Where is the World’s Top Retirement Haven?

We’re constantly on the look out for those countries around the world where you can live cheaper, enjoy better weather, pay less tax, be healthier, happier… where you can start a new life, start a business, retire…

But which country is best of all?

Every September that’s the question we set out to answer in our Global Retirement Index.

Our Global Retirement Index is the result of months of research. We take masses of facts and figures, crunch them, mull them over, and then—for that unique ingredient—we go to our far-flung team of experts and editors to get their judgment. These guys know what life is like on the ground, they have years of experience to draw on to make their calls.

And we have this year’s winner…a champion among the world’s best places to retire. A country that scores high marks in every one of the categories we use. A place where smiles come so naturally, friendliness seems genetically wired. Where 12,400-foot mountains shade verdant-green rainforests…and five-mile-long stretches of golden-sand beaches sit nearly undisturbed—for the moment, that is…

And the best bit?

For less than $600 a month a couple can live well in this country…and $1,200 a month gets you a luxurious lifestyle.

Add to this incredibly cheap real estate, great retiree benefits and a wonderful climate…and you’re getting the picture.

There’s something for everyone here. Tropical beaches, temperate mountain retreats, atmospheric old cities and more. You can enjoy a four-course lunch for $2, get discounts on airfares…and find a two-bed condo with ocean views for less than $50,000.
I can’t reveal our number one just yet…

But our winner’s not your only choice.

There are a total of 25 top retirement havens in the world. There’s something to recommend each one. Some have the ideal climate, others the most affordable real estate. Our winner scores highest in cost of living, but our runner up has the best special benefits for retirees…and which one is the healthiest place to live?

You can learn everything you need to know about the best retirement haven in the world…and get the ratings and rankings in every category for every other country in our 2010 Global Retirement Index… in the latest issue of International Living magazine.

Sign up for International Living magazine now and get immediate access to the 2010 Global Retirement Index.

P.S. That’s not all that’s in the September issue of IL magazine. We also show you…

* Money-saving tips the airlines don’t want you to know… but we spill the beans
* Where to find your Caribbean hideaway for less than $50,000… this location will surprise you
* A day spent discovering the delights of Panama City’s colonial quarter
* Where to find the best orthopedic surgeons in the world and save tens of thousands of dollars
* Save money and stay in touch from anywhere on the planet using a U.S. phone number
* An entrepreneur makes it in Mexico by cooking up a storm
* An insider’s guide to Tanzania raises the roof on this amazing African country
* And much more! Subscribe to International Living magazine now!

7,000 Hidden Island Paradises: Free Report Reveals All

It wasn’t hard to get IL’s roving correspondent Steenie Harvey to spend time in South-East Asia. After all, there are no winters here…just thousands of glittering tropical-island paradises, all within easy reach…

Getting from one to the other is an affordable pleasure…seriously discounted airfares and short-hop flights mean these glittering jewels are just your whim away. From the air these islands are like emerald necklaces strung out in a turquoise sea.

In fact, I said 7,000 island paradises, but there’s more than that in the Philippines alone—and this report also covers Malaysia and Thailand.

Everywhere you go in this region there’s the intoxicating exoticism of the east…multi-colored temples tucked into mountainous jungle clearings…strange, delicious fruit…spice gardens, pearl divers…smiling, welcoming locals…

Today you’re walking barefoot on sugar-white sands. You’ve just emerged from water the color of a shimmering peacock’s feather…tomorrow you’ll be riding an elephant along a jungle trail or treasure-hunting in Asia’s largest night market for hand-loomed silk…

Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines—these three beautiful countries offer several lifetime’s of opportunity. Here, thousands of miles of tropical beaches, lush mountains and dense rainforest are yours to explore …

And our new free report on this region, Live Large for Less on The Exotic Islands of South-East Asia, is going to show you how to make the most of those opportunities…more about that in a moment.

For many visitors, Malaysia’s most beautiful spot is Pulau Langkawi, in the Andaman Sea, close to the border with Thailand. Here, you can get back to nature among a jungle-full of exotic birds, or just hang a hammock between coconut palms…

With an architectural heritage of mosques and mock-tudor, Hindu and Buddhist temples, Kuala Lumpur is the country’s gleaming capital. Its airports, highways, and user-friendly monorail are more modern than those in many western cities.

