8 Exotic Destinations You Can Afford 229 Comments

This is a guest post by Tim Leffel, a travel destinations expert who has dispatched articles from five continents over a period close to two decades.

Think world travel needs to be expensive? Think again…

Enter Tim Leffel

Like an annoying house guest who keeps packing but doesn’t leave, this recession keeps dragging on. That downsized international vacation can still be exotic though—if you pick the right destination. Or if you really want to alter your finances for the better, move to one of these places as an expat.

The dollar is in healthier shape than it has been many times in the past in relation to the euro and pound sterling, but a trip to one of Western Europe’s capitals still feels like a shopping trip to Tiffany’s. Australia is not much better, and a trip to Japan could drain your whole life savings in a week.

Here’s a better idea: go someplace where your travel dollars are still worth a bundle.

Below are some of the best deals on the planet right now, destinations that are relatively easy for travelers and also easy on the wallet.

1. Egypt

Photo: Jungle_Boy

Despite having some of the world’s best-known monuments, Egypt struggles to fill its abundant hotels. With less-than-wealthy locals far outnumbering the tourists, it’s easy to find a bargain meal or a guide or taxi driver. (They’ll find you whether you need them or not.) Admission prices for the ancient pyramids and temples are reasonable, generally ranging from $3 to $14.

Sample deals: a first-class train ticket from Cairo to Luxor for $17; a Nile-view deluxe double room in Luxor for $60 with breakfast; a private room by the sea in Dahab for under $20; entrance to the Nubia Museum in Aswan for $4; a falafel sandwich at a Cairo street stall for 40 cents. There’s no great independent travel site for the whole country but Egypt’s official tourism site is better than most.

2. Indonesia

Photo: Erik K Veland

This Southeast Asian nation is one of the most diverse and attractive destinations in the world, with a long string of volcanic islands and a range of topography and culture. It could also be the best value on the planet, with cheap hotels going for $5 a night, often right beside great snorkeling spots. Bali is the most developed island, but even there you can find plenty of deals. On Java, Sumatra, and Sulawesi, however, it’s easy to branch out like an intrepid explorer or get pampered on the cheap in the most popular spots.

Sample deals: a double room with pool and breakfast in Yogyakarta, Java for under $20; a five-day small ship cruise between Lombok and Flores islands via Komodo for $200 per person including meals; a first-class train seat from Jakarta to Yogyakarta for $25; an hour-long massage for $8-$15; a day’s motorbike rental on Bali for $10. Indo.com has a good listing of mid-range hotels in Bali and some other areas while the official Indonesia tourism site has travel info and enticing photos of the diverse islands.

3. Mexico

Photo: Tim Leffel

In mid-2008, the peso was at 10 to the dollar. Now it’s close to 13. That’s a discount of more than 25 percent in a country that was already a deal. Plus Swine Flu followed by drug gang violence on the U.S. border has meant that travelers have tremendous bargaining power on hotels and tours. To find the best values, visit the historic colonial cities or beach areas where Americans don’t outnumber the locals. (As in places where there’s no Señor Frog’s in sight.)

Sample deals: a three-course lunch at a market stand for $4; nice hotels in centuries-old colonial buildings for under $75 double with breakfast and Wi-Fi; a round of Negra Modelos for five at nearly any bar, including gratis snacks, for $10; and some of the nicest deluxe buses in the hemisphere for $6 to $8 per hour of travel. It’s a big, diverse country, but here’s an extensive set of links and the best books on one page: Mexico travel resources from Travelers-tool-kit.com.

4. Honduras

Photo: Tim Leffel

Few people knew anything about this country until it was all over the news last year when the president got forced out of office. You can find fabulous deals on scuba diving packages on Roatan Island. This Caribbean island sits next to the second-longest coral reef in the world, and every hotel seems to offer attractive package plans no matter the season. On the mainland you’ve got tropical national parks, the rugged Moskito Coast, and Copán, one of the key Mayan sites in the Americas and a great little colonial town.

Sample deals: $35 white-water rafting trips; weeklong learn-to-dive packages with room, breakfast, and transfers for under $600; a cold coconut with a straw for 40 cents; and admission to the Copán archeological park for $10. For more info, see the Honduras Tips site or Roatan Online, or see more travel prices in Honduras here.

5. Guatemala

Photo: Tim Leffel

This is only a shade farther to fly than Mexico, but it is a truly exotic destination. The descendants of the Mayans still dress in traditional clothing in the villages surrounding stunning Lake Atitlán. The Spanish colonial buildings in the city of Antigua are older than anything left standing in our historic city districts. The sprawling archeological park of Tikal is the granddaddy of Mayan ruins, and still surrounded by jungle.

Sample deals: taxis in Antigua for $4; great hotels with a view on Lake Atitlán for $60 a night; a week of private Spanish lessons including homestay starting at $180; a zipline canopy tour near Tikal for $30; three pounds of bananas or avocados for a dollar. La Ruta Maya Online is the best resource for hotels, tours, and Spanish language schools.

6. Peru

Photo: Tim Leffel

Machu Picchu alone is worth the journey, but it’s just the start in this value-packed country. Inca ruins are scattered all around the Sacred Valley, and Cuzco is one of the most attractive cities in South America. There is also hiking in the Andes, admiring colonial architecture on the streets of Arequipa, trips through the Amazon, boating across the highest lake in the world, and flying over the strange Nazca lines.

Sample deals: Bus from Arequipa to Colca Canyon – $6; a big traditional lunch and a beer for $7; simple restaurant meal in the countryside $6 for two; entrance to the Inca Museum in Cuzco for $1.50; cheap single room or hostel bed $4-$10; airport taxi in Cusco $4. Andean Travel Web is an exhaustive resource site for trekking info, hotels that are a good value, and general travel info.

7. Thailand

Photo: ccdoh1

As with Honduras and Mexico, visitor numbers plunged when Bangkok was all over the news recently, so there are plenty of deals on airfare, tours, and hotels. This is a popular destination for travelers of all budget levels. Thailand continues to be one of the best bargains in the world in terms of hotel prices, and with a well-developed infrastructure, it’s easy to get around and see what you want to see, be it historic ruins, Buddhist temples, or tropical beaches.

Sample deals: a standard double at a true 5-star hotel in Bangkok for $250 or less per night—or a cheap place to flop down and sleep for 1/20th of that price; admission to the main ruins in Sukothai for under $2; a first-class round-trip sleeper train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai for about $40; a Skytrain ticket across Bangkok for about $1.30. The hands-down best travel resource for Thailand is Travelfish.org. They also put out some great iPhone/iPad apps on specific regions and islands.

8. Czech Republic

Photo: Tim Leffel

In much of Europe, prices in the big cities are often double what you find in the countryside. This is especially true in Eastern European countries like the Czech Republic, where vacationers on quick weekend breaks have driven up hotel and restaurant prices in Prague. In the smaller towns and cities, however, the country is one of Europe’s remaining great values. Castles on hill crests, some of the world’s best beer for a dollar or so in a pub, and winding cobblestone streets without crowds—Ye Olde Europe without the new Europe prices.

Sample deals: a room at the best hotel in town across Moravia for under $100 with breakfast; fully equipped hybrid bike rental for $25 a day; sommelier guided 12-bottle tasting at the Wine Salon of the Czech Republic in Valtice for $19; a train ticket from Prague to anywhere in the country for $12 or less. The official Czech Tourism site is excellent while MyCzechRepublic has good general info on different regions plus a message board. See more Czech prices outside Prague here.

To dive in deeper on any of these cheap destinations and see the current situation on the ground, check the message boards at LonelyPlanet.com and BootsnAll.com.

###

Travel writer and website publisher Tim Leffel is author of “The World’s Cheapest Destinations” and runs the Cheapest Destinations blog.

[This post is an updated version of an earlier article that appeared in the Boston Globe travel section.]

Posted on November 4th, 2010

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229 Comments

Eric — November 4th, 2010, 7:14 am

Awesome post, thanks Tim (both Tims). When I’m planning my next vacation, this is going to come in handy for sure.
Reply
- Brendan — November 4th, 2010, 9:31 pm
  
  You should check out Costa Rica too Eric when you plan you’re next vacation. It’s affordable and beautiful.
  Reply
  - Jay — November 7th, 2010, 2:32 am
    
    I’m off to Costa Rica next month, I can’t wait! Can you recommend anywhere Brendan?
    Reply
  - LLR — November 7th, 2010, 10:00 pm
    
    Hey Brendan,
    
    You surf? Is there good surfing / surfing schools in Costa Rica? Can you recommend anything?
    
    I just learned how to surf last week and am dying to do more.
    
    Thanks!
    
    LLR
    Reply
  - Nathan Sanko — November 8th, 2010, 9:01 am
    
    Flor Blanca in CR is incredible. a bit pricey but worth it.
    Reply
  - Walter — November 24th, 2010, 5:10 pm
    
    Costa Rica is also a great family destination. Kids love the wildlife…looking for monkeys, sloths, toucans, etc. I have found the south to be the best…especially Uvita. Less touristy…better unspoiled beaches, jungle and waterfalls.
    Reply
  - PAYAL — February 18th, 2013, 1:11 pm
    
    i would like to knw about these places
    Reply
Niels — November 4th, 2010, 7:17 am

Thanks for this list, still need to save for it though…..;-)

Travelling fills up your bucket, so I am in.

