[Jennifer Stevens]

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[Jennifer Stevens]

Hi All, if you are having problems with the live video playback, please refresh your screen and try again. Thanks.

[Jennifer Stevens]

Hi Everyone, get your questions in nice an early. You can submit them here. Thanks!

[Jennifer Stevens]

Hi everyone, a recording of the workshop will be availble to watch back here as soon as the workshop ends. Please check back when you can, a recording will be available for you long into the future.

[Jennifer Stevens]

Hi Van, the recording will be available to watch back here anytime.

[Jennifer Stevens]

Loads more great informaion fond in the Escape to Portugal guidebook.

[Jennifer Stevens]

Hi Aaron,

Your existing credit and debit cards will likely work in Thailand, but using them can be costly.

When you withdraw cash using a foreign card, you’ll be charged an ATM fee of about 220 THB (around $6.12; it will likely appear as part of the withdrawal amount and not as a separate fee on your statement).

Your bank back home may charge its own fees on top of this. Plus, many institutions may give a poor exchange rate and/or charge fees up to as much as 5%.

Credit cards can be used at larger businesses, but some add a fee or surcharge of up to 1.5% , and your bank may apply additional fees and charges.

Before leaving home, tell your bank representative that you’re planning on spending time in Thailand and discuss these fees. You may find that opening an account in a different bank in the U.S., Canada, or wherever home may be, can save you money when you get to Thailand.

Some banks—like Charles Schwab—have special offers for things like foreign ATM fee reimbursement, or better bill paying options, while others (like Capital One) may offer credit cards with no foreign currency fees. You’ll find it well worth your while to research these options exhaustively.

Be sure to check out our dedicated Thailand resource page before you visit.

[Jennifer Stevens]

Hi Alec,

Ecuador uses 120V supply voltage and most devices come with 2-pin plugs just as in the U.S., so all your devices will be compatible here and you won’t need adaptors.

Many electrical outlets have the additional round hole to accommodate plugs with grounding pin, too.

There are no Home Depots or Lowe’s in Ecuador, although there are a number of “big box” home supply stores, such as Kywi and Coral, in larger cities.

High-quality, American-made tools are expensive if you can find them, so bring those along if you think you’ll need them.

Appliance stores carry excellent modern appliances manufactured in the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, and Ecuador, and several specialty home stores have opened recently, enhancing competition and bringing prices down. Among the better Latin American appliance brands are Mabe (made in Chile) and Indurama (made in Cuenca).

Imported, high-quality appliances like KitchenAid or Maytag will cost much more in Ecuador than they do in the U.S.

If you’re moving here as a resident and want these brands, it’s worth bringing them with you since they’ll come in duty-free. Make sure, however, the brand you bring can be serviced in Ecuador.

And don’t forget to check out our Escape to Ecuador guidebook for full details of shipping your household goods.

[Jennifer Stevens]

Hi Gary,

Great choice on visiting Lima. It’s Peru’s business, culinary, and retail hub and is also home to the country’s largest concentration of expats.

Using taxis overseas can be daunting. We all heard stories of people getting ripped off because they don’t know how to navigate the system. But you just need to follow a few simple rules.

First off, it seems that anybody who is unemployed in Peru attaches a taxi sign to the top of their car and becomes a cab driver. Although most are both safe and fairly priced, you should take precautions, especially late at night.

Taxis are not metered so if the price is not already fixed for specific distances, you will need to negotiate. Be sure to agree on a price before you set off in the taxi.

Registered taxis can be recognized by the yellow stripe across the top of their license plates. It’s always better to have your hotel summon a taxi for you, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the system.

And the taxis available from the airport desks are the best option when you arrive. Unlike other countries, prices are more competitive than the ones you will find outside.

Learn more about Peru on the dedicated pages of our website here.

[Jennifer Stevens]

Hi Giles,

Congratulations on your upcoming trip! Spain and Portugal are both beautiful European countries, with a lot to offer visitors and expats.

There’s a lot to recommend in each country, and no way I can cover it all here (or you can see it all in just one month). But let’s look at some options.

We’ll start with Portugal.

Obviously, Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve are the main places that most first-time visitors will want to see.

