AARP The Magazine Travels the Globe to Reveal the Top 5 Best Places to Retire Abroad

/PRNewswire/ -- Experts in celebrating the next chapter in life, AARP The Magazine traveled the globe to discover the ultimate retirement destinations abroad. Factoring climate, expat community, cost of living, housing, health care, access to the U.S. and culture and leisure, AARP The Magazine reveals the top five locales in its September/October issue (www.aarp.org/magazine), available in homes and online today. See what regions in Mexico, France, Panama, Portugal and Italy have to offer--castles, palm trees, rain forests, grilled lobster--in their unique and unparalleled retirement experiences.

1. MEXICO--Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico is the undisputed number one destination for American retirees. With its rich Indian and Spanish culture, lavish beaches and affordable real-estate, Puerto Vallarta offers the low-cost, laid back lifestyle retirees seek to find in a community.

Some Reasons we love it:
-- Climate: Winters--sunny, pleasantly warm; summers--rainy, humid hot
-- Expat Community: Estimated at 50,000 American retirees
-- Access to the U.S.: Excellent

2. FRANCE--Languedoc-Roussillon

Once remote, the Languedoc-Roussillon region is now just three hours from the bright lights and bustling energy of Paris via high-speed train. The area is steeped in history and art. Languedoc-Roussillon is also a destination for the outdoor crowd with picturesque hills and beach along its Mediterranean seashore.

Some Reasons we love it:
-- Climate: Mediterranean--hot and dry summers; cool winters
-- Cost of Living: Not cheap, but a comfortably frugal life can be had
for $30,000 a year
-- Heath Care: Excellent. French health care has been named the best in
the world by the World Health Organization

3. PANAMA--Boquete

Panama is a smart choice for retirees who want it all. Not only does it feature attractive retiree destinations, Panama also offers an unbeatable package of retiree benefits and discounts. Boquete has a unique range of back-home amenities, from a golf course to high-end gated communities.

Some Reasons we love it:
-- Expat Community: An estimated several thousand
-- Housing Costs: A small house goes for $175,000; in a gated community,
$250,000 and up. Rentals: about $600 a month for a two bedroom house
-- Culture and Leisure: Rainforest hiking, river rafting, bird watching
and coffee plantation tours keep Panama a bustling location for
leisure

4. PORTUGAL--Cascais

Many wonder why Portugal has long been overlooked by American retirees. A plentitude of golf, beaches, resorts and trendy cafe life makes Portugal one of Europe's most pleasant surprises for retirees.

Some Reasons we love it:
-- Cost of Living: A comfortable life can be had on $25,000 a year
-- Health Care: Good. Nearby hospitals include the well-regarded
British Hospital in Lisbon
-- Access to the U.S.: Excellent. Direct flights to-and-from the U.S.
fly out of Lisbon

5. ITALY--Le Marche

Le Marche, bordering the Adriatic, is beautiful region with vineyards, snow-capped mountains and beaches a plenty. It also prides itself on the best fish dishes in the country and is trendy enough to have snagged Dustin Hoffman as a tourism spokesperson!

Some Reasons we love it:
-- Climate: Mostly sunny
-- Expat Community: Relatively few; an international mix
-- Culture and Leisure: An incomparable mix of open-air opera festivals,
Renaissance painting and architecture, wine tasting and nature
reserves


Plus: To avoid red tape, culture shock and language barriers, AARP The Magazine shares seven questions future retirees MUST ASK THEMSELVES before starting the exciting process of retiring abroad. And visit www.aarp.org/magazine to check out our five "additional" affordable, fun places to live the good life, plus FAQs and a resource guide.

For more information and an extended list of AARP The Magazine's "Best Places to Retire Abroad," visit www.aarp.org.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

10 Favorite Foreign National Parks Highlighted by U.S. National Park Service Retirees

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ever wonder where people who work in national parks go when they take a vacation? Today, the 700-member Coalition of National Park Service Retirees (CNPSR) released a list of 10 of the best foreign national parks, spanning the globe from Australia, Africa, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

The list of personal favorites of NPS retirees is in the same of vein as the "Beyond Yellowstone: 7 Winter Travel Favorites" (http://www.npsretirees.org/pressroom/2006/winter-travel-recommendations-beyon d-yellowstone), which was released by the Coalition in October 2006.

CNPSR member Don Goldman, former park planner in the old Southwest Region of the National Park Service, said: "Several years ago, in anticipation of family winter vacation time, the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees rounded up its members' recollections of the most memorable U.S. national park areas they had worked in or visited. When the nominations came in, the selection process was like picking from among the loveliest flowers in the field. As we had to acknowledge, it was a highly subjective selection process. But our intention was to encourage Americans to visit their national parks; not just our favorites, but whichever ones they could get to. This year, the Coalition's 700 members have suggestions for your vacation trips abroad. We who have spent our lives working in and with national parks not only visit our own, but make an effort to see other countries' national parks, too."