You’ve heard of Bangkok. You may even have been there. But you’re guaranteed that this city of 10 million souls has more to offer with each visit. Its 35-acre floating market alone requires more than one visit to navigate.

The “Rose of the North”, Thailand’s other city is Chang Mai. This is traditional Thailand where teakwood houses cluster around golden wats (temples).

Thailand’s idyllic resorts, like Pattaya and Koh Samui, are popular spots, and then there’s the “just emerging,” like the relaxed, royal beach resort of Hua Hin on the upper-western side of the Gulf of Thailand.

For some of the world’s most amazing seascapes…some of its best snorkeling and dive sites…there are the Philippines. Made up entirely of island paradises—7,107 to be precise—it’s essentially an English-speaking country.

In the latest issue of International Living magazine, IL’s roving correspondent, Steenie Harvey reports from the Philippines…

“It’s a sight to swoon over. As the plane dips down, there they are—strewn across the South China Sea…glimpsing even a fraction of the Philippines gives most visitors a visual knock-out. With tropical sunshine, silvery beaches, world-class diving and jungle adventures, the Philippines is seventh heaven for vacationers. But this South-east Asian country also has retirement credentials…”

Steeine found out all about the Philippines special retiree visa. (If you’re over 50 years old and have a monthly pension of $800 a month you can obtain permanent residency.)

She also found the tastiest food in Asia—in the island paradise of Penang, Malaysia, a country which also has a special retirement program…

Yes, you can retire to these countries. Real estate is affordable, medical care is world-class…the cost of living is so cheap you can actually save money…

But it doesn’t have to be a permanent move. How about an extended adventure? Discover your own Asia…your own slice of paradise. Can you afford it? Yes…

You can live in a beachfront bungalow for $12 a night in Thailand. Rent in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s smart capital for as little as $170 a month. In the Philippines you can find a mountain retreat of your own in Tagaytay, surrounded by orchards and wildflowers, for only $315 a month.

And on Malaysia’s Penang Island, dubbed “the Pearl of the Orient,” you can live in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Georgetown for less than $1,500 a month—that’s for a couple…and includes rent.

In south-east Asia the retiree lifestyle is all about exploring new places, playing golf and tennis, swimming, diving, surfing, and sailing—and never having to think twice about being able to afford to dine out. A couple will be hard-put to spend more than $30 between them on breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.

These islands, beaches and glimmering cities are the dream zones for a long-term retreat—even permanent retirement under the tropical sun…

To celebrate this tropical-island wonderland we have a free report just for you.
Live Large for Less on The Exotic Islands of South-East Asia (value $37) is the best resource to help you get to know this paradise that is South-East Asia. From finding a property to obtaining residency, you’ll learn how to, travel, live, and retire in this part of the world. With this report as your guide, you’ll save time, money, and hours of frustration…

This special insider report is the result of Steenie Harvey’s own travel and months of follow-up research and consultations with expats in South-East Asia, immigration attorneys, and real estate agents.

And it’s yours absolutely free when you subscribe to the August issue of International Living.

Begin your Asian adventure now…with the latest issue of International Living magazine.

To get your free report go here and sign up now.

In addition to learning more about the Philippines, here’s what you’ll get in the August issue of International Living—and this is just one issue—you get 12!

For travel buffs dreaming of a new life overseas:

• Travel the World for Free: On-the House Travel
• Live in Fairytale Europe on $27 a Day
• Party With The Locals In Callejon de Hamel, Havana
• Expat frontiers: Be Adventurous in The Heart Of Bolivia
• The Inside Track on Ten of Buenos Aires’ Hidden Gems
• Celebrate The Bicentennial Of Mexican Independence

And from our real estate scouts….

• Costa Rica’s Next “Gold Coast”—an “Act Now” Opportunity
• Your Own Home in a Costa Rican Lakeside Village for $33,500
• Mexico—Fun, Sun and the Caribbean Coast’s Next Big Thing

Profiles: Tips and advice from those living the dream

• Business and Lifestyle—Starting Again in Panama
• A Canadian Down Under—a New Life on Australia’s West Coast

Plus….