But for something more unusual, you might consider following in the footsteps of IL contributor Terry Coles, and taking a road trip along Portugal’s “Route 66.” She details her eight-day journey exploring off-the-beaten-path Portugal in this article, which could serve as some inspiration for you.

Last year, we sent three of our editors to explore Portugal top to bottom. I think you’ll find their discoveries pretty useful too, especially Nazareen Heazle’s “Hidden” Algarve… Away From the Crowds. Read the full feature here.

Now, on to Spain.

The major places for tourists are, of course, Barcelona, Madrid, and the Costa del Sol. The Costa Blanca, around Alicante, is also popular with European tourists.

But for some off-the-beaten-path options, IL contributor Tricia Pimental has suggestions for Three Towns Worth Taking a Detour For in this article.

Or if you fancy going a bit farther afield, our Lifestyle Editor Sean Keenan was recently up north in “Green Spain” and loved what he found. Read his full account here.

I hope that’s served as some food for thought to help you plan your visit in March.

If you’d like some more specifics on traveling Spain and Portugal, we have some pre-planned itineraries for both countries available on our Bookstore. These pre-planned routes are designed to be modular, so if you’re spending one week, two weeks, or four weeks in the country, you’ll find an itinerary to suit.

Check out the Portugal itineraries here. And the Spain itineraries here.

[Jennifer Stevens]

Hi Janet,

It’s certainly possible to bring your dogs with you to Portugal. It’s done all the time and generally is a stress-free process. Nevertheless, there are some things you’ll need to consider, which I will go into below.

International Health Certificate

Within 10 days of departure, have your pet examined by an accredited (by the USDA for the United States and CFIA for Canada) vet and obtain an IHC, International Health Certificate. This indicates your pet is healthy and fit for travel.

Microchip

Your pet must receive a microchip, which should comply with ISO Standard 11784 or Annex A to Standard 11785. Portugal also currently accepts AVID 9 and AVID 10 in addition to ISO. The microchip must be implanted before the rabies vaccine is administered.

Rabies Vaccine

All pets must have an original rabies vaccination certificate signed by your vet. The rabies vaccine must be at least 21 days old at the time of the final health exam.

Approved Airline Carrier or Crate

Even if your pet is small enough to travel in-cabin, it still must be in an approved carrier. Visit PetTravelStore and PetTravelCenter for more information.

Border Inspection

Pets can enter Portugal in-cabin, as checked baggage, or as cargo. If you are arriving from a non-EU country, you must go to the border inspection post at the airport, allow your pet to be inspected for health, and pay a fee, usually about €30 ($37).

For more detailed information, check out Chapter 8 of our Escape to Portugal guidebook.

[Jennifer Stevens]

Hi Sara,

Deciding what to do with your much-loved pets will be one of the more emotional decisions you’ll have to make when taking a long trip.

You can engage a housesitter to live in your home and care for your pets while you are away. Alternatively, you may have a family member or friend willing to care for your pets either in your home or their own home.

Either way, make sure you compensate them for any out-of-pocket costs. It’s a good idea also to have a Plan B just in case your pet carer becomes unavailable for any reason while you’re away.

There are organizations that will call at your home to feed, water and exercise your pets. They may also collect your mail and water the garden if needed.

If using a service like this, it’s important to also appoint a friend or family member as a local contact in the event something goes wrong.

Your pets can live with a professional pet minding service, but these services get expensive if you’re away long term. For example, Rover.com charges from $25 per night for a medium-sized dog, excluding food, and depending on your location within the U.S. Petsitter.com is another similar website.

[Jennifer Stevens]

I would rather advise you on the safest “communities” than countries. Every country on the IL beat is safe for single women, though ideally you will want to read about towns in the country you like best and choose one that has a good size expat community.

It is also important to note that safety is relative. Latin American countries don’t tend to rank among the top 20 safest in the world, according to indexes compiled by organizations like Mercer or The Economist. Neither does the U.S. Generally, Canada and European countries take the top spots—but there is no country on earth that’s completely free of crime.

