Taking a vacation in a foreign land is not so easy especially if you have a frugal budget to meet your travel expenses. First things first, for any of your travel vacations you must never borrow money from your friends, relatives or even use your credit cards. Only take a vacation when you are able to afford that kind of life style. This insider guide will throw a lot of insight on some of the best ways to fulfill your dream of holidaying when you have a very little budget to spend. When you want to make it cheap you must `1) select destinations which don’t cost you much 2) choose cheap accommodation over expensive hotels 3) spend your money effectively by choosing the right mode of payment (card or cash?) 3) book your economy flight tickets at the right time to leverage cheap air fare costs. The following are some of the very best budget destinations that will not pinch your wallet so much.
Budget destinations
Most European destinations are likely to be expensive and if you wish to explore budget destinations in Europe then the region in Eastern Europe comprising Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova should be the best pick for you. You could finish off your daily sight-seeing, accommodation, transportation and food in just $40 per day in these cities. A liter beer in Bulgaria only costs $1.5. These Eastern European budget destinations will give you the same look and feel of the other expensive Western European destinations like London, Prague, Paris and Barcelona. Portugal is the other cheap European destination we have in mind for you. This secret is not known to many tourists across the world. Portugal is known for its beaches, food, wine and stunning cities.
South East Asian destinations are often a popular choice for vacationing among backpackers from across the world. The good thing about these destinations in SE Asia is everything is dirt cheap, right from accommodation, food and public transportation. The must-see budget destinations in SE Asia are 1) Thailand 2) Cambodia. Thailand and Cambodia like all SE Asian countries are predominantly dominated by Buddhism. Thailand is known for its vibrant beaches, night life and Thai cuisine while Cambodia is famous for experiencing the sunrise at Angkor Wat temple and its signature Fish Amok dish. These SE Asian budget destinations are also ideal for adventurous activities like snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking, white water rafting etc. You should be able to finish off your everyday expenses of sight-seeing, food and accommodation in just $25 to $30. Cambodia is by far the cheapest destination than other neighboring countries in SE Asia.
China has been attracting people from diverse regions ever since Marco Polo traversed on its silk road. It is a super cheap destination for foreign visitors who like to explore Asian life, food and culture. China has some of the cheapest hostels that cost only $20 a night and a sumptuous meal can cost anywhere close to $2 to $5.China is also a popular budget destination among backpackers.
South Korea remains an undiscovered destination for most foreign visitors. Tourism has been on the rise here in the recent years and this country offers a stiff competition to other SE Asian countries in terms of cheaper living conditions. Most foreign visitors have now started realizing this and are trying to take advantage of this. South Korea is famous for its jaw dropping views and beautiful night life. The official currency of South Korea is Won, the peculiar thing about it is you would always be spending in no less than thousands of wons for all your needs. For instance a BBQ meal with drink is going to cost you 8800 wons which is equivalent to US $8.
India is another budget destination that you must plan. India has a rich cultural heritage of diverse religions, historical buildings and monuments. Pack your bags to experience its people, landmarks, customs, traditions and signature food items like butter chicken and biryani. India is an inexpensive country to live, expect to incur a daily expense of $30 per day for your accommodation, food and sight-seeing. Avoid 5 star hotels and western food during your stay to keep your expenses low.
Travel tips for budget travelling
- When backpacking always pack light, camp out or get a hostel with kitchen, carry your own snacks, use a train pass, don’t take expensive cabs, avoid going to the bars and try to visit the liquor stores for cheaper prices.
- Do your flight bookings on a Tuesday at 3:00 PM EST as most US airlines publish reduced new deals at this time.
- Choose rental homes over hotels wherever possible, this concept is quite popular in European countries and renting a rental home or an entire apartment may work out cheaper if you are in a group.
- Choose hostels over 5 star hotels in South East Asian countries.
- Choose `the right payment mode: plastic money or cash to pay for your expenses. You must use both the methods to pay off your bills as the situation demands. You must cash to pay smaller expenses like taxi fares, restaurant bills, bus fares etc and use your credit card for paying bills of bigger tune like Hotel bills, flight tickets, car rentals etc.
- Avoid cash exchanges for maximum savings
- Don’t use Traveler’s checks at all
- Always use Debit card for cash withdrawals from ATMs
- It’s quite sensible to withdraw maximum allowed cash at an ATM in one transaction to avoid overseas transaction fees on withdrawals each time.
- Don’t ever use your credit card for withdrawing money from ATM because of the high cash advance fees, special interest rates, overseas transaction fees and conversion fees. Use your credit card for cash only in an emergency.
