Dreaming of warmer weather and long sandy beaches? Then Kenya’s new digital nomad visa will come as welcome news.

Announced this week, the Digital Nomad Work Permit will allow remote workers to temporarily station themselves in the East African country with a potential view to longer-term residency.

It is hoped the visa will boost tourism, the local economy, innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.

At the Magical Kenya Travel Expo in Nairobi on 2 October, President William Ruto also highlighted the country’s visa-free policy introduced this year, along with a new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for transit passengers passing through the capital.

This allows passengers to leave the airport during their layover to explore Nairobi.

What are the requirements of Kenya’s digital nomad visa?

To get Kenya’s digital nomad visa, applicants will need to show a valid passport, proof of remote work outside Kenya, proof of accommodation within Kenya and a clean criminal record.

The minimum annual income requirement for the visa will be $55,000 (€50,000).

So far it is unclear how long the work permit will be valid for, how much it will cost or when it will be available. But it is expected that it will provide a potential pathway to long-term residency and even citizenship in Kenya.

Why visit Kenya?

Kenya also made things easier for tourists this year by introducing 90-day visa-free travel for many nationalities in January. Travellers must obtain an ETA at least 72 hours before setting off.

The ETA can be extended for a further 90 days for $50 (€45), giving a potential total stay of six months.

That’s plenty of time to explore the country’s diverse landscapes and culture. Kenya is best known for its safaris – particularly in the Maasai Mara National Reserve. But it’s also home to pristine Indian Ocean beaches and outdoor adventures such as summiting Mount Kenya and flamingo watching in the Great Rift Valley.

It’s easy to pack plenty into a short stopover in Nairobi, too, from visiting the Nairobi Giraffe Centre, shopping in the lively Maasai Market, fuelling up on Kenyan coffee or dancing the night away at the city’s vibrant clubs.

Kenya welcomed around two million international tourists in 2023. The country aims to increase this number to five million by 2027.

With villas rising out of the reef above crystal blue waters, the Maldives are synonymous with luxury.

Most of the 1.8 million tourists who visited the South Asian island state last year are on the deep-pocketed side. But the super-rich will soon have an even more exclusive option: a private island they can bid to stay on.

The new concept is being piloted by Mohamed Ali Janah, group chairman of Hotels and Resorts Investment Maldives Group (HARIM Group) and a special advisor to UN Tourism.

“I am building the most exclusive private island in the world,” he told attendees of the UN’s World Tourism Day event in Tbilisi, Georgia last week.

Would-be guests will have to auction to stay on Kudahithi Sands island, a 30-minute boat ride from the international airport in the capital of Malé.

How much will it cost to stay at the Maldives private island?

Janah, an advisor to the Maldivian president and described by Forbes as the Maldives’ leading construction magnate, has built numerous resorts across the island state and further afield.

While developing Kudahithi, it occurred to him that this jewel of a 14,000 square metre island presented a new opportunity. Plans currently include six villas and a yacht, making it a covetable location for private meetings or secluded family and friend time.

Discussions are underway with global real estate agents to figure out the finer details of how the auction concept could work. The idea is that a limited number of nights per year will be released, which people can then bid to purchase in blocks.

Janah believes it will drive prices past record levels. “In the Maldives, there are islands that are selling for $120,000 (€109,000) a night, for a private island, so I believe that we will be able to beat that kind of price,” he told Euronews Travel.

Described by Janah as the ‘Necker Island of the Maldives’ – a reference to Richard Branson’s exclusive private island in the British Virgin Islands – Kudahithi Sands is set to open in 2025, with dates to be announced soon.

What is the appeal of the private island in the Maldives?

Another unique selling point of Kudahithi Sands island is that it will not be attached to an international brand or linked to other hotel properties in the Maldives.

“It will be sold as a single, isolated private island. In other words, you will not see anyone other than you,” Janah explains. “There won’t be any paparazzi or any news coming out,” he adds. “So it’s like a world exclusive, really high-end.”

The appeal for those who can afford it is to experience a holiday that feels like being at home. Wealthy travellers can bring their own butlers and staff to cook out of the island restaurant, Janah suggests.

