02: From a Stolen Passport to Almost Being Deported. Horror Nomad Stories with Saurav
Being a Digital Nomad has many perks and we can see a lot of them on the internet. The truth is that there is a lot of not so sexy stuff about nomading. Saurav joined us on the podcast to share some of his nightmare nomad stories from 11 years of traveling the world. From being almost deported, to having his passport & belongings stolen, to going off the radar for more than 24 hrs in Singapore!
“No matter how much you plan, traveling is so unpredictable. 6 out of the 7 days, it will go as planned, but the 7th day will be a nightmare. Things just go off the tracks.”
An episode about Digital Nomads Nightmares
Saurav “ The Indian Digital Nomad” started his Digital Nomad lifestyle 11 years ago. During his trips he has mostly travelled alone but sometimes his wife, father or brother tag along. As we go in life, we live and learn, and that’s exactly what Saurav shares with us in this episode. He has experienced many travelers’ nightmares and he says that it’s just the reality of being a Digital Nomad. There are incredible advantages of being a nomad, but there are also some truths that are not commonly shared under the hashtag “Digital Nomad lifestyle”. In this episode we cover some of Saurav nightmare stories:
- Passport & belongings stolen on his first destination of his Digital Nomad life
- Being almost deported & spending 24 hrs off the radar
- Visa problems while traveling
- Booking flights with the wrong dates
Passport & belongings stolen on his first destination
Being robbed by itself it’s a torment, but being robbed on your first destination of your Digital Nomad lifestyle (or any trip) is a whole other ball game. Saurav tells us his experience with his belongings and passport being stolen, some useful ideas on what you can do when this happens to you, and how to get a new passport the next day.
Being deported and spending 24 hours of the radar
Each country has their laws laid out for foreigners and travelers. If you don’t follow these rules, you can end up being deported. Asian countries can be very strict, especially a place like Singapore. Saurav’s brother lives in Singapore and while he was staying with him, he would go on trips to the Philippines or Bali. One day he found himself in a triangle of travel where he was not playing by the rules, and he wasn’t even aware of it!! When he tried to re-enter Singapore he got flagged and was detained for 24 hours at the airport.
Visa problems for digital nomads
Everyone knows, getting the right visa can be a true nightmare, especially when you want to stay longer than the tourist visas allow. This can vary a lot depending on your nationality, the country that you are travelling from and heading to. Saurav learned the hard way that you always need to double check how you need to apply and what the rules are before you plan your entire itinerary. Saurav had to learn the hard way.
Booking wrong flights
Nienke Nina asked for one more quick last digital nomad nightmare and tips for digital nomads between the laughs he said “never book a flight sleepy”. Going to the airport at 5 am and for the flight and having someone tell you that your flight is not for another year… must be surreal. Something similar happened to Nienke Nina too, she booked the flight the other way around and as digital nomads you learn the hard way. Now it’s just a funny story!
Quick take aways of this episode
Even if you have everything planned out, sometimes things WILL go wrong. There is nothing you can do about it… so just get ready for the ride!
Try to always have some ground support. This could be a family member, a friend or a friend of a friend. This person can help you sorting things out for you in stressful times.
If your passport is ever stolen 2 tips:
Look in the nervy garbage bins (they tend to throw it away as soon as possible)
Contact your Embassy. They can issue you a new passport in 24 hrs
Wherever you travel to, always be aware and conscious of the local laws. This might sound boring but it really sucks if you are getting into trouble without even knowing it! And keep in mind – local punishments are different from those in your home country.
Don’t book your flights when you’re sleepy!
About Saurav
In our second episode, we interviewed Saurav Arya aka “The Indian Digital Nomad”. He has been nomading for more than 11 years and plans to continue for many more years. He started his nomad journey by working remotely while doing trips. Now Saurav is a digital nomad entrepreneur and he has several internet businesses. He also runs a digital nomad community called “workstays”, he and his team help people to shift from their 9 to 5 life to a Digital Nomad Lifestyle. His mission is to visit every country in the world, so far 91 and 106 more to go!
Quick links:
Follow his journey via Instagram @indiandigitalnomad
View WorkStays.in
Meet your host Nienke Nina Instagram @nienkenninatravels
More Dgital Nomad Stories Instagram @digitalnomadsdaily
