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New Places To Live And Retire Around The World
By Phillip Townsend, Thu Dec 8th
Places to Live in the World: Emerging Alternatives From Canada to Europe, Africa to Asia, it’s time for a freshlook By Phillip Townsend The advent of fast Internet communication and inexpensive airtravel makes it easier to turn any far-flung paradise into apermanent home. Which places in the world have the most tooffer? The perfect place to live or retire, of course depends onyour idea of perfection. (Article continued below)
I’m taking a different approach for this article. Instead ofgiving an overview of the better-known and increasingly-popularexpatriate destinations around the world (Mexico, Costa Rica,Belize, Panama, Nicaragua, Ecuador, France, Spain, Portugal,Italy, etc.), I’ve decided to introduce you to the below 7locales you probably don’t know much about. All offeraffordability and abundant recreational and culturalopportunities. Nova Scotia Just east of Maine, in the North Atlantic, NovaScotia’s pristine coast is slowly becoming a sought-afteraffordable getaway. Only two hours from New York or Boston, itfeels a world away. A pleasingly crowd-free province on Canada’sAtlantic Coast, little-known Nova Scotia could just be theperfect full- or part-time retreat. Halifax, the capital, hasbeen luring tourists for years. Waterfront cafes, Europeanarchitecture, and spectacular seafood keep them coming back.Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island boasts the some of the bestscenery in the world, from the picturesque highlands to thepicturesque Bras d'Or Lake (pronounced "bra door"), with theAtlantic Ocean as a backdrop. In the winter months, the GulfStream keeps the climate milder than most northern U.S. states,with the area more rain showers than snow storms. Picture theAmerican East Coast a century ago, and you get a feel for whatNova Scotia is like. Almost an island, it is best known for itsstunning coastline, sleepy seaside towns and friendly people.The province’s natural beauty, cheap real estate and low cost ofliving make it well worth a look: oceanfront lots start at$10,000, three-bedroom homes on acreage from $50,000. A lobsterdinner with a bottle of good local wine set you back no morethan a twenty spot. Scenes of the Hollywood blockbuster Titanicwere shot in Nova Scotia, and celebrities including JackNicholson, Demi Moore and Billy Joel maintain summer homes here. Caribbean Almost everyone has had dreams of living a laid-back,stress-free life on a tropical island. One by one, the Caribbeanislands were discovered and eventually became sadlyover-developed, terribly over-crowded, and ridiculouslyover-priced. Unfortunately, due to mass tourism, most places inthe Caribbean have become little more than artificial, tropicalDisneylands with luxury hotels and all-inclusive resorts. Butthere is one place that still maintains its original charm andnatural beauty. This place is quite inexpensive (by Caribbeanstandards) and is virtually unspoiled. Relatively undiscovered,here, you can still find ocean view lots for as little as$22,000 and have a small cottage built for prices starting at$25,000. To protect it from the fate of its Caribbean cousins, Iwon't reveal the name of this special place just yet. You canfind a link to more information at the end of this article. CubaThink Cuba, and vivid images come to mind: of men in Guayaberashirts and Panama hats, tropical breezes and cool drinks, steamyLatin rhythms and sultry women. It has always been an intriguingplace, steeped in truth and in fiction by the novels of ErnestHemingway. Because travel to Cuba is restricted by the U.S.government, relatively few Americans visit the island each year.While their counterparts from Europe, Canada and Latin Americabask in the warm Cuban sun, most U.S. citizens can only hope toexperience this "pearl" of the Caribbean after Castro is gone.Of those who do manage to get to Cuba via Mexico or Canada, feware disappointed. The largest Caribbean island (pop. 11million), Cuba is also one of the most beautiful and unspoiled.There are miles of pristine, underdeveloped beaches, tropicalforests teeming with wildlife and some of the best deep-seafishing, scuba diving and snorkeling the world has to offer. Andthere is Havana, not only the capital of Cuba, but also long themost important city in the Caribbean. With tourism once againthriving, Havana has regained much of its past allure. Famousold bars, restaurants and hotels are enjoying a proud comeback,and stunning new places are being built. As one taxi driver putit, "We have the best cigars, best rum, best music, and mostbeautiful women in the world. What more could anyone want?" Romania Best known for Transylvania,
