Hi everyone I've been creeping this board for a while and finally decided to sign up. I haven't travelled at all before so Im pretty clueless about most of this stuff. I've lived in Toronto, Montreal or Ottawa my whole life but I'm hoping to change all that this March.

I'm getting an art grant for $12,000 and I was hoping to move overseas for as long as possible to work on my paintings. My art always comes first but I was hoping to experience another culture and some of the local women in the downtime. A nice beach would be awesome too, so I can finally give these cold Canadian winters the middle finger... Its already -20 C outside right now and its not even January?!

So where can my money last the longest? After reading most of the comments I'm leaning towards the Philippines (Boracay in particular), Columbia or Argentina. I'm a sucker for Latino and Asian women! My Spanish is brutal but I'm trying to learn... Would that be a game killer for South America? I can't afford to party like P Diddy but I was still hoping to hit the bars a couple times a week and go on dates most nights. I would be living in the same place the entire time so I don't have a problem taking my time with the local women and putting in some effort with the 10s.

Anyways, let me know what you guys think or if you have any other suggestions. Thanks

Definitely not Europe, that's for sure. Good thing you're into Latinos and Asians.

Welcome on board fellow Canuck! -20 already? Damn, I'm glad I left at the end of October right before the weather got worse.
Anyways, for the best bang for your buck, I'd suggest Bangkok as a top destination. It's a world class city in all aspects but at a fraction of the cost of what you'd pay in Toronto (I'm from TO). I go out 4-5 times a week, party like crazy, drink as much as I want without worrying about $, eat out all the time and I have a real hard time spending more than 400 bucks a week. For accommodations, you can find short term deals for as low as 6000 Baht for 1 month apart or about $200. It's also a great strategic location as from here, you'd be in the beaches of Phuket or Krabi with a short 1 hour flight if you wanted to spend a relaxing weekend or week or 2. Also, great place to base yourself to travel around the SEA and Pacific area as flights from BKK to most places in Asia and even Aussie is quite cheap. The Thai girls are some of the cutest Asians you'll see anywhere. Prior to coming here, I wasn't at all into Asians, but now, I'm addicted to them. LOL. Go to Siam Paragon mall and you'd be blown away by the amount of 9's and 10's and above you see there.

For Latinas, I'd suggest forget Argentina. Yes, it's a gorgeous country, amazing food and wine, dirt cheap but the women are the worst you can find in SA and among the worst in the world. Cold in attitude that'll make you regret coming here and to be honest, nothing to get excited about in the looks department. If you want a cheap place in SA that speaks spanish with stunnners galore, go to Medellin or Bogota in Colombia. I hear Peru is nice too for gaming women but quality is a few notches below Colombia. Chile, forget about it, it's a more expensive version of Argentina.Girls are average at best, but the wine is some of the best and the country is blessed with amazing sights. Maybe a week or 2 there with a sexy colombiana/brasileira would be the best bet. Idem for Argentina. Buenos Aires is a world class city, but go there with a girl you've met elsewhere, either from Colombia or Brasil. Uruguay I hear is not bad neither. If you want the best in SA, with the best looking women, the most friendliest and funnest girls, cool people, out of this world sights, good food and one of the best party scene in the world, then Brasil is the place. However, it's also the most expensive place in SA by far, unfortunately.

So hope this little summary helps you fellow canuck to escape the bitter cold of the Great White one asap. Im here in BKK and I'm complaining that it's getting chilly here (it's 28C). LOL

Medellin and Bogota are your best bets. Make sure you rent a flat at a stratus 3/4 neighborhood (nothing below stratus 3 as it is way too dangerous). These stratus 3/4 apts will run for about 300-400USD per month.

Do a quick 2 week recon trip, and refer to the news paper "el tiempo" for rentals when you decide you like it.

How's this kid? Gets paid to travel and paint.

Now that is smooth.

Welcome aboard.

"I'm leaning towards the Philippines"

I think you already have your answer.

Hey, welcome to the forum.

Vacancier is right, take Argentina off your list. They're not really latinas, and they're still going to be histeria whether you're there 2 weeks, 2 months, or more. It's also cold.

The Philippines sounds more your flavor because of the beaches and cheapness.

South east asia is an amazing place, particularly Thailand. Most local girls love foreigners (for one reason or another) and you'll have your fair share of tourists around, especially Scandinavians. The country is just simply beautiful, and easy on your wallet too.

I've been intrigued by Colombia lately, so I'll vote there on this thread. There was a similar question recently about travel destinations that are good value, and I voted for Central America (like maybe Guatemala). At the time, I was thinking that a guy might be able to get by on $500 per month in a cheap country -- now I think that is too low-budget. You want to be able to have some fun there!

