Maybe your idea of paradise is living near the strawberry fields of Baguio? When many people think about the Philippines, they often conjure up an image of lounging on a beautiful white sandy beach with an ice cold tropical fruit cocktail. Others think about trekking around one of the breathtaking mountain resorts found on a number of islands. Yet, others visualize dancing with the exotic ladies of the Philippines in one of the many discos found in the urban areas. The Philippines has all that excitement and much, much more.
It has been said that one man’s paradise is another man’s hell and I certainly believe it! One size does not fit all and we don’t all enjoy wearing red shoes. I enjoy mountain resorts, provided I can drive my vehicle to the top and chill out without having to hike several kilometers. Trekking up a mountain on foot is just not my idea of paradise.
Pair A Dice
No need to roll the bones or hang onto tumbling dice to decide your luck and fate! Not many people are willing to pack up and move to another country without first spending quality time there and learning all about the culture. However, some do and many of them are back in their home countries in one year or less, moaning and groaning about how much money they spent for nothing. There is no need to make that mistake. It doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to travel to the Philippines to spend a few weeks or one month checking out the locations you are interested in retiring to.
One very important aspect of retiring to the Philippines is knowing that your final destination has the things available in life that you need to be happy. Not having the things you enjoy and the things that are important to you in being happy can be the game changer. It often is to many.
If you enjoy living in the countryside as opposed to living in the midsize and larger cities, it is important to realize that those areas are extremely limited in the availability of imported food items and services of convenience. Slow internet connections and lack of cable and satellite TV are the norm in many rural areas in the Philippines. Medical care is also limited in the countryside of the Philippines.
Attitude and the spirit of adventure go a long way concerning retiring to the Philippines. In attitude, I am referring to realizing before making the move that the Philippines is not North America, Europe or other more developed areas around the round world. What’s more, it won’t ever be, as the Philippines is not striving to be like those countries. Expats will never change the Filipino culture, the way business is conducted, the Education system, the court system, the laws or the overall management of the country. Concerning getting along with the local people, bashing the Philippines and Filipinos is never the way to make friends or live harmoniously in your neighborhood.
There is something for most everyone in the Philippines and it is up to each individual to find and stake out the area of the country that will be Paradise for them. It does not have to be a gamble. With proper planning, investigation and exploration in the country before making the move to the Pearl of the Orient, Paradise will never be lost.