When I left my corporate job two years ago, I thought I was chasing freedom.
I imagined remote work by the beach, sipping coconut water while typing code, exploring cafés in Ubud or Lisbon, taking spontaneous weekend trips to waterfalls and temples. And yes, I’ve done a lot of that.
But nothing—nothing—has compared to what I experienced on my recent wisata whale shark Sumbawa trip.
Because while I’ve worked from countless beautiful places, only one made me pause completely, shut my laptop, and just float.
This is the story of that day.
How It All Started
I was living in Lombok for a month—renting a small guesthouse in Kuta, balancing client calls with surfing lessons, loving the slower pace of life.
A friend mentioned something about whale sharks showing up “just across the water” in a place called Saleh Bay, on the north side of Sumbawa.
“Not many people know about it yet,” she said. “It’s wild and peaceful. If you’re lucky, you’ll see them up close.”
I typed “whale shark Sumbawa” into my browser that night. I found blogs. I found Instagram photos. And finally, I found the Saleh Bay whale shark tour—a local team offering ethical, quiet encounters with the ocean’s gentlest giants.
My curiosity turned into obsession.
I cleared my calendar, rescheduled all my meetings, and booked the trip for the following week.
Escaping the Wi-Fi (On Purpose)
One of the things about being a digital nomad is that you’re always connected—and that’s a blessing and a curse.
Slack notifications, Zoom calls, Canva designs, WordPress dashboards—they follow you wherever you go. The line between work and life blurs until it almost disappears.
But the moment I boarded the small boat at dawn in Saleh Bay, I switched my phone to airplane mode and didn’t touch it again for hours.
Not because someone told me to.
But because I didn’t want to.
A Sunrise Like No Other
I’ve watched the sunrise from rice fields in Bali, cliffs in Portugal, and rooftop bars in Saigon. But this one felt different.
There were no distractions. Just me, six other people, and a vast stretch of sea slowly glowing gold as the sun peeked over Sumbawa’s rugged hills.
The engine of the boat hummed gently. Birds called out in the distance. The water sparkled like silk.
And then—our guide, standing barefoot at the front of the boat, turned and whispered: “They’re here.”
Into the Blue
We moved quickly but quietly—masks on, fins ready, hearts pounding.
The sea was cooler than I expected, but not cold. Inviting. Calming.
And then I saw it.
A shape beneath me. Moving slowly. Effortlessly. Larger than anything I’d ever seen in the water before.
A whale shark.
No photo or YouTube video prepared me for what it’s like to be in the water with a creature that massive and yet so peaceful.
I froze. Not from fear—but from awe.
Just Me and the Whale Shark
There were no crowds. No shouting tourists. No drones buzzing overhead.
Just me. The ocean. And a gentle giant cruising by like I was barely there.
Its back was speckled with white like stardust. Its tail, elegant and wide, moved in slow rhythm. It was the kind of movement that feels both prehistoric and sacred.
I didn’t try to chase it. I didn’t even try to film it. I just watched, weightless, as it passed.
And in that moment, I forgot everything.
My clients. My deadlines. My inbox.
It all dissolved.
Why Sumbawa Feels So Special
Sumbawa is unlike anywhere else I’ve worked remotely from. It’s quieter. Less built-up. More real.
There’s something humbling about being in a place where nature still leads. Where tourism isn’t packaged or polished. Where wildlife still appears on its own terms.
The whale shark tours in Saleh Bay are run by locals who deeply respect the ocean. They don’t bait the sharks. They don’t overbook the boats. Everything is quiet, slow, intentional.
And that’s exactly what makes it perfect.
For a digital nomad like me—used to fast Wi-Fi, fast tasks, fast thinking—this kind of experience resets everything.
The Magic of Doing Nothing
After the dive, I stayed floating near the boat for a while.
Not swimming. Not looking for more sharks. Just… floating.
It’s funny how hard that is for people like me. People who measure days in productivity metrics and project timelines. But here, it was effortless.
I stared up at the sky. Let the salt dry on my lips. Listened to the splash of fins and distant seagulls.
And for the first time in a long time, I felt like I was exactly where I was meant to be.
What I Took Back With Me
I did return to work the next day. Opened my laptop. Replied to emails. Published a blog post.
But something had changed.
I felt slower. In a good way.
More present in calls. More generous in communication. Less bothered by the little things.
That trip to see whale sharks in Sumbawa didn’t just give me a beautiful story—it gave me perspective.
It reminded me why I became a digital nomad in the first place: not to work from beautiful places, but to feel deeply alive while doing it.
For Digital Nomads Thinking About Going
If you’re currently working remotely from Bali, Lombok, or anywhere in Indonesia, and you’re craving a real, grounding experience—don’t overthink it.
Take the trip to Sumbawa.
You don’t need to be an advanced swimmer. You don’t need fancy underwater gear. You just need to wake up early, be open, and let the sea show you something unforgettable.
The wisata whale shark Sumbawa experience isn’t just another tour.
It’s a moment you carry back into your workflow, your lifestyle, your whole mindset.
And it might just be the best day off you’ve ever had.