Northern Portugal

Northern Portugal

Zipping along Portugal’s A6 high-way from the historic walled city of Evora to the popular beach resort of Cascais, just outside Lisbon, I marvel yet again at how easy it is to get around this European retirement haven. I’m coming to the end of a week-long scouting trip in North-ern Portugal. I started in the city of Porto, the country’s second-largest and home of port wine...

Midnight Thrills in Belize, Sustainable Strolls on Taboga, and More

Midnight Thrills in Belize, Sustainable Strolls on Taboga, and More

Belize is a place for free-spirited adventures, and its tour guides are offering ever more edgy, exciting tours to meet the growing taste for hands-on experience travel,” writes IL Belize Correspondent Laura Diffendal. “Some of the more adrenaline-pumping activities now on offer are the opportunity to dive with whale sharks, or snorkel with...

A Warm Bienvenido in Panama’s Lush Crater Town

A Warm Bienvenido in Panama’s Lush Crater Town

I can’t remember the last time I woke up to anything but the sound of my alarm. Today, however, I awake to the sound of birds. Lying in my bed, I hear the occasional bark or rooster’s cock-adoodle-doo…the breeze blowing through the trees and rattling fallen leaves… muffled sounds of salsa music coming from a neighbor’s kitchen. Comforting, small-town sounds...

Now Is the Time for Beach Town Bargains in Belize

Now Is the Time for Beach Town Bargains in Belize

The statistics don’t lie—Belize is in a major growth period, and has been for the last two decades. Certainly that growth is happening at a slower pace than in other developing locations. But as someone who has lived here for years, running a successful business in the hospitality industry, I see this as a good thing. So do many other expats I talk to. It’s sustainable growth, not a bubble...

Loving Small-Town Life in Ao Nang, Thailand

Loving Small-Town Life in Ao Nang, Thailand

After visiting a friend in Ao Nang, in western Thailand on the Andaman Sea, J.D. Gruen decided he wanted to live by the sea for the first time in his life. “I love it here. I prefer small-town life, even with the busy tourist areas here. It’s friendly and everything needed is within reach: supermarkets, computer shops, electrical shops, many good Western (non-Thai) and Thai restaurants.”

Enjoying Affordable Luxury in Phnom Penh

Enjoying Affordable Luxury in Phnom Penh

“Moving to Cambodia was the smartest decision I ever made,” says Ryan Preston with a smile. “Everything, and I mean everything, is affordable. I didn’t know what luxury was before coming here. My refrigerator is full of organic fruit, French wine and cheese, Australian lamb, Belgian chocolates…and you know what? I can buy whatever I want and still spend under $75 a week...