The reef affords brilliant snorkelling opportunities, with a private yacht parked up to explore the surrounding seas at your leisure.

Kudahithi has already proved a hit with celebrities in its previous chapter as a private island. Actor Sophie Turner and then-boyfriend musician Joe Jonas reportedly rented the entire island back in 2018, when it was marketed at $45,000 (€53,000) a night.

If you are young and looking for a budget-friendly way to explore Europe, there’s good news.

The EU is giving away 35,500 free rail passes to 18-year-olds under the DiscoverEU scheme.

The initiative is part of the Erasmus programme and aims to foster cultural connections in the EU.

Those eligible will have the opportunity to explore Europe’s heritage and history while meeting people from across the continent.

All you need to do is answer six questions.

DiscoverEU: How to apply for a free EU rail pass

To be in with a chance of winning a free rail pass, applicants must be born between 1 January and 31 December 2006.

The scheme is open to legal residents of the 27 EU member states or Overseas Countries. Residents of third countries associated with Erasmus can also apply. These include Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Türkiye.

If that’s you, the next stage is to head to the European Youth Portal to take an eligibility quiz.

You will have to answer five multiple-choice questions about the EU and one additional question. These cover general knowledge about the EU and its initiatives aimed at young people.

You will also be asked to give more information about your travel plans. This includes when you plan to travel, whether it will be the first time you have travelled alone without your parents, what you would like to learn from the experience and how you will finance your trip.

This information will not have any impact on the selection process.

The Commission will rank applicants based on their EU quiz responses and will offer travel passes following their ranking up to the limit of available tickets.

Applications are already open and end on 16 October at midday CET.

You cannot apply if you have previously been given a DiscoverEU pass.

How will the free rail pass scheme work?

Those who prove successful will get a free rail pass to travel in Europe for up to 30 days between 1 March 2025 and 31 May 2026.

At the application stage, you can choose to either travel alone or with a group of up to five friends. If you choose to travel as a group, you can share your application code with your friends to allow their registration.

Only the group leader has to answer the EU quiz questions; group members just need to supply personal data to complete the application and fulfil the age and residency criteria.

The travel pass can be used in your residency country only for one outbound and one inbound journey. It must include travel to at least one other country eligible under the scheme.

The overall journey can last from one day up to a maximum of one month, including up to seven travel days.

Participants will generally be eligible for a pass worth up to €283.26 in second or economy class. The amount may be raised for applicants travelling from remote or overseas regions.

In some cases, coach and ferry passes will be included too. To ensure young people living in remote areas or on islands are not excluded, flights may also be awarded in exceptional cases. Preference will always be given to the most sustainable option.

If you’re one of the lucky awardees, you will also be given a European Youth Card (EYCA) valid for one year. This grants discounts for cultural visits and activities, learning, nature, sports, local transportation, accommodation, food and more across the EU.

How will applicants for the free rail pass be selected?

Applicants will be selected up to the available budget and ranked following the correctness of their replies.

There is a quota of travel passes set for each country. If a country has fewer applications than the quota, the remaining passes will be distributed to countries with a higher number of applications.

If there are too many eligible applicants, a ‘first come, first served’ principle will apply – meaning earlier applications could be favoured as a last resort.

Special support is available for participants with disabilities or health conditions.

Successful applicants will be notified by email after the selection period has ended in October.

They will then be connected with an EU contractor who will take care of the travel bookings and payments.

Passes purchased directly by the selected applicants will not be reimbursed.

Is anything expected in return for the free rail passes?

When you apply for a free pass, you are invited to become a ‘DiscoverEU Ambassador’. This means you are encouraged to report back on your travel experiences through social media or school and community presentations.

The scheme’s app will allow you to create a customised map of your itinerary with statistics on the number of trains taken, number of countries visited and CO2 savings, which can be shared on social media.

Young travellers will also need to report back in an online survey after taking part in the scheme.

On its completion, travellers will receive a certificate of participation highlighting competencies and skills gained from their travel experience.