Renowned for its beaches and culture, the Indonesian island of Bali plays host to the annual Bali Arts Festival from June 13. This celebration of traditional art and dance includes tribal dress—resplendent golden headgear, vibrantly-colored saris, and ornate tribal masks—and traditional dance unlikely to be seen anywhere outside the remote villages where it originated. A terrific way to immerse yourself in the unique traditions of the Eastern world while soaking up some glorious rays.

Looking at the lofty, snow-capped peaks, it’s not hard to see how tales of the huldufólk, the “hidden people” of ancient lore, came to be. This is Iceland’s Snaefellsnes Peninsula, abounding with the kind of awe-inspiring mountain scenery that this island nation is renowned for.

Ever wonder what it would be like to work with elephants for a day in the jungles of northern Thailand? At the Patara Elephant Camp, you can. Not all elephant camps are created equal but this is one of the highest on the list when it comes to ethics and dedicated mahouts (elephant handlers).

Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires is a cosmopolitan city chock-a-block with visual delights. From sultry tango dancers in the streets to impressive French architecture and monuments, stylish street cafés, and street ferias (fairs) enlivened by entertainers, arts and crafts.

A new era of relative peace has allowed Colombia to prosper. In the past decade, annual GDP growth has typically been in the 4% to 6% range. In U.S. dollar terms, Colombian stocks have tanked. The local currency, the Colombian peso, has fallen hard against the U.S. dollar. The reason? Collapsing price of oil. Brent crude oil is down 50% since June 2014.

My husband and I were happily living in Arizona in a retirement community when, in 2008, everything changed,” says Patty Grimm. The financial crisis dealt the couple a heavy blow, and they no longer felt they could live the same quality of life on their retirement income. “We knew that if we wanted to keep our nest egg, we’d have to look outside of the U.S. to live.”

Cuenca is a cultural hub, with no shortage of things to do. And as entertainment is modestly priced, you’ll have plenty of money in your pocket to afford it. A thriving expat community guarantees you’ll find plenty of like-minded people in the city and have no trouble making friends.

From bustling beach towns to small fishing communities, stunning stretches of sand to lush rainforests teeming with life, Costa Rica’s Central Pacific coast has a huge variety of lifestyle choices to offer expats. And thankfully, it has the real estate to match. The name of the game in the Central Pacific is good value. Beachfront and walk to-the-beach properties are bargain-priced compared to anything you’d find in popular resort areas of the U.S. And there truly is something for everybody, whether you’re into the vibrant atmosphere of a resort or the peace of a fishing village.

Lorelei Kusin has seen four Panamanian presidents come and go during her 14 years in Panama. But she lives on an island in Bocas del Toro province, and in this part of the Caribbean, time seems to stand still.