Niels
Reply
Andreas — November 4th, 2010, 7:21 am

I just came back from Morocco we did some of the days on 13 euros (less than $20.) Of course you have to stay in cheap hostels but as you’ll probably only spending the night there and asleep it really doesn’t matter. Thanks for this good post as I hope more people will realise how much of the world you can see with a fairly small amount of cash.
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Eduard — November 4th, 2010, 7:24 am

That’s what I like about exotic destinations. The word exotic doesn’t always mean expensive. It rather means unusual. Thanks for the rec. Tim
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Collin Ferry — November 4th, 2010, 8:01 am

I’ve been to several of these countries already – I was even getting my dive certification in Honduras during all the political fun last summer! And I was in Bangkok this year with all the redshirt stuff. I’m beginning to wonder if I’m a cause of political unrest. Funny that you mention the Czech Republic, I just met a Czech guy and he was raving about $1 beers in the pubs (30 cents at the grocers). Some of these price estimates can be had for even lower if you do a bit of bargaining.

Big props to Guatemala! I’d also highly recommend Vietnam as a budget traveler’s dream

Hurrah for geoarbitrage!
Reply
- libor — November 5th, 2010, 3:01 am
  
  Czech Republic is great and cheap if you don’t hang around Prague tourist spots. However, just to set the record straight, bargaining is not really the thing there . Also, taxi prices are very expensive and some shady drivers will stiff you. If you want to get from the airport to the center of Prague, just take a bus 100 from in front of the airport for 1 euro (as oppose to 30 with taxi). The bus will take you to metro Zlicin station and from there you can get to anywhere in the center. Same ticket is for bus/tram/metro. Have fun.
  Reply
- CW Springer — November 6th, 2010, 7:20 pm
  
  Great guest post! Going to have to pop over to Honduras and Guatemala to learn to dive and brush up on my Spanish!
  
  Tim
  
  Do you think I can still get a first edition of your new book if I buy it in stores (I like to do this with books I’m gonna keep although I’ve given three 4HWW’s away to friends!)? I have no idea where I’ll be living so have been hesitant about pre-ordering!
  
  Thanks!
  
  CW
  Reply
Cara Stein — November 4th, 2010, 8:02 am

With less-than-wealthy locals far outnumbering the tourists, it’s easy to find a bargain meal or a guide or taxi driver. (They’ll find you whether you need them or not.)

lol–ain’t that the truth!

I definitely want to spend some time wandering around Eastern Europe–too cool. Thanks for a great post!
Reply
Josip Barbaric — November 4th, 2010, 8:04 am

Thanks guys, this is just what I needed!

I was thinking about Honduras for the last week or so, thinking about getting some info and maybe going there after the New Year.

Love the “cold coconut with a straw for 40 cents”!

cheers,

Josip
Reply
GAYLE MCLAUGHLIN — November 4th, 2010, 8:14 am

Loved your post. I have only been to Mexico and enjoyed the bargains. But this article gave me more ideas to travel. I am sending this to my traveling buddies.
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David Filip — November 4th, 2010, 8:15 am

I am from Czech Republic, description is quite correct, just beer will cost you like $2 in pub.

Salon of Wine is great, I recommend it a lot, just sommelier guided tasting is probably not a best choice, because I am afraid that sommelier will not speak english very well. I recommend taking 90 min self tasting. If you like wine this might be highlight of your trip.

If you want to see real gem of Czech Republic go there (Valtice, Lednice, Mikulov). Prague is great, but it is just another big tourist centric city.
Reply
Adventure-Some Matthew — November 4th, 2010, 8:25 am

Great list – gets the dreams going (now it’s time to make them into actionable goals).

I’m especially liking Mexico, because I can reach it on my motorcycle and use it as my transportation. Nothing like close-ish to home and favored convenient transportation!
Reply
Ms. Pillowz — November 4th, 2010, 8:29 am

Thanks so much for the post. This has renewed my desire to visit some exotic places. Typically I stay away from them, because I think that they would be too expensive. This article gave me some ideas of how to be able to visit exotic locales without the high prices. Kudos!

Ms. Pillowz
Reply
Josh Crocker — November 4th, 2010, 8:39 am

Wow Tim, 2 travel posts in less than a week? Looks like somebody’s gearing up for some adventure, yes?

Reply
Marie — November 4th, 2010, 8:48 am

I plan on taking the family to Eygpt in 2013. Panama is another place I want to see
Reply
- Tim Ferriss — November 4th, 2010, 4:37 pm
  
  Panama is AMAZING. Check out Coiba marine reserve.
  Reply
  - Brendan — November 4th, 2010, 9:34 pm
    
    That’s just what I needed to see. Have to renew my Visa for Costa Rica soon and kept thinking about Panama. Now that you say it’s amazing, how can I pass it up.
    Reply
  - Tony — November 4th, 2010, 11:16 pm
    
    Wow – every country in Central America cracked a mention except Nicaragua….. which is kind of the way we like it here.
    
    Chris if you need to do a Visa run check out San Juan del Sur in Nica for some great waves, small crowds and cheap prices. Cheaper than the rest of Centro in fact.
    
    We like to stay out of town where you can get a 5 Star house that sleeps 4 for as little as $80 a night right above the waves.
    Reply
  - john — June 7th, 2011, 8:57 pm
    
    Does Tim or anyone else know of some other cool wildlife/research spots like you mention in Panama: “….or to live on a private island in Panama, especially a research island, to go snorkeling and scuba diving every day, that cost similarly less than 500 dollars.”
    Reply
  - Esme Anderson — June 22nd, 2012, 8:18 am
    
    Hey, Tim you need to visit Belize, the second largest Barrier Reef we are proud of….. just recently we captured 3 spaces in the top 25 for Best Hotel in the World on TripAdvisor. Im into Cruise Tourism……here is a warm welcome to visit my Country. Hope to see you soon at the Fort street Tourism Village !!!!!
    Reply
- Rico — February 24th, 2013, 5:46 am
  
  Still planning for visiting Egypt?
  Reply
Nacho — November 4th, 2010, 9:15 am

For a cheap, off the beaten path beach in Mexico check out the Nayarit, Chacala area. You can check out the accommodations on this site: http://chacalaescape.com
Reply
Nacho — November 4th, 2010, 9:16 am

If you’re looking for a cheap, off the beaten path in Mexico check out the Chacala/Nayarit area. Check out the link from my profile for good site with a great accommodations listing.
Reply
Torumoy — November 4th, 2010, 9:17 am

Hey Tim,

When I was scolling down, I thought I would find India in the list. It is a nice post tho.

On a different note, please make sure your new book will be avialable in India. I have mentioned several times in several other comments that ‘No matter how hard I try, there is no way to get your book in India (at least a printed version)’. I am sure you know you have a lot of international readers, so please don’t forget them.

Cheers,
Torumoy.
Reply
Gal — November 4th, 2010, 9:19 am

Most of South East asia, Eastern Europe and South America is a deal these days and will probably remain this way with the press making them seem like death traps (they’re not). Stay away from the tourist traps like Bali and you’ll end up spending very little money on accommodations, food and seeing the sights. Africa is a good deal too but has a greater degree of instability which, unfortunately, is not all scare mongering by the press.
Reply
Matt W — November 4th, 2010, 9:24 am

I did the Antigua/Tikal thing for Xmas & New Years ’08…it was great!
Reply
Wanderluster — November 4th, 2010, 10:27 am

Great list, Tim. But, Mexico? Exotic? Where’s India? (Awesome photos, by the way.)
Reply
- Tim Ferriss — November 4th, 2010, 11:57 am
  
  I think some of Mexico can be more exotic than the popular cities in India, but I understand your point. Any favorites in India?
  Reply
  - Sean Evanko — November 4th, 2010, 12:29 pm
    
    We just got back from a month in Mexico. Our new favorite spot is a small island off the northern coast of the Yucatan peninsula called Holbox. It is extremely affordable, amazing fresh seafood (we found a favorite sushi place called Cariocas Suxi) and unspoiled wildlife including flocks of hundreds of flamingos.
    
    http://www.holboxisland.com/
    Reply
  - Tomas L. — November 4th, 2010, 1:11 pm
    
    Hey Tim,
    
    thanks for mentioning Czech Repuplic.
    
    Tom
    Reply
  - Shr — November 4th, 2010, 1:49 pm
    
    Exotic Places in India –
    Kerala – http://tinyurl.com/242mk8r
    
    Goa – http://tinyurl.com/2fe876y
    
    Rajastan – http://tinyurl.com/2g9p7yp
    Reply
  - Lisa Fine — November 4th, 2010, 2:08 pm
    
    I was wondering where was India too. (Though I spent time in Mexico two years ago, after flying into Cancun, we hopped on a bus and left for the rest of the Yucatan Peninsula. Merida is an incredible, less-traveled city.)
    