CNPSR member Rick Smith, former superintendent of Carlsbad Caverns said, "Most Americans know that Yellowstone was our first national park, but it was also the world's first national park. The idea of a national park was new with Yellowstone, but it was soon adopted by many countries, one of the best ideas our country gave the world. Just as we did, those countries have expanded the original concept to a great variety of parks and reserves. Today, marvelous parks are to be found all over the world."

Coalition members usually can't stay away from such places on foreign vacations. Smith explained: "We plan many of our overseas trips around the national parks or protected areas we can visit in other countries." Some NPS retirees even had the opportunity, when on temporary training or work assignments with foreign countries or as Peace Corps Volunteers, to work in and contribute to those countries' national parks.

The following 10 foreign national parks are among the outstanding places CNPSR members recommended. Where it was necessary to break ties, the park chosen in the end was included to provide for maximum geographic diversity:

1. TONGARIRO N. P., New Zealand. This is one of the North Island's three World Heritage Sites. It features volcanic peaks (one of which is active) and is still home to many Maoris, who donated the park to New Zealand in 1887, when it became the world's fourth national park. The Maoris are very outgoing in displaying their culture to visitors.

2. KAKADU N. P., Northern Territory, Australia. This World Heritage Site is jointly managed by the Aborigines and the Australian government. It has magnificent vistas, great waterfalls, stunning displays of Aboriginal rock art, and is habitat to an awesome predator, the estuarine (saltwater) crocodile.

3. SNOWDONIA N. P., Wales, Great Britain. Snowdonia is a lovely mountain park, with Mount Snowdon, which is comprised of slate, rising to 3560 feet. While this park is not geologically or scenically spectacular compared with many mountain parks, it is spectacular in its own right, due in part to its peaceful nature.

4. KRUGER N. P., South Africa. This is perhaps the most impressive wildlife viewing area in the world. Millions of acres of habitat and little development give visitors an opportunity to see many large African mammals and magnificent birds. It is one of the few places where wildlife is in charge - they wander free and the visitors are controlled.

5. TIKAL N. P., Guatemala. This World Heritage Site contains the spectacular ruins of a Maya settlement from around 250-900 AD. The towering ruins of temples, one 70 meters tall, rising from the jungle that surrounds them, are mute testimony to the architectural genius of the Maya. As many as 90,000 people lived in Tikal at its zenith, but strife with neighboring towns and environmental stress caused its abandonment beginning in the 10th century. Of course, the Maya never left; they are there today, and a thrill of a visit is to see it with a Maya guide.

6. IGUAZU N. P., Argentina. This park protects one of the most spectacular natural landscapes in Argentina and Brazil, Iguazu Falls and the surrounding subtropical forest. The falls are 70 meters high, but even more impressive is their width: the river at the falls is 1500 meters wide. A thrilling experience is the short boat ride and walk along the catwalks to the most striking of the hundreds of falls, Garganta del Diablo, the Devil's Throat. The roar itself is an unforgettable experience.

7. SAGARMANTHA N. P., Nepal. The park includes Mount Everest, among other prominent mountains. It has distinctive wildlife and small picturesque Sherpa villages with their gumpas (monasteries).

8. MADAIN SALEY NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK, Saudi Arabia. This region, the Biblical Midian, is mostly undulating desert, interspersed with huge rocky outcrops and lush oases. Here, between 500 B.C. and 100 A.D., the Nabatean people created 125 monumental cut-rock tombs and facades, edifices up to 130 feet tall, that are standing today in a remarkable state of preservation.

9. PLITVICE LAKES N. P., Croatia. Plitvice Lakes National Park is located in inland Croatia, about halfway between Zagreb and Split. In moderately mountainous terrain, the park features water - small lakes and streams and beautiful waterfalls everywhere. Because of the geology of the area, travertine is evident in most of the water features, giving them distinctive blue-green colors and exceptionally clear water. There are a number of excellent short and moderate hiking trails with quiet, non-polluting electric ferries connecting some of the trails by way of the lakes. Because of the vegetation, fall "color season" is especially spectacular.

10. HORTOBAGY N. P., Hungary. This park is located on the "puszta," or great Hungarian plains. It was the country's first national park. It also is a biosphere reserve and a World Heritage Site. The plains and wetlands reflect two millennia of human occupation and have supported agrarian life for centuries. It has several endangered bird species and is a refuge for the Przewalski horse and migratory waterfowl. Culturally, it preserves and interprets traditional Hungarian folkways, such as the nomadic herding culture of the puszta.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page