What's the dress code in San Miguel de Allende? What clothes do they wear in San Miguel de Allende?
Alexandra del Villar
What’s fun here in San Miguel de Allende is that there is no dress code. Everybody wears what they feel like wearing. If it’s hot, most people wear short-sleeved shirts or dresses.
Everybody is open to whatever kind of clothing. You will see a little bit of everything because we have an international community so everybody brings whatever they want to. There are some very high-end people who are very well dressed and we have bohemians and...
What’s fun here in San Miguel de Allende is that there is no dress code. Everybody wears what they feel like wearing. If it’s hot, most people wear short-sleeved shirts or dresses.
Everybody is open to whatever kind of clothing. You will see a little bit of everything because we have an international community so everybody brings whatever they want to. There are some very high-end people who are very well dressed and we have bohemians and hippies but everybody is welcomed just the same.
It’s not hot and humid here like in Merida or Veracruz but the temperature here in San Miguel could go up to 34 degrees Celsius (93 Fahrenheit) during summer. It gets colder during the winter. There was a time when it snowed a little bit here in San Miguel but that is not the usual. When it’s cold of course we take out all our jackets, hats, and boots like we were up in Canada. We are warm-blooded people so when it’s cold, so we get really cold.
If I would compare the dress code here in San Miguel de Allende to the dress code in Philadelphia where I’ve lived, it’s not really that different because San Miguel de Allende is composed of 50% Mexicans and the other 50% are North Americans, Canadians, or Europeans. It is very standard but of course there are people that stand out because they have a different way of dressing up but it’s not very different from North America.
(Expats dining at Mon Bistro Canadien Cuisine, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.)
How much does it cost to have a cell phone in Portugal?
Luis Teixeira da Silva - Algarve Senior Living
Getting a cell phone in Portugal could be free if you are on a contract or a postpaid plan. Otherwise, it could cost anything from zero to € 1,000 (US $ 1,100 or £ 740). An iPhone 6S costs around €800 (US $ 880 or £ 590) at the moment. The latest Samsung would cost you about the same amount, more or less. Cellphone service is cheap. You can get unlimited calls for just €7.50 (US $8.25 or £ 5.50) a month.
Generally,...
Getting a cell phone in Portugal could be free if you are on a contract or a postpaid plan. Otherwise, it could cost anything from zero to € 1,000 (US $ 1,100 or £ 740). An iPhone 6S costs around €800 (US $ 880 or £ 590) at the moment. The latest Samsung would cost you about the same amount, more or less. Cellphone service is cheap. You can get unlimited calls for just €7.50 (US $8.25 or £ 5.50) a month.
Generally, telecommunications is neither cheap nor expensive. You can get a full package, which includes your fixed line phone that also includes your cable TV with a couple hundred channels, a couple of mobiles for that package, and unlimited calls to European landline numbers in the evenings and weekends for around €30 (US $ 33 or £ 22) to €40 (US $ 45 or £ 30) a month. You can also add special services like unlimited calls to Europe during the day, which is great if you have business calls, for an additional €5 (US $5.50 or £ 4) a month. You can personalize the package according to your needs.
What does it cost for a vacation rental in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua?
David Smith - Nicaragua Sotheby's International Realty
The cost for a vacation rental in San Juan del Sur can range anywhere from US $50 a night to $500 a night, so you can stay on a luxury resort. You can rent a luxury home in Pacific Marlin and pay $500 a night. You can pay more if you want a chef provided. There are many vacation homes that will provide you with chef services and maid services for which you can pay a thousand dollars a night. San Juan del Sur has some super luxury options. And then we have lovely options for as...
The cost for a vacation rental in San Juan del Sur can range anywhere from US $50 a night to $500 a night, so you can stay on a luxury resort. You can rent a luxury home in Pacific Marlin and pay $500 a night. You can pay more if you want a chef provided. There are many vacation homes that will provide you with chef services and maid services for which you can pay a thousand dollars a night. San Juan del Sur has some super luxury options. And then we have lovely options for as little as $50 or $60 a night.
For $500 a week, you would get a two-bedroom home with an ocean view and a pool. For $1,000 a week, you would get you something bigger, nicer, and closer to the water; perhaps a three-bedroom, three-bathroom, closer to town or on the bay of San Juan, walking distance to the restaurants.
(Pool overlooking the bay at San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, pictured.)
What's the price of a home, condo or apartment in Boquete?
Bill Hamilton - Bill Hamilton
House prices in Boquete have risen in the last few years and houses are not anywhere as cheap as some other areas. When there is an influx of ex pats, you will find prices higher. This also applies to some of the restaurants too.
It depends what you are looking for. I have seen prices rise from $100,000 to $200,000 upwards. Gated communities have shot up and so have the prices.
House prices in Boquete have risen in the last few years and houses are not anywhere as cheap as some other areas. When there is an influx of ex pats, you will find prices higher. This also applies to some of the restaurants too.
