Nomadic Matt

There’s a lot of eSIM companies in the world. They all work a similar way: you download their app, pick your package, install the eSIM into your smartphone, and off you go. There’s many I like. But one I like more the rest is Holafly and I’ve been using their eSIMs for years. I find their app to be easy to use and their rates really competitive. So when Holafly launched Holafly Plans, a single eSIM that works as an ongoing subscription across 160+ destinations, I was excited.

If you’re a digital nomad or a location-independent business owner, you’re either overpaying for fragmented insurance coverage (travel, medical, etc.) or just badly underinsured. You have a health plan, travel insurance, and maybe some medical evacuation coverage. But, when you work for yourself, you lack the kind of safety net protections you get with a corporate job. And you cannot use a country’s social safety net because, well, you’re not a citizen, right?

We may receive compensation from Faye as an advertising partner. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. I’ve been writing about travel for nearly two decades and, in that time, I’ve watched the travel insurance industry change at roughly the speed of a glacier.

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If you’re a traveler like me, chances are you’re always on the lookout for ways to make your trips more affordable. That’s why I collect points and miles: they help me lower my travel costs so I can spend my money on what’s actually important…which is usually booking more trips! One card that can help you earn more points and miles — which translates to more free flights and free hotel stays — is the Capital One Venture Business card.

Balancing travel and remote work will always be one of the biggest challenges on the road. When you’re a digital nomad, it’s always a struggle to balance sightseeing and also get your work done in a nice, quiet environment. No one wants to spend hours searching for a coffee shop or be in one that is uncomfortable. It is something I’ve struggled with a lot in the past.

Drones are huge. And, while there’s lots of restrictions around them, a lot of travelers take them on road because they produce some amazing sweeping aerial shots. There’s lots of amazing brands out there but one that I think is super cool is the Antigravity A1. Released in late 2025, attempts to render the traditional gimbal obsolete for a vast segment of creators. By leveraging a dual-lens 360-degree capture system, the A1 records everything in every direction simultaneously.

Most travel is extractive and passive. You show up somewhere, take photos of the same landmarks everyone else takes photos of, eat at a restaurant the guidebook recommended, and hit up some bars. You take some tours to learn about the place and, if you’re lucky, get to meet some locals on your trip. You don’t really go deep. Even long-term travelers who talk about how they “aren’t tourists” do the same – just at a slower pace and while trying to spend less money. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

After 19 years, I finally went back to Ko Lipe, the Thai island I spent close to a month on in 2006. Back then, it was one of those super off-the-beaten-path destinations that few but the most intrepid travelers visited, where electricity only ran a few hours a day, basic bungalows right on the beach cost something like $2 USD, and there really was a last boat for the season. There was much to do here but that was the point.

I’ve been in love with France ever since my first trip to Bordeaux in 2010. Friends I had met back in Thailand showed me around the area and introduced me to French culture. It was my first time in France and I loved the food, the wine, and the people. But that love became an obsession when, after Bordeaux, I stepped out of the Paris metro and onto the Champs Élysées. The lights, the energy, the mystique! There was magic in the air.