Before you fly
Pre-arrival planning, plus passport, visa, and document assistance within the scope we are qualified to provide. Paid legal and document work for EXPLORE is executed locally in Davao.
EXPLORE
Experience paradise before you decide.
A three-month furnished stay, with planning and accommodation coordinated from our Davao base.
- Three months to startLong enough to learn a real routine
- Furnished housingArranged in advance, wherever you want to go in the Philippines
- Planned from DavaoA Davao-based planning contact for the stay
More than a vacation. Less than a permanent move.
A new chapter doesn't have to start with a final decision.
Not quite ready to leave everything behind? Spend three months discovering what everyday life in the Philippines actually feels like. We'll arrange furnished accommodation in advance, wherever you want to go in the Philippines, subject to availability and confirmation.
You do not need to sell your home or decide that you are relocating. Prefer more than one destination? Tell us during planning. What is possible depends on available accommodation, timing, and any additional cost. A Davao-based team coordinates the planning. On-the-ground support at the destination is not part of EXPLORE.
Leave with a clearer perspective, or talk with us about a longer stay. Either outcome is a good use of the time.
Who EXPLORE is for
Curious about living here? Start by experiencing it.
Considering life overseas
You are thinking about retirement in the Philippines and want to experience it before you commit.
Experience everyday life
A short holiday will not tell you how the neighborhood, weather, and daily costs actually feel.
Independent, with a plan
You want to live your own days, with accommodation and planning coordinated before you arrive.
Room to decide
You want time to return home with perspective, or to consider a longer stay on its own terms.
Housing first
A place to unpack. Room to feel at home.
EXPLORE starts with a furnished place matched to the destination you want, your budget, and how you actually live, subject to availability and confirmation. We talk through shops, medical services, walkability, connectivity, and whether you want a quieter setting. Those are planning factors, not promises that every preference will be available.
Accommodation can be arranged in advance wherever you want to go in the Philippines, subject to availability and confirmation. The property, what is included, and the payment terms are confirmed with you before you book.
What's included
The essentials, coordinated around you.
Planning and accommodation are coordinated from Davao, so you can spend your days the way you want. Your planning contact is based in Davao.
A furnished base
We source and prepare furnished accommodation wherever you want to go in the Philippines, subject to availability and confirmation, and we manage the housing contract and payments.
Arrival day
Airport transfer and move-in can be discussed during planning. They are not an included on-the-ground service at every destination, and transport is billed separately when arranged.
Planning guidance
Practical planning for SIM cards, data, payments, and everyday questions before you travel. This is not an in-person orientation at each destination.
A planning contact
A Davao-based contact for planning questions during agreed service hours.
When you leave
Departure planning so the end of the stay is as organized as the arrival. Membership covers the stay through departure.
Why Escape Hatch
You're not figuring this out alone.
The stay is yours. Planning and accommodation are coordinated from Davao, where the team lives and knows the practical work firsthand.
- Veteran-led experienceFounded and led by a U.S. veteran who understands the move from American life to living overseas.
- Prepared before you arriveAccommodation arranged in advance for the destination you choose, subject to availability and confirmation.
- Planning, not a local tourHelp planning a neighborhood and a routine. Not an on-the-ground orientation at each destination.
- Davao-based optionsTechnology help and legal consultancy are available on request and billed separately. Paid legal work is executed in Davao, not nationwide.
Everyday life
Less time figuring things out. More time finding your rhythm.
Coffee. The market. A conversation with someone new. A walk you take because the afternoon is yours. There is no fixed tour schedule. With a comfortable home base and a Davao-based planning contact, ordinary days are how you discover whether this way of living suits you.
Clear costs
Your every dollar goes farther.
We keep it simple for you. At the core, we arrange your accommodation ahead of time and back you up with U.S. veteran-led planning from Davao. For anything else you need, we have prepared options for you.
| Charge | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Escape Hatch Subscription | $50 per month | Planning, consultation, and coordination of accommodation from planning through departure. It is not unlimited professional work. Your planning contact is based in Davao. |
| Accommodation | $449* per month | *Recommended budget for your furnished accommodation. The property is confirmed in your proposal. It is not a fixed listing. |
| EXPLORE requires a minimum three-month arrangement for both the resident subscription and the accommodation. Early-cancellation fees apply. The amounts and the other terms are explained before you sign. | ||
Document processing, legal assistance, transport, tech support, and other services are available on request and billed separately.
Accommodation
Housing charges are paid to Escape Hatch under the housing agreement. The home, inclusions, and payment terms are confirmed before booking.
Resident membership
The subscription that lets us support you during the stay. It is tied to active Escape Hatch housing, not a standalone product for housing you arrange yourself.
Personal expenses
Travel, local transport, food, utilities, personal spending, and third-party costs stay separate unless a written proposal expressly includes them.
If you want to stay
Love it here? Let's talk about staying.
Some people finish the stay and head home with a clearer answer. Others are ready for a longer chapter. SETTLE is optional and arranged separately, with its own terms. There is no obligation to continue.
Questions
Straight answers before you enquire.
EXPLORE is a furnished stay of at least three months for U.S. veterans and retirees who want to try everyday life in the Philippines. Accommodation is arranged in advance wherever you want to go, subject to availability and confirmation. Planning is coordinated from Davao. It is not a tour package, not nationwide on-the-ground support, and not a membership you buy on its own. You do not need to sell a home or commit to moving.
Three months is the minimum, so you can learn a neighborhood and a routine rather than just visit. Longer stays, a change of destination, or an extension can sometimes be discussed when accommodation is available and the contracts allow it. Each one is a new arrangement with its own costs, not an unrestricted part of the original stay.
Accommodation is arranged in advance wherever you want to go in the Philippines, subject to availability and confirmation. Housing charges are paid to Escape Hatch under the housing agreement. Your proposal sets out the property, inclusions, charges, and terms before you commit. Resident membership cannot be used with housing you arrange yourself.
The membership is $50 USD a month, and it begins when planning begins. The recommended accommodation budget is $449 USD a month. Your proposal confirms the property, inclusions, and terms, and it separates accommodation, membership, and personal expenses. Travel, local transport, food, utilities, and other personal costs stay separate unless the proposal expressly includes them.
We help with passport, visa, and document questions within the scope we are qualified to handle. Paid legal and document work for EXPLORE is executed locally in Davao, and it does not guarantee approval. Airport transfer can be arranged on request and is billed separately. EXPLORE does not include on-the-ground arrival coordination or a sightseeing schedule at each destination.
A Davao-based planning contact during agreed service hours, through departure. This is not 24/7 coverage, not emergency response, and not medical care. Legal consultancy is executed in Davao, and technology work is optional and billed separately.
Tell us during planning. We will discuss who is traveling and any access needs, and we will be plain about whether a property is suitable. EXPLORE does not include personal care, and suitability is never guaranteed.
Your written agreement explains cancellation and early-departure terms. Contact us promptly if your plans change. SETTLE is optional and uses a separate agreement. Finishing EXPLORE does not enroll you, upgrade you, or obligate you to continue. You can read the full SETTLE page at SETTLE, and more about the country on Why the Philippines.
Start with a question
You don't have to have it all figured out.
Start with your questions, your ideal lifestyle, and a rough timeline. We'll help you understand what an EXPLORE stay could look like.
Let's Plan Your EXPLORE Stay