    I spent about two months in India in 2005, and found a few great cities that I could easily have spent more time in:
    
    *Udaipur – way in the north, great winding streets and small, tucked away/rooftop cafes
    *Pune – university town with wonderful markets
    *Varanasi – amazingly poor, amazingly awe-inspiring
    Reply
    - Claudia — March 6th, 2013, 5:29 am
      
      Did you go to Varanisi???? Please tell me about your experience. I would love, love, love to go there.
  - Kai — November 4th, 2010, 3:45 pm
    
    Top 5?
    Reply
  - Frank — January 10th, 2011, 8:26 pm
    
    I’ve been to Chiapas, MX and Oaxaca, MX, staying in Oaxaca for over a month. Snorkeled for shrimp in a gorgeous river, hunted iguanas in the mountain forests, stayed in a small village of perhaps 60 individuals – Zapoteco indians. Everything is very inexpensive, like a great meal for around $1.50 or less in Puerto Escondido. I really liked Bahias de Huatulco, a series of 7 bays that are just now getting built up, including tour boats showing up there. Stunning place for sure. Very few outsiders. Oaxaca City is a lovely old place as well, with many interesting sites to see, and great people, and food. Get off the beaten track and see the real Mexico. There is a scenic drive through the mountains between Veracruz on the Caribbean coast and Oaxaca that is stunning, and new. No one for a hundred miles or more. We came to the end of it after a twisting mountain drive and overlooking around 100 miles of coastal plain was a house/store owned by an old Native American gent who could not speak Spanish as well as this Guerro (blonde). Really something to see there!
    Reply
- natta — November 4th, 2010, 2:36 pm
  
  Visit the Popocatepetl and the Ixtacihuatl, amazing volcanos. Have a tour in Morelos and try “las Haciendas”, like the “Hacienda de Cocoyoc” that Hernan Cortez build as a gift for an Aztec princess, or La “Hacienda de Atlihuayan”.
  The Pyramids list is huge: Teotihuacan, pyramid de la Luna y del Sol.
  Palenque, Xochicalco,Tepoztlan…
  The city of silver “Taxco”
  Oaxaca (incredible)
  San Cristobal de las Casas.
  Mazunte (try Punta Cometa o San Agustinillo)
  Real de Catorce
  Xilitla: The Surreal Gardens of Las Pozas, La Huasteca
  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnhtxvGmaI0).
  El Gran Cenote, Tulum…
  if this is not exotic, we should try Mars.
  
  peace
  n
  Reply
marianney — November 4th, 2010, 10:47 am

excellent post (and so was gary’s from a few days ago!) this post will come in handy for some geo-arbitrage as well! definitely bookmarking this one for the NEAR future!
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T. Scott — November 4th, 2010, 10:55 am

There are plenty of bargains in these places no matter what budget level you’re at. I’m in Mexico right now and it’s unreal what kinds of goodies hotels are throwing in at the high end and it’s easy to bargain on rates. And it’s a tragedy that tourism in Honduras still hasn’t recovered. They’ll be glad to see you there.
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Alex — November 4th, 2010, 11:30 am

Hey Tim,

Are you testing guest posters to see what/who is effective? Regardless, I’ve really enjoyed all guest posts (in addition to your own contributions.) Keep up the good work!
Reply
Benjamin Barnett — November 4th, 2010, 12:01 pm

Hi Tim,

I live in Guatemala and currently am working on my muse, an ebook due to launch November 17 about Christmas in Guatemala. It’s showing a lot of promise and hopefully will be the launching point for my 4 hour work week lifestyle! Your book has really changed my life.

Guatemala is really a cheap place to live and beautiful. Now if we can only get ride of the violence.

Thanks for everything, Tim,

Benjamin Barnett
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Tim Leffel — November 4th, 2010, 12:40 pm

Thanks for the comments everyone!

I have been to India four times (each time for at least a few weeks) and agree that the country is about as exotic as it gets—and it can be quite cheap at the backpacker level. But it’s also on most long-term travelers’ list as the world’s biggest hassle and it can really grind you down traveling through the country if you’re not staying in luxury palaces every night. The others on this list are better suited for travelers of ALL budget ranges, not just shoestring travelers willing to put up with everything India throws at them because it’s cheap.

And yes, to elaborate on Mr. Ferriss’ point, parts of the Oaxaca, Chiapas, or Michoacan states feel more exotic than, say, Hyderabad, Chennai, or Bangalore. (And with much cleaner air!)
Reply
- Sheila Scarborough — November 7th, 2010, 1:54 pm
  
  Fun to see two of my favorite Tims in one post. Also like the clarification on India.
  Reply
Jeffrey Martin — November 4th, 2010, 12:57 pm

Hi,

Not to be pedantic, but Czech Republic is not Eastern Europe. If you don’t believe me, check your map – Prague is west of Vienna.

Cheers
Jeffrey
Reply
- Anders — November 5th, 2010, 1:57 am
  
  Sorry to be just as pedantic but the Czech Republic IS part of Eastern Europe
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Europe_subregion_map_UN_geoschme.svg
  Reply
  - Isa — November 5th, 2010, 11:21 am
    
    And here we have the quickest way to start a bar fight in the Czech Republic ^_^
    
    Dear Czechs: Americans refer to your country as “Eastern Europe” because Eastern Europe is considered a political zone, not a geographic one. All countries formerly under the Soviet Union’s sphere of influence get tagged Eastern Europe… even the ones that are technically in the Baltics or Asia. Many Americans still refer to your country as “Czechoslovakia” which hasn’t even existed for 17 years … let’s focus on one thing at a time here, okay?
    
    Dear Americans: Czechs prefer the term “Central Europe” because they associate “Eastern Europe” with countries like the Ukraine and Romanian which have been left in a much worse state Post-Communism. They will point out the geographic justifications for this (Vienna is a popular example) and will not accept your Cold War explanations. They live in a nice, stable country. They make really great beer which they serve cheap. Unlike other countries, they will not lecture you about American policy … unless of course it’s about that missile defense system we keep trying to force them to let us build there to shoot nukes up Putin’s nose, so how about we let them have this one? Enjoy the beer. The country side is beautiful. Leave the geography/history lesson alone. It’s only polite.
    Reply
  - CR — November 5th, 2010, 7:14 pm
    
    Hmm I’ll try to out-pedantic you both: Prague is, quite literally, the geographical center of Europe. This makes the Eastern vs Western debate quite inconsequential.
    Reply
  - jose — November 19th, 2010, 7:20 am
    
    Isa: nicely said ; )
    Reply
Paul Joslin — November 4th, 2010, 1:05 pm

One more to add to this list is Vietnam. It is truly the most beautiful place I’ve ever been and was not as ‘tourist’ driven as Thailand was. The people are friendly and the prices for nice food and drink is really cheap.

Also for the ultimate place to chill out, I recommend Laos.
Reply
- Margarita Lukavenko — November 29th, 2010, 5:33 am
  
  Hi Paul! I’ve been searching for someone who has been to Vietnam and Laos! My boyfriend and I living in China currently, we want to do some low budget travelling to Vietnam or Laos as backpackers (we are new at it), because it’s the closest and we dont have to spend on the airplane tickets. Could you tell me if 1000USD will be enough per person to spend, say, about 3 weeks in one of these countries? We are planning to spend only on accommodation and food but if doing sightseeing which entrance fees fits in the budget, it’d be awesome. Which place would you recommend to go? Is it possible to go to some islands in Vitnam and stay there? The less touristic the better. (our ideal plan was Vietnam – Combodia(Laos) – Thailand, but it seems impossible with the amount of money we have, what do you think?) Hope for your help!
  Reply
Arica Chhay — November 4th, 2010, 1:09 pm

I would like to address the first photo which is clearly taken in Cambodia. Cambodia is not even listed! And, no, having Thailand on here doesn’t count!
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Logan Pribbeno — November 4th, 2010, 1:13 pm

Thanks for sharing Tim. We’re planning a trip driving through Central America from the States and 90% of people advise us to stay away from everything you just suggested. Of course these are the same people who seldom leave their subdivision.

THANK YOU!
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Rob — November 4th, 2010, 1:20 pm

I would like to see rates on accommodations for extended periods of stay.

These destinations sound like ultimate spots for mini-retirements.

Tim, can you provide some broad figures?
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- Tony — November 7th, 2010, 2:19 pm
  
  Rob – I can only speak for Nicaragua but if you want to live in a bit of style with decent amenities (full size normal kitchen, high speed internet, swimming pool etc) you would be looking at around $1200 a month with no other utility bills.
  
  As with anywhere you can slum it if you prefer and work backwards from this figure by taking off the things less important and what you’re prepared to compromise on.
  
  There are plenty of people and surprisingly a large number of people with families in their 30′s and 40′s living and working remotely down in southern Nica – its not really your Florida style retirement village. We spend 6 months a year down here – surfing half the day and working the other half.
  Reply
Connie — November 4th, 2010, 1:24 pm

Honduras is amazing. I travel there at least once a year, usually for the month of January. I’m in real estate so it’s my slowest work time, and I swear I actually SAVE money by being in Honduras rather than Minneapolis during that month.

I highly recommend Trujillo.
Reply
Oliver Manalese — November 4th, 2010, 1:24 pm

Great post guys! And great timing since I’ve been thinking about where to get the best bang for my buck!
Reply
Marcus — November 4th, 2010, 1:32 pm

As winter starts to bite here in the UK, the thought of trip to Thailand seems ever more appealing. Thanks for the eye opener, some great destinations here =_
Reply
- Tony — November 5th, 2010, 9:27 am
  
  Marcus, too right mate! I spent some time living in Thailand and returned to UK one cold, rainy January morning, and boy did that suck! Luckily I can work remotely so I’ve been able to get back to Thailand for my “Thailand fix” every now and again. I’ve written a fair bit about moving to Thailand on one of my other sites – get in touch if you want a link or two. All the best. p.s unless you have some serious commitments in the UK I would suggest making the move, even if only for a year, you won’t regret it.
  Reply
Raj — November 4th, 2010, 1:54 pm

Thanks gonna try to visit 3 of these places for 2011 im guessing the how to book a world tour flight post will come in handy

Good post
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Josh Crocker — November 4th, 2010, 2:01 pm

Question to the readers/commenters: Are there any families reading this that have done extensive travel with (young) children? I’ve been bit by the bug and want to take off sooner than later but am suffering a little analysis paralysis…
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- Tim Ferriss — November 4th, 2010, 4:33 pm
  
  Hey Josh,
  
  Be sure to search “Cold Remedy” on this blog for examples of families!
  
  Tim
  Reply
  - Josh Crocker — November 4th, 2010, 8:11 pm
    
    Ahh how could I forget!
    