• Look like a Czech model for $3,054—Where to Go for Top-Class Cosmetic Surgery
• How to Plan Your Finances for an Easy Life Overseas
• Stash your Cash in Singapore—Asia’s Safe Haven
• Eight Mouthwatering Colonial Properties

And much more…

Revealed: A New Land of Opportunity for Expats

There is a place where silken seas of blue, jade and turquoise lap white-sand beaches. Where you can buy a beachfront condo (Caribbean beachfront) for just $55,000…

Among towering mountains you can find glittering high-rises, cosmopolitan cities, and a sophisticated cafe culture.

And the best part?

It’s possibly the best value-for-money destination in all Latin America.

I’m talking about Colombia. Nobody else is…but they will be. The frontrunners are already here, living the lives they always dreamed of, and making the most of the ripe investment opportunities to be found in this beautiful country.

That’s why our cover story of the current issue of International Living magazine is devoted to this new expat frontier. You can find out about all that Colombia has to offer on page 22 of our July issue.

Also in this issue, an idyllic Caribbean island where you can buy beachfront lots for just $30,000. If you like talcum-fine sands, palm-lined beaches—then this island is for you. And prices are up to 30% off what they were.

Home to a vibrant expat community, Roatan, Honduras is a diving and snorkeling paradise just off the coast of Honduras.

This is an “act now” opportunity though…to find out how, see page 7 in the July issue of International Living magazine.

It’s not the only limited-time opportunity in this issue. On page 4 our Real Estate Guru, Ronan McMahon reveals how a smart investment in Northeast Brazil can net you big profits.

Brazil is booming. And where Ronan has his money is outperforming the rest of the country. You can buy pre-construction in Fortaleza, on Brazil’s Northeast coast, for as little as 1% down. And rental yields here are seriously attractive.

Also in this month’s issue, our Roving European Editor, Steenie Harvey, writes from Tuscany, Italy…where wildflower meadows line the banks of sparkling streams, and medieval villages perch above vineyard-draped hills.

Taking Tuscany’s secret byways Steenie discovered that the affordable side to this Italian paradise still exists. In the small market town where the Medicis once held sway, there’s an apartment with valley views going for $66,500 …or, if you don’t think that’s cheap, how about the two-bedroom apartment in a medieval village for $46,000?

You can read all about all of Steenie’s discoveries on page 21.

Elsewhere in the issue, Holger Mette paid his way through 56 countries with nothing but his camera and a passion for travel. On page 10 he tells you how you can do it, too. And on page 29 our Mexico editor and resident dog-lover, Glynna Prentice, reveals the inside track on traveling with pets—she should know, her dog Pippin goes everywhere with her.

Read all this and more in the July issue when you subscribe to IL magazine right now.

Feel Better, Look Younger, Live Longer…

Americans distracted by the health-care debate at home probably didn’t notice when 400,000 of their fellow citizens picked up their passports and left the country to seek treatment. That’s the number who travel for care annually. And with reason.

As Josef Woodman reports on page 14 of IL June magazine issue, nearly every standard medical procedure is available overseas today. And—depending upon the country and the type of treatment—you can save anywhere from 15% to 85% by getting care outside the U.S.

Every day we get letters from readers asking about health care, health insurance and healthy destinations overseas. So throughout the current issue of International Living magazine, we answer your questions. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what you discover.

For instance, studies show that optimism and purpose, a low stress level, a natural diet and an active lifestyle are three times as important as your genetic makeup when it comes to enjoying a long and healthy life.

Good news is: Even the most curmudgeonly, fast-food addicted soul will find those admirable habits easy to fall into in our picks for the world’s healthiest places to live. Starting on page 20, you’ll find a collection of destinations all around the world, where you’re likely to feel better, look younger and live longer.

Read all this and more in the June issue when you subscribe to IL magazine right now.

The More You See of the World, the Larger It Gets

“This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it,” said Ralph Waldo Emerson.

He’s right. Opportunities for fun…pleasure…financial security and profits…romantic discoveries…adventure…they exist in every age.