Whether it's Colombia or Thailand or Phillippines or wherever, I like the nice round number of $1000 per month budget, which seems more reasonable and doable than $500/mo.

So in your case, with $12k, you could stay for about a year! Good times!

Hey thanks for all the replies and the info on Argentina guys, its definitely getting scratched. Nice post Vacancier! I'm gonna look into Thailand some more. Either way I think SE Asia is the way to go especially since my Spanish is pretty lacking. You make a good case for Brazil too. I have never met a girl from there that wasn't amazing in every way haha! But I'll probably save that for another trip.

G Manifesto I think you're right, I'll probably gonna end up in the Philippines. Naughty Nomad's blog made Boracay sound like a paradise I wanted to experience. I just spent the last hour and a half checking out your blog too- Its pretty tight! I like your break down of Mo' Money Mo' Problems haha Have you checked out Jay-Z's book Decoded?

My buddy is coming back from Bogota next week so I'll wait for his feedback before I decide on Thailand or the Philippines. Either way a year living abroad on a beach with some beautiful women by my side sounds like a good time!

Philippines, not only will your money last the longest (average monthly salary there is about $300, so with $12k you could live really well on like $1000 a month and stay for a year, easy) but also (you mentioned struggling with Spanish) English is one of the two official languages there and is extremely prevalent, you won't need to worry about learning the language because you already speak a language (English) that almost everyone is fluent in anyway.

forget argentina. it's even not that cheap as it used to be. i mean, buenos aires is a world class city and argentina is a great country. but, for what you want and on your budget, there are better places. colombia, thailand, the philippines are safest bets. thailand is very safe unlike most of latin america and service is great. btw, argie girls are not that into foreigners and as general argentines are xenophobic. brazill would be awesome if not that expensive.

Khaleth if you could invest your money while travelling then that would be the best thing. I had your money when i started travellign around years ago, but i was wise to invest it and party hard at the same. I also recommend you not to live like ''rich'' while abroad, try live a normal life, of course you are going to go out more and stuff like that, but dont over spend your money. If you know how to take care of your finances this money may last you for the rest of your life and you still be travelling around the world.

Quote: (02-21-2011 06:01 PM)lottery Wrote:  

If you know how to take care of your finances this money may last you for the rest of your life and you still be travelling around the world.

This is a massive stretch, unless you are an incredible investor.

What investments are you talking about, lottery? Be specific.

Yes Lottery I would love to hear it as well. Heck I might take money and do the same.

Quote: (02-21-2011 06:01 PM)lottery Wrote:  

Khaleth if you could invest your money while travelling then that would be the best thing. I had your money when i started travellign around years ago, but i was wise to invest it and party hard at the same. I also recommend you not to live like ''rich'' while abroad, try live a normal life, of course you are going to go out more and stuff like that, but dont over spend your money. If you know how to take care of your finances this money may last you for the rest of your life and you still be travelling around the world.

Wow- I thought this thread was dead! Thanks for the reply, unfortunately I misread the conditions of the grant so I have to stay in Canada now . I'm curious about your investment advice though, and I still plan on living abroad in the future.

Surely, there are places in EE where your money will go far. Does anyone have any recommendations of places where the cost of living is cheap? Where 12K would last you 3,4 months and you could have fun?

Quote: (02-21-2011 07:55 PM)Luckystar Wrote:  

Quote: (02-21-2011 06:01 PM)lottery Wrote:  

If you know how to take care of your finances this money may last you for the rest of your life and you still be travelling around the world.

What investments are you talking about, lottery? Be specific.

I contacted him earlier by private message to warn against sports betting. He replied promoting scamming Asian websites that match his broken English. Beware!

Quote: (02-23-2011 09:05 AM)kimleebj Wrote:  

Quote: (02-21-2011 07:55 PM)Luckystar Wrote:  

Quote: (02-21-2011 06:01 PM)lottery Wrote:  

If you know how to take care of your finances this money may last you for the rest of your life and you still be travelling around the world.

What investments are you talking about, lottery? Be specific.

I contacted him earlier by private message to warn against sports betting. He replied promoting scamming Asian websites that match his broken English. Beware!

Excuse me? I find it very immature for you to come try to expose me like that, specially when you have nothing to use and prove against me, i guarantee you that you dont have any evidence.


You are the one who is lying here, first of all, you claim that you have made lots of money by betting, then you tell me that all bookies have cancelled your account because you were really good. If that was true and you know that you enjoy travelling, why would'nt you come to the UK or other country and make more money because you are so good or have you made enough money that you dont need any more money?lol.

