Cheap foreign place to live w/diving and highspeed internet?

[ahreno]

I'm looking into moving out of the country for a few months this winter. I'd like to move somewhere thats cheap (less than $400US for a 2 bedroom apartment) somewhat near a beach and somewhere with good scuba.

I did my OW and AOW at Utila Honduras so thats an option and I'm familiar with costa rica so thats another option.

As far as living conditions i dont really care or need much. I do online marketing so as long as i have highspeed (doesn't need to be blazing fast or anything just usable) I'd be fine.

Considering going for my divemasters or maybe (doubtful) instructors licenses. I know Utila Dive Center offers free diving for life if you do your divemaster class there... is that a common offer?

Any thoughts or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

[twoodall]

Would have to say the first place to come to my mind was Roatan, Honduras. Good diving all over the island. They do have pretty quick internet service as well.

[ahreno]

Do you prefer roatan over utila? My understanding 5 years ago was that rotan was higher priced "resort" style... and they had more of a certain kind of shark ... perhaps reef sharks while utila was cheaper lodging and everything and more whale sharks

[ahreno]

anyone else have any ideas?

[yardboy]

Cebu Philippines. Depending on your expectations of comfort you can live as cheaply or as expensively as you want. I was just on Siquijor Island and they had high speed and a full sized house overlooking a fantastic dive site and it was $250/month.

[coral diver]

And Cebu is not the only place there to see

[ezcompany]

Definitely, and the Philippines is an english speaking country.

[yardboy]

over 7000 islands and every one surrounded by a coral reef.
And oh, the beautiful women.

[coral diver]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13364343#post13364343 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ezcompany
Definitely, and the Philippines is an english speaking country.

LOL there's about 1,000 different dialect in the Country and the English launguage is the only thing that Filipinos would understand each other, and yah use to dive the Palawan Island early 80's magnificent.

[twoodall]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13352815#post13352815 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ahreno
Do you prefer roatan over utila? My understanding 5 years ago was that rotan was higher priced "resort" style... and they had more of a certain kind of shark ... perhaps reef sharks while utila was cheaper lodging and everything and more whale sharks

i have only visited Roatan. There was quite a bit of Resort types, but there was some nicer homes along the coast in parts.

[snorvich]

Yes, the Philippines is a great source for diving and cheap living. Lots of good options there.

[vsnph]

Yep.... lots of choices too......

:D

[baldomero]

dude u need to come to puerto rico

[GMaquarium]

I agree about Philippines. Great country, great reefs to go see. Cheap living.

[murphysfish]

sweet i am going to have to look into that

[yardboy]

It sucks. You really don't want to come here. White sand beaches, beautiful coral reefs, friendly people, cheap accomodations. You wouldn't like it.
See how terrible the water is?

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y248/yardboy/Siquijor%20Diving/beachviewathightide.jpg

[yardboy]

The sunsets really suck.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y248/yardboy/Siquijor%20Diving/SunsetonSiquijorbeach.jpg

[yardboy]

Can you believe people actually live in places like this?

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y248/yardboy/Siquijor%20Diving/resort.jpg

[yardboy]

Look at the junk that washes up on the beaches
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y248/yardboy/Siquijor%20Diving/starfishinthesandwithfeet.jpg

[REEF-n-Chicago]

terrible :)

[yardboy]

And the diving? It's like awful.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y248/yardboy/Moalboal%20diving/yellowacroporapost.jpg

Stay Home.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y248/yardboy/phillipines%20vacation%202008/clownfishatnightinananemone.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y248/yardboy/phillipines%20vacation%202008/onemoreclownfishcolonyintheiranemon.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y248/yardboy/phillipines%20vacation%202008/bluebottlebrushacropost.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y248/yardboy/Siquijor%20Diving/072greenbubblecoral.jpg

[manitou]

i went searching for hotels and got prices from $100-$1000. Is there a place that someone recommends and how to go about booking with them?

thanks!

[yardboy]

These are places I'm familiar with. I can't imagine a $1000 room, but then I've always been poor so I don't miss it. Also if you are looking for inexpensive, ignore the "Super Deluxe Room Rate" and look at standard. Also really cheap places aren't going to be easy to find on the Internet, but surprisingly quite a few are. Remember that most of the posted rates are in Pesos, with an exchange rate of roughly 50:1.
I've gone here several times, before they had high speed internet, or dependable phone service, but they do advertise having those now. Roughly $20 for a standard room
Malapascua (http://www.malapascua.net/index1.html)

This is the place closest to my house on cebu, about an hour drive over the mountains
Moalboal (http://www.moalboal.org.uk/accommodation/)
I've got to throw this one at you, since it isn't included in the above list. We had reservations at another hotel, walked down the beach, and saw this place. Asked about it and immediately moved all our stuff here! The president of the Philippines stays here when she comes to Moalboal, and it's $100/night. That's a lot for me, but the people treated me like the president! Best part , we were there in July and were the only people staying there! Fantastic place. I just booked a business room in a nearby large city in U.S., the accomodations are nice, but it's $200/night! To think I could stay two nights in Club Serena for the same price!

Siquijor Island is really nice, somewhat remote with lots of good small places to stay. Divings great, people especially friendly, prices very reasonable. If I could afford a second house in the Phils, it'd be here, so far.

Siquijor Island (http://www.mysiquijor.com/lodging.html)

[manitou]

I'm looking for a place to go over the chrismas vacation time frame and a romantic setup (I'll be asking my girl to marry me while on the trip). Is it a good time of year to go there? Should we just book a place when we get there or before (I don't mind driving around a picking a place on the first day as long as I have 2-4 place mapped out to go to). Also, if there's a place where people surf.. that would be good to know too ;)
ahh crap.. just looked up flights.. 3 grand a person puts a stop to that idea.
thanks anyway though.

[yardboy]

There seems to bea bigger spread of flight prices to the Philippines than any other place I've gone. In Sept. you can get a $1000 flight but the Christmas holidays are the worst, as you found out. Still, you can get a cheaper flight than that (relatively) I've never found any good deals on-line. Always gone through my flight agent or some small Filiino agency. Don't know why.

[fishIZneat]

British Columbia

[bteagle93]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13641275#post13641275 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by yardboy
And the diving? It's like awful.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y248/yardboy/Moalboal%20diving/yellowacroporapost.jpg

Stay Home.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y248/yardboy/phillipines%20vacation%202008/clownfishatnightinananemone.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y248/yardboy/phillipines%20vacation%202008/onemoreclownfishcolonyintheiranemon.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y248/yardboy/phillipines%20vacation%202008/bluebottlebrushacropost.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y248/yardboy/Siquijor%20Diving/072greenbubblecoral.jpg


This is amazing! Where is this!?!