ask for the Wi-Fi password during load shedding! Fortunately, my workspace (AfricaWorks) has a generator. So I’m not affected by Cape Town’s load shedding when I spend a day writing here. Controversially: I like load shedding. We spend too much time online; and it helped me structure my work sessions with outdoor adventures in between.
Where did I stay during my Cape Town workcation?
Accommodation can make-or-break your workcation. Interestingly, I was initially tempted by the popular Neighbourgood: a combined co-working and co-living space that welcomes you into a community of workcation-lovers, remote workers and digital nomads.
But I wanted to create my unique workcation definition. And thanks to Cape Town’s AirBnb accommodation being both gorgeous and affordable, I spent my first three nights in a quiet, leafy garden cottage up from Hout Bay harbour. My host, Debbie, blessed me with local knowledge as she watered her plants and her two huskies joined my yoga session.
Here: I worked from a beautiful wooden desk under the blissful shade of plants (and ultra-fast Wi-Fi).
It hit me. I’d swapped morning ambulance sirens and squashed trains for the sounds of birds chirping and squirrels scampering on my roof. Blissful. Now: how about a surf?
My workcation went to Muizenberg: ‘Surfer’s Paradise’
A 20-minute Uber from Hout Bay landed me here at ‘Surfer’s Paradise’ – where the nourishing, sea perfumes make my eyes well instantly. Dotted on Cape Town’s south coast, Muizenberg is known for its multicoloured houses that pepper a spotless, white beach. I touched down here for the most breathtaking waves – consistent purls of paradise that take you all the way to shore.
In between surf and evening wine with new friends, I park up at the quirky Harvest Café and The Commons (attached to my hotel: African Soul Surfer) to answer emails. I could get used to this.
Reflections on my workcation in Cape Town
The rest of my workcation was spent shaking my head in disbelief during jaw-dropping coastal drives. Gazing across Cape Town’s CBD (Central Business District) from my workspace’s outdoor patio. Hiking up Lion’s Head and Table Mountain with Caitlin and Justin. Listening to life-affirming live African music. Picking out vintage clothes and books in Kalk Bay. Strolling through vineyards and wine tasting with locals. And writing under the gaze of Table Mountain from a gorgeous AirBnb in Higgovale, Gardens District.
Question is: where next?