    Thanks Tim
    
    Reply
Marshall — November 4th, 2010, 2:14 pm

Love the list, both Tims. I think it’s one of those posts that a lot of people might blow off because it might not be something they’re directly interested in, and it’s not something super new and exciting. But for those of us who might be right in the middle of choosing a new destination, this is golden, a great resource.

-Marshall Jones Jr.
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Gabe Diaz — November 4th, 2010, 2:14 pm

I really enjoy these posts but in my case is it possible to mix Exotic, Affordable and Kids? Doesn’t seem likely. I would love to travel internationally with my kids (4 & 1) but I think I should wait several years so that they can really be able to take in the culture and experience. Not to mention leaving them with their Grandparents for several days to a week would be an adventure in itself!

Back on topic, my dad hasn’t been back to his Peru in 30 years…might be time for a father/son trip. Thanks for all the info!
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- Nora — November 29th, 2010, 9:01 am
  
  Hi,
  I just travelled this year for 5 weeks to the US (from Belgium) with my husband a 3 year old son, using home exchange. We stayed 2 weeks in Wash DC and 3 weeks at the beach (N. Carolina), in some amazing houses. We had cars in both places (part of the exchange). We met great people could easily organise baby sitters, etc.
  The only costs involved were: plane tickets, cost of traveling from one location to the other. And of course everyday expenses which you have at home as well. That was it, 5 weeks amazing holiday, with family (we had HUGE homes, we could have brought a family of 7!!).
  I really, highly recommend this kind of travel!
  Reply
  - Tim Ferriss — November 30th, 2010, 1:59 am
    
    Nice, Nora! How did you find your home exchanges? Any particular suggestions to readers who are first-timers?
    
    Thanks!
    
    Tim
    Reply
jason palmer — November 4th, 2010, 2:14 pm

I myself prefer to go on camping holidays, with a tent, in the Lake District, in the UK, in the summer. I usually camp most nights but sometimes pop into a B&B ( bed & breakfast ) cheap hotel now and then.

You can get amazing rates from a hotel when they are not busy.

I like that your blogger is advising people, during a recession, to go on holiday

Having guest bloggers is cool, a nice idea, helps mix things up.

As a matter of interest, I tried to find negative stuff about you on the web and it was obvious that those people do just not ‘get it’.

Your the MAN Tim !

btw, I came up with an idea for something like rescuetime as well, is very effective, just testing it on myself at the moment but works well

amazing how much time you waste on the web when not focused

All the best.
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Andrea Magee — November 4th, 2010, 2:32 pm

This post is perfectly timed, the way the Simpson’s tv always has the most relevant news to their lives.
My mother is on a year’s teaching sabbatical and has already been to Mexico, and leaves in a week for Guatemala. I just negotiated a few weeks to meet up with her in Peru in January, and I believe she’s going to the Czech Republic with my brother in the spring!
Thanks!
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Natalie Bauer — November 4th, 2010, 2:47 pm

Great list Tim and Tim!

Don’t forget Korea though! Super cheap to stay as a traveller. $30 per night for a hotel room. $6 for a meal that will fill you up delivered to your door. See historical sites like palaces, museums and temples for a few dollars or less. Taxis for as low as $3, buses and subway for mere cents.

And Japan doesn’t have to bankrupt you! Lol

Alles liebe!
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Adam Lamotte — November 4th, 2010, 4:20 pm

I’ve been to Bali (I stayed at Kuta, one of the main hangouts for Australians) and loved it. The people are really nice.

Java is something else though, the people were always at you trying to sell things. Sometimes to the point of being very rude. In Kuta, everyone was trying to sell you stuff but, they weren’t as aggresive and rude.

Another place in Indoesia is Ubud. It’s really beautiful. The white water rafting from there is excellent. Some of the hotels look like palaces, but there cheaps as chips.

Cheers!
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Ian — November 4th, 2010, 4:37 pm

Czech republic is the coolest place to go. I think even Prague is very affordable by Europe standards. The fairs/festivals are the best. In 2008 they had a wonderful Easter festival in Prague along with some delicious food. And the prices are just great. I look forward to going back and seeing more of the country. Some day I’d love to see Turkey. I know its not the cheapest country but that would be a cool trip.

The only criticism I would give the article is that Peru is still kind of a dangerous country. There is a lot of kidnapping that goes on there. I have a friend who is a pilot and he had to fly someone whose wife was kidnapped in Lima. I would also exercise caution with Egypt and Mexico as well. It never hurts to be a bit cautious.

Cheers.
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Alberto — November 4th, 2010, 5:00 pm

Egypt has serious human rights and torture problems..

http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/egypt

http://terrorism.about.com/od/humanrights/a/EgyptTorture.htm
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Tabby — November 4th, 2010, 5:13 pm

Wow, thanks for adding more great travel destinations to my ‘someday’ list. It’s getting pretty large. I better get started. : )
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Alejandro — November 4th, 2010, 5:14 pm

Clearly we need to do more promotion for tourism in Venezuela…rarely do you ever hear somebody going for a trip there. Most of these points: cheap places to stay, dollars are worth more, great places to see….can also be applied to Venezuela.
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- Daniel — November 8th, 2010, 3:15 pm
  
  Alejandro, I’m going to Venezuela & Columbia (I’m from UK) in March for 4 weeks; looks amazing, so much to do and I can’t wait!
  Henri Pittier National Park, Angel Falls, Merida and Coro are all pencilled in…anywhere else you say is unmissable? I’m considering the Roraima trek…
  Reply
Leonard Irwin — November 4th, 2010, 5:25 pm

Tim

When planning the next vacation, I will be looking into these locations and others from the website your writer provided. It seems even in a recession the best value for North American dollars not western Europe but overseas destinations.

The value to see your dollar multiply 2 3 4 or more times is encouraging. The challenge may come getting a flight from North America to one of these locations. What air lines do you recommend when flying to any of these great destinations?

Thanks
Leonard
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Alberto — November 4th, 2010, 10:37 pm

Che,Tim! When are you going to visit Peru?? I would love to hear your thoughts when you do!
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Jeff Nabers — November 4th, 2010, 10:46 pm

Perfect. This is the kind of info I’m after
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Enzo — November 5th, 2010, 1:53 am

Can anyone recommend any non biase news sources where you can determine what is really going on in places. Most of the best deals are to be had when man stream media portrays a country or place in melt down. Many thanks on advance.
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Justin Megna — November 5th, 2010, 3:32 am

I would definitely through Brunei Darussalam in there. Right in the middle of the Borneo jungle, cheap, friendly, one hell of an exotic hotel………………it’s a hidden treasure
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Linda Cervo — November 5th, 2010, 4:17 am

Hi Tim,

This is quite an inspiration. I am reading your book now “The 4-hour Workweek” and decided to visit your blog.

These places are something that I’m gonna put on top of my list…. =)
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Victoria Gibson — November 5th, 2010, 4:25 am

Both India and Mexico are my favourite destinations. Places to unwind and immerse yourself in great sights, food and culture. Udaipur and Varanasi in India, and Tulum in Mexico for sure!
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Julius — November 5th, 2010, 4:30 am

The whole Eastern Europe is worth seeing. This summer I had a two – week hitchhiking trip from Lithuania (where I live) to Croatia (city of Dubrovnik) and back. Sleeping in beaches, train stations and other weird places, eating cheap food from shops and not restaurants costed something like 200 usd for the whole journey. Not to mention all the adventures, unavoidable with such a way of travelling!
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Jeff — November 5th, 2010, 7:33 am

I just got back from Nicaragua. Wonderful people, completely safe, tons of volcanoes to climb and cities to explore, dirt cheap everything. Dinner for four on a balcony overlooking the central park of Granada, including appetizers, two drinks per person, and four meals, was $46. Need more enticement? Go to youtube and search “volcano surfing”.
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Christine Hueber — November 5th, 2010, 7:36 am

I’ve had excellent experiences on Bali and Lombok.

The values in the Czech Republic (hotels aside) were amazing … and the beer is the nectar of gods!

Go to the Pilsner Urquell brewery in Pilsen for the most phenomenal, freshest beer you’ve ever tasted.
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GabrielG — November 5th, 2010, 7:42 am

I wasn’t kidnapped or tortured in Egypt, but during the 12-hour trip in the first class Cairo-Luxor train I had to avoid going to the bathroom because it was extremely disgusting (as in “I rather not go to the bathroom for 12 hours instead of going and ending throwing up in disgust”). The cabin was extremely filthy, too.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t go, overall I enjoyed the trip tremendously, but you must know exactly what you’re getting into.
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Joe — November 5th, 2010, 7:46 am

I never thought of Honduras or Guatemala. I will have to look at those for vacation next year.
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Monica — November 5th, 2010, 8:29 am

What about Brazil?!?!?!?!
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Andi — November 5th, 2010, 8:47 am

It’s sad that Central America is often overlooked and it’s such a hidden gem!
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Johnny — November 5th, 2010, 9:04 am

I’ve been to Honduras, Guatemala and am currently in Thailand.

Guatemala is AMAZING, I loved Antigua – It’s what people imagine Paris to be like…romantic, beautiful and artsy.

Honduras was okay, Roatan was okay. I’d skip it.

