A Country A Month
Travel books written by someone who actually went.
Independent guidebooks and field notes for three kinds of journey: the ship you are about to board, the country you are thinking of retiring to, and the parks worth building a whole year around.
◇ Kindle & paperback · Independent advice · Written by Leo Sotropa
One place. One honest guide. A better trip.
Three shelves
What you will find here
Different journeys, the same standard: researched properly, written honestly, and specific enough to act on.
The main library
Ultimate Ship Guides
One megaship, one book. Cabins to book and cabins to avoid, what to reserve on day one, where to eat, and a ready-made plan for every port.
26 books published · 175 free articles
Enter the ship libraryIIThe No-Nonsense series
Retired Abroad
What it actually costs, what the residency route really requires, how healthcare works and where you would want to wake up. Researched the way you would research your own move.
4 countries published · 9 more planned
Browse Retired AbroadIIIIn development
National ParksIn progress
Twenty to thirty parks, each its own book. Where to sleep, which trail is worth the early start, and how to see a park properly in the days you actually have.
20 to 30 books planned
Get the launch listThe main library
Ultimate Ship Guides
26 megaships, each with its own book and its own set of free guides. These eight are a good place to start.
Royal Caribbean
Icon of the Seas
Eight neighborhoods, twenty decks and the largest waterpark at sea, made manageable.Read the book postRoyal Caribbean
Star of the Seas
Icon’s sister out of Port Canaveral. The same revolutionary class, with her own venues and itineraries.Read the book postMSC Cruises
MSC World America
The districts, the dining and the entertainment explained without brochure language.Read the book postNorwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Luna
NCL’s newest Prima-Plus vessel and her Caribbean season, ship by ship specific.Read the book postPrincess Cruises
Sun Princess
Sphere-Class cabins, dining, Mediterranean ports and MedallionClass know-how.Read the book post
Royal Caribbean
Wonder of the Seas
The family favorite, weighted to the seven-night Caribbean with a shortlist for every stop.Read the book post
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Encore
Freestyle cruising, Alaska ports and the decisions worth making before embarkation.Read the book post
Princess Cruises
Star Princess
The newest Princess flagship, distilled into clear choices and action steps.Read the book postThe No-Nonsense Guide to Retiring Abroad
No hype. No fear. Sourced numbers.
Every guide answers the same questions in the same order, so you can compare countries instead of comparing brochures: the residency route, the real monthly budget, healthcare, housing, and what daily life is like once the novelty wears off.
- Real numbers. Monthly budgets built from rent, groceries, utilities and healthcare, not from wishful averages.
- The visa, step by step. What each residency route requires, what it costs and how long it actually takes.
- Healthcare without guesswork. Public versus private, what expats really pay and what is not covered.
- Where to land first. A few towns per country that suit a retirement budget and a real social life.
Available now · 4 countries
Next in the series
Costa Rica · Panama · Ecuador · Italy · France · Thailand · Malaysia · Colombia · Philippines
Next from the workshop
The National Parks series.
Twenty to thirty parks, each getting the same treatment the ships got: one park, one book, no filler. Until they land, these are the park and trail guides already on the site.
Also worth your time
Elsewhere on the internet
The rest of the work, and the places the books live outside this site.
Ultimate Ship Guides
The dedicated home of the cruise series. Every ship, every guide, in one place.
eleodor.com
Personal site: artificial intelligence, consumer insights, and the books behind the travel.
The Amazon series
The complete Ultimate Ship Guides series page, including titles not yet posted here.
Independent, unofficial guides by Leo Sotropa. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any cruise line. Ship names and venues are trademarks of their respective owners, used for identification only.