Long-term expats typically choose a town rather than a country. This makes sense. If you read about border towns, you could get the impression that the vast country of Mexico is unlivable. In fact, there are towns like San Miguel de Allende where that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Even in smaller countries like Panama and Costa Rica, there are safe areas and not-so-safe areas.

Occasionally, we meet idealistic singles who inquire about living in remote destinations where they can “really connect” and integrate into the local community. “I don’t want to live in an expat enclave,” they say.

We get where they’re coming from. But we also encourage you to learn from IL’s cadre of seasoned expats, many of whom have learned their lessons the hard way and who share their experiences so you don’t have to. And one of the first lessons you’ll learn as a single abroad is that the happiest transplants tend to have at least a small expat community they can turn to.

With that in mind, I think you’ll find the resources below, created by our globe-spanning network of correspondents and contributors, very useful:

Our general travel safety guide for single women
Safety in France
Safety in Portugal
Safety in Italy
Safety in Spain
Safety in Mexico
Safety in Panama
Safety in Belize
Safety in Costa Rica
Safety in Cuenca, Ecuador
Safety in Uruguay
Safety in Colombia

[Jennifer Stevens]

Hi Joe,

Colombia legalized same-s*x marriage in April 2016. Same-s*x couples married abroad are now entitled to the same visa, healthcare benefits, and inheritance and pension rights as heterosexual spouses, once they take a stamped marriage certificate and identification papers to the nearest designated office in Colombia.

In 2015, same-s*x adoption laws allowed gay couples the same rights as heterosexual couples when adopting children. That same year, Colombia legalized the right to change legal gender without requiring surgery.

Discrimination in employment and housing based on sexual orientation is illegal and is explicitly covered in the law. However, gender identity is implied but is not explicitly mentioned.

The major tourist cities of Medellín, Bogotá, and Cartagena have a growing number of gay and gay-friendly bars, clubs, and hotels. Bogotá elected Claudia López as the country’s first openly lesbian mayor in 2019.

One resource I recommend is Out in Colombia Travel, started by a U.S. expat. It’s an LGBTQ+ travel and tourism agency whose goal is to create life-changing and memorable experiences for gay travelers and to help create cross-cultural exchanges that unite the global LGBTQ+ community.

[Jennifer Stevens]

Hi Karl,

For individuals in the LBGTQ+ culture who are looking for social acceptance and legal protections, Ecuador is a viable option.

Study Ecuador’s political history, and you’ll find this forward-thinking county protects more rights than expected. In 1998, Ecuador became one of the first countries in the world to constitutionally ban discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Since 2008, same-s*x couples can engage in civil unions with all of the rights of marriage (except for adoption), including participating in things like the national health care system or other legal contracts with all the rights of a married couple.

Under the 2016 Gender Identity Law, transgender people can now change their legal gender solely based on self-determination, without undergoing surgery. Ecuador is also one of the few countries in the world to have banned conversion therapy. In 2018, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled that same-s*x marriage is a human right protected by the American Convention on Human Rights, legalizing it in Ecuador.

Because LBGTQ rights are part of the constitution, there’s no worry about the supreme court taking away your rights. There are also much-needed treatments in Ecuador for HIV medicines and doctors in Ecuador who specialized in HIV/AIDS treatments.

It’s easy to find friends at local expat events, gay friendly bars, and through social media like Nomadicboys.com and the LGBTQ Expats Living in Ecuador Facebook page. But mostly, members of the gay community just make friends with expats and Ecuadorians, regardless of sexual preference.

Cuenca is a gay-friendly community and there are many couples here. Because it’s a cultural center, there’s more of an understanding of different lifestyles as writers, artists, and musicians bring a more open ideology.

As for other locations in Ecuador, Quito and Guayaquil are the two major cities in the country with the largest gay scenes due in part to the younger millennials living there. The city of Montañita, a village by the coast is famous for its bohemian vibe and very liberal attitude. It is a tourist town where if you are gay, you can feel extremely comfortable walking down the streets holding hands. In other Ecuadorian cities, it’s suggested that you do not show overt PDA, especially in smaller villages where there is less of an understanding of changing ideals on sexuality.

You can read an overview of how the countries on our beat rate for LGBTQ rights on the dedicated page on our website.

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