Second, I am not here promoting any site, you are the first who contacted me warning me about betting sites and i do know that many sites that sell tips out there are fake sites and i told you that i personally have been buying from secretbettingtips and their record has been true since i start buying from them, the same goes for soccersmoney since january. And you tell me that i am lying, why would i lie about this? I even offered you money to buy tips from you because you claim to be so good and yet you refuse to mention anything about you selling tips or giving me tips, if you were really that good and you claim to make thousands of dollars, why dont you sell your tips?

I dont simply live of betting, i have other businesses going on, but i certainly dont promote asian websites that i dont even know who own it, plus im not asian, im brazillian, so i dont know where you are getting all your theory from. Plus i know many other guys who are constantly buying tips from those sites, you can ask them and they will tell you the same thing im telling you.

I really found that to be very disrepectful, dont try to expose me when you dont have any evidence againstt me when i know i have my principles and morals on point, i dont need to lie in order to make money, plus i wasnt trying to make any money of you and you know this, so dont understand why would you try come to ''expose'' me with your dumb ass theory.

How old are you? Oh i know it now.

Oh and this kimlee guy says something like that and then roosh decides to give my reputation -1 lool

I dont really have time for all this immature stuff, anyway thanks for everybody who gave me great info about different places to visit, i am out.

I've been to a few countries in Latin America, I say Nicaragua is very cheap, also the Andean countries (Ecuador, Peru, etc.). Nicaragua is also considered very safe, and it's extremely affordable.

good luck

Quote: (02-21-2011 07:55 PM)Luckystar Wrote:  

Quote: (02-21-2011 06:01 PM)lottery Wrote:  

If you know how to take care of your finances this money may last you for the rest of your life and you still be travelling around the world.

This is a massive stretch, unless you are an incredible investor.

What investments are you talking about, lottery? Be specific.

Lottery, what are these investments you speak of?

We re all very interested.

9 months in the Philippines (Cebu, Davao, Dumaguete...) but not in Makati or about 6-7 months in Thailand or simply invest it in something wise and try to generate passive income just like Lottery said although this forum member is a complete idiot, he did made a good point in this thread.

Quote: (02-21-2011 07:55 PM)Luckystar Wrote:  

Quote: (02-21-2011 06:01 PM)lottery Wrote:  

If you know how to take care of your finances this money may last you for the rest of your life and you still be travelling around the world.

This is a massive stretch, unless you are an incredible investor.

What investments are you talking about, lottery? Be specific.

Maybe the strategy is to buy 12,000 scratch tickets. It would explain a lot.

Quote: (02-24-2011 12:21 AM)Larry33 Wrote:  

Quote: (02-21-2011 07:55 PM)Luckystar Wrote:  

Quote: (02-21-2011 06:01 PM)lottery Wrote:  

If you know how to take care of your finances this money may last you for the rest of your life and you still be travelling around the world.

This is a massive stretch, unless you are an incredible investor.

What investments are you talking about, lottery? Be specific.

Lottery, what are these investments you speak of?

We re all very interested.

Everyone is an investment expert, especially on internet forums

Quote: (12-15-2010 03:44 AM)Khaleth Wrote:  

Hi everyone I've been creeping this board for a while and finally decided to sign up. I haven't travelled at all before so Im pretty clueless about most of this stuff. I've lived in Toronto, Montreal or Ottawa my whole life but I'm hoping to change all that this March.

I'm getting an art grant for $12,000 and I was hoping to move overseas for as long as possible to work on my paintings. My art always comes first but I was hoping to experience another culture and some of the local women in the downtime. A nice beach would be awesome too, so I can finally give these cold Canadian winters the middle finger... Its already -20 C outside right now and its not even January?!

So where can my money last the longest? After reading most of the comments I'm leaning towards the Philippines (Boracay in particular), Columbia or Argentina. I'm a sucker for Latino and Asian women! My Spanish is brutal but I'm trying to learn... Would that be a game killer for South America? I can't afford to party like P Diddy but I was still hoping to hit the bars a couple times a week and go on dates most nights. I would be living in the same place the entire time so I don't have a problem taking my time with the local women and putting in some effort with the 10s.

Anyways, let me know what you guys think or if you have any other suggestions. Thanks

Go with the Phillipines. It's very cheap, the women are gorgeous and like westerners, and the it's English speaking. If you want to experience another culture, the English thing is a big deal because it lets you talk with a lot more people. You might make your money last even further if you went to a different beach besides Boracay- you can also try Cebu, Subic, or Palawan.