Living Affordably in Beach-Town Cambodia
My Saturday mornings usually begin with a short cycle down a quiet back road to my favourite French pâtisserie. Over a breakfast of a delicious omelette, croissant, and cappuccino, I plan my day.
Life for expats living in Southeast Asia can be exhilarating, comfortable and affordable. In Chiang Mai, Thailand, $2,000 a month buys you royal treatment. And delivers a relaxed lifestyle among a friendly local population, a vibrant expatriate community, low crime rate, cool “winters,’’ and excellent medical care.
Malaysia flies under the radar for most Americans, but it, too, deserves your attention. Where else can you live in a high-rise that looks and feels like high end Miami…but pay less in rent than you would in Boise, Idaho? Nowhere else we know.
Where the exotic is an everyday offering, it’s easy to assume you’d never fit in. But, as our writers report in your issue this month, they’ve found just the opposite to be true. Locals are welcoming, warm and generous. So don’t resist the tug of exotic Asia. Instead, explore. You can start by reading the articles in your July 2013 issue, below. If you’d prefer to read your issue in PDF format, click here.
One City, Two Continents…Istanbul for Modern Adventurers
Looking down at Istanbul as night crept in and my plane circled over the city I’ll admit I gasped. Because Istanbul is breathtaking. Snaking in a black line through the pulsing lights below lay the Bosphorus—the narrow straits dividing Asia and Europe.
The Three Most Desirable Havens in Low-Cost Malaysia
Where else can you live in a high-rise that looks and feels like high-end Miami…but pay less in rent than you would in Boise, Idaho? Where else can you have coffee at Starbucks or grab a beer at an Irish pub…then head out to explore an exotic market or an ancient temple? Where else can you live comfortably on less than $1,800 a month…
Once-in-a-Decade Values in Boquete, Panama
Right now, real estate values in Panama’s highland country around Boquete are perhaps the best they have ever been—certainly the best in seven years. A short stroll up the hill from Boquete town center is the exclusive neighborhood of Santa Lucía.
How the “Chinese Dream” Can Make You Money
Something big is happening in the world’s second-largest economy. Something so big, in fact, that it could prove to be the most powerful economic trend of the next decade: China’s blue collars are turning white.
Singapore: Where they Still Take Bank Privacy Seriously
As other nations relax bank secrecy, the island nation of Singapore has embraced it. If you are looking for strong banking and business laws in a highly-regulated environment and ultra-secure storage, look no further.
Turning Expat Experiences into Travel Cash in Thailand
In 2009 the financial crisis swallowed my California business and my home. After I paid off my employees I was left with only a Social-Security check. Where could I live comfortably on $1,240 a month while I rebuilt my fortunes? I did some research and decided on Thailand. Peaceful, warm, beautiful, prosperous, and welcoming to retirees, it offered me the best balance of lifestyle and affordability. I packed my belongings into duffel bags and bought a one-way ticket to Chiang Mai, a city in northern Thailand.
Doors Now Open in Burma’s “Lost-in-Time” City
The city of Yangon is unique in Asia. Nowhere else will you get that “lost-in-time” feeling more than here, in the former capital of British Burma.
The Weird and the Wonderful on Display in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is adventure travel at its most exotic. Each day brings new sights, smells, tastes, and experiences. Cultural encounters, too. The Bangkok taxi driver who asked to borrow my glasses (he thought they’d help his eyesight)…the former head-hunters of the Iban tribe who still live in traditional longhouses in Borneo…the sing-along with locals in a Filipino karaoke bar.
IL’s Calendar of Events: Explore Green, Clean Costa Rica
Costa Rica is one country that may truly have it all: A year-round tropical climate, modern cities, Caribbean beaches, Pacific coastline, rainforests, lush valleys, and majestic mountains. With its slower pace of living, warm, welcoming climate, healthy, fresh foods and reputation as one of the “greenest, cleanest” countries in the world...