THEY PACKED THEIR BAGS, LEFT THE UK, NOW THEY’RE LIVING IN THEIR PARADISE

SINGAPORE. – Rushing to pick up the kids one afternoon in the pouring rain, busy mum Kayleigh Hall realised she’d had enough of life in the UK.

Just weeks earlier she’d been soaking up the sun with her husband Kev, 41, and kids Pippa, 11, Freddy, eight, and little Ronnie, three, while on holiday in Dubai, but now she had post-holiday blues.

Back in their home town of South Shields, in South Tyneside, the 38-year-old knew with certainty she’d become so sick of the rat race that something had to change.

The miserable British weather and spiralling cost of living meant they were working hard for little reward, and had limited time with their kids.

So, despite having a mortgage, professional jobs, a financed car, and no savings, the couple made the drastic decision to leave it all behind to travel the world.

As a result, they say they are living a lifestyle they could only dream about in the UK, with improved healthcare and much lower cost of living, meaning they can eat out multiple times a day.

Last March, the family left their home for Torrevieja, in Spain, where they stayed for two months, before moving on to Panang, Malaysia, where they enjoyed a “brilliant quality of life” while more than halving their outgoings.

Pippa, Freddy and little Ronnie swam every morning and saw monkeys and lizards during walks to the shops.

The family of five also enjoyed dining in restaurants twice a day for as little as £15 for five, and they also have spectacular views from their high-rise apartment.

After ten months, they travelled to Bangkok, Thailand, and from there are set to head to Japan and Vietnam.

Former sales worker Kayleigh, who is home-schooling her children while Kev now runs his own business remotely, making it possible for him to make money from anywhere in the world, said: “We absolutely love it out here.

“It’s made such a difference to our happiness. Back in the UK, we were stuck in the daily grind. The weather was terrible, everything was so expensive, and I hardly saw the kids.

“We could never have the lifestyle we have now in the UK. Your money just gets sucked away on bills, every last drop.

“Here, we eat out all the time, go to the beach, and are always outdoors. It’s amazing.

“We didn’t always feel safe in South Shields; there’s a lot of crime.

“I wanted to remove the children from that environment before they got any older.

“I didn’t think the kids were being equipped with the right skills at school.

“The curriculum doesn’t seem to have changed much since I was at school, 20 years ago.”

Kayleigh also thinks the medical treatment is better abroad too.

“My husband hurt his ankle, and he had to wait seven hours in A&E to be seen. We had private medical insurance in Malaysia, and a doctor would come to the house within 20 minutes.

“Life was just better in Malaysia, and we love Bangkok too. Now, we can’t ever imagine returning to the UK.

“We were just a normal family, with no savings, and ordinary, busy lives. I want to let other families know this is possible for them too.

“The biggest advice I would give people considering doing the same is, just do it. What have you got to lose? You only get one life.”

Kayleigh left her job in sales after the pandemic when Kev, a former mortgage broker, set up his own sales and marketing company. His business did well, and he managed to earn enough money to support the entire family without Kayleigh having to work.

She decided to homeschool the children, as she noticed they were much happier during breaks from the classroom and wanted to spend more time with them.

Then, in June 2024, the family left for Dubai and decided to leave the UK for good.

Kayleigh said: “We got the holiday blues.

“We came back to England, and it was still nice, because it was summer, but before long we got fed up with the cold, horrible grey skies.

“It was constantly either raining or overcast. I just felt like it was just never-ending. So our original plan was to try to move to Spain on a digital nomad visa. But then we thought, actually, why don’t we travel the world, and see where we love, as we’ve never even been to Spain before?

“We ended up living in Torrevieja, just south of Alicante. It was brilliant. We enjoyed a slower pace of life and went to the beach every single day.”

However, though they loved Spain, they decided they wanted to experience somewhere further away from the UK, and moved on to Malaysia.

Kayleigh adds: “It was absolutely amazing in Penang. We went out for food all the time, because it was so ridiculously cheap. It was £15 for a family of five to eat, which is crazy.

“I would take Pippa to ballet, then come back and go to the pool or beach. My husband’s clients are in America, so he works on their time zone.

“He normally doesn’t start work until around 7.30pm, so we get to spend the day with him, which is brilliant.

“The people were so friendly and lovely, it just ticked all the boxes. My little boy started a football group in Malaysia, and my daughter went to ballet, so they had their little friends as well.

“I’m just happier in Asia. My mental health is definitely better, and I am a more relaxed parent.

“The weather is so lovely, and I have to remind myself this is not a holiday, this is our life now.”

Britain Vs Malaysia monthly costs

SOUTH SHIELDS, UK

Mortgage £1400

Council tax £250

Water £45

Wifi £47

Car, tax, petrol £700

Food shop £1000

Eating out £700 (twice a week)

Total £4962