It depends what you are looking for. I have seen prices rise from $100,000 to $200,000 upwards. Gated communities have shot up and so have the prices.
What do I need to know about international pet shipping, international pet travel, and international pet transport?
Zach Smith - Anywhere
As far as I know, the airlines are quite accommodating as far as pet travel goes. Every country has slightly different rules on transporting pets. Some might have a quarantine regulation while others are more lenient in that regard.
Each country has their own rules but you will not be the first person to transport a pet to an international location. There is a system in place and it’s a matter of getting the facts on the location you are going.
As far as I know, the airlines are quite accommodating as far as pet travel goes. Every country has slightly different rules on transporting pets. Some might have a quarantine regulation while others are more lenient in that regard.
Each country has their own rules but you will not be the first person to transport a pet to an international location. There is a system in place and it’s a matter of getting the facts on the location you are going.
Under what circumstances do I need a visa in Belize?
Christian Burn
If you are an American and you are just going on vacation in Belize, you do not need a visa because you will get one as soon as you enter Belize with your passport. You get a 30-day tourist stamp on your passport. If you want to stay longer than 30 days, you can just extend your visa. You will pay US $50 to get another stamp on your passport. You can extend your visa via this process for up to six months. Many people who want to” try before they buy,” do that; just extend...
If you are an American and you are just going on vacation in Belize, you do not need a visa because you will get one as soon as you enter Belize with your passport. You get a 30-day tourist stamp on your passport. If you want to stay longer than 30 days, you can just extend your visa. You will pay US $50 to get another stamp on your passport. You can extend your visa via this process for up to six months. Many people who want to” try before they buy,” do that; just extend their passport stamps up to six months.
There are different requirements for residency. I just know of two types, which are the permanent residency and the Qualified Retired Persons Residency. For the retired person residency, you have to have a medical checkup and a police report, and you have to show that you have sufficient funds. I think you can apply at any point. If you are going for your permanent residency, you cannot race from point zero to getting a residency. The process is that you need to be in Belize for a year with a work permit, and not leave the country for any more than a total of 14 days in a year. If you leave for 15 days, you negate your entire process. There is a fee involved in getting your residency.
You can go from a retiree residency to a permanent residency. The advantage of becoming a permanent resident is that you would be that you are able to work legally in Belize. The retiree residency does not allow you to work in Belize, whereas the permanent residency does.
If you are a resident, you are still not entitled to a Belizean passport because you are still not a citizen. The only people who get Belizean passports are citizens of Belize. I am a permanent resident of Belize, but I have a Canadian passport.
It is the same sun after all. Places seem familiar when you arrive in Panama City. You recognize the clean modern airport at Panama City as being so much like the airports in the United States. As you leave by car, taxi or bus you still feel quite impressed by the ease of it all. Once away from the airport, passing shopping venues, multi story apartments and condos, there are billboard signs with well known brand names the same as in the places you left behind. After a...
Once Wee-Yiong Fung obtained his education in the US, he headed back to the land of opportunity, the place where his immigrant parents from China and Yugoslavia found hope: Panama. Along with other visitors to the Best Places site who were treated to a video of a narrated car ride Wee-Yiong provided as part of his answer to the question “What's it like to drive in Volcan and Cerro Punta, Chiriqui Province?” Jet now takes us on another journey with Wee-Yiong, one that is marked...
Last month while visiting and exploring Boquete Panama just happened to stumble upon a very interesting investment "Factional" Coffee Farm turnkey ownership. Just so happened we arrived the day before they were conducting a guided tour to their farms and processing plant in Boquete. We signed up and got a real education about how coffee is grown, produced, roasted and marketed plus got to taste some really excellent specialty coffees.
What’s fun here in San Miguel de Allende is that there is no dress code. Everybody wears what they feel like wearing. If it’s hot, most people wear short-sleeved shirts or dresses. 
Getting a cell phone in Portugal could be free if you are on a contract or a postpaid plan. Otherwise, it could cost anything from zero to € 1,000 (US $ 1,100 or £ 740). An iPhone 6S costs around €800 (US $ 880 or £ 590) at the moment. The latest Samsung would cost you about the same amount, more or less. Cellphone service is cheap. You can get unlimited calls for just €7.50 (US $8.25 or £ 5.50) a month. 
The cost for a vacation rental in San Juan del Sur can range anywhere from US $50 a night to $500 a night, so you can stay on a luxury resort. You can rent a luxury home in Pacific Marlin and pay $500 a night. You can pay more if you want a chef provided. There are many vacation homes that will provide you with chef services and maid services for which you can pay a thousand dollars a night. San Juan del Sur has some super luxury options. And then we have lovely options for as...
Last month while visiting and exploring Boquete Panama just happened to stumble upon a very interesting investment "Factional" Coffee Farm turnkey ownership. Just so happened we arrived the day before they were conducting a guided tour to their farms and processing plant in Boquete. We signed up and got a real education about how coffee is grown, produced, roasted and marketed plus got to taste some really excellent specialty coffees. 
