Retirement In India? The Real Marigold Hotel

[naomi24]

An interesting little programme where group of ageing celebrities travelled to India to see whether retirement would be more rewarding there than in the UK. The cost of living is far below that of the UK; a truly spectacular penthouse apartment can be had for £1M, and a nice little flat in a community dwelling (with permanent staff available) specially designed for fit older people can be bought for £25,000. All the celebrities loved it – although apart from Sheila Ferguson (she of Three Degrees fame), I don’t think any of them seriously considered the option of relocating to India. Would you consider it?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08fpbkd

[ExiledinNotts]

We loved this programme but not as much as the original movie. Yes I do believe that I could live there particularly in Ooti a place we have visited during a tour of Kerala. India is a place you either love or hate we loved it.

[trt]

I doubt very much anyone of them would retire there, including the previous group, who Bobby George brought his wife out to look at a couple of places.

Firstly there's the heat in the summer, ok you have A/C, but that's for only your apartment, and if you are lucky not to have power cuts, which are common.
The rainy season, you cant go anywhere on foot.

Language problems.
You wont have a choice of your favourite food & drinks.
Transports a nightmare.
Medical facility's & medication, especially A&E.
Safety & Security: Westerners are all millionaires in the eyes of Asian people.

Fine for a months holiday, paid for by the BBC, with all excursions, food expenses etc paid for, but in reality, never.

[Baldric]

No, we wouldn't for same reasons as trt gave above.

[emmie]

never, i am allergic in a big way to the food, besides i am too much a home body.

[237SJ]

I'm not sure I'd retire abroad because I have going back to the countryside as my plan so that is something to look forward to. If I was going to retire abroad I would go to India before I would go to anywhere in Europe.

[ExiledinNotts]

Sri Lanka is an upmarket version of India. Well worth a visit.

[237SJ]

I think the retirees on the programme love it because they are within a nice little group of people. If you are with the right people, you will be happy anywhere. Going back alone would be another matter though.

[emmie]

from the first programme with Bobby George they were all fairly cosseted, and as TRT points out it wouldn't be the same just going alone or with your partner. I couldn't as i said take the food, let alone the insects, the excessive heat. It all seems hunky dory in the programmes but the reality is quite different.

[237SJ]

You don't have to eat Indian food in India. I do, because I love it but you can just as well eat something else.

[ExiledinNotts]

The thing with India is the poverty that's there. It's all very well talking about a £1m for a property but reality there's so many poor people. The programme in as much as we enjoyed it didn't really touch on the harsh realities of the actual country.

[naomi24]

ExiledinNotts, I agree with you, although India is far from alone in the poverty stakes. Nevertheless, the wealthy or relatively wealthy live happily in those countries. Interestingly Lionel Blair said on that programme that India is like the Garden of Eden. I wouldn’t say that about India necessarily but it’s exactly how I described Sri Lanka on my first visit there. I wouldn’t mind having a holiday home in that area of the world, but like others I’d be reluctant to move there permanently on retirement – at least not without the very best medical insurance – and the financial option of coming back if it didn’t work out.

[hc4361]

Thinking in the long term I wouldn't move abroad when I am elderly because of the possibility of developing dementia.
Dementia sufferers can be helped greatly by being in surroundings that were familiar during their childhood and young adulthood and I think being in such an unfamiliar place would be detrimental.

[modeller]

What's the point in buying a property ( whatever the cost ) if you can't ever leave it , without a mask ,because the air outside is so polluted. That is the situation throughout most of India .