Thailand is amazing. Koh Tao is the cheapest place in the world to get your diving certification and life here is top notch.
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- Lyon — November 7th, 2010, 5:54 pm
  
  Thanks Tim ( Ferriss + Leffel),
  Added to my list. It’s amazing to see how that many places can provide the experience of Paris for a fraction of the cost, as Jonny said Antigua, and especially Buenos Aires, looks very similar to Paris. The only issue for me is traveling from the UK, it’s rather difficult to find flights to some of these countries and it’s costly. For example there are no flights from the UK to Panama !
  Has anyone traveled to Latin America from the UK ? if so I would really appreciate some tips.
  Lyon.
  Reply
Curtis — November 5th, 2010, 9:06 am

You write of travel as something to be done almost exclusively by air, and for the destinations you feature, one has little choice but to fly. But the last few times I’ve boarded a plane, I’ve wondered about the environmental impact….traveling by jet airliner seems like it a massive waste of resources. This recent article corroborates my concerns (unfortunately…I wish there were better news): http://www.alternet.org/story/148675. I’m surprised there has not been more about this in the press…and I’m interested in hearing your thoughts on the matter and those of your readers. ……..Curtis…….
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Tony — November 5th, 2010, 9:15 am

First, cracking little article with some awesome pictures – very nice. Thailand: awesome, and definitely a thumbs up, if simply for the gorgeous Thai women (and I don’t mean the ones in the bars), but it’s not the bargain deal it once was, especially with a fistful of dollars. The USD has been hammered by the THB, as has the GBP.

Back in 2003 I stayed in Kata Beach Resort (Kata beach is one of my favourite beaches ever) for around 30 GBP a night. I also lived in Bangkok for a while and was paying around 250 GBP *a month* for an awesome apartment with pool, security, maid, basically everything you could wish for – very high end (you’d pay 2K to 3K for that in the UK). Sadly, at least for now, those days are over, but you can still get some relatively good deals. Tip: get a Thai friend to negotiate the price for you – as soon as they see a white face the price goes way up – stay well clear until business has been concluded! That’s how I got my apartment for *half* what the advertised price was. I’m off to Philippines in Jan, so it’s going to be interesting to compare the two destinations.
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Archie — November 5th, 2010, 9:55 am

Great post! Extremely useful, for planning the next mini-retirement!

Thanks Tim!
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Katy — November 5th, 2010, 11:36 am

Going to Guatemala in early December so I loved this post.

Vietnam and Cambodia are also great bargains. Happy to see at least one European country on the list. It is so difficult to travel there without spending a fortune but I went to Czech Republic in 2007 and was pleasantly surprised.
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davidlupica — November 5th, 2010, 12:27 pm

Don’t forget about Cleveland or Detroit, where you can buy a house for about a weeks pay
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vanessa — November 5th, 2010, 12:32 pm

colombia is the most under-rated treasure of all! don’t miss la sierra nevada de santa marta- every eco system on the planet and indigenous culture in one mountain!

cartagena and medellin is fun for nightlife and culture!

bogota is very urban, cool, and still cheap!
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Jason — November 5th, 2010, 1:23 pm

Loved this post, but I have to say that I’m surprised Costa Rica wasn’t on that list. It’s an incredible country that can be experienced at low cost.

And although it isn’t exotic in the way most people would interpret the word, Alaska and parts of Northern Canada have to be some of the most interesting and exciting places I’ve visited in the world while spending very little.

Of the 30+ countries I have been fortunate to visit, Costa Rica and Alaska/Northern Canada are in my top 5.
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Katie — November 5th, 2010, 2:41 pm

Great ideas! I’ve done five of these; I need to get on the others! Guatemala is by far my favorite affordable destination – I went in 2008 and have spent the last two years telling that to anyone who would listen!
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Ryan — November 5th, 2010, 3:59 pm

You forgot to mention Nicaragua and Madagascar. These 2 countries are way cheaper & more exotic than any of these countries than you mentioned.
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Natalie — November 5th, 2010, 5:59 pm

Love this! Egypt and Czech are two countries on the top of my list. (By the way – Japan can be pretty cheap once you leave Tokyo!)
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Natalie — November 5th, 2010, 6:02 pm

Egypt and Czech are two countries on the top of my list!

It’d be interesting to do some research into how much cheaper certain countries can be in the country as opposed to the big cities.
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Adam — November 5th, 2010, 6:25 pm

Peru isn’t as fun as Bolivia or Colombia in my opinion!
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Mike Fiorillo — November 5th, 2010, 6:27 pm

Guatemala is definitely an awesome budget travel spot. I can’t exactly vouch for the quality of spanish instruction, but that’s a long story. The good thing is that you can get 1-on-1 instruction for a cheap price. The bad news is ron con cola is also dirt cheap, so good luck on your exams. Que horror!
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Mike Fiorillo — November 5th, 2010, 6:28 pm

@Monica: Brazil is not cheap at all. It’s actually one of the priciest countries in Latin America.
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William — November 5th, 2010, 7:15 pm

I would also add China, which offers a lot to offer on the cultural and historical point of view.
Meals and hostels are really cheap also.
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Amy Martin — November 5th, 2010, 8:05 pm

I appreciate the tips, but have you actually been to Indonesia or Thailand lately?

I just returned.

To market these destinations as paradise, which has been what most tourism marketing conforms to, is simply not true.

Yes it is what everybody else is doing.

But I expect more of this blog.

The pictures, they are misleading. The reality, a harsh awakening. (sometimes) (and sometimes indeed a paradise)

…I think it is high time that when we talk about travel, we tell the truth.

I’m talking about the poverty. WHAT IT REALLY LOOKS LIKE.

To talk about staying in beach-side hotels and living the highlife, for cheap, is just promoting a RICH, ignorant, FAT BASTARD way of life.

Let’s talk about the nitty gritty. The dirty underbelly of these countries.

Cuz that, that’s honest. And still beautiful.
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- Stuart — November 14th, 2010, 4:09 pm
  
  They’re no different to anywhere else in the world in that they paradisical elements while simultaneously fighting the challenges of poverty, exploitation and corruption. There’s no denying that there are downsides to tourism in the developing world, but at the same time is has lifted significant portions of the population out of poverty and given them opportunities they would never otherwise have had.
  
  Regardless of whether one lives in the west or one lives in say Indonesia or Thailand one is still benefiting economically from the exploitation of cheap labour in these countries. Where was that iPhone made? If tourism partly awakens people’s realisation of what their lifestyles are dependent on then I think that is also a good thing.
  Reply
Rob — November 5th, 2010, 8:05 pm

Hey Tim

Will you be publishing any posts more related to the topic of the new book any time soon?
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- Tim Ferriss — November 6th, 2010, 2:22 am
  
  Yessir. Coming soon!
  Reply
Prithvi — November 5th, 2010, 10:16 pm

How much would you spend per month traveling? I need to know so I can dreamline.

Thanks for the list of super exotic places.
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P.T. — November 5th, 2010, 11:35 pm

Thanks Tim for the post, I’m a high school junior and have been in love with all of your ideas for about 2 years now. Would love to travel to those places as I have been to Hong Kong and a few others, but it has been a bit tough to get started on a muse that could get off of its feet being with limited limited resources. Just a cry for help is all.
Thanks Tim for all your inspiration
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- Tim Ferriss — November 6th, 2010, 2:18 am
  
  Hey PT,
  
  More coming on muses soon! Don’t despair!
  
  Tim
  Reply
- CW Springer — November 10th, 2010, 9:58 pm
  
  Remember the cure for lack of resources. Resourcefulness! Good luck to you mate.
  Reply
Dan P — November 6th, 2010, 12:13 am

I have to second (or third or fourth by this stage) Vietnam – incredibly cheap; 15c beers in Hanoi and $3 for a liter bucket of Long Island Ice Tea in Hoi An and you can eat well for dollars a day. Mind you, while we ther we met a lot of tourists coming from Laos and Cambodia who reckoned they were even better!

I get the people saying Mexico isn’t exotic but get out of places like Cancun (ugh!) and go to Oaxaca or San Cristobal – fantastic. Again, people coming up from Guatemala reckoned it was better.

@Amy Martin – I’m surprised you were surprised! Getting to see how the majority of people on the planet live is part of the deal. Don’t forget that tourism puts money into the pockets of locals, helping them to get out of poverty. Not going won’t help.
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Aaron — November 6th, 2010, 2:01 am

How about Tibet ?
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- Mike — August 22nd, 2011, 12:07 pm
  
  Just got back from Tibet. Pros- can be very cheap if you rough it a bit, and definantly very very beautiful. If you like trekking you can really get away from it all.Cons- lots of red tape. You must have a permit. Its pretty high elevation and their is a risk of altitude sickness.
  Reply
Jason Billows — November 6th, 2010, 4:45 am

Tim,

Given the extensive traveling you have done, I’m curious to know what your favorite exotic and economical travel destinations are.

On another note… Thank you! Your book, blog and idea have helped my wife and I design our life in such a way that when our first child arrives in early April, we’ll have the opportunity to move from chilly Canada to Hawaii and live by the ocean for a couple of months. It will be an amazing opportunity for the three of us to bond as a family. Thank you!
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- Tim Ferriss — November 9th, 2010, 12:54 am
  
  Huge congratulations, Jason! Thank you so much for the kind words as well… but I just wrote the stuff. You did it
  
  Here are a few favorites:
  
  - Buenos Aires
  - Berlin
  - Nagoya and Kyoto, Japan
  - Thailand (I like the islands)
  - Vermont, US in the spring/summer (Yep)
  
  Have a blast in Hawaii!
  
  Pura vida,
  
  Tim
  Reply
Exotic Villager (Aparently) — November 6th, 2010, 8:12 am

So, having a problems of any kind is actually good, so yanks can enjoy the “exoticism” for a few dollars!