The trick is spotting them. I started International Living—30 years ago this month—with the idea that we could help you do just that.

For three decades we have. And in that time, I’ve discovered that the more you see of the world, the larger it gets. And the more you take advantage of the opportunities it presents, the more opportunities it offers you.

This month, in honor of our birthday, we bring you an issue packed with them. Some may say the U.S. is a sinking ship, but we report on where you’ll find the best lifeboats.

Real estate editor Ronan McMahon signs in from Ecuador’s fine, northern Pacific coast—long isolated. Now it’s about to become the closest beach area to Quito. On page 6 of International Living magazine, find out how you can profit ahead of a boom.

On page 20, Suzan Haskins, inland in Ecuador, reports from our Number 1 retirement haven: colonial Cuenca. There you truly can live well for less. A two-bedroom condo lists for $69,000. The average monthly rent on a furnished apartment? Just $350.

But that’s just the beginning. You’ll also find in this issue opportunities for adventure, profit, and savings in Spain…Colombia…Costa Rica…Bhutan…Ireland…and beyond.

You can learn everything you need to know about all these ideas…and more…when you subscribe to International Living magazine.

You’ll get instant access to every article in the May issue…plus instant access to every article in every issue we’ve published during the past 100 months in our members-only archive.

Enjoy…

Where You Can Still Buy in Panama From $16,500

Timing is everything.” They say it about wine. About fashion. And, of course, about real estate. I’m ill-qualified to comment on the first two. But when it comes to property investing, I’d agree. Timing is everything. And the timing is right in a handful of pockets around the globe right now.

They’re places where there’s a disconnect between the perceived and the actual values. And in that disconnect, you’ll find a bargain. We profile three such value plays this month in the current issue of International Living magazine. Even better, they’re good for more than simply a smart deal. All three are places you could easily enjoy life a few weeks or months a year—full-time if you’re in the market for such an escape.

First, to Cerro Azul, a quiet mountain town in Panama just 35 minutes from Tocumen International Airport. It’s a place where orchids grow on trees and where Swiss A-frame cottages overlook lush jungle valleys. And you can still buy here for just $16,500. See page 20.

Next, our overseas real estate expert, Ronan McMahon, visits Rocha in Uruguay. This stretch of coast is set to be the next Punta del Este. When that happens, property prices will skyrocket. But right now, you can still buy a half-acre lot for just $49,000. See page 6.

We shine the spotlight once again on Nicaragua this month. Correspondent Lee Harrison reports that when he first visited there in 2004, he found beachfront lots for less than $40,000. Since then prices have shot up (by as much as 610% in two years) and then cooled off again.

On page 8, Lee writes that Nicaragua is now on the up again…and still offers surprisingly good value.

Read all this and more in the April issue when you subscribe to IL magazine right now.

William Bonner
Founding Publisher, International Living

Win at Auction and Save Thousands on Your Travel Expenses
By Suzan Haskins

For a decade now, I’ve been telling anyone who will listen about my favorite online travel auction site. Thanks to this website, I’ve enjoyed a long list of inexpensive vacations. The first auction I won, back in 2000, was for roundtrip airfare to Puerto Vallarta from Dallas with accommodation in a two-bedroom condo at the luxurious Mayan Palace. My winning bid: $226 per person. Subscribe now to read on…

Health Care in Panama: U.S. Standards for a Fraction of the Cost
By Josef Woodman

Does it really make sense to have medical treatments in Panama? My answer: Absolutely. I’ll give you the reasons why in a moment. First, let me share with you a story about a woman named Sandra, who traveled from Arizona to Panama for surgery and would happily do it again. Subscribe now to read on…

Grab French Property at a Fraction of Its Value
By Adrian Leeds

A viager is a French term for a property sold on a reverse annuity basis. Put simply, anyone in France can sell their property in exchange for a down payment and regular cash installments for the rest of their life while they continue to live in their house or apartment. When they die, the property is surrendered to the buyer. The down payment the buyer makes for the property is a fraction of its market value. Subscribe now to read on…

Europe is a product of history; America is a product of philosophy. Or so the saying goes.

