Not long ago all travel was slow. Ships sailed at the pace the wind gave them and trains rumbled for days through vast landscapes while passengers slept and ate on board.
You had to spend time in places…bad or good. Waiting around was part of the deal. I suppose it still is. No one loves an airport queue, but something was definitely lost with the arrival of airplanes.
So a “slow travel” movement was born. It’s billed as a way of traveling that allows you to connect with the locals, get more out of your destination, a way to “live” in a place rather than pass through ticking off sights.
A day here…a week there…a month somewhere else. It’s also without a doubt the best way to scout potential retirement destinations for yourself…
In your issue this month we reveal the best places to do just that this winter. We spent time and effort selecting specific destinations for their ease, low costs, and good climate. These are the ideal spots to get a taste of expat life, have fun, and spend less than it costs you to stay home.
Kathy L. Hall has taken the idea a few steps further. Fed up with work Kathy had an epiphany…she was going to take off with just her social security check. After traveling solo through Southeast Asia (which she wrote about in your December 2016 issue), Kathy set her sights on Latin America. “The path I’ve trodden there has been so incredibly rewarding,” says Kathy. She reveals how she’s journeyed through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Mexico on just $1,500 a month.
Boomer-age folk are well and truly on top of the travel hacks that make for luxury travel on a budget. With retirement comes the freedom and flexibility to make the most of secrets like the one we reveal here—learn how to take ocean cruises for as little as $42 a day.
And if you prefer four-wheeled freedom, how does a road trip in Mexico sound? See here for more…
—Eoin Bassett, International Executive Editor
Nestled high in the green mountains of Ecuador’s El Oro province lies a destination more precious than the gold for which the province is named. Piñas, a village known as the “Orchid of the Andes” for its outstanding natural beauty, is a great place to experience just how special off-the-beaten-path places can be in Ecuador.
It was good to see the sunset again. And the rooftop terrace overlooking the Bay of Banderas was the perfect place to take it in. Casa Karma, clinging to the cliff-side above waves crashing on the shore, is one of Puerto Vallarta’s favorite happy-hour spots for local expats.
September 15 marks Costa Rica’s independence from Spain. So if you’re visiting the land of Pura Vida this month, the question is not how to find the celebrations, but how you could possibly miss them. The entire month is set aside as el mes de la Patria (Homeland Month) and the whole country comes alive with national pride.
America is great again! Just check the stock market: The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 posted new all-time closing highs this year. The Nasdaq Compositeis up more than 17%. U.S. markets are on a tear and investors are downright giddy. But here’s what they’re not telling you…
The fading sun ripples on the waves and a slight breeze blowing in from the Pacific cools our skin. We know we should head to dinner, but it’s hard to force ourselves to get up from our beach recliners in such a serene setting. I look across our dwindling bucket of beers and smile a contented smile at my husband Jim.
In January 2013, my husband and I bought our 1,313-square-foot, three-bedroom apartment in Medellín for just under $177,000. Recently, I found out that the value of our property had soared 60% in less than five years. I was shocked but delighted. We love where we live and wouldn’t change a thing.
“The one word that always comes to mind when asked how I like living here is ‘contentment,’” says Ann Winters of her retirement on the Caribbean island of Roatán. “I have never felt so content anywhere.” Ann and her husband Ron have much to be content about.
“We have been traveling to Belize since 1997 and have never found a country with more caring, welcoming, and positive people,” says Lisa Cyrier. “And it’s gorgeous, too. We can travel from the beach to the rainforest in just a few hours. And the tropical climate suits us just fine.”
Since moving to the island of Penang, Malaysia, Ed and Sally Wilkerson enjoy a 1,300-square-foot apartment with sea and harbor views, and a balcony that can easily hold 30 people. “We entertain quite a bit,” Sally says. “This balcony and the apartment are made for entertaining, and we love having friends over.”
No matter what your dream home looks like, you can find it in Central America. But you can lose it all if you’re not careful. Buying real estate in this region is often a very different procedure from what you’re used to. Because of this, some naïve buyers have made mistakes that have lost them both their property and the cash they put up to buy it.