Way to go “Americans”!
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Erika Awakening — November 6th, 2010, 10:04 am

Hi Tim,

Thank you for this article. I did the four-day Inca trail hike and Sacred Valley in Peru a few years ago, and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

But … recession … what recession? I’m happy to report that I’m quitting my day job shortly to pursue my coaching business full time, and that business is booming Inspired in part by your concept of the four hour work week, I am determined to live a life of ease and abundance. By following intuition, I have managed to create a business that is fully portable (nearly all my sessions are via Skype or telephone). That means I can live anywhere I want, and that my clients can come to me from anywhere in the world.

This is the life I always wanted to live, but I was constrained by my belief system to think that I had to have a regular job and that I needed “security.”

Now I feel so free letting go of all that … this may mean more travel for me in the near future so I’ll be sure to put some of these destinations on my list.

Thanks for your inspiration.

- Erika
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Ben — November 6th, 2010, 11:00 am

Great post! I am actually going to Egypt next summer 2011. I was told to only stay at the nicest hotels because its super dirty there. Should be an awesome experience though, especially seeing the Pyramids.
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Ben — November 6th, 2010, 12:05 pm

I visited Prague in 2005 when the crown was still the main currency. It was super cheap and the beer was indeed the “nectar of the gods” what an amazing place

oh yeah, and I am finally enjoying the fruits of my 4HWW labors with a month-long trip to China in Dec. – also ran into your highschool bud Shane here in CO, who confirmed you as a solid person – small world!
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Jenny — November 6th, 2010, 5:15 pm

Travel doesn’t have to be expensive. I’ve lived on $20 per day in some parts of the world when I backpacked. In fact, I can live on LESS money traveling than it would to pay to live in the United States… That’s why I’m selling everything I own to travel the world, but this time indefinitely. I depart in January and I’ll likely be hitting up these places at one time or another! I hope more people can realize if you want to live your dreams, you must make a conscious decision to do so, and then work towards that goal. You’ll eventually get it.
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Vic Dorfman — November 7th, 2010, 2:09 am

I have to echo some of the Nicaragua sentiments above.

I conceived, planned and wrote the ebook for my muse while in Nica (All thanks to you, Tim!!!)

It’s a truly beautiful place and is way cheap when done right.

This is a snapshot of San Juan Del Sur, which is a touristy (but not too touristy) beach town.

I lived there almost 2 months.

My daily costs were something like this (in USD):

- $7 Hostel dorm bed (very nice with the exception of a toesucker who victimized some girls. My toes were left unsucked.)

I actually prefer hostels because you meet so many people. (read: hot european chicks who are better educated, more conscientious and lack any American/Canadian “chick” attitude).

- $10 shuttle to the beach + surfboard rental

- $10 tête-a-tête Spanish Lesson in the afternoon

- $5-$30 food/beer/drugs – I’ve been eating paleo since before it was cool and the chicken and eggs are on a different level from this US garbage…succulent pollo a la plancha.

The beef is chewy. Fruit is dangerously flavorful. Veggies are decent.

Beer is a dollar a piece for local brews (toña or victoria) and more for imports. Doja is OK quality and cheap. Don’t worry – It will find YOU.

Just be careful, this ain’t the states. They don’t play that junk!

I just have to mention that this trip (prefaced by hitchhiking across the US and a little time in Costa Rica) was like a vision quest inspire by the 4HWW and it was hands-down, the MOST relaxing, fun, challenging, scary, amazing thing I’ve ever done. (e.g. crossing the Costa Rica/Nica border….bleh!)

You would think such a vacation hurts productivity but on the contrary, you’ll accomplish more than you dreamed because you are relaxed, active, engaged and in a whole new world.

Good, good vibes to all~
See you @playa Madera

Vic Dorfman
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Michal Kašpárek — November 7th, 2010, 8:42 am

As an inhabitant of Moravia (and Czech republic), I have to correct some numbers:

- For $12, you will get a train ticket for a 150 km ride. It may be even three times more expensive to travel from Prague to some other point of interest – not speaking about the low quality and speed of Czech trains. Of course you can get a discount card, but it takes several thousand kilometers until the investment pays off.

- Moravia is cheap, beautiful and safe. What is more, it is almost unknown to tourists. However that also means that the tourist infrastructure is weak – it is hard to order a food in restaurant or chat with locals in any other language than Czech (although some people know little German or Russian).

- Brno (the second biggest Czech town) may be a good place to stay if you want to enjoy good meals and excellent beers and wine for very affordable prices (check out this table: http://brnonow.com/2009/06/the-cost-of-living-in-brno-how-much-is/). It may be a good idea to stay in this town for a longer time and use it as a “base” for exploring nearby (but more expensive) Vienna, Prague or Bratislava.
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Rahul — November 7th, 2010, 2:47 pm

What about Nepal? Its my nationality but I’ve never lived there for more then a month at a time so I always end up being a tourist in my own country and I love it!
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Volker — November 7th, 2010, 3:56 pm

From my experiences whole Europe is kinda cheap. Just not at the popular places. But even in popular and really expensive citys like London you can find really good deals.

If you are student and don’t take too much care about comfort, you won’t need to pay more as 30$ average.
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Nick — November 7th, 2010, 6:07 pm

Just spent the summer in Czech wine country and Lednic-Valtice was legit. I had to detox from all the great wine in the area. Definitely a must if you like wine and not paying a lot for good wine.
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Jared — November 8th, 2010, 5:20 am

Oh man does this make me want to travel even more. Im not quite there that I can be totally and absolutely free but im getting there, slowly but surely.
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Susan — November 8th, 2010, 7:28 am

Thanks for this post – when I read your title I did not believe it could be done. In fact, Egypt has been on my long list of places I want to visit and perhaps now I can move it to my short list!
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Tim Leffel — November 8th, 2010, 8:19 am

OK, now that we’re past the 100 comments mark (!), I’m chiming back in.

First, of course there are more than 8 exotic and cheap destinations around the world. That’s why the subtitle of my World’s Cheapest Destinations book is “21 Countries Where Your Money is Worth a Fortune.” But a blog post with 21 destinations would get pretty tedious—and take forever for the photos to load. Vietnam, Nicaragua, Bolivia, and India are all in the book, with detailed prices for budgeting purposes, along with lots of other great places to travel.

Costa Rica is the most expensive country in Central America by far. Brazil is way more expensive than its neighbors, for reasons I can’t quite figure out.

Yes, you can hit most of these places with kids. I took my daughter to non-resort Mexico when she was three and Guatemala when she was five. Naturally you need to slow down and spend a little more though than if you’re single and carefree. There are a few good books on the subject, but I especially like the Rough Guide to Travel with Babies and Young Children.

Amy – yes, there is poverty in these places. If there weren’t the destinations would be priced like Copenhagen or Zurich. But places where everyone is wealthy aren’t normally considered “exotic.” And the fact that a place has problems doesn’t take away from the beauty, which is easy to find (and photograph).

How much does it cost to travel long-term? The short answer is, “less than you’re spending now just to get by.” A couple being really careful can get by on $1,000 a month after airfare. $1,500 to $2,000 a month is quite easy if you stick to the destinations profiled here and it’s more than enough in India, Nepal, or Indonesia. Living in one place and renting an apartment is often far cheaper than being on the move.
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Joseph Dantes — November 8th, 2010, 8:28 am

Don Colacho argues that modernity makes us all travelers. It’s just that some stagnate in a single location while the world travels around them, leaving them just as rootless as those who wander the earth.

“The facility with which industrial capitalism constructs and destroys—obeying clear precepts of profitability—transforms the average man into an intellectual, moral, and physical nomad.
Whatever is permanent today is an obstacle.”

Escolios a un Texto Implícito: Selección, p. 357
http://don-colacho.blogspot.com/2010/11/2194.html
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Ty K — November 8th, 2010, 1:30 pm

I never pay over $3-4/day for a motorbike in Bali. Also be sure to get an international driving permit (or a fake one) and wear your helmet to avoid the local “tax”.
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Matt — November 8th, 2010, 11:40 pm

Excellent article. Perhaps I’m showing my novice here but which countries are the most English friendly? Embarrassing to admit but I’m monolingual.
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Mike — November 9th, 2010, 3:45 am

Awesome list. South/Central America and Southeast Asia are definitely the places to hit up if you want great unique, exotic experience and also will make you feel like a king with all your spending power. Delish food and great beer, at only a few dollars. A great feeling to be able to do, eat and enjoy your time without such a tight budget.
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mar cruz — November 9th, 2010, 4:08 am

We have been in Egypt and we are surpised that hotels there are very affordable. You may stay in a five star hotel for 4 days at the price of three star hotel in other country.
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Benjamin Spall — November 9th, 2010, 5:53 am

Great list, both Tims! I’ve no experience of the other selections, but I wholeheartedly agree with you with regards to the Czech Republic. It’s a beautiful country, and cheap as hell.

I visited a friend a few months back while she was working in the town of Usti nad Labem, close to the German border approximately an hour and a half by train from Prague (a train journey that offered utterly spectacular views).
Upon arrival in Usti she took me to the most expensive restaurant in the town. I began by asking her if she was insane, as we’re both 20-somethings and certainly not big-earners. She insisted she knew what she was doing, so we went inside and… wow. I had the most delicious meal I’d had in a very long time (beef and potato/onion pancakes, all based on traditional Czech recipes. What with beer being approximately a dollar s you mentioned, I was all in for about £4.50 (approx $7.30). Incredible!
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marjorie pamela villaruz — November 9th, 2010, 7:28 am

This is such a wonderful post. I love traveling. This just gave me new ideas on which counties to go to where in I don’t need to spend to much.Thailand would be the first country on my list. I’m so excited to see those country listed above.
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jane — November 9th, 2010, 8:13 am

I think it should say somewhere in there that the chances of you getting killed for no random reason in Guatemala and parts of Honduras are pretty Huge. I have family in both and They live in the city and friends of theirs are always getting their car stolen or shot and killed .
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Wambui Wamutogoria — November 9th, 2010, 10:30 am

*fantastic* I will travel to some these destinations soon and hopefully dig up some more gr8 deals
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Scott Asai — November 9th, 2010, 3:34 pm

Great info, I hope to hit some of these places soon!
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Juniper Currie — November 9th, 2010, 7:04 pm

I highly recommend Roatan, Honduras. You can go diving there for about $30/dive including gear. Absolutely beautiful. Check out the Whale Sharks March to April. Oh and you can swim with dolphins at Anthony’s Key Resort.

