It goes like this -- as you are waiting for webpack to rebuild your modules, you gaze into the crystal blue water, see someone getting a massage for five bucks, and realize that you're the only one without a beer. Webpack finally finishes up, but you don't notice, and for good reason. Nothing else gets done the whole day.

Imagine the work currently being done in a cubicle. Now remove the two external monitors and fill the bottom third of the cube with sand.

That's pretty much the only difference. Lots of guys try dividing their bill rate by four, but as I said above, that's just personal preference. (And also diminshes the perceived value of what you do.)

He's probably exaggerating, but I can see the allure of remote work. You may be working on a laptop in a cheap room in a hot country, but when 5PM comes, you'll be a few steps away from the surf.

And depending on the client's timezone, you could start work later during the day...

None, due to the glare and distractions. The real work gets done back at hotel/airbnb/coliving/coworking.

This was my experience. When I was a digital nomad my workdays were just spent in a variety of airbnbs instead of my home office. I did spend two weeks working on a beach in Cadiz, but I found that either I was too focused on the work to enjoy the beach or too focused on the surroundings to be productive.

My fav remote work is on top of a mountain looking down at a town, which is less crazy than a beach and work gets done in more of a zen like setting.