It’s part of what draws us to the Old World. Europe has a deeper sense of history than the Americas. It’s irreversibly different. And we’re inescapably drawn to it as a result.

Europe’s essence is hard to find these days. It’s starting to resemble the New World more and more. The French eat McDonald’s, the Irish have McMansions, and European children know more about Hannah Montana than they do about Heidi.

The real Europe—a place of history, fiercely local communities and la bella vita—may be an endangered species, but it hasn’t totally disappeared. It’s there…if you know where to look.

So, in the current issue of International Living magazine, we’ve set ourselves the challenge of rediscovering Europe as it’s meant to be. The Europe of cobblestone streets, small village markets, and 1,001 types of cheeses…and the Europe of real value.

To start our search we sent our Europe expert, Steenie Harvey, to Portugal’s Alentejo region, where she’s encountered medieval castles, sleepy hill towns, and rental properties from as low as $360 a month (page 20).

And our real estate expert, Ronan McMahon, has unearthed ways to profit from the transformation of Portugal’s under-the-radar coast, the Costa da Caparica (page 6).

We’ve been busy exploring the New World, too. On page 30, Lee Harrison reveals his top three picks for beachfront Brazilian living. And on page 26, Panama resident David Dell explains why Volcan is the country’s most affordable retirement destination…

Read all this and more in the March issue when you subscribe to IL magazine right now.

William Bonner
Founding Publisher, International Living

Read the original article published by International Living here.

An overseas adventure. The romance is built-in. The idea that you could escape your world and embrace a new one—a life filled with the things you love, enjoyed in a place you choose. What freedom…

Yet, as we know from the e-mails readers send, the “what ifs” can be paralyzing. What if I’m single? What if I can’t speak Spanish? What if I don’t meet other people with my interests? Spend too much time fretting, and you’ll never head for better shores.

A move overseas doesn’t have to be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve devoted the current issue of International Living magazine to your smooth and comfortable transition abroad.

When you choose a place that’s welcoming…arrive with the right contacts…and foster friends and connections…you’ll discover the romantic promise of a better life overseas isn’t just a fantasy. In this issue, we show you how to make it real.

On page 20 you’ll find our picks for the world’s easiest places to retire. Sixteen destinations in Europe, Asia, and Latin America where you can fit right in—and we show you how.

Throughout the issue you’ll find firsthand stories from expats who are already enjoying life overseas. On page 10 (a single woman), page 14 (a single gentleman), and page 28 (a business-minded couple), they talk about why their new homes are a good fit. On page 15, Jessica Ramesch steps you through the best ways to make connections on the ground. And on page 38, Lee Harrison shares seven ways to ease into your new life abroad.

Let the adventure begin…

William Bonner
Founding Publisher, International Living

Read the original article published by International Living here.

Where in the world can you enjoy the best quality of life?

Now, we’re value hounds here at IL. But each January we rate the single best place to live purely from a quality of life perspective.

We don’t take value out of the equation entirely. We simply make less of it.

Answering this question is never easy…

Before we pick a winner, IL’s far flung staff of writers and international team of experts examine 194 countries and crunch the numbers under nine categories: Cost of Living, Culture and Leisure, Economy, Environment, Freedom, Health, Infrastructure, Safety and Risk, and Climate.

The process takes three months…and costs us tens of thousands of dollars.

Why do we spend the time and money on trying to find the world’s best quality of life destination? Because it’s in our blood. It’s what we’ve been doing for the last 30 years.

Here are some of the highlights from this year’s Quality of Life Index top ten:

New Zealand comes in this year as the fifth best place to live. The country’s immigration department sums up the attractions perfectly:

“In many ways it’s not what we have that’s important to our quality of life—it’s what we don’t have. We don’t have high crime rates, our police don’t carry guns and instances of corruption are virtually unheard of. We don’t have abject poverty or hunger and we don’t have the pollution, congestion, health issues and cramped city living that we see elsewhere.”

We ranked Italy the tenth best place to live this year. It’s not difficult to see why.

You’ve got Rome, Venice, Florence—some of the world’s most beautiful cities. Throw in 60% of the world’s art treasures…a national health care system rated second in the world…sunflowers…vineyards…the world’s best espresso…ice cream…pasta…and pizza…and you’ve got a potent mix.

