My entire adult life, I’ve chased time at the beach.
If I’m being honest, I couldn’t even begin to list all the incredible beaches I’ve visited around the world. What I do know is this—whenever I choose a destination, there’s almost always a beach involved… or at least one close enough to find.
It’s never really been optional. It’s just part of how I travel—and how I live.
For the past eight years, I’ve even kept a small studio rented in Rocky Point, Mexico. Anytime I felt that familiar pull, I knew I could be on the beach within four hours—door to sand.
You can read my blog on my Rocky Point casita by CLICKING HERE.
That beach feeling… it never really goes away for me.
It just gets stronger.
Below is a picture I took on Siargao Island, Philippines, in March 2026. It was a $60 RT flight from my home base in Cebu.
Have you ever considered that you might actually be doing beach life wrong!?
Not because you don’t love the ocean—but because you’ve been sold the same destinations your entire life.
Florida. California. Mexico …
And sure… all-inclusive vacations are great!
But they’re not even close to the best experience IMNSHO!
(IMNSHO – In my not so humble opinion) 
I’ve spent years chasing beaches around the world—Australia, Bermuda, Costa Rica, Greece, Italy, Hawaii—and what I discovered in SE Asia changed everything:
The most beautiful beaches aren’t the most popular ones…
They’re just the ones most people never consider going to.
And here’s the part nobody talks about—
What if you could wake up to clearer water, softer sand, and crowds that are basically nonexistent…
While spending 50–75% less than you would in California, Florida, or even Mexico.
Same ocean experience.
Better adventures.
Way lower cost, longer term.
At some point, you have to ask yourself:
Are you traveling for convenience…Or for something unforgettable?
Here is another picture I took at Alona beach, on the island of Bohol, Philippines which is a two hour ferry trip from my homebase in Cebu.
Below is Santa Fe beach in Bantayan Island, Philippines which is about 6 hours away from my homebase in Cebu. I visited during the first week of April for the second time. Like all the other beaches I’ve shared in this blog, it is also amazing.
Most beaches in Southeast Asia are some of the most incredible I’ve seen in my life.
Places like the Philippines, Thailand, and even Vietnam offer clearer water, softer sand, and scenery that feels almost untouched compared to what most people are used to.
My Philippines homebase in Cebu, Philippines—there are many other short, inexpensive flight, ferry, or bus trips away—open up access to islands and coastlines that completely change your expectations of what a beach should look like.
And yet, most people will still book the same yearly trip to Mexico!?
Spending similar money for a completely repetitive experience.
Not bad—just not even close to the best.
Here’s what my numbers look like for my next trip in August 2026.
Flight from Los Angeles to Manila: $600 round trip
Monthly rent: $425 (that’s about $15 a day)
Perfect weather with a side of rainy season to cool off!
Island hopping: $15–$50 to access some of the most beautiful beaches you’ve ever seen
I know… Mexico is a shorter flight.
You’ve got limited time. Limited vacation days. And more importantly, limited money.
That’s real. And honestly, you might be right.
But let’s look at this from a different angle to prepare you for a longer vacation and/or retirement. Maybe even early retirement!?
Let’s make it even more real and let this sink in for a second.
You can fly halfway around the world…
live comfortably for a month…
and explore multiple islands…
For about what most people spend on a single week in Mexico.
Flights. Hotels. Restaurants. Drinks. Excursions.
$2,000–$4,000… gone in seven days.
Or—
You take that same budget and completely change the experience.
The Philippines has many things to offer the visitor: a mixture of the old and the new, a diversity of art and culture,e and a warm, friendly people. Blessed by nature, the Philippines has something to offer every sportsman too . . . extraordinary dive sites, forests to roam, mountains to climb, caves to explore.
Wake up every day with access to over 7,000 islands stretching the length of the Philippines—and trade the same old vacation for something unforgettable.
Slow down. Breathe. Actually live there.
That’s the shift most people never even consider—
not just for a vacation, but for upgrading their entire lifestyle… even their retirement.
They’re not choosing a worse experience…
They’re choosing a shorter one—
at a higher price.