I am wondering where would you go for an 8month holiday, and if you had the oportunities to stay forever?

What would you choose if you had following criteria?:

almost 365 days you can wear shorts and t-shirt (hardly any heater neeeded)
Clean beaches and (not cold water) great for fishing and diving
at least a minimum til very good infrastructure available
not more expensive to live like it is in switzerland
no high number of crimes and rip offs.
no rassism and excessive beggings towards white skinned people
no hassle in getting a long therm visa quickly
good food available
not too many religious people

My ideas so far: Baja california sur/ Costa Rica/Panama/ Belize/ Guadeloupe/ Jamaika/ Guyana, Surinam, French guyana. Also Thailand (puket area)
Please give me some ideas where to relax the best way, any ideas for the smal antiles, somwhere in india and cook islands?

I would even consider marokko or egypt but egypt became dangerous because of killed and kidnapped tourists and Sauth africa suposed to be to dangerous including malaria.

Thank you for all of your inputs.

Maybe you should consider Costa Rica, probably the safest place in Latin America and seems to meet all your requirements:
http://www.visitcostarica.com/ict/pa...asp?ididioma=2

What about Malta - fits all those criteria and was recently voted one of the best places in the world to live. Fab climate, safe and very friendly people. Cost of living there is very low and standard of food is high.

switzerland.

Vancouver, Melbourne, Cairns, Lizard Island, Tasmania, Hong Kong, Big Island (Hawaii)

Cyprus

Last new years day i was in shorts

Vancouver is a bit too cold althoght the landscapes and forests are marvelous in this area. I have stayed in Portland i have loved it, but it is too cold.
Australia is great but it has developed to a tourist trap and a bit organised tourist ripp off. Also it has become unfriendly and over regulated, e.g. no drinking beer at the beach, no smoking, no nude sun baking etc.
Also hard to get a long therm visa there with their discriminating regulations.

Hawai would be the greatest thing for me, also Florida but in the US it is hard to get a long therm visa with their discriminating and strict regulations.

Woooooohoooooo, I lived 6 months there, 20 years ago. Great Memory.

Australia, New-Zealand, Cyprus

But I would go in the UK. Definitely obsessed with that country, even if it's not really following your criterias.....

Take a RTW package from eg Trailfinders and go for a mini South East Asian tour ( no more than 30 days ) and Australia as well as New Zealand.

Short and T-shirt weather pleace.
Australia has changed a lot within the last 10years, if you would visit Cairns today you would start to cry.

Cyprus could be an option altought the mediterian sea is hopless overfished, so no more fish to catch..
Any other ideas around the antiles and around central america?

personally i would always choose costa rica- my peeps- but nicaragua is beautiful too.

8 months is a heavenly amount of time to have- and for me anyway i love my c.r because it's gorgeous in the rainy season and in the dry season...

here's the view from my cousin's patio- and one of the many reason's i love it so much!

I spent some time in Costa Rica last year, and it definitely fits all your criteria!!

If you go the Pacific side, places such as Montezuma and Mal Pais just rock.

Also, if you wanna journey somewhere else, Central America is just all round cool.

Look into Costa Rica, as it is clean, eco-friendly, beautiful things to see, cheap, and many cool people.

Feel free to ask me any questions. I loved it there.

Go Thailand everytime, base in Phuket (west coast is better) then visa run to Cambodia/Vietnam for a week. Thailand is beautiful, the people are just the best, the food is oficially killable for and in many countries is actually an acceptable defence at law (or should be), the climate is great property rentals are very low, and it's cheap as chips to live.

If you need a porter.......

I would go traveling around South America, but it seems that you want one place to stay?
I would think Rio in Brazil (not the safest of places even though it is FAB) is a fun option.
Maybe Buenos Aires, but I am not sure that it meets with all of your criteria.

Where ever you end up have fun....... you lucky devil!

When you want to stay in australia as a tourist, not a problem(when you got a passport from the eu, even the visa is for free).
The Visa allows to stay up to 12 months (with up to 3 months in a row; with multiple entrys in 12 months)
The are places in australia where nothing is regulated(not like sydney).
Been twice to lizard island(500 km north east off cairns), can't be better then this(lonely island, awesome conditions for diving, snorkel ; supply comes with aircraft, boat), there is one resort on the island , if you got the money, go there.
Or go for tasmania:Best is the overland track( away from telephone, E-Mails ) Nature as good as it gets
Or Hinchinbrook Island, Lord Howe Island, Fraser Island.
When you got 8 months , you can have up 8 months summer(start in
Vancouver in August, then head to Santa Monica/ Berverly Hills /San Diego,
next Big Island (Hawaii), maybe Tahiti , end in australia.
Australia was a bargain before the introduction of the GST in 2000( from 0 to 10 % ) , the prices for trips in australia risen from 2000 to 2010 up to 100 %.
I Paid in 2001 for 6 day hiking (cradlehuts.com.au) about 1450 AUD, now the trip costs around 2750 AUD.
Only 9000 people per year are allowed to make the overland track.
In September I will go for Vancouver, Big Island and Santa Monica
(all in 3 weeks)

I lived 4 years in CHina and would definitely recommand Asia.. I have friends living in Indonesia and the pictures of their holidays they share with me are absolutely stunning. Same with Jamaica.. I have friends there and they spend all their weekends and holidays in beautiful places. I wish I had visited New Zealand and Australia while living in Asia so these 2 countries would be on my list 2.

I don't know South America much but I have been to Panama and spend 2 weeks on Bocas del Toro. it was great!

I would go to Africa. Holidays in Lamu , Kenya and going on Safaris heaven.

If you go to Cyprus ( beautiful in spring time) you should push up to the Middle east. One of my most memorable trip has been Syria and Jordan. To me, the highlights of my travelling has been Petra and the desert of wadi rum there. it's a great experience! of course, as you religion seem to bother you it might not be your cup of tea but you will be surprised to see that you will be far more welcomed that in some other places...

India, definitely. Been there 4 times. An unforgettable place. Like visiting another world. Definitely not for everyone. Either you love it, or hate it, or both, but the place will change you.

Brazil!
Amazing beaches, people, and countryside. Cheap living in certain areas, and food is fantastic most places.

The people there are passionate and fun, and there is always something going on or a new thing to try.

I lived there a year, and will very possibly settle there some day.
shoot me a message if you would like more info and areas or towns, Brazil is a big place!

I belive this regulation has changed recently, if you aply for a 3 or 6 month visa you can`t re enter for another 3 or 6 mont again and agian it is just a hassle if you don`t know if you can`t stay for around 8 month from the beginning. Thank you for your ideas but OZ is to me a bit done that been there to me.

TEXAS!
Yes, I know that it is inconvieniently located in the US, but Texas has everything, and the climate that you are looking for. I do not reccomend the Houston/galveston area, but down towards Corpus Christi, there is: fishing,(deep sea and freshwater), beaches (several including clothing optional) friendly people, A cosmopolitan area nearby, and the hill country with exceptional equestrian activities. (hunting also is very big here if you like that sort of thing) I included the "Travel Texas" link.
http://www.traveltex.com/
Hope to see ya'll here!
thanks, M