It's a Friday afternoon in Bali, Indonesia as Nick Sarafa, an American from Michigan, sits behind his laptop at a co-working space.

The space, which offers free open seating for its members, is far from typical: A few minute walk from the beach, it has no proper doors and its ceiling is covered by bamboo. Members take off their shoes before entering and work barefoot. Across the street is a parlor offering one-hour massages for $7.

Sarafa is a software consultant who has worked with various firms and has lived in Bali for the last two years.

"Most people don't understand that I can wake up, open my computer and have a full day's work from anywhere in the world," Sarafa said.

He is part of a growing movement, called "digital nomads," driven by millennial entrepreneurs, designers and developers.

"Most of the people I've worked with, I've never shaken their hand," he said. "I'm building my work around my lifestyle. Not the other way around."