You could say we start with secrets…those things unknown or unseen by most folks, and often kept hidden on purpose.
Each issue of International Living is planned with an urge to reveal secrets. What are the best beach towns for retirement in Central America? How much of a profit can you bank renting out your home in Tulúm, Mexico? What are the best places to get a second passport or open an offshore bank account? Can you get your Social Security benefits overseas? (On that last one, yes, you can in all but North Korea and a handful of other places you don’t want to retire to anyway.)
In your latest issue we reveal some fantastic secrets of affordable travel. For instance, Bob Patrick reveals how he’s been traveling the world without paying a cent for accommodation. It cost Bob less than $7,000 to spend two-and-a-half years enjoying life in Ecuador.
About 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador you’ll find the Galápagos Islands. This volcanic archipelago is unique and notoriously expensive to visit…unless you know what Connie Pombo knows. Discover how she explored these famous islands without the hefty price tag.
The most livable and enjoyable small cities in the world are often anchored by a university or two. They have something special, something you won’t find anywhere else. We reveal the secret of exactly what that is, and where you’ll find the five best for retirement in the world.
The Caribbean is known for laidback islands, white-sand beaches and high-priced real estate. IL Editor, Ann Kuffner, has a secret well worth sharing—an idyllic Caribbean island close to the U.S. where prices are at bargain levels.
Bali is a popular destination for expats and the island gets millions of visitors each year. But most never make it to the black-sand beaches of the north where expat Mike Henry reveals you’ll find monthly expenses—not including rent—of just $500.
Those are just some of the secrets we share with you this month.
—Eoin Bassett, Editorial Director
A popular expat hub, the Belizean island of Ambergris Caye is no stranger to visitors. From August 6 to August 8, the island welcomes an influx of a different kind, as performers and artists from across the Maya world descend on Ambergris for the International Costa Maya Festival. This colorful event is a spectacle of music, dance, and food, as the region’s Maya ancestry is celebrated in vivid style.
He marched his army from Macedonia to beyond the borders of the known world. On the banks of the Ganges, in modern-day India, he finally stopped. The Indians called him “Sikandar,” but we know him better as Alexander the Great. And legend has it that remnants of his army settled in the Himalayas, where they have remained to this day.
Jacques Cousteau once declared the Blue Hole in Belize to be one of the best diving spots in the world—and few would disagree. The Blue Hole, part of the Lighthouse Reef system, is an almost-perfect circular limestone sinkhole that is nearly 1,000 feet wide and more than 400 feet deep. This striking ocean feature sits like a giant blue pupil in a sea of turquoise.
Sweden may have a reputation as one of the most modern and progressive nations on Earth, but its capital, Stockholm—spread across 14 islands—still manages to preserve its past in resplendent style. At the heart of the city stands the Royal Palace, the magnificent residence of Sweden’s much-loved monarch, king Carl XVI Gustaf. This glorious, baroque-style building, open to the public, houses king Gustav III’s Museum of Antiquities, with over 200 stone sculptures from across Europe.
Scandinavia is one of the most expensive regions in the world… and Norway is usually the most expensive country within Scandinavia. But thanks to a falling oil price coinciding with a rising U.S. dollar, Norway is on the bargain counter. The Norwegian krone recently touched a 13-year low against the dollar, while the shares of Statoil, Norway’s largest oil company, recently bounced off a six-year low (in dollar terms). These multi-year lows offer enticing buying opportunities for the forward-looking investor.
Morning is my favorite time of day here in Cotacachi. The local stores are just beginning to open, street vendors are pushing their carts into position, and the bells of Iglesia Matriz are softly chiming. Nothing but blue sky means perfect views of the two dormant volcanoes that stand guard on either side of this small town and her valley. I’m walking the mile from my home into the center with my son. Our route brings us into town from the east and our first stop is Parque San Francisco, the smaller of two plazas. Park benches sit under sturdy palms surrounded by shrubbery and flowers.
The dazzling Caribbean island of Roatán offers much more than spectacular sugarsand beaches and cozy, inviting bays. You’ll also find mountainous terrain lush with vibrant tropical flowers. Head up any of the many hills that form the interior to be awestruck by the surrounding Caribbean Sea, its surface sparkling in the sun, its depths tinged with aquamarine, topaz, and soft green hues.
“We have never regretted our decision,” says Ellen Ma of her and her husband Jim’s move to the island of Penang in northeast Malaysia. “Financially it made sense, and when you throw in high-speed internet, cable TV, great food, and a large, diverse expat community, we wish we had done it sooner. We were also surprised how many North Americans are here. There are a lot and that’s also comforting… we immediately had people who understood us.”
When Jim Archibald found himself retiring on disability in his mid-50s, he had a stark choice. “I could have moved to some remote backwater place and lived in a shack, but that’s not very appealing,” he says. For 25 years the Californian had run his own business making auto parts. Now retired, he knew his budget would be very tight, so the obvious answer to him was “to move to a place with a low cost of living.”
It’s the simple things I love most about life in Bali, one of more than 17,000 islands making up the country of Indonesia. For instance, taking my dogs Abby and Yuki for a walk along the beach at sunset, and dropping in to my favorite beach bar, Warung Rasta, for a cold beer or two. The rickety wooden tables sit right on the black, volcanic sand, and it is the perfect place to watch the sun go down, as Java’s volcanoes loom to the west. As dogs, chickens, and pigs run around the beach, I give the staff a quick wave and they bring me a beer.