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Sean Parker shares more information about what it takes to successfully live and do business in Turkey for any location independent professional considering this…

Firstly, could you briefly introduce yourself?

I’m Sean Parker, singer-songwriter of Sean Parker Band, writer for Dunya Bulteni (World Bulletin) and general Istanbul cultural machine – my website is here. I live in Sisli, close to the commercial and cultural centre of Istanbul. However, we just returned from playing to 3,500 people at a wonderful beach festival in Antalya in southern Turkey. I’m sunburnt.

Is Turkey a difficult country to get settled in as a foreigner?

It depends on your expectations and behaviour. You will constantly be an object of intrigue – even after 5 years of living here – so you need to not mind that and be patient. It’s a ‘developing’ country (hate the term), but to me that just means flexibility, optimism and excitement. There is a genuine rush of old and new colliding here – and if you enjoy that feeling, then all other aspects of ‘standard of living’ fall by the wayside.

As a business owner, how suitable is Turkey for a location independent business?

I wouldn’t describe myself as a business owner as such, but let’s try to imagine…

Business is done informally and in a gentle, friendly but frank manner – usually over countless cups of tea and cigarettes. The thought processes are always logical, though businessmen can be ‘hurt’ by our totally reasonable (we think) straight-talking.

From friends to business to government, it is hard to find people to tell you directly what they think or mean. When you get used to this and observe that they do pretty much the same to each other, you realise that you just need to read between the lines. For example, the lack of a telephone call to follow up a deal simply means it’s not happening – and no other explanation is necessary. I’m still getting used to this one.

And how about high speed internet & wi-fi access?

As far as I know Turkey is fully wired up everywhere – though I haven’t visited the less developed east to know. I’ve certainly never had a problem with the connection speed or wi-fi in Istanbul or Antalya.

What are some of the best places to live and the best experiences to be had?

When I first arrived in 2004 I stayed in the historic district of Sultanahmet for 3 months in a hostel while I found my feet. The best places to live would be Çihangir, Nisantasi or Tunel on the European side of the city, all close to the Champs Elysee of the place, Taksim. Kadikoy on the Asian side is great too, quite left-wing.

Each of these areas is rich in culture with all the western and eastern lifestyles around that you could imagine. The people are culturally diverse too – with many foreigners, gays, lesbians and every skin colour of the rainbow! My place Sisli is more affordable but still close to Nisantasi.

How easy is it to find short term accommodation (not hostels) in Istanbul?

There are hotels and hostels all over Taksim and Sultanahmet, but for something more solid go to ClickFlatshare, or there are constantly well priced places on craigslist. First enter Istanbul Flats as a search, and you will find something immediately.

For other location independent professionals considering a move to Turkey, any final words of wisdom or advice?

Don’t take every approach, handshake or kiss as a move to manipulate – it is a genuinely curious and friendly approach.

But if ANYONE tries to take you to ‘their bar’ from the street don’t go. I’ve been stung twice this way – once they tried to get 1200 lira out of me for a bottle of raki (extreme aniseed-flavoured liquor) and one beer. The place you will find yourself taken to is called a Pavyon – and they are horrible.

Stay off the subject of politics or religion unless you are very sure of the person you are talking to. If a Turk raises their voice even a little, you are in trouble. Istanbul taught me a lot of patience this way.

Finally, when you get here – drop me a line

Original interview asked by Andrew Hayes.

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Nancy Sun, author of the Location Independent Guide to Nosara gives us an insight into what Costa Rica is like as a destination for location independent professionals and digital nomads…

Can you briefly introduce yourself & your business?

I am a new location independent professional. In the summer of 2009, I let go of my Wall Street career to become a certified yoga instructor and professional freelance writer.

You wrote a great guide on Nosara, Costa Rica for us, how long have you spent in Costa Rica so far & what made you first visit?

I have visited Costa Rica three times; my last trip ended in August 2009 and lasted just under 3 months. My first visit in Winter 2007 was by accident: I was planning to go to Thailand  but by the time I finally got employer approval, however, ticket prices had skyrocketed!

In search of closer, more budget-friendly tropical waters, I booked a flight to Costa Rica. I immediately fell in love with the country and have been spending increasingly longer periods of time there. I am returning this November for 6 months!

I am not alone in my love of Costa Rica. This summer, the country was named “The Happiest and Greenest Place to Live” by the New Economics Foundation. The Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica also recently received a lot of attention as a ‘blue zone’ where people are scientifically regarded to live the longest, healthiest lives. The town of Nosara is located on this peninsula.

