I work remotely – I’ve found the perfect winter base on Egypt’s Red Sea coast
First published in the i Paper
One evening in Dahab, my friend and I were paddling out across the bay in a canoe. The sun was setting behind the Sinai mountains, bathing them in gold.
All along the coast the bars, with wooden terraces stretching out to the Red Sea and steps leading down to the water, were full of people taking in the same moment as us.
We had hired the canoe for 250 EGP (roughly the cost of a Tesco meal deal, at £4) as a break from working remotely in a nearby café. Within just a few minutes of shutting our laptops we were on the water, watching the colours shift slowly across the bay like a painting.
I’ve been remote working for more than a year, and what felt universal during the pandemic is now less common again. According to ONS data, more than a quarter (28 per cent) of working adults in Great Britain hybrid worked between January and March 2025, but other reports suggest that the proportion of the workforce working entirely remotely is around half that number.
At home in London, my days are often spent in video meetings with colleagues I’ve never met in person. Sometimes I leave the house to find a cafe to work from – the thrill of finding a new place only lasts until I realise I’ve spent almost £20 on coffee and breakfast just to be around other people.
In theory, with a remote job, the world can be your oyster. Your email could reach me on a beach in the Maldives. In reality, budget and logistics often don’t allow that dream to be realised.