Best Affordable Beach Resorts

I'm always on the look out for a great travel deal and finding the most affordable places to vacation is a never ending project. After all who doesn't shop around for the best possible deal? Just like everyone else I'm wanting to get the most from my hard earned cash. I'm really not into material things so besides making sure 'the kids are alright' I work to play - I work so I can spend what I earn on great trips and travel. Well with that kind of priority in mind you can understand why this article really caught my attention and the cheapest time to go to Vegas post did not.

Today, Yahoo Travel had a great little article titled,

The Best Affordable Beach Resorts

I book marked this one as it has some really cool sounding places to visit. I also noticed that a few of these spots are known to appear regularly as Top Retirement Places. One place on the list that jumped out at me was Las Olas Beach Resort in Panama. A few years ago I lived full time in Boquete Panama. I still have land there and return quite often. Anyhow, Boquete has had a reputation for a number of years now as one of the Best Places to Retire in the world. Now Boquete is in the highlands of the province of Chiriqui, not far from the Costa Rican border. It's lush and green and some call it 'the land of eternal spring'. Meaning it rains and it's cool. That's why it's so green and why everything loves to grow here. Boquete and the Chiriqui highlands are also known as the bread basket of Panama. This is where most of the countries fresh vegetables and fruits come from. Now don't get me wrong. It doesn't rain all the time in Boquete. It can get pretty wet in 'Green Season' which runs from May through December but the vast majority of those days also see a good share of sunshine. In dry season there are these lovely mists that keep all the foliage moist and green. They call these light rains Bajareque. During the years I lived in here and especially in 'Green Season' I would take my family on day trips to the beach. Las Olas (the waves) was the closest to us at about an hour away.

Las Olas Beach Resort Panama

This small resort is located on Playa la Barqueta (beach of the small boats) which is a combination of black (volcanic) and golden sand. When we first started going there it was pretty quiet. The road into the beach was horrible and there was very little there except for this small all-inclusive resort. We would often just go to the beach and grab a bite to eat, Comida del Dia, at one of the local cocinas. But we wouldn't swim or let the kids go in the water. It's called Las Olas - The Waves - for good reason. There is a shear drop off which creates a dangerous undertow. But, it also creates amazing waves so the beach is popular with surfers.

Over the few years we lived in Boquete we watched as the road was repaired and Las Olas expanded. A number of Boquete residents who got tired of 'Eternal Spring' moved down to the beach. It quickly got a reputation as one of the cheapest places for retirees to live on the beach. The resort expanded and built beautiful beach homes as well as low rise condominiums which enjoyed the services of the resort.

Today you can still stay at the all-inclusive resort for just $78 a night. I wouldn't recommended a while wek as there is not a lot to do - unless of course you ae really into surfing and/or deep sea fishing. But the nice part is you don't have to. You can simply stay a few nights and then continue your journey up for a few nights in Boquete!

Source: Travel.Yahoo.com

Best Place in the World to Retire Young

Wondering where the best place is to retire young? How young you might ask? How about retiring at just 19 years of age?

Nineteen?! You ask, incredulously.

Well it's a god idea to spell it out and clarify that youthful age. And the truth is there actually is a place in the world where you can retire that young. That country is Panama.

Each year, International Living Magazine publishes it's Global Retirement Index. They search the world for the best places to retire, live, work, and invest. And for five years in a row, Panama took 1st place, hands down over all the other countries. It’s no big surprise to us, because because we've lived there and we know of no other country that has such a generous program for attract retirees and pensioners regardless of what country they come from. It's called the Pensionado Program and it's loaded with perks and benefits but something you may not know is that it's possible to qualify for Panama pensionado program at any age of majority. That means a nineteen year old can apply and receive the pensioners visa and all the benefits that go along with it.

You see Panama has a different way of looking at retirement.

When it comes to business and finance Panama has always been an innovative country. When they observed the baby boomers starting to retire and scope out alterative locations to do so they realized that "retirement" was being redefined. That a new generation of retirees had very little in common with the retirees of 50 years ago. That's why in Panama, retirement isn’t based on age, it’s based whether you can afford to retire. Whether you have enough earnings to Retire Young.

If anyone can demonstrate that they have a 'pension' or long term paid benefit that earns them a minimum of $500 per month, they can qualify. The only age caveat is that you are a legal adult - that you have reached 'the age of majority' meaning 19 years old.

So, if you can prove you have $500 a month coming in for the rest of your life and a few more easy requirements, like no criminal record, then you qualify for the generous package of 'Pensionado' benefits, including: 50% off hotel room stays; 30% off public transport including airfare; 20% off doctors visits; and a whole lot more.

Panama is safe. It's has a very stable democracy. It's people arre extremely friendly.  Plus Panama boasts one of the best health care systems and modern infrastructures in all of Central America. If you take just a little time to learn about Panama, you will soon find it just keeps looking better and better. Panama is also known for it's pristine nature where the country’s wildlife is abundant. That’s a big reason the Smithsonian’s Tropical Research Center is located in Barrio Colorado, Panama.

If you remember your geography then you know Panama also has two long coasts - one on the Pacific and the other on the Atlantic - Caribbean. There you can discover adventures that are off the beaten trail or as Panama likes to say, 'The Path less Traveled'. In Panama you’ll find rain forests, white, golden and black sand beaches; in addition to everything you could possibly desire in a tropical paradise like: snorkeling, the world's best big game fishing, sailing, hiking… and much more. Panama also has territories inhabited by the seven indigenous peoples of Panama where you can safely explore and learn about cultures past.

