Get to Know belize
The Belize Bible – Everything Expats Ever Need to Know About Belize.Many of us dream about moving to live abroad in a destination where the sun shines more often, where the people are friendly, where the cost of living is lower and where the pace of life is laid back – but finding such a ‘paradise’ can prove tricky.
The typical overseas destinations of choice for the likes of American, Canadian and even British would-be expatriates don’t stack up and tick every box. Take Mexico for example, you need to learn to speak Spanish if you want to integrate. Then there’s Italy, another first class choice – but one where you need to learn to speak Italian and where the cost of living can be high. So what about Florida? Well, then again the cost of living and real estate can be expensive, and the pace of life is not exactly laid back.
However, if you dig a little deeper and you look a little further you may happen upon forums and websites, articles and comments that lead you to one potential paradise destination abroad – Belize…
But does Belize tick all the boxes?
Well, it’s a frost-free, Caribbean location where everyone speaks English, where the pace of life is so laid back that even tourists on vacation find it slow, the people are genuinely among the most friendly and welcoming on the planet, and the cost of living can be an awful lot lower than it is in America, Canada, the United Kingdom or across most of Western Europe.
So, having determined that Belize could therefore be your destination of choice if you are indeed searching for paradise on earth…how do you work out if you could conceivably make a new home and a new life for yourself in this seemingly far-flung corner of the world?
First things first you need to look on a map and then examine your flight options to see that actually, Belize is very accessible – and then you need to delve deeper into the nation’s history to discover that it’s a peaceful, stable and beautiful part of the world where many expatriates have already made a home.
It will be right at this point that your growing enthusiasm about the nation bubbles up into excitement, and you decide that you need to uncover everything there is to know about Belize…
…enter author Lan Sluder.
Lan has been banging around Belize for over twenty years and he knows the nation and its islands inside out and back to front. If there is anything that’s worth knowing about Belize, Lan knows it – and he knows an awful lot of trivia about this charming Caribbean nation to boot! Lan can talk about Belize from a position of absolute knowledge from beautiful Caribbean sunrises, to awesome tropical sunsets.
Fortunately for would-be expats dreaming about their newly found paradise destination of choice, Lan has committed his expert knowledge to paper and penned a series of unbelievably detailed books about Belize. If only there were a Lan Sluder in every single expat destination of choice, it would make relocation so much easier!
With Lan’s books you can learn every single possible fact and detail that you need to know before you commit to Belize as your new home abroad. In fact, armed with the knowledge in Lan’s Easy Belize eBook for example, you will even be educated with pertinent facts ahead of even just a trial trip to the nation.
Easy Belize is subtitled ‘How to Live, Retire, Work and Buy Property in Belize, the English Speaking, Frost Free Paradise on the Caribbean Coast.’ In other words, it is the Belize Bible! It gives the reader every single fact and detail they could ever need to know about living, working, retiring and buying a home in Belize – and far more besides.
The book has 35 detailed chapters, each written in Lan’s straight, conversational style, which makes the book very easy to read and digest. Beginning with an overview of why expatriates love Belize, Lan seamlessly introduces the very best elements of the nation.
He talks about why you might conceivably choose the country, and touches upon its highlights such as the weather, the welcome and the general outdoors, healthy and sociable lifestyle you can enjoy Belize.
However, because Lan is a fair and open minded individual, and as he has no reason to over-promote the nation for any form of personal or financial gain, readers of his books can be absolutely assured that he also touches upon any genuinely negative issues that Belize suffers from so that they can have a complete and balanced perspective.
Just like all countries in the world, Belize is not perfect – it may appear to be a paradise on the surface, but dig a little deeper and you will find petty crime, corruption and some poverty issues affecting pockets of local people for example. Therefore, in a bid to lay the facts openly on the table, Lan does not shy away from discussing these issues as well as all the pros very much in Belize’s favour.
Anyone looking for an open, honest, warts and all in depth look at Belize will find exactly that in Easy Belize.
Lan Sluder takes his readers though all the elements of moving to live in Belize, from planning a scouting trip to choosing a place to live permanently, from getting the right residency visa depending on your personal circumstances, to how to live a good life in Belize, whatever your budget.
With general discussion about everything from personal safety to healthcare, and from housing and business to the mechanics of moving and managing your money in Belize, Lan goes into further detail about some of the most popular hotspots in the country where expatriates choose to live.
From the Cayes to Placencia and from Corozal to San Ignacio to Punta Gorda readers are walked through an overview of each area. Lan rates each destination he discusses based on the following criteria: -
Popularity with expats
Safety
Overall cost of living
Real estate costs
Investment potential
Leisure activities
Restaurants
Cultural activities
Infrastructure
Business potential
Medical care and
Shopping
In other words, Lan details and rates every essential element of information you could possibly need to know when reviewing and assessing a given town, village or community where you may want to live, work, retire or buy and make a home.
The information is excellent – it is researched on the ground, contributed to and enhanced by other expats’ input, and all in all it is truly and quite literally invaluable to you if you’re thinking about a new life in Belize.
Easy Belize is also a great read if you’re thinking about vacationing in Belize and you want to get far more out of your time in the country than a suntan and a few souvenirs. Lan’s overview will show you where to go, where to stay and how to get on with locals and expats alike so that you have a very enjoyable time. However, if you want to gain even greater insight into getting the most from your vacation time in Belize, perhaps a second eBook from Lan will give you just what you’re after.
Belize Islands Guide – subtitled ‘a Guide to Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker and Belize’s Other Islands’ – is a must read for vacationers who want to find the very best that Belize has to offer and also for those who think they may want to move to the islands or to buy property there.
The book has an introductory chapter that gives you the essential basics about planning your holiday in Belize, and it touches upon every conceivable point you may need to know about from the clothes you should pack to disabled persons’ access, from tipping to bargaining for example. Then Lan goes on to show you how to have the vacation of your dreams…
With top travel and itinerary trips Lan explains how to get around and about and see the best sights, and stay in the most suitable hotels or accommodation for your needs or budget. He covers day trips and tours, water sports and nightlife, dining and even gives frank hotel reviews to assist you.
As a bonus, Lan provides a 40-page section on buying island property and living on the cayes, complete with pros and cons and tips on where to get the best deals.
So, whether you want to vacation in a paradise on earth and you want an exceptionally detailed guide to enable you to have the holiday of your dreams – and you therefore buy Lan Sluder’s Belize Islands Guide…or you want to learn all you can about the nation to enable you to decide if you could and should make it your new home and you buy Easy Belize, you need a Lan Sluder bestseller!
Lan Sluder is the most knowledgeable and widely read voice when it comes to every single element of life and even business in Belize for would-be foreign residents and tourists. Check out the list of Lan Sluder eBook titles on Escape Artist’s ebooks for expats section …you won’t be disappointed.