How LIP-friendly is Costa Rica in your experience? What about Spanish? Is it a must-have or can you get by with just the basics?

I find Costa Rica to be very location independent-friendly. All the towns I have visited have Internet cafes and high-speed wireless is increasingly common.

Digital nomads have greatly benefited from Costa Rica’s $1.92 billion tourism industry. It is currently the most visited country in Central America. There is also a real estate development push here to market the country as a great place for a vacation, second, or retirement home. As such, many towns are creating infrastructure to accommodate the ‘first world’ technological amenities that work-anywhere entrepreneurs need to thrive.

Linguistically, Spanish is not a ‘must have.’ English gets many people by. In fact, I have had many friends who’ve spent years here and bemoan that their Spanish should be better. That said, even attempting basic Spanish is looked well upon and can get you far. I’m not fluent myself and have not had any problems.

Nosara sounds like a fantastic place but where else would you recommend in Costa Rica?

I would recommend Santa Teresa / Malpais, which recently got press for being the site of American football player Tom Brady and Supermodel Gisele Bundchen’s second wedding ceremony. That said, however, Santa Teresa is far from glitz and glamour – it is a small, friendly, and heavily surf-oriented beach town that is very LIP-friendly with several free wifi hotspots.

Well-known American tourist spot Tamarindo (and its surrounding beaches) is also highly LIP-friendly though more commercialized. Burger King and the American pizza chain Papa John’s have both recently set up shop. Puerto Viejo is alluring for those who want to see the Caribbean side and seek calmer, snorkel- and scuba dive- friendly waters.

As a place to visit, I recommend Arenal: the view of the volcano and its surrounding l hot springs, Tabacon ($$$) or Thermopolis ($) are worth a weekend trip.

As a tourist, what’s been your best experience so far?

I’ve had many good experiences in Costa Rica: I’ve done the requisite rainforest zipline and canopy tour, jumped off waterfalls in Montezuma and learned to surf almost daily while gazing at sunsets over the Pacific ocean.

My best experience, however, was an impromptu 5-hour hitchhike I made from Nosara to the neighboring beach town of Playa Grande. My friend Jordan and I missed the public bus and rather than take a taxi, decided to see how far we could get depending on the kindness of strangers.

The verdict was ‘all the way.’ In addition to watching the passing scenery, I loved seeing who stopped, who didn’t, and meeting everyone who nudged us in the right direction in-between. This hitchhike was a great experience as it was one of many events this year that helped me make my decision to live unconventionally.

What challenges or drawbacks would you mention for anyone (especially location independent professionals) considering living or visiting Costa Rica?

Location independent visitors should protect their valuables and passports. While Costa Rica has a low violent crime rate, petty theft is high. I have come across quite a few travelers who have had items stolen – even if that means just your flip flops on the beach!

Foreigners can get lulled into a false sense of security here because the locals are friendly, many of the towns are small, and they themselves are in a vacation state of mind. Don’t be fooled!

There is still an economic disparity between first world travelers and many of the locals in this developing country. Always make sure your residence is secure and lock your laptop, camera, mp3 players, etc. in a safe when not in use.

Any final insider tips or words of wisdom for fellow location independent professionals visiting or wanting to live in Costa Rica?

While in transit from one town to another, let go of any expectations of the time you will arrive. Direct public buses may stop for locals and you might find a deep riverbed intersecting the very road you need to cross.

Be flexible and patient; things always work themselves out. You will get to your final destination – even if it means getting towed by the Costa Rican Off Road 2008 Champion in the Four Cyclinder Jeep category (as once happened to my friend)! As the Ticos say, pura vida!

Thinking of visiting Costa Rica? Check out the Location Independent Guide To Nosara…

This guide provides a concise, need-to-know introduction to anyone considering Costa Rica as a location independent destination.

Written by Nancy Sun, having spent over 3 months living there, the guide shares specific accommodation recommendations as well as a number of good places to get free/paid wi-fi connections. The guide was last updated in October 2009, includes 14 pages and costs $12.

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Mike Henry who runs the website Bali Expat, shares his views on being location independent in Bali…

Why don’t you introduce yourself and tell everyone a bit more about you?

I am from Melbourne, Australia. I started blogging and making websites around 2005 and quit my job at the end of 2006 to travel and work on my websites. I make money from building websites and finding advertising opportunities like Google adsense and affiliate programs for those websites.

You’re based in Bali. What made you decide to relocate there? Do you find it a “difficult” country to be productive given the great weather and party atmosphere?

