Best Places In The World To Retire

The crime rate in Belize seems very high when you hear it from national media but from the point of view of the community, it doesn’t seem very high.
 
Most of the crimes that happen here are gang-related where one gang attacks the other. The crime happens in their circle and they don’t really spread that retaliation or anger towards other people. So if you are an expat it is pretty safe.
 
When I have guests who are expats here in Belize, I always tell them...

The crime rate in Belize seems very high when you hear it from national media but from the point of view of the community, it doesn’t seem very high.
 
Most of the crimes that happen here are gang-related where one gang attacks the other. The crime happens in their circle and they don’t really spread that retaliation or anger towards other people. So if you are an expat it is pretty safe.
 
When I have guests who are expats here in Belize, I always tell them to treat people with respect. If you see someone who doesn’t look too pleasant, do not glance at him as if he is dangerous. Just say “hi” or “good morning” just as you would to anyone. Most of the time, it softens their heart. Even if they are set out to rob somebody today who is going to pay a bill, a simple “hi” or “good morning” could change their perspective.  There are dangerous parts of Belize City, where gang members live.  I walk around that neighborhood, greet them just as I would greet anybody, and I feel safe. The moment you do not give respect to them like they do not matter in the society is when they start getting hostile feelings towards you as a person.
 
We are a car rental business. We rent out about 25 cars a day, and most of them are to tourists or expats from the US or Canada. They are usually people who come to Belize to look for real estate and different retirement options. I have not heard of any complaints from them about getting attacked or threatened here in Belize. Most of them tell us about the different ways they are welcomed by locals here in Belize but I have not heard of anybody who has been attacked. When they come to our company, we tell our guests to relax and not be scared because when you go around feeling scared, you tend to invite bad things towards you. Someone might be looking at you as you go around and see that you are scared and you are an easy target. So my advice is to go out there, relax, meet people with an open heart and you should be welcome in the community.

 

(Jestine Dawson at work at A Belize Car Rental, Belize City, Belize pictured.)

The quality of life here in Nicaragua is very safe. There is nothing crazy like gangs here. Your kids could go out pretty safe. I think it is because the people here are behind so it is almost like you are going into another era, which I think is nice. People here are more traditional so they are more about getting to know their neighbor. I feel like they are not exposed to things like the ugly side of the American culture.
 
I know that expats come here and live here for a...

The quality of life here in Nicaragua is very safe. There is nothing crazy like gangs here. Your kids could go out pretty safe. I think it is because the people here are behind so it is almost like you are going into another era, which I think is nice. People here are more traditional so they are more about getting to know their neighbor. I feel like they are not exposed to things like the ugly side of the American culture.
 
I know that expats come here and live here for a reason. Some of them do not like being in the States anymore. For me, that ugly side of the American culture that you don’t want your family to be exposed to in the US, like racism, class division, etc., is not here. You can get to know a lot of people here from different places and different realms of life and everybody is just okay with that.
 
I also think that it is nice to have a little bit of struggle. As an expat, we’ve had everything that we ever needed and wanted in the US; even things that you don’t know you needed or wanted, you had. We have so much luxury and so much comfort. When you go out of the US and you don’t have that anymore, you get a little thrown back by it but the honest truth is that you learn that you don’t need all those layers of comfort. You just need to be you and then figure out what you need here in Nicaragua and you will be comfortable.
 
It is nice because you will realize and appreciate things a lot more this way. It makes me feel really good that my kids are growing up pretty sheltered. If you talk to my kids about brands and the materialistic side of the US, they don’t know what that means because that doesn’t exist here. My kids don’t play on tablets; they go outside and play. I like that people here are not focused on the material things. They are not focused on what you’re wearing. There are other things that they value here.

 

(Marissa Lolk's children enjoying playing outside, Nicaragua, pictured.)

You do not need a second passport if you retire and choose to work or live abroad. It is, though, highly recommended to get a residency, which, for example, in Nicaragua is a very easy thing to do.  All you would need to do is pay $2 for the application, fill it out, get a couple of medical tests and then you are all set.

 

With this residency you wouldn't have to worry about migration problems, you will be able to come and go from the country and you are...

You do not need a second passport if you retire and choose to work or live abroad. It is, though, highly recommended to get a residency, which, for example, in Nicaragua is a very easy thing to do.  All you would need to do is pay $2 for the application, fill it out, get a couple of medical tests and then you are all set.

 

With this residency you wouldn't have to worry about migration problems, you will be able to come and go from the country and you are free to work in whatever way you may want.  You will receive your retirement money as you would back in your home country. 

You will find lots of beautiful plants and trees in the Algarve. One example is the carob, which is the same fruit that exists in the Caribbean.  (The name of the region “Caribbean” comes from the word “carob”.) The carob bean in the Caribbean is longer and flatter, so the carob bean in Portugal is a shorter version of the Caribbean version of the carob. It’s kind of a scimitar-shaped bean around 15 centimeters long. Most of it is green and when it...

You will find lots of beautiful plants and trees in the Algarve. One example is the carob, which is the same fruit that exists in the Caribbean.  (The name of the region “Caribbean” comes from the word “carob”.) The carob bean in the Caribbean is longer and flatter, so the carob bean in Portugal is a shorter version of the Caribbean version of the carob. It’s kind of a scimitar-shaped bean around 15 centimeters long. Most of it is green and when it ripens it becomes brownish or dark reddish. It’s a very interesting product because it can be used in a number of things. It has an enzyme that is used in the pharmaceutical industry and as an additive for the drinks industry. It is also used as a substitute for chocolate in producing a sort of cocoa-tasting product used in the making cakes. Portugal is the third largest European and North African producer and exporter of the carob plant. There is quite a lot of tradition in Portugal linking back to the land.

 

The best time of the year to come and see flowering plants in Algarve is just after the rains, around autumn and again in the spring. We have a flowering area in the western Algarve called the Costa Vicentina, which is a natural reserve of many square kilometers with very little construction. Costa Vicentina has millions of very pretty wild flowers. You will see myriad colors. It is a wonderful place to go to for walkers, cyclists, ramblers, or even if you are just driving through.

 

In the mountains, in traditional areas like Alte, Salir, and Monchique, these are places that because of their height, elevation, and humidity tend to get a lot of flowering plants. Algarve is generally quite consistent with the rest of Portugal but it has a very dry climate. We don’t have much rain or cloudy days. The type of shrubs that exist here are small-leaved plants because these plants tend to do well in less humidity because the evaporation from the leave surface is lower, so they tend to survive better in dry climates. Many of these shrubs are very pretty. Portugal also has the olive tree, which blooms and is fantastic. We also have the almond tree, which is very famous. Probably Japan is the most famous for its almond and orange blossoms but Portugal has beautiful pink, lilac, and white almonds. We also have citrus trees like the orange trees, and a range of other flowering plants, which are very pretty.

 

Among the most famous local plants in the Algarve are the carob plant, the orange, almond, olive, and the fig tree. These are the traditional fruits of the Algarve and they all flower in a different way, which is very pretty. I have all these trees in my own garden.

 

(Carob plant, pictured.)