Where are the best places for retired expats to move to in the Philippines?

[ASEAN NOW News]

There have been masses of articles written on where expats tend to move to across Asia, and certainly the top spots would include Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and of course the Philippines.

 

So, if you have now completed your initial research, and found that the Philippines could be for you, you then need to decide where would be the best place to retire, in the country with over 7,000 islands.

 

Cebu City

 

You can naturally make a list of your priorities to include good healthcare, the location, city, or rural, easy access to airports etc.; etc.

 

However, it does not matter what all the information says in print or online, the bottom line is getting sound advice from other expats who have made the journey already.

 

Great Climate

 

For me as an expat living in Thailand, one of the key factors to where I lived included avoiding the pollution in Bangkok and finding somewhere that had a great climate with an excellent link to international airports.

Having tried Bangkok, I eventually settled on living near Pattaya.

 

Not for the nightlife, but it did have a great climate and having twenty-eight excellent golf courses on your doorstep helped too.

 

Friends

 

I think the hardest task when you decide to settle in a new area, is creating a good circle of friends.

 

With more time on your hands, retirees like to socialize, whether for a meal, a round of golf, a trip to the gym, or a few drinks at a local bar.

 

Weather also plays its part.

 

OK we know in the Philippines the weather can be unpredictable, with their typhoons and heavy rain, so ideally when choosing where to live it is worth finding a home that is at least safe from flooding.

 

A lot of foreigners tend to take vacations in Manila, Angeles City and Cebu, but do not venture further into other provinces.

 

Crime is known to be high in the Philippines, but if you keep your head down and stay out of trouble that should not be an issue.

 

Numbeo, an online database that provides information about the living conditions in countries across the globe.

 

Baguio

 

They included Valenzuela City, Davao, Makati, Baguio, and Cebu as part of the ten safest cities in Southeast Asia.

 

Davao City

 

Davao City on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, is noted to be among the most livable and safest cities in the world, primarily because of a low crime rate thanks to a strict local government.

 

So, there you have a list of places to start on.

 

However, I am sure many of you out there can add your own recommendations and firsthand experiences, which would be a huge help to retirees considering where to settle in the Philippines.

 

Over to you.

 

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