the legendary home of CountDracula, Romania is steeped in history, myth and folklore.Unlike other Eastern European countries with Slavic origins,Romania, whose name means 'land of the Romans,' absorbed much ofthe culture, religion, and language of the Roman Empire.Bordered by the Black Sea (which is being called “The NextRiviera”) and the Danube River, with the Transylvanian Alps andCarpathian Mountains nestled in the center of the country,Romania has long stretches of seacoast, mountains, forests,medieval villages and gothic castles galore, giving it all themakings of a fairy-tale setting. The capital Bucharest, a formercommunist citadel, has a growing number of discos, whilerestaurants at most major hotels double as nightclubs, there areseveral Parisian-style cafés, and cheap wines and plum brandyflow freely everywhere. Due to its wide boulevards, sidewalkcafés, and Triumphal Arch, Bucharest, was known as the "Paris ofthe Balkans" prior to World War II. Today the city’s 19thcentury neoclassical architecture and numerous tree-linedstreets still maintain its charm. A sizable enclave offoreigners (Germans, Jews, Turks, Russians, Ukrainians, Serbs,Croats, and Gypsies) live in Romania. French is the mostwidely-spoken second language and English is spoken by many ofthe younger generation. The real estate prices are some of thelowest in all Europe (the country’s economic woes spellsopportunity for you). Malaysia Asia's best-kept secret for expatriates, Malaysia has a vibrantmix of foreign and indigenous tribal cultures, creating averitable melting pot of peoples, traditions and religions. Asizable enclave of foreigners (Brits, Americans, Australians,and Canadians) live full time or maintain holiday homes inMalaysia, and you'll find that just about everybody speaksEnglish, since its compulsory in local schools. Not only arethree world-class playgrounds (Thailand, Bali, and thePhilippines) all within a few hour's travel from Malaysia, butmiles of beaches and numerous coastal islands add to itstropical appeal. Despite being the capital of a developingnation, Kuala Lumpur is a modern cosmopolitan with clean streetsand every modern convenience to found in New York or London.Compared with other major Asian cities (Tokyo, Singapore, andHong Kong, for example), Kuala Lumpur is downright cheap. Thecost of 2-bedroom rental apartments begins at around $225 permonth and 3-bedroom houses start at $35,000. Naturally,comparable housing in expatriate communities or the luxurioushomes that date from British colonial period can set you backconsiderably more. New Zealand Imagine an interesting land of breathtaking andcontrasting scenery: craggy coastlines, golden beaches, lushforests, snow-capped mountains, bubbling volcanic pools,fish-filled rivers and glacier-fed lakes, all beneath abrilliant blue sky. New Zealand is accessible, spread over threerelatively small islands with modern and efficient transport,quiet roads, plenty of flights and two stunningly scenic railjourneys. Other pluses are friendly, English-speaking people,virtually no crime, and a trio of rich cultural influences:adventurous Polynesian navigators (Maori), pioneering Europeansettlers who followed a thousand years later, and modern PacificRim immigrants. The plant and animal life are unmatched, givingopportunities for close-up experiences with birdlife (includingkiwis), seals, dolphins and whales. Enjoy the chance to exploretwo of the richest wine regions on the planet, taste wonderfulcuisine, stroll on sandy beaches. Prefer urban living? Immerseyourself in the culture of the capital Wellington or the largecities of Auckland or Christchurch. Tanzania Many people tend to associate African countries withwars, famine and political unrest rather than the good life, butZanzibar, Tanzania is an exception. Located only a shortdistance off the east coast of Africa, exotic Zanzibar has luredexplorers, traders and colonists for centuries. The islands’powdery white sand beaches, swaying palm trees and turquoisewaters continue to attract European and Asian tourists. Outsideof an unusual mix of black African and Arab cultures, you’llfind the islands teeming with tropical forests, remote villagesand idyllic coastline. Despite flare-ups between residents ofZanzibar Island and the smaller island of Pemba (due todiffering views on unification with the mainland), Zanzibar isusually quite stable. Cheap real estate (oceanfront or raw landwith fruit trees), mouth-watering seafood, some of the world’sbest scuba diving, and pure tropical bliss make it an attractiveexpatriate haven. A few wealthy Europeans and Africanaristocrats have already made Zanzibar and mainland Tanzaniahome. Why not join them? RESOURCES For more information about living abroad, visit:www.nsliving.info For travel articles and news from countries around the world,visit: www.worldcountries.info
About the author:Phillip Townsend, an international reloacation consultant, isthe author of Passport to Canada: The Complete Guide to Livingand Retiring in Nova Scotia, and the special report TheCaribbean's Best Kept Secret. His website is www.nsliving.info | Sign In |
