Travel

There’s a new list of the top retirement destinations, and it contains some surprises.

Prepared by Forbes.com, the 25 best places to retire in 2012 in the United States was based on factors such as availability of doctors, taxes, housing costs, weather, and crime rates.

The huge silverback was hovering in the trees above us, then he jumped into our midst and we scattered.

The rangers told us to stand still and in awe, we obeyed. We did not want 226 kilos of mountain gorilla charging us, even in play. It was frightening yet exhilarating at the same time.

This was Guhonda, the biggest - and at 36 years old - the oldest silverback in the Virunga Mountains, home to this endangered species.

If retirement is on the horizon for you, and the cost of living in your city seems too unaffordable, perhaps you should consider looking further than the next town over for your ideal retirement spot.

The cost of assisted living communities in North America vary by city, but there are places where retirement living is a fraction of the cost as it is in the United States and Canada.