Matt Cengia (@mattcen.com)

NOMATRIBE: An Honest Review of Brazil Wonder (2025) Last month, I spent three weeks in Brazil with NOMATRIBE, a travel company that offers “group trips for remote workers who love adventure.” This is my second trip with NOMATRIBE — after traveling with them to Peru earlier this year — and I can’t recommend them highly enough. There are dozens of work and travel programs out there, and while I haven’t tried them all, this is the one that I keep coming back to. It’s one of the most affordable, authentic, and inclusive programs out there — but it’s not without its hiccups. Here’s everything you need to know about traveling with NOMATRIBE, including the pros and cons of Brazil Wonder, and how to sign up for their 2026 trips. ## What Is NOMATRIBE? NOMATRIBE is a work and travel program run by Vero from Colombia and Yomi from Peru. They’ve both been working as digital nomads for years, and have first-hand experience living in and traveling to the places they lead trips. From the start, I knew they would attract a very different crowd than mainstream travel programs. They mostly market to digital nomads in Latin America, so they aren’t just a “study abroad” program for U.S. citizens living overseas. They challenge many misconceptions about digital nomads, and are sensitive to issues like passport privilege, LGBTQ+ inclusivity, and dietary restrictions. On this trip, we spent a week in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — a city that I would have been intimidated to explore on my own — and two weeks in Pipa, a small beach town known for swimming, surfing, and laid-back vibes. Other NOMATRIBE trips revolve around sailing — from Colombia to Panama — hiking (to Machu Picchu), and other outdoor experiences. Of course, they also leave plenty of time to get work done during the week. ## Pros of NOMATRIBE Joining a remote work trip is always a risk: what if you don’t enjoy the destination? What if you don’t get along with the rest of the group? For the most part, that isn’t an issue with NOMATRIBE, because they do such a good job of facilitating the experience. Here’s what I enjoyed about the trip: ### Most activities are included. Prices for upcoming NOMATRIBE trips range from $1,550 to $2,350 USD for 2-3 weeks of travel. While this might sound like a lot of money, it’s a great deal when you consider how much is included. Many work and travel programs _only_ include accommodation and a coworking space; NOMATRIBE includes a lot more. In Brazil, our fees covered: * Accommodation in Rio de Janeiro (one week) * A coworking space in Rio de Janeiro (one week) * Admission to popular attractions in like Pão De Açúcar * A flight from Rio de Janeiro to Pipa * Accommodation in Pipa (two weeks) * A full-day trip to the beaches and sand dunes in Pipa * Weekly dinners in which we learned to cook local recipes like tapioca If you booked your own place or went on a tour with a company like Intrepid or GetYourGuide, you _might_ be able to see and do the same things for less. But the advantage of going on a trip like this is that almost everything is included. ### It attracts open-minded people. I don’t know exactly what criteria NOMATRIBE uses to vet participants — or how many applicants are turned down — but they do a good job of bringing in a mix of people with similar interests and compatible personalities. Everyone has a video call with one of NOMATRIBE’s founders to make sure they’re a good fit. The result? A group of people that you’ll enjoy having dinner with, going on day trips with, dancing with, and more. In this group, participants came from places like Peru and Panama, while others had ties to multiple countries, including the U.S., Guatemala, and Colombia. ### It’s (usually) multilingual. Depending on your reasons for traveling abroad, this may or may not be a benefit. For someone like me who wants to improve their language skills, it’s a good thing. On both of the trips that I went on, around 80% of the group was fluent or at least conversational in Spanish — and on the Brazil trip, several spoke Portuguese. While most events and activities were conducted in English, dinner conversations and WhatsApp chats regularly switched between Spanish and English, making it easy to practice your language skills in a supportive environment. ## Cons of NOMATRIBE When I travel on my own, I have a lot of control over where I stay and what I do. I can even leave a destination entirely if it’s not for me. With NOMATRIBE, you’re along for the ride. Here’s what I wish had gone a little bit differently: ### The quality of accommodations can vary. While I loved where we stayed on the Peru trip, the accommodations on the Brazil trip were a bit hit or miss. In Rio, we stayed at a hostel in Copacabana and worked from a co-working space that was a 10-minute walk away. At the hostel, I shared a room with another participant — and there was only one key! That meant we either had to come and go together, leave the door unlocked, or hand the key back and forth throughout the day. In Pipa, we each had our own room, but we didn’t have a shared coworking space, which took away some of the communal vibes. I also didn’t love that there was a “no guest policy” (enforced by cameras at the accommodation), so we couldn’t invite back any dates we met on the dance floor. ### The schedule could have been tighter. NOMATRIBE puts together a full schedule, with something on almost every night, from yoga to karaoke. While participation is optional, it can be a lot if you’re used to traveling on your own and doing your own thing. Sometimes, plans would change at the last minute, or we’d spend time figuring out the logistics to get to our next activity. Occasionally, we’d be out at an event, and half of the group was ready to go home, but half of the group wanted to stay. We spent a _lot_ of time waiting in lines or waiting for rideshares. On top of that, many restaurants in Brazil __ serve meals family-style, and figuring out who wanted to share which dishes was complicated. We used an app called Splitwise to keep track of group expenses like shared meals and rideshares. ### You’ll still need to do some research. When I first started thinking about the Brazil trip, I pictured myself taking surfing lessons and going to dance classes several times per week. I’d learn how to speak Portuguese, and make friends with other digital nomads outside the group. In the end, I only managed to go surfing once — because the sun sets at 5pm here, and you have to get up super early and wait for the tide to be right. And I skipped many of the nights out dancing, because they started too late for me — 10pm or later — even though I enjoyed our group’s salsa and bachata class. It was a wake-up call that just being in a place with pretty beaches and exciting activities doesn’t mean you’ll be able to fit them all in. It’s worth considering exactly _how_ you want to spend your time before choosing a destination. ## Ready for Your Next Trip? If you’re looking for a work and travel program that will ease you into nomad life, NOMATRIBE has a lot to offer. In 2026, they’ll be heading to: * Mexico (March 7 - 28) * Panama (March 14 - 29) * Guatemala (April 11 - May 2) * Brazil (April 18 - May 9) * Colombia (May 9 - May 25) * Peru (May 23 - June 10) Check out the full list here, and use code SAULNT to get an exclusive discount: Next Trips for Remote Workers and Digital Nomads — Noma TribeEmbark on our adventure-focused trips blending work and travel. Join unforgettable experiences in Peru, Colombia, Brazil, and Guatemala! 🌋🏄‍♀️Noma Tribe0 https://remotequeer.co/nomatribe/