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Are warm temperatures and cheap prices an expat trap better avoided?
Much has been written on this site about choosing a new country in which to live, whether it’s for a new job or for retirement. Having traveled around the world for a few years now, I wonder if many...
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Why it’s so difficult to compare expat cities by price
One of the first and most important questions any potential expat should ask is how much the new city will cost for a lifestyle similar to the one they are considering leaving. Many people and...
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Monday Escape: Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
When most people think of perfect year-round weather, they typically think of places in the Tropics which never get cold. But when you spend a lot of time in the Tropics you realize that you need air...
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The perfect year-round climate? Consider mountains in the Tropics
At one time or another I think every person with any mobility options has wondered what it would be like to live in a “perfect climate.” For people in North America and Europe it’s probably during the...
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Grahamstown: A Haunting South African Experience
A ninety minute drive outside of Port Elizabeth will take you to a rather spooky South African colonial settlement. It’s called Grahamstown, a small municipality nestled within the scrubby green hills...
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Are Asia’s biggest cities less appealing for expats than big cities elsewhere?
It’s a strange phenomenon. If you were a first-time visitor to the US, France, England, or a great majority of other highly populated countries, most people would tell you to spend your whole first...
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For many expats, complaining is a permanent hobby
My mother likes to complain about the weather. She was born in eastern Germany and now lives in Orange County, California, which is part of the area that arguably has the best year-round climate in...
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Finding large sized clothing in countries without large sized people
These days it’s more than just us Americans who find themselves off the size scale in certain parts of the world. People all over the world are getting bigger, and finding clothing that fits in some...
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Monday Escape: Manila, Philippines
Of all of the capital cities in Southeast Asia, Manila is one you don’t hear many people raving about. There are some good reasons for that, as we’ll discuss, but many people do visit and there is...
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Expat banking in different currencies is good, but don’t try to profit from it
For those of us who live in countries different from where our funds come from, whether it’s a salary or a pension, the banking situation can be complicated. Even if you are able to move all your...
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Malaysia is very easy to visit and it’s a shame more countries aren’t like this
Malaysia is the second richest country in its region (only behind Singapore), and yet they make visiting, even for longer periods, incredibly easy. This is one main reason I keep coming back to this...
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Monday Escape: Boracay Island, Philippines
Fans of the Philippines typically struggle as to why the country doesn’t get as many visitors as its neighbors such as Thailand and Indonesia. The one exception within the Philippines is Boracay...
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Singapore is Asia’s best (and only good) big city for walking
If you spent your whole life in north Atlantic countries and were planning your first trip to Asia, you’d probably have some incorrect assumptions. One would probably be that Asia’s big cities would...
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Expat life near a low cost airline hub is a huge advantage
Being able to explore a new city in another country is one of the best parts of being an expat. In some ways it’s like you are on vacation all the time because, at least at first, everything is new...
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Sri Lanka is booming in tourism, but is it ready for expats?
Since the civil war ended only a few years ago, Sri Lanka is now clearly in a tourism boom. The small island south of India has made it on countless hottest destinations lists in the past year or so,...
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Monday Escape: Malacca, Malaysia
Somehow Malaysia continues to stay out of most conversations when people are discussing where to spend a holiday, and there are advantages to go along with the disadvantages of that. It’s not as...
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Expat housing alternative: Off-season holiday rentals
Finding quality housing at a reasonable price is often a tricky part of being an expat. As we’ve discussed before, finding and securing a rental that is advertised on the internet is difficult unless...
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5 Reasons you might want to live in Singapore
Singapore is certainly one of the most expensive cities in Asia, and being almost on the equator it’s also hot and humid every day of the year. But this city also has many interesting things going for...
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Monday Escape: Kandy, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is known almost equally for its lovely beaches and for its enchanting hill country, with most of the population and tourism being in the south of the country. Kandy is the largest city in...
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Expat benefit: Resetting our habits and routines from home
Most of the benefits and problems with becoming an expat are fairly obvious. The cost of living might be higher or lower in your new home and you might not know the local language and so forth. But...
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