Thanks for this inspiring post Tim….I love your blog!
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Alex Wishart — November 9th, 2010, 7:27 pm

Hey Tim,

On an unrelated note – muahaha – New Deadmau5 album Dec 7 YESSSSSS. “Sofi Needs a Ladder” is out now….soooo goooddddddd. I got it rockin on Sonos right now Woooooo

The music keeps my Paleo on lockdown and my crossfit in motion

Unce Unce Unce >>>{]-_-[}<<< Unce Unce Unce

Cheers from Canadia,

AlexXx
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Quinton — November 9th, 2010, 8:45 pm

I got to do more traveling great places. Thanks Tim
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Jimmy — November 10th, 2010, 12:46 am

Thailand is my next trip!
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Auren Kaplan — November 10th, 2010, 2:13 am

These destinations sound great; Honduras piqued my interest.

To me, the issue is more with affordable means of getting to these locations more than affording life while there. I’ve had $2/night hostels in Bolivia and I know budget travel. And I want to party on Ko Phangan like few others. But it still costs $1500 to get there!

Best regards,

Auren Kaplan
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Matthew Needham — November 10th, 2010, 4:32 am

Hi Tim(s) great selection of places to visit. I’ve been to a number of them, but only ventured to Mexico in South America. It seems such good value and so stunning, that I really must take the time to check it out.

One place I’d add to Tim’s list is South Africa, especially the Garden Route. Amazingly beautiful, and execeptionally good value for money.
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jaque — November 10th, 2010, 8:13 am

This would really help. I have my friends who are currently staying in singapore, and they were planning to visit other near countries, but still considering there budget. I could give them this list. I love to help them because they promised me souvenirs from every countries they will visit. Hope I could visit this countries in the future.. thanks.
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Adam Mayfield — November 10th, 2010, 8:50 am

Thailand is on the top of my list! Currently working toward a minimalist lifestyle with some online business mixed in. I’m so close I can taste it and first on the list of stops is Thailand.

Great list!
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- Tony — November 10th, 2010, 10:35 am
  
  Adam, you won’t be disappointed. Awesome place to live. It’s got a bit more expensive than it used to be (see my comments above), but it’s still a heck of a lot cheaper than USA/UK etc. You would easily be able to supplement your online income with freelance English teaching there, if you needed to. All the best. (I’m retiring in 2012 and intend to spend a chunk of each year in Thailand – Koh Lanta here I come!)
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Rich — November 10th, 2010, 12:56 pm

I agree that the you have enlisted exotic places. I am most intrigued with the place, Honduras. If given the opportunity to travel, I would like to visit Honduras first. Thanks for the information. This is very helpful.
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Chuck Beretz — November 10th, 2010, 1:24 pm

I can’t wait to get started!
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Juniper Currie — November 10th, 2010, 6:19 pm

I’ve just bought your book Tim and I’m so excited to get started on my own Lifestyle Design Project.

These destinations will for sure be on my list of places to experience….I’ve already been to three of them.

Happy travels to everyone!
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Bobby — November 10th, 2010, 8:28 pm

I’m interested in Peru, but have a question about getting there. My dad lived in that area when he was younger and he said that the flights in and out were really difficult because they would get canceled all the time and were very turbulent because of the altitude and weather. Also, I was wondering about getting altitude sickness. I would hate to get airsick or altitude sick and spend part of the time there recovering and not seeing stuff.

My questions are:
1.) Is it still hard to get a flight and are they still turbulent?
2.) How do you deal with altitude changes to keep from getting altitude sickness? Any tips?
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Robyn — November 10th, 2010, 9:20 pm

@ Josh. I just got back from a quick trip to Vietnam with a one-year-old. While Vietnam can be hard work, the people just love kids, especially babies. The highlight of our trip, after the baby’s birthday party, would have to be the wait at the airport for our flights to and from Con Dao Island. Our baby was treated like a rock star – security guards, passengers, airport shop staff, even the bus drivers, squatted down in front of her to make her laugh, chased her round, took photos and gave her cuddles. It was great.
The island itself was a disappointment despite the wonderful press it’s gotten recently. Even so, we had a fabulous time.

@Tim, as a former journalist, all I can say about reporting on overseas conflicts is that media organizations have introduced so many cutbacks that there is no longer a Johnny-on-the-spot everywhere. So in defence of the reporters expected to cover several countries at once — they are stretched quite thin. And the old news adage is still in force – “if it bleeds it leads”.
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- Josh Crocker — November 28th, 2010, 9:01 pm
  
  @Robyn – Thank you for your response! I’d love to hear more about your trip with your 1-year old. If you have time, my twitter name is @josh_crocker.
  
  Thanks again!
  
  Reply
Tony K — November 11th, 2010, 4:10 am

I will be doing a tour to Peru and Argentina next summer (and perhaps Antarctica as well), any good, less touristy but worth-seeing destinations in either countries? We will be backpacking and therefore have a lot of autonomy in turns of where to go.

Cheers,

Tony
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Robyn — November 11th, 2010, 4:18 am

Whoops, I think I mixed up my posts. Earlier comment was directed to Josh from this thread and Gary Arndt, the author of the “20 Things” thread, who had a category called “the media lies”.

(Note to self. Don’t post in a rush from work.)
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Ron — November 11th, 2010, 1:57 pm

Just finished chapter 13 BEYOND REPAIR/ KILLING YOUR JOB. In regards to the financial information Tim gives in this chapter there is an option that is not mentioned that would contribute greatly to increasing one’s options. And we have all understood stood that more options means more freedom.

My wife and I have been using this option since I left my job of 22 years to strike out on my own. We are subsidizing my business launch with the use of a private family banking system. We built up capital in this system and it is helping us get along until our cash flow improves.

Having a private banking system in place can greatly ease the risk if you have to kill your job. The capitalization period is generally anywhere from 5-7 years. Depending on how much you can save it can go faster. The money in the baking system is liquid and safe. It also grows tax deferred and can be used tax free.

I am available for further details should someone be interested in this option.

This really fits well with the whole 4 Hour Work Week mentality. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it seems tailor made for this!!

Cheers
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Gerard Iribe — November 11th, 2010, 4:31 pm

I’m typing this comment from Guadalajara, Jalisco. (Mexico). This is my second visit in less than a year. We just came back from the state of Michoacan, Mexico, and we leave for the state of Guanajuato tomorrow morning.

I only brought a backpack, my macbook, and $500 U.S. dollars. It’s amazing here, so I do not know why people are up in arms over the “drug war.” If there is one it has not reached further inland. Then again, i would never visit the border towns. I hate touristy towns.

Chapala was also pretty ballin’.

I will probably buy another airline ticket for my next trip here before I leave. It’s time to visit South Mexico like Tolum, Yucatan, etc… Maybe throw in Belize.

I will say that if you buy or reserve hotel packages to not do it from home (U.S.), because you will pay a grip. Get into Mexico and visit your local ticket agency. Agency brokers get tremendous discounts and will get you great deals on packages, bus tickets, tours, etc…

Our hotel and bus package to Guanajuato for a group of five cost us less than $90 per person at a 4 star hotel. The bus ride will be through ETN Turista which are pimp first class tour buses with only 24 seats (12 of them being single recliner seats), wi-fi, full service men and women’s bathrooms, and food, drink, movies, etc…

As you can tell, I love it here!

Si, se puede!
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Nick — November 11th, 2010, 10:43 pm

Brilliant, but one that I think should be on this list is China
(For anyone interested,
I just wrote about my travel photo expedition to Tiger Leaping Gorge in Yunnan at (not-for-profit travel photography site) photogees.com)
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Leo — November 12th, 2010, 12:13 pm

Even the most expensive European destinations can be quite affordable if you go in the low season and utilize traveler networks like couchsurfing and hospitality club.

My 1 month vacation in Finland with trips to Estonia and Sweden cost me less than $1000 including the airfare.

I found free places to stay from couchsurfing.com as well as friends I made on social networks, so the lodging cost was $0. Since I stayed with local people, we made the shopping trips to the lesser known discount shops and cooked at home. We also gathered fruits and mushrooms from the forests, which cost $0. Chipping in with the grocery shopping was about $150 or so for the whole month (buying in bulk from Lidl definitely helped!)

If you stay away from hotels and use couchsurfing, go grocery shopping and learn to cook local foods from your host, you will have plenty of money left over for sightseeing and shopping.
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Sharif — November 13th, 2010, 7:53 pm

Hey,
you should really check out Bahia, Brazil. The waves are awesome for all the surfers out there and the local culture is beautiful. Not to mention it is a very cheap vacation spot!
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Santel — November 14th, 2010, 9:31 am

Hi, I am Santel, a blogger from Cambodia, I am happy to see the first photo because I am sure it is from Cambodia,

Cambodia is a nice country to visit too, you will see the remarkable Angkor Wat temples and nice people here,
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Frank T. — November 14th, 2010, 5:36 pm

Great article Tim. Thanks! I often forget about Central America when thinking of the next adventure and this is a good reminder to put it back on the radar.
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Roger Ost — November 14th, 2010, 8:18 pm

I love Egypt, but would you recomend it for female travelers?
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Stuart — November 15th, 2010, 5:35 am

Hi Tim,
Very useful article.

