Stretch Your Travel Dollars in Low Currency Countries
If you have yet to experience the thrill of traveling
to a place SO inexpensive that cost is not an issue, you need to travel to a low currency country where this is absolutely a realistic scenario. For starters, south east Asia has everything the Caribbean does for 60 - 75% less. A luxury suite that goes for 50 a night in the Caribbean cost me just 8 at the Red Coconut on the tropical island of Boracay in the Philippines (breakfast included). For dinner, you can dine beachside with this breathtaking view in the backdrop where 2 will get you seafood kabobs, alcoholic drinks and desert with this breathtaking sunset.
CLICK HERE to watch a panoramic video of this sunset:
Perhaps you want to visit the Swiss Alps without having to pay Swiss prices:
Waterton National Park is a little known hidden gem nestled in the Canadian Rockies with scenery and architecture you will mistake for Switzerland. It's also a lot less expensive since the U.S. dollar is worth less than the Euro, but significantly more than the loonie (Canadian dollar).
If you want the flare of New Orleans Mardi Gras and the sizzle of Miami's nightlife, you can get the best of both in Brazil, where 1 U.S. dollar will get you 4 Brazilian Reals, and food and accommodations cost 40-50% less than in the U.S. on average.
There’s a misconception that Olympic host cities are astronomically expensive during their host year when in fact, you can visit in the months leading up to, and shortly after the Olympics without having to pay any of the premiums that Olympic goers will be subject to:
If you want to have a brewsky, Travel & Leisure voted Portland, Oregon as the best beer town in the U.S.. Alternatively, one of the world's top beer destinations has a cost of living that's about 40% less. Prague is the birthplace of pilsner and is where the original Budweiser was brewed. Although the Czech Republic is not as inexpensive as it once was, it's still very cheap by U.S. standards. You can stretch your dollar even further in the outskirts of the city and by visiting during shoulder season.
If the tropics are calling you, the touristy parts of the Caribbean are mostly pegged to the U.S. dollar. Alternatively, you can go to Southeast Asia where:
- According to this priceoftravel.com study, Phuket, Thailand has the least expensive 5-star hotels anywhere in the world. With luxury rooms available for as little as 6 U.S./night, it's completely realistic to have a 5-star vacation on a 2-star budget Phuket.
- Your travel dollar will go farther in Vietnam than just about anywhere else you will visit in the world. Vietnam has miles of white sandy beaches and rock formations similar to what you will find in Thailand. One U.S. dollar is worth 18 thousand Vietnamese Dong.
For outdoor enthusiats: Colorado is known as the best state for those who are athletic and outdoorsy. Any activities and excursions you can do in Colorado, you can also do in Slovenia for 40% less. In Slovenia, the Alps pass through Slovenia’s Triglav National Park, and the Soca river is prime for kayaking and rafting.
If you want to see wildlife: Yellowstone National Park is bar none my favorite U.S. National Park. But with the South African Rand crashing hard, now is a great time to consider taking a spectacular safari in South Africa. In gaming parks like Kruger National Park, you can see herds of elephants, rhinos, hippos, lions and giraffes.
CLICK HERE to see me discuss Inexpensive Alternatives to Top Travel Destinations on Breakfast TV:
Russell Hannon uses lean principles to travel at a fraction of the going rate. He has been featured on CNBC, FOX, America Tonight, CBS, CTV, CBC, the National Post and Around the World Travel TV. He is also the author of amazon.ca Budget Travel #1 Best Seller ‘Stop Dreaming Start Traveling: The Ultimate Guide to Traveling More & Spending Less’ available at Stop Dreaming Start Traveling.
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