Yes, if you're one of those fortunate souls who is ready to retire early and enjoy an exotic lifestyle you can do it in Panama!

Tunisia - a Popular Place to Holiday?

It's no secret that the most popular places for tourists are popular because of trends. When famous celebrities are photographed soaking up the sun or sitting on a yacht in a particular place, that area immediately gains a massive leap in popularity and tourists flock to this latest fashionable holiday hot spot. The question is, why? Why do the celebrities go to that particular area? What is it about the area that draws people in to begin with?

There are a diverse range of trendy holiday destinations that are constantly popular with tourists, sometimes because they offer the best of one particular thing and sometimes because they are able to combine a number of different things well. Countries around the Mediterranean Sea have always been popular tourist destinations due to the weather, the landscape and the beautiful sea, and Tunisia is no exception.

Tunisia is the most northerly country in the continent of Africa and sits on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, close to Sicily. With a population of nearly ten and a half million people it is certainly not the most populated of African countries, though it can boast an extremely high relative percentage of coastline, with a total of approximately eight hundred and ten miles. Tunisia is bordered by Libya to the south-east and Algeria, to the west.

With such a massive coastline it is not surprising that Tunisia offers some of the best beaches in the Mediterranean. Although Port el-Kantaoui is the most popular beach in Tunisia, it is actually a tourist complex that was built in 1979 and based on the French town of Port Grimaud. Tunisia is also famous for its clear waters and coral beds making it a perfect venue for scuba diving. Along with Port el-Kantaoui, another great beach to go diving is Monastir situated on the central coast of Tunisia.

Tunisia has also become famous as the location in which a number of extremely high grossing movies have been filmed. The English Patient and Raiders of the Lost Ark were both filmed there, along with two Star Wars films; A New Hope and The Phantom Menace. One specific location for the movie Star Wars: A New Hope, specifically the lead characters childhood home, has now been turned into a hotel where visitors can come to stay in subterranean rooms and eat dinner surrounded by sci-fi props. Whereas the hotel previously mentioned (the Sidi Driss hotel in Matmata) is not that difficult to locate on a map, finding the different locations in which other blockbusters were filmed may prove a little more difficult without a prior internet search and the help of a local guide. Guest post By Mark Walters
Source: Tunisia Holidays

Editors note: When Mark first sent me this article thought twice about posting it due to the unrest and problems currently facing Tunisia as it works to form a stable democracy. But then I thought what's this blog all about? It's about learning and sharing information about places all over the world. Sure it's easy to look at some places that hit the news and discount them completely. We write them off our list and assume we will never ever go there and worse still we paint the entire country or region with the same brush. Just start a conversation about visting Panama or one of the other Latin American to invest in Real Estate and watch the reaction you get - you'll know exactly what I mean. The reaction will likely relate to safety - dictators - and Noriega in particular. Even though that rein is decades old and Latin America now offers some of the Best Places to retire in the World. Anyhow, Tunisia, just like every other country does have some redeeming qualities and a tourist industry. Something I thought well worth sharing.

Best Places to Retire

When it comes to living cheap retirees are the first ones to ask, 'Where are the Best Places to Retire?'


Retirement Living brings with it a whole new set of feelings and concerns. I don't mean to make light of the issue or to say that those who are middle aged are stingy or cheap. It's simply a reality. People live a lot longer these days and many who are looking at retirement are worried they will out live their savings. Even though many people think this is a new phenomenon due to the down turn in the economy the fact is living cheaply has been top of the mind for retirees since the since good old Otto von Bismarck first introduced the concept of the old age pension back in 1889. Everyone who retires wants to stretch their dollars as far as they can because the really don't know how long they will be around and the certainly know there is no more cash coming in.

Some people think the only way to stretch those dollars and enjoy a quality of life in retirement is to search out the best places to retire overseas. As the internet changes our society into one which is more globally inclined and less worried about patriotism this option can make a lot of sense. It still amazes me how many people stay within a few miles of where they were born and yet they complain about politics, the weather, taxes and more. Why not move? Many countries overseas saw big changes in their economies long before the still young U.S. experienced their downturn. In fact the new world was created out of just such downturns and strife many years ago. We could think about European countries as they've been there and done that. The cost of living in many foreign countries overseas and abroad along with lower taxes, great benefit programs and lovely weather can be a huge pull for those looking considering the best places to retire abroad.


So, where is the best place to retire? Well as with most questions that seem simple but are really very complex the answer is, 'It depends.' Yes, it's true it does depend on a lot of things. When Americans ask that question they are probably really thinking, where is the best city to live in USA? Ask a Canadian or European that same question and their minds inevitably reach beyond the borders of their home country to more exotic lands.


International Living has been asking this same question for a number of years and their retirement index of the best places to retire in the world is a constantly changing traget. For example their top five best places to retire in the world 2010 list names these countries:


#1 Ecuador
#2 Panama
#3 Mexico
#4 France
#5 Italy


add in these communities and you've got the Top 10 Best Places to retire.


I wonder what next year will bring? Maybe Retire Belize or Ecuador will make the list.


The International Living Retirement Index by the way ranks the top 25. You can learn more about I.L. and their retirement research here - International Living Magazine.