Washed by topaz-blue seas, garlanded with reefs, and blessed with sunshine, the islands of the Caribbean draw millions of visitors each year. If, like me, you’re hooked on the ocean and the laid-back vibe, you may also dream of living there… But, driven by the tourism industry, rising prices mean that many people feel a slice of Caribbean paradise could be beyond their budget. Let me introduce you to Grenada, where my husband Michael and I were lucky enough to spend one month last year. (And we intend to go back soon.) We’ve visited many Caribbean islands, but in Grenada we found a true gem that combines terrific beaches and weather with an affordable cost of living and reasonably priced real estate.

Bumping along on the back of an ox cart, I’m wondering why some of the locals look amused. “Well, usually it’s the kids who like riding in Domingo’s ox cart,” says my new friend and guide, Adrian. “They don’t usually see a gringo in it.” In fairness, they probably don’t see all that many foreigners anywhere in the beautiful colonial town of Santa María de Fe. On the site of a former Jesuit reduction (mission town), Santa María de Fe is a small town in Paraguay’s Misiones Department, 152 miles south of the capital, Asunción. Paraguay is one of the least-known countries in Latin America. And the little that people do know about this landlocked country at the heart of the continent is often about its history of eccentric dictators and military coups.

It’s a tropical night. Families and friends throng the café terraces along the waterfront. Everyone can see the Dragon Bridge. It’s lit a brilliant orange and designed to look like a dragon flying across the Han River. If you turn up at 6 p.m. any evening, you’ll see fireworks pour from its mouth. Cross it and you’ll find neighborhoods where expats rent for as little as $400 a month just a few blocks from miles of sandy beaches. The city of Da Nang is my first experience of Vietnam. I didn’t know quite what to expect, but I really didn’t expect what I found…

The decade leading up to 2006 saw Ireland suffer through one of the biggest real estate bubbles on earth. The real estate market stalled in 2006/2007, amid rumors that transfer taxes were set to be reduced. Then in 2008 the crisis hit. In 2009, the global financial crisis rolled through, flattening Ireland’s entire banking sector and economy. In your July 2011 edition, I reported how Irish real estate was available at a discount of 80% on peak prices. Today, Ireland’s real estate market is bouncing back. News stories are filled with talk of housing shortages and fast-rising values. These reports are correct. There has been a strong surge in demand for family homes in desirable areas of Ireland’s main cities. The big buying opportunity here has passed, but right now Irish real estate is a tale of two markets.

A war looms in Asia, though you won’t have heard of it. This will be a war fought for resources and strategic positioning in the global economy of tomorrow: a war for economic dominance in what is emerging as the most crucial region of the world. The challenge for us—investors—comes in knowing where to go to profit from this new war in Asia. And I know where. Burma…a country less than two years removed from a military junta that ruled, often violently, since 1962. The aging military leaders have finally released their death-grip on power and now businesses from pretty much every major country you can think of—Australia, Japan, China, Canada, Singapore, Korea, India, Great Britain, Thailand—are beginning to swarm to opportunities that exist everywhere.

In October 2014, the tiny Baltic country of Estonia invited people worldwide to register as “e-residents,” opening its digital borders and moving toward a world in which a person’s identity online matters just as much as their identity offline. The eastern European country invited anyone, anywhere, to open a bank account or start a business there. This means that now, anyone with an Internet connection can live their financial life based in Estonia, without being physically present—which is great for business and investment.

Isn’t there something rather seductive about a closed box, its lid just begging to be opened, taunting us with the promise of secrets held within? We all harbor an inner Pandora—the so-called “first mortal woman” who couldn’t help but open the box. Mythology tells the tale of Jupiter—or Zeus as the Greeks know him—sealing up all the world’s ills inside a great casket. He entrusted this vessel to his messenger, Mercury, asking him to take it to the ends of the earth. After an arduous journey and exhausted by his efforts, Mercury stopped to rest and laid the box at Pandora’s feet. He asked her to look after it for him but warned her not to open it.

Jamie and Barbara Quinion have no regrets about their move to western Belize. “We’re not just living our dream of the good life,” Barbara says of the couple’s new life in the ancient Maya village of San José Succotz, in Belize’s Cayo District. “We are living the ‘excellent life!’” Five years ago, they decided to sell their winery in Canada and move abroad, for several reasons. “What attracted us to Belize is that it’s English-speaking—that was a big plus—with a good climate, really friendly people, and incredible diversity for such a small country. We live in the farthest point west on the mainland, where we go swimming, tubing, hiking, biking, birdwatching, or just enjoy the great view from our property."

"We love our life here, meeting new people who come to the resort, fishing when we want to, and relaxing in our new house,” say Texans Rex and Connie Hudson of their new life in Panama’s Chiriquí province. “It’s just about perfect.” Rex and Connie are the owners and managers of Hooked On Panama, in partnership with two other U.S. couples. Hooked On Panama is a fishing lodge and resort in a remote area of Chiriquí province. The property is located south of Puerto Armuelles near the end of Punta Burica, a narrow peninsula that extends into the Pacific Ocean and borders Costa Rica.

I’ve lived in Nicaragua for seven years, and I can tell you that this is one of the most beautiful, affordable, and exciting countries in Central America. You can leave your stressful life behind and relax in the tranquility of a liquid gold-touched sunset, listen to a gentle forest rain, or watch from your patio as thousands of fireflies make it look as though the stars have descended from the sky. And if you like excitement and adventure, Nicaragua will not disappoint. Here are just some of the once-in-a-lifetime activities Nicaragua has to offer, whether you’re stopping over for vacation or staying full-time.