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Old 10-21-2019, 12:09 PM   #21
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Thus far, I think that only 1 reply mentioned any locations outside of Europe. I've traveled plenty in Europe, but there's a whole lot else to see in our world.

Some ideas:

Oaxaca, Mexico. Guanajuato, Mexico. San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico.

Medellin, Colombia. Bariloche, Argentina.

Chiang Mai, Thailand (Dec-Feb only, due to excessive heat the rest of the year)

Penang, Malaysia. (One of my favorite places in Asia. Wonderful British colonial architecture. Great food (Chinese & Indian). Lots of places to visit.

These meet most of your criteria except for freshwater swimming. Bariloche is next to a huge, beautiful lake, though I think the water is pretty cold.
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Old 10-21-2019, 02:23 PM   #22
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The view of the Lauterbrunnen Valley from the bench below the church in Wengen is one of the nicest on the planet. Montreux Switzerland is our favorite city. It's absolutely stunning.
I know that bench! Another place away from the tourists is south of the train station on the lower walk past Mary's Cafe and another 5 min.

Thanks for the tip on Montreux. We have not visited the Lake Geneva area.
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Old 10-21-2019, 03:23 PM   #23
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I know that bench! Another place away from the tourists is south of the train station on the lower walk past Mary's Cafe and another 5 min.

Thanks for the tip on Montreux. We have not visited the Lake Geneva area.
Man you really know the place and locations where to hide from the swarms of mobile phones with selfie sticks. The lake Geneva area is nice. We will be back next May through July. I want to ride and video record the Gelmer funicular next trip.

You should also visit Stresa Italy and Borromean Islands. It's a place where northern Italians and the Swiss spend their vacations. The place is absolutely incredible and only 20 minutes from the Swiss border and 45 minute drive north from Milan Italy.
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Old 10-21-2019, 03:36 PM   #24
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Positive specific characteristics of a locale for us include: easy public transport or no need for much transport (we rarely rent cars), we usually prefer moderate cost of living (more because we find it comfortable) but do make exceptions, cooler temperatures or access to easy freshwater swimming, good food, interesting cultures, reasonable internet access (e.g., stream Netflix) and an absence of crowds. English is a positive but we are fairly experienced with traveling and living in non-English speaking locations.
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I would hardly classify as Switzerland as having a "moderate cost of living". At this time it's one of the most expensive countries in the world to visit.
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Old 10-21-2019, 09:09 PM   #25
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emphasis mine

I would hardly classify as Switzerland as having a "moderate cost of living". At this time it's one of the most expensive countries in the world to visit.
I agree it's expensive living there. But no worse than many major western European cities or places like Hawaii or Tokyo. To put things into perspective, after dropping anywhere from $5000 to $9000 for two airline tickets to get there, the rest of the expenses are moderate. After 29 years of traveling to Switzerland annually, I have become numb to the costs but will say that I would rather spend money and go to a place that I really like rather than a low cost destination that will have us wishing we stayed home. You only live once.
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Old 10-23-2019, 07:16 PM   #26
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We just got back from the Stellenbosch area of South Africa just east of Cape Town. We are seriously considering moving there. It is cheap, ridiculously beautiful and free lf most tourism. And Cape Town is about 45 minutes away. If you like wine, you will never leave.
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Old 10-26-2019, 04:42 AM   #27
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We like Belgium, New Zealand, and Iceland (a little more expensive). Cuzco in Peru also has many interesting places nearby to explore.


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Old 10-26-2019, 11:36 AM   #28
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My ‘happy place’ is Rarotonga (Cook Islands) been there 5 times. Just a hidden gem. Quiet , been there (and other islands) for 2 weeks but a month would be good too. Just don’t tell a lot of people about it, don’t want it to get discovered.
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Old 10-29-2019, 04:11 PM   #29
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I say Malaysia - good food at very low cost, most people speak English, cheap public transportation, cheap Grab (similar to Uber ) and taxi rides, friendly people, cheap rental (2,000 RM/month for an ocean view condo), very affordable health & dental care, beautiful beaches. The only issue is hot & humid weather.
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Old 10-29-2019, 04:24 PM   #30
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Lots of great places, but I got tired of snow. I moved to the tropics and live in Panama. I speak a little Spanish and I met a woman from Peru who speaks a little English. We are married now. I let her take charge when Spanish is needed such as a taxi or Uber.
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Old 12-16-2019, 07:46 PM   #31
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Thanks for all the great suggestions. Headed to japan/Malaysia/Indonesia/Thailand next year for first big post-retirement trip. Plan to follow up with many more. Will investigate these suggestions.
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Old 12-17-2019, 04:58 AM   #32
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I would also suggest Wales and Scotland.
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Old 12-17-2019, 11:59 AM   #33
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Thanks for all the great suggestions. Headed to japan/Malaysia/Indonesia/Thailand next year for first big post-retirement trip. Plan to follow up with many more. Will investigate these suggestions.
You mention Japan, and I was going to suggest Kyoto. It's a good-sized city, but we didn't feel like it was crowded when we visited a few years ago. Certainly some of the Buddhist shrines can be busy, but we found even the historic Gion district to be easy to get around in.

Of course the city is loaded with culture, so there's plenty to do. It's also easy to get around to outlying areas, thanks to Japan's extensive rail system. I could see spending a month there.
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Old 12-17-2019, 05:14 PM   #34
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I know that bench! Another place away from the tourists is south of the train station on the lower walk past Mary's Cafe and another 5 min.

Thanks for the tip on Montreux. We have not visited the Lake Geneva area.
We've spent time in Murren. Absolutely beautiful place. Need to go back, maybe we'll stay in Wengen this time; although it would be tough to beat Chalet Fontana and Denise's hospitality
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Old 12-20-2019, 06:42 PM   #35
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Thanks for all the great suggestions. Headed to japan/Malaysia/Indonesia/Thailand next year for first big post-retirement trip. Plan to follow up with many more. Will investigate these suggestions.

I’ve been retired in Bangkok, Thailand for 3 years. While Thailand has some spectacular tropical islands and beaches they are heavily populated by western tourists and look like beaches all over the world. It is not a very Thai experience. A few days in Bangkok and time in Chiang Mai would be a better Thai experience. I would avoid both cities December- February due to pollution concerns. Thailand has many many festivals. Plan to go during a festival. For Thailand travel suggestions look for the website for Richard Barrow in Thailand.
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