IL Magazine: Discover the World's Best Retirement Haven for 2023 + 15 more
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I can’t imagine a better standard of living,” says Matt Mancini, waving a hand to encompass the city of Kampot, Cambodia. It’s a riverside town in the south of the country that has historically been a refuge from the Southeast Asian hot season. A place that grows almost visibly week to week, and yet it still seems somehow embedded in the past.
Affordable healthcare, a slower pace of life, reduced stress—there is a long shopping list of factors to consider when you make the decision to move abroad. For many, finances might top that list. For others, perhaps it’s a longing for adventure, or an urge to live in a more pleasant climate. These are the big things; the non-negotiables.
An idyllic setting in an exotic destination, with Western-style comforts and services. A place where communities exist within a pristine, conserved habitat, but which also offers golf courses, water sports, and amusement parks. All that, at Southeast Asian prices. Oh yes, it exists! And the clincher? Over 90% of the population speaks English.
I live in Pak Nam Pran, in the region of Pranburi, Thailand. It’s a relatively undeveloped stretch of coastline just a few hours from the capital, backed by protected forest and mountains. It’s not big, but its physical surrounds make it a world-class kiteboarding location, which draws a lot of in-the-know travelers to the area.
Five years ago I took a three-day kiteboarding course in the little town of Pranburi, Thailand. It was three days well spent, but in the end I thought the sport wasn’t for me. Too much gear, too finicky, too much set up and break down, too complicated. That course put me onto wakeboarding though...
My intended destination was Kong Lor cave, one of the highlights of central Laos on the Thakhek Loop, a 350-mile route normally starting from the town of the same name. The loop is gaining notoriety as an inexpensive must-do in Laos for its abundance of caves, nearly empty winding roads, and mountainous landscapes.
Felix and Ruan have run their own camp for almost 10 years. They bought the land and built almost everything on it themselves, including the massive open-air kitchen where kids learn to bake bread and pizza in a brick oven and pedal stationary bikes that generate electricity...
Mariam Coleman points to Baiyoke Sky Tower in Bangkok, Thailand. “My son took me to dinner there, that’s the tallest building in the city, and the restaurant revolves.” Mariam who, in her own words, is “pushing 80” has been in the city for four weeks and, despite the hazy air, she’s seeing more clearly than she has for years...
“The truth is we have no idea when we might be back to California or even the United States,” Carroll says, sipping her iced tea and looking out to sea beyond the other boats bobbing on the tide. “We have a few places in mind to check out with the possibility of building in...
Mike Gagne pretty much grew up on skis. Born and raised north of Ottawa, Canada, he spent his childhood in Edelweiss Valley, ski racing both on the Québec ski team and later as a professional for a short stint. That led to a position as the director of a ski school for