A 2,500-Square-Foot, Ocean-View Rental for $680 a Month

A 2,500-Square-Foot, Ocean-View Rental for $680 a Month
By Sue Hannant

In 2012, my husband Selwyn and I set off to China to fulfil a long-time dream of mine to teach English in a foreign country. I could never have imagined how much my time living there would change me. It shifted the way I looked at the world and put things into perspective.

We left China four years later with wonderful memories and headed home—but we knew we wouldn't be staying there long-term. Settling back down to the daily grind, doing the same old thing day after day was not an option for us. We have been avid travelers all our married lives so I guess we always knew deep down inside that when retirement did finally arrive we would head off somewhere different to live. The question was, where?

We had a list of countries we were interested in retiring to but the decision on which one still wasn't made. Our requirements were relatively simple but important for us. We wanted somewhere with a good climate year-round, access to good healthcare, good food, an international airport close by, and an established expat community. We spent time researching countries, putting together list after list of pros and cons. Eventually we narrowed it down to three destinations: Bali, Thailand, and Malaysia.

I had been a subscriber of International Living for a couple of years by then and always looked forward to reading their monthly magazine and postcards from readers sharing their adventures and insights into the good and the not so good sides of living overseas.

When I read that an International Living conference was coming up, the timing felt right. It was a little daunting, not knowing what to expect, how many people would be there, or if there would be any information of interest to me as I had already experienced expat life, but we went ahead and took the plunge.

The first day of the conference went so fast. All my hesitations about attending vanished and I couldn't wait for the next two days. The speakers were excellent. Just normal, everyday people who had packed up their lives and relocated overseas, relaying the good, the bad, and the ugly of living in a foreign country. My questions were answered without me having to ask them, there was a vibe in the room that motivated and excited people to stop "thinking" about doing it, and just "do it." Three days of full-on information, laughter, and new friendships. It doesn't get much better than that. 

We ended up choosing Malaysia as our retirement destination. More specifically, Kota Kinabalu, the state capital of Sabah on the northwest coast if the island of Borneo. We had visited the area a couple of times previously and it had ticked all the boxes on our list. Kota Kinabalu (or KK as it's known) is home to around 480,000 people. It's a melting pot of cultures including Malay, Chinese, and Indian, as well as many other indigenous groups. The local currency is the Malaysian Ringgit, the majority of people speak English, and the temperature doesn't vary much from around 89 F through the day and 75 F at night.

The cost of living here is very cheap compared to back home. We rent a 2,500-square-foot, three-bedroom condo across the road from the beach at Tanjung Aru—a spot famous for its breathtaking sunsets—for around $680 per month. The complex has a gym, tennis court, sauna, and two swimming pools. There is a golf club and yacht club within five minutes' walk. We live on the 10th floor and have the most amazing views of the ocean and surrounding islands… 

©Sue Hannant

The lifestyle is very laidback and probably the hardest decision is to where to go to eat. With such a variety of multicultural backgrounds, there is an enormous choice of cuisine. If you are a lover of fresh seafood, a visit to the fish markets is a must. Simply choose from the vast array of fish, crabs, or tiger king prawns, buy a cold beer, and sit down and admire the beautiful harbor while your dish is being prepared.

If you are into outdoor activities, KK is a one-stop shop. Visit the rainforests, take a river trip into the jungle and admire the beautiful orchids and wildlife. Dive the plunging sea wall in Pulau Sipadan, home to some wonderful marine life including green and hawksbill turtles, hammerhead sharks, parrot fish, and manta rays. Borneo is laden with natural beauty.

We have spent the past year here exploring the island and educating ourselves about this beautiful and relatively untouched part of the world. Being so centrally located in Southeast Asia means heading off to another country is easy. Last year we traveled back to China, and visited Bali and Cambodia—all just a few hours away and relatively inexpensive from this location. 

When we first told friends back home our plans for an overseas retirement, they thought we were mad and were quick to share their opinions. That's why I'm so glad I attended the International Living conference. Getting together with likeminded people reinforced for us that we were doing the right thing in moving overseas for a better quality, lower cost, stress-free lifestyle.

Now, each morning here commences with a two-mile stroll along the beach followed by a leisurely breakfast—usually a smoothie made with local fruits or some fresh crackling bacon and eggs. After that comes the biggest question of the day: where are we going for lunch…?