Are you a digital nomad looking for a job or free accommodation? If so, you’re in luck!
In this article, we will look at a fantastic new community designed for digital nomads called Adopt a Backpacker.
Adopt a Backpacker began as a Facebook group to help travelers find accommodation and work during the coronavirus, and since then has developed into something much more. Adopt a Backpacker is an excellent website for identifying digital nomad jobs, free accommodation, and finding other nomads to travel and build relationships with.
What is Adopt a Backpacker?
Adopt a Backpacker began as a Facebook group designed to find accommodation for remote workers, digital nomads, and anyone traveling on a budget.

It was launched in 2020 when the Corona Virus left travelers stranded and needing work and accommodation. Since then, it has become one of the fastest-growing digital nomad platforms.
What Adopt a Backpacker does, is provide a platform that allows digital nomads, backpackers, remote workers, and students to connect with local hosts and families who provide accommodation and food in exchange for light help.
As someone staying with a host, you can typically expect to work around 2-4 hours daily, and the tasks involve pet sitting, babysitting, gardening, and other household chores.
How does Adopt a Backpacker Work?
Adopt a Backpacker is a membership platform that costs $11 for the three-month plan, and as a member, you have access to their digital nomad job board, which is updated daily with new remote work opportunities.
Once you decide on a membership plan, there are seven different profile types. These include:
- Au Pair – An Au Pair is a cultural exchange program where you live with a family and help them with childcare in exchange for free accommodation and food.
- Au Pair host- This is for anyone looking for child care and willing to exchange accommodation.
- Local friend – This is for anyone who is a local and can give backpackers and travelers that local experience.
- Hostel host – If you work or run a hostel and are looking for some workers.
- Regular host – Anyone with a home willing to provide accommodation to digital nomads and backpackers.
- WHV 88 days employer – If you are an employer looking to hire travelers on a working holiday visa.
- Backpacker – This is the most common profile type and is for anyone looking for work and accommodation while traveling.
Once you create a profile, you can search for digital nomad jobs, free accommodation, and other travelers to connect with.
Adopt a Backpacker has an extensive search function that allows you to filter by location, length of stay, and the type of work you are looking for.
You can also search for digital nomad jobs by keyword, and the results will show you all the available positions that match your criteria.
Different Features of Adopt a Back Packer
There are four main features that the membership gives you. These are unlimited adoption requests, instant messaging with other nomads and travelers, the share your stories section, and access to the community wall.
Map & List View
The map and list view are one of the coolest features on the website. The map shows you all the digital nomad jobs, free accommodation, and other travelers in your area.

You can also see how long they have been a member of Adopt a Backpacker and read reviews from other members.
The list view is excellent if you have a specific location in mind that you want to travel to.
You can filter the list by country, state/province, and city; the results will show you all the digital nomad jobs, free accommodation, and other travelers in that area.
This is a great way to find out what cities have a lot of digital nomads and remote workers so you can decide where you want to travel.
If you are looking for other resources on how to grow your network as a digital nomad, check out this article here: 7 Best Ways to Make Digital Nomad Friends and Grow Your Network
Instant Messaging
The instant messaging feature on Adopt a Backpacker is a great way to connect with other digital nomads and travelers.
It allows you to send messages to anyone on the platform, and you can also attach photos and files.
The instant messaging feature is also useful if you want to connect with potential employers, as it allows you to have a conversation and get to know them before you meet in person.
The instant messaging feature is a great way to connect with potential employers if you are looking for digital nomad jobs.
Share Your Stories
The share your stories section is for anyone who wants to write about their experiences as a digital nomad or backpacker.
You can share stories about your travels, work, or life.
This is a great way to connect with other digital nomads and travelers, as you can read about their experiences and get advice from them.
Community Wall
The community wall is one of my favorite features on Adopt a Backpacker.
It is a place where backpackers and travelers can post about what they are looking for, but the scope is far beyond just working and accommodation. Let’s take a look at some examples.
Here is an example of someone posting about someone joining their sailing crew for yacht week:

And then here is a post about someone looking for an Au Pair on the beautiful Great Barrier Island.

Another example is someone just looking for travel companions!

The community wall is a fantastic platform for digital nomads, backpackers, and remote workers to connect with like-minded individuals.
Why Use Adopt a Backpacker?
Adopt a Backpacker is an excellent website for digital nomads for many reasons. Still, the main ones are that it provides nomads and backpackers with endless resources has an extensive search function for jobs and accommodation, and has a great community.
Adopt a Backpacker is a great place to start your search if you are looking for digital nomad jobs or free accommodation. Happy traveling!