I was living in North Sumatra with my girlfriend, which was interesting for a while, but not somewhere I wanted to live long term. I thought there would be better chance to find business potential business opportunities there, as Bali has a lot of foreign interest.

I now live in the north of Bali, not far from Lovina in a small village. There are a few quiet bars in central Lovina, but there is not much of party atmosphere like in the south of Bali. It’s very peaceful which is conducive to getting a lot of work done.

I have been in Bali for around 2 months now, and have spent most of this year in Indonesia.

As a location independent business owner, how has your experience been living in Bali so far?

I love living in Bali so far. I have had a couple of negative experiences, but I think you get that anywhere. For example, one time we took a bemo (something like a public bus, but actually just a small van). There is no fixed price. Locals of course know the right price to pay. My girlfriend asked a local how much the fare was and we paid that much. We were the last ones off the bus, with one other passenger.

We got off the bemo and about 10 minutes later he came back again demanding more money. We had paid the same fare as the other passenger who was last off the bus, but he said we had ‘chartered’ the bus. He wanted an extra 20,000 rupiah (around US$2) which isn’t much, but the guy was screaming at us. In the end I just gave the money, it was already late and I just wanted to get home. Like traveling anywhere, you need to confirm the price before buying anything.

Regardless, I have met some great people in a short time. Everyone in our area is very friendly and they really make you feel welcome.

You do need to be a patient person living here. People are very relaxed and it can take a long time to get things done. We had a bit of trouble getting the internet connected. It stops working pretty often, then there are frequent power cuts, which can be frustrating, but you do start to adapt to the slower way of life.

The people can be a little vague when you ask about something. If you really need something done, paying someone a bit of money usually works. There are official fees for most government services in Indonesia, like getting a driver’s license, visa and getting electricity connected. The problem is that getting the official fee can be a lot of work. Like getting a drivers license you have to wait all day and take a written test. If you pay the police or an agent a little more money, you can get it done in a fraction of the time. Similar to getting a visa and getting visa extensions. It saves so much time just using an agent.

Of course no-one wants to support corruption, but that is just the way so many things work in Indonesia.

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Is Wifi readily available?

Wifi is widely available in tourist areas like Seminyak and Ubud.  There are a range of internet providers depending on the location.  Internet is generally faster and more accessible in the south of Bali

What’s the best way to get short term accommodation?

There are lots of villas for rent in the south of Bali, like in Seminyak. Many come with wifi, but they are not cheap. Ubud is also a good place for expats to stay and most guesthouses have pretty decent Wifi.

There are several places around Seminayak and Ubud that have notice boards where people post advertisements for accommodation. Any place advertised on the internet is usually overpriced. The best way to find a good house to rent is just asking around, like in the local warung. A warung is a kind of cafe/budget restaurant. Local warungs typically sell local dishes like nasi goreng (fried rice) and fried noodles and are a social hub. Everyone there has a brother/uncle/friend/cousin with a house for rent or sale.

As a tourist, what’s been your best experience so far?

This is going to sound like a bit of cliche, but living in a village outside of a tourist area has been in an amazing experience. Our neighbors have really been fantastic and they are such lovely people. Everyday they have some kind of ceremony. How many cultures can say they have something different to celebrate every day? There is an amazing community spirit, something which I think we have lost in the west, where many people don’t know or even talk to their neighbors. Even though we are not local to the area, the people have been very welcoming.

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Any other insider tips for things to do while in Bali? Is it easy to get in/out/around?

It depends on your interests. There’s so much to do here, whether you like surfing, diving or want to learn to cook some Balinese dishes. I haven’t been yet, but I have heard some great things about Lombok and the Gilli Islands. I think it is interesting to try and spend at least a little bit of time outside of the tourist areas and even better to experience living in a village in Bali.

It only takes a couple of hours to get to the north of Bali from the south, so its pretty compact. There is so much to do, whether it is just relaxing on the beach or visiting new places, you will never feel bored!

Yes, it’s pretty easy to get around. There are shuttle bus services that go to different parts of the island. Most people opt for hiring a motorbike. Be sure to wear a helmet though, as accidents are common.

For other Location Independent Professionals considering a move to Bali, any words of wisdom or advice?

Learning to be patient is important and accepting that things operate different here. Like anywhere I suppose. Be respectful people’s religion whether they are Muslim, Hindu or otherwise. Religion is taken pretty seriously in Indonesia. People will sometimes charge more for things because you are a foreigner. Learning a little bit of the language and making local friends can help you to get local prices.