I remember a quote from you (I think it was in your 4 hour week) that you were once chased out of Taiwan by Taiwanese Mafia for trying to start a martial arts school. Is this right?

I hope this doesn’t scare tourists away from Taiwan, because I think it’s a must see in Asia. In particularly, the best place is Kaohsiung in South of Taiwan.

1. Excellent weather all year
2. Extremely safe with very little street violence or aggression (unless you want to open up a martial arts club)
3. Excellent food
4. Very relaxed pace of life
5. Amazing scenery, mountains, and activities.

Most Westerners come here as tourists or to teach English, but there are an increasing number of Internet entrepreneurs moving over here too. The cost of living / cash burn is very low, yet the quality of life is very high.

It’s also a great alternative to Mainland China for those wishing to learn Mandarin on a budget.

…

Cheers
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Jackeline Benitez — November 16th, 2010, 1:07 pm

Yo he estado en este lugar y es increible pasar unas vaciones en Masca – Cortes, Honduras.. C.A.
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alex - unleash reality — November 19th, 2010, 2:35 am

nowhere in Africa?! and naw, egypt don’t count.

Cape Town represent
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Mac — November 19th, 2010, 3:17 am

Dust If You Must

Dust if you must.?But wouldn’t it be better?to paint a picture, or write a letter,?bake a cake, or plant a seed.?Ponder the difference between want and need.

Dust if you must.?But there is not much time,?with rivers to swim and mountains to climb!?Music to hear, and books to read,?friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must.?But the world’s out there?with the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair,?a flutter of snow, a shower of rain.?This day will not come round again.
Dust if you must.?But bear in mind,?old age will come and it’s not kind.?And when you go, and go you must,?you, yourself, will make more dust.

Remember, a house becomes a home when you can?write “I love you” on the furniture.

Author – Unknown.
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Theo Lopes Garcia — November 19th, 2010, 5:39 pm

Tim, what’s happened to the post about the sticker ?

It was rather rubbish but you did not need to delete it.

I was hoping to get an actual sticker…
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James — November 19th, 2010, 8:35 pm

Sure you can pay $5 a night for a place to stay in Bali, but you’ll be roughing it. I would suggest spending a little bit more and live at the standard you’re used to at home.
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Stacy — November 19th, 2010, 9:36 pm

Tim, sweetie, did you take down your post with the sticker and the link to that fabulous video!?

I know people were kvetching about it but it’s *your* blog… and speaking as a gal, frankly, I don’t mind hot woman pics and such. And I ordered your new book. I hope to instruct my husband as to this purported 15-minute-female-orgasm technique accordingly.

Hope you aren’t despairing over nay-sayers. I find the spin towards body hacks/fitness interesting and look forward to seeing more. Ah well… guess you can’t please ‘em all!
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Peter — November 21st, 2010, 4:28 am

Great post as usual…I am dying for the new book to come out…!! Make sure it comes out on Kindle please
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jason palmer — November 21st, 2010, 9:36 am

I did an 80/20 analysis…. left facebook, left all but 1 linkedin group, left all but 1 meetup group, left twitter and threw my phone away.

Thanks tim, your the best
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Joe — November 21st, 2010, 9:19 pm

To chime in on the part about Venezuela, visitors should change the currency in their home country before arriving to Caracas, as long as they know some Venezuelans where they live who will do it unofficially. The official rate is absurd and changing money at a bank, ItalCambio, ATM, or with taxistas at the airport will make your trip very expensive. Google Dolar Paralelo Venezuela before going so you see what the real exchange rate is. Almost all prices for anything you’ll want are based on that. Rum (get as much Santa Teresa as you can carry on the way home at duty free), beer, arepas, Chinese food, and fish at the beach is still reasonably price, especially if you use the Pound. Henri Pittier Park is gorgeous and wild, and Choroní is my favorite beach anywhere. Los Medanos & Coro are cool too. The best thing to do is go by plane to La Gran Sabana, climb Roraima if you can, and take the boat with the Pemon to the base of Angel Falls. And, Merida is always cool, fun, beautiful, peaceful, and affordable. Caracas used to be cool and now it totally sucks. I wouldn’t officially add Venezuela to this list, but it is (or was) cool and living there for 3 years totally changed my life.
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Rich — November 22nd, 2010, 8:57 pm

Good info. I’ve been planning on visiting central America, but was thinking Costa Rica. Honduras may be a better option!
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Kirst — November 23rd, 2010, 11:05 am

Thanks for the great info !! I have been to Thailand though , Last year )
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James Whelan — November 23rd, 2010, 11:50 pm

I gotta agree with all the guys saying China! Although that might have something to do with me running a kungfu school out there. It might not be the best place for eco tourism but for martial arts tourism there’s nowhere better
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Karin — November 25th, 2010, 11:50 am

I’m glad to see Mexico made the list! I’m headed there for a month in a few weeks. It’s such an inexpensive and dynamic country. I’m surprised how shocked many were to hear I was heading there for a month. It will be my fifth visit there and I love it every time. I was just in Colombia- I highly recommend it as well. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!
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Josep Ofertas — November 25th, 2010, 12:20 pm

Hi Tim,

We are great lovers of Spain and travel. Right now we are trying to travel to Asia, we believe that attracts us more than other destinations.

The India trip is recommended where you can find both desert and jungle, a highly recommended destination.
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andy — November 27th, 2010, 9:43 pm

awesome Indonesia!!
i’m an Indonesin, an proud to be part of it
thx fr posting
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Two Weeks to Travel » Blog Archive » Get your Guru on — December 1st, 2010, 7:13 pm

[...] think outside the box, and covers a ton of topics. Part of my own inspiration for this blog was a posting Tim had on his site about exotic travel destinations you can afford. The point is, with the right [...]
steve pieper — December 15th, 2010, 2:24 pm

Gang,
Reference Tim’s “The Truth” page (http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/the-truth/). We’ve started a crusade called Vacation Wellness aimed at better living through stress reduction. Vacationers are 32% less likely (men) and 53% less likely (women) to have a heart attack, and up to 3 times less likely to develop depression. If interested, Google “Zoescent white paper” for more research information on healthcare cost reduction through employee vacations.

See you on the beach…
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Hanan — December 28th, 2010, 8:31 pm

Wondering in which of these locations I can find reliable high speed internet to work from? I need to use my phone (magicjack) and a VOIP phone as well, so at least 4 MB download and .5 MB upload, reliably…

Any ideas?
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Linda — January 5th, 2011, 1:10 pm

This same author has a guest post on his blog now called “6 places to live for super-cheap.” Except for one of them where you’ve got to walk down the valley to find an internet cafe, they could be good places to plop while your muse is getting revved up: http://travel.booklocker.com/2011/01/04/6-places-to-live-for-super-cheap/
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Erik van der Wal — January 10th, 2011, 6:44 am

Thank for this great post! I have been to Thailand for the last couple of months and I really loved it! The islands are amazing! I got your book during a visit to San Diego and it changed my life ever since.

Thanks for your sharing your knowledge!

Erik
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Keith Brodhead Jr — January 10th, 2011, 8:05 am

Tim,

Why is this not working? I’m four weeks into this and I gained 1 pound…help? What am I missing. I’ve followed your advices to the letter…

Someone help…

-Keith
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Troy Martin — January 11th, 2011, 7:52 pm

Tim, you and your savey readers may know about this site but I just discovered it. I am not connected to this site in any way; just thought I would pass it along!

Numbeo is the largest free Internet database about cost of living worldwide!
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John Cross — January 14th, 2011, 4:47 pm

What kind of Bioelectrical Impedance device do you recommend? A handheld unit or scale? I read somewhere it’s good to use both because the electrical current doesn’t traverse your entire body (e.g. A bioelectrical impedence scale doesn’t reach your upper body…). I’m not sure if this is true or not ….
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Matt Iowa — January 14th, 2011, 8:22 pm

A fun way to dip your toes into the water is taking in Puerto Rico.

Easy (cheap) flight, English speaking. I would recommend staying in Ponce on the South side of the Island but historic rooms in San Juan can be had for cheap. They are tiny rooms but my wife and I had no problem with that. The roof top breakfast was included.

The island can be crossed in 2 hours of travel by car. So in a week you can really get a feel of the place while never being away from the main city.

I don’t know about the surf there but we hiked the island interior and shared food with the locals.

Like I said. It’s a great way to get your feet wet.
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LJ — January 18th, 2011, 10:05 am

All great suggestions- Have to give a shout out for a personal fave- Vietnam!!
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Jenny — February 8th, 2011, 9:34 pm

The post is just so incredible and amazing. It gives me a knowledge that these countries are awesome to visit not only that it is affordable too. You even gave us the cost of expenses which is very helpful. I am planning to travel abroad to have a relaxing moments and this post is exactly what i am looking for. There are incredible things about traveling that is just so great especially when it is your first time to travel on that place. Taking off to fresh and exotic destinations to experience the great sights, sounds, views and tastes of an completely diverse culture can really be an enlightening experience. Traveling can be quite interesting as spending time in a different setting can open up a world of original terms and experiences for you. The countries you have mentioned above are the countries that has a beautiful culture to acknowledge to. Thanks for sharing this to us Tim. I really appreciate the informations.
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Ryan Chua — February 21st, 2011, 10:46 pm

So many places to think of, so many places to plan to go to, so many places to spend your next vacation.

Hmmmm… If I have the chance, I think I’d go to Egypt. Why Egypt?
Well… Egypt is the real deal, Its history speaks