I’ve bought a lot of stuff with bitcoin. Coffee, groceries, clothes… all very necessary but also quite ordinary. Last week, I signed up for a membership at Hubud, a co-working space in Bali and I paid for it with bitcoin. It was honestly the best bitcoin purchase I’ve ever made.

Why? The membership was priced in $USD, but since I was paying with bitcoin, I didn’t need to bother with the conversion fees. It was also instant, so my spot was confirmed immediately, instead of having to wait 3 days for my money to go through. It was also just awesome using bitcoin in an international transfer, because it worked so smoothly.

But the real reason was because I was just so productive at Hubud. Remote work is something I’ve never done before, so I was a little skeptical of how much work I’d get done, but it was worth it. I’m no digital nomad, and I was only there for a week but the change of scenery is refreshing from the big city life.

Several others from the CoinJar Team have visited Hubud before and here’s our top 8 reasons why you should too.

1. No shoes
   Before you even step into the co-working space, you’re invited to leave your shoes at the door. Even though this may make you a little uncomfortable at first, it does lend to the comfortable, warm and welcoming vibe Hubud has.
2. Better for your health
   Bali is hot and humid, and Hubud is an open-air working space. If you’re accustomed to climate controlled offices, prepare to sweat and embrace the natural fresh air. It’s a good reset for the body. And when you just can’t hack it, there’s an air-conditioned room.
3. Convenience food
   There is a healthy organic cafe in Hubud with a salad bar, juices, smoothies, desserts and coffee. When it’s right next to you and so well-priced, healthy food choices are that much easier to make. Bali is known for its raw vegan and natural food offerings, and the cafe is Hubud is no exception. I highly recommend the two litre bottle of watermelon and lime juice and the coconut bliss balls.
4. Insane global networking
   The people in Hubud are truly one of a kind. From Silicon Valley to Berlin, the members are all passionate professionals working on interesting projects. There are freelancers, entrepreneurs, career-shifters, startup owners, creative professionals, NGO workers, writers… It’s a networking haven, without the pretentiousness and awkward moments.
5. The vibe
   Bali is a spiritual place, whether you’re at a tourist attraction, in a shop or at a co-working space. The vibe is calm, peaceful and other-worldly. It takes about a day or two to adjust to it, but it is seriously relaxing and quiet. And the view’s not too bad either.
6. Visit monkeys during your lunch break
   I am not kidding, I didn’t believe it myself. Hubud is right next to the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, a big hit with tourists. If anyone pesters you about going overseas to work remote, you can tell them you’re going to Bali to hang out with a bunch of monkeys.
7. Perspective
   It’s travel, work and play all in one trip. Enough said.
8. Hubud accepts bitcoin
   And it makes a lot of sense for them. In fact, during my visit, I met several business owners in Bali who were looking into accepting bitcoin. When I asked Hubud’s co-founders Peter and Steve about why they accept bitcoin, their answer makes it very clear why.

“Our members operate and work transnationally and any way that they can pay for things easily and with low/no fees is huge for them and therefore us! One of our members, Gary, started the Bitcoin movement in Bali and we host Bitcoin Filter meet-up every Tuesday at Hubud.”

The need to buy bitcoin is most prevalent to me when I travel. The fees I pay for my traditional banking cards are exorbitant and I wish I didn’t have to rely on something that’s failed me so many times before. Especially for an island like Bali that attracts thousands of tourists a month, bitcoin just makes sense. Use cases like Hubud are prime examples of how powerful a global currency with instant and practically free transactions can be.

Still don’t get it? Read more on how bitcoin will change the unbanked economies, paying with bitcoin and accepting bitcoin as a business.

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Article by Zhoe Low— Communications Strategist at CoinJar. Tweet her @zhoelow

Photos by Carol Da Riva available here under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0.

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