Neither New Zealand nor Italy come close to this year’s winner for hands down quality of life. In fact, we sure that nobody…nowhere…does quality of life quite like this year’s winner. And at surprisingly reasonable prices…

Let me give you some examples.

– A bottle of some of the world’s best rosé wine: $4.12

– Half a pound of homemade garlic sausage: $1.60

– A visit to your general practitioner: $30

– A monthly premium for private health care (ranked the best in the world): $125

– A four-bedroom stone farmhouse with outbuildings and a large garden: $186,000

Of course, the prices tell only a small part of the story. The real allure of this year’s Quality of Life Index winner is its unparalleled mixture of culture, gastronomy and honest to goodness joie de vivre.

This is what IL writer Steenie Harvey has to say about the place: “This year’s winner’s sensual allure leaves nobody untouched. Spend even a few months here and you will never again regard life in quite the same way. For me, it was love at first sight. I can’t get enough of its culture, fashion, stunning architecture, and intoxicating history. As for the food and wine—well, even thinking about it makes me salivate.”

You can learn everything you need to know about this country that offers you the world’s best quality of life…and get the ratings and rankings in every category for every other country in our 2010 Quality of Life Index…out now for subscribers to International Living magazine.

“Next year is going to be the most exciting one real estate investors have seen in a decade.” So says our property expert, Ronan McMahon, in the December issue of International Living magazine.

Right now, Ronan has his real estate radar on four spots in particular—diverse opportunities around the globe, each of which represents an excellent value play.

In one of these places, he’ll show you how to capitalize on that nation’s continuing boom. With big infrastructure projects on the horizon, it’s an area where the already-increasing property prices are going to spike in the months to come.

In another, projects and banks are in such distress that it has created pockets of opportunity where you can buy quality cash-flow property for 50 cents on the dollar.

In the third area, a new coastal highway is set to open and an airport is on its way, which means property prices here will increase. Ronan explains how to profit in this area before this happens. A similar situation happened in this country back in 1997—improved infrastructure drove up property prices. Back then, you could have bought a home for $250,000. Today, property in this area would cost you anywhere from $500,000 to $4 million. If history is to repeat itself, you could do very well.

In yet another place, there is an undiscovered stretch of coast that big international developers have begun to snatch up. Save some rich Argentines who have been coming here for generations, this place is a secret. “Now’s the right time to stake a claim,” Ronan writes.

VIPs happily pay up to $1,500 to get Ronan McMahons’s real estate recommendations. But if you subscribe to the IL magazine with this link, you get his top profit picks in 2010 for the price of the magazine subscription—just $49.

Also in your issue this month, travel writer Ray Batson explores the Antarctic. “You understand, as you cruise past icy caves and grottos, why visits to the Antarctic are limited to heroes, fools, scientists, and tourists. There are no permanent residents in this frigid, otherworldly land,” Ray says.

It must be one of the most fascinating places to visit. Antarctica is as large as the U.S. and Mexico together. It is the driest continent in the world. It is also the wettest, with 90% of our planet’s fresh water supply locked in its ice. It is the coldest and the highest. And it is the windiest.

Read more on page 26, where Ray gives details on how you can follow on Shackleton’s trail to this icy land.

From icy to thermal, our Latin America Editor, Suzan Haskins, tells you about the best natural spas in Latin America. In places like Mexico, Peru, Costa Rica, and Ecuador, you’re never far from the soothing warmth of these hot springs, called balnearios. Suzan offers some of her favorites. See page 30.

In your December issue, you’ll also learn about one of Ireland’s most ancient traditions; how you can use your IRA to buy your dream property overseas; Steenie Harvey reveals her secrets of how to haggle like a rug trader (tip: start by offering no more than 25%); learn about Uruguay’s three best value beaches (where you can buy from $55,000); discover where to find the best Christmas festivals and markets around the world; find out if you should kiss Uncle Sam goodbye; see what inspired the Beatles in India; turn paper into gold; and find out where you can buy a home on the slopes from $128,940.

Read all this and more in the December issue when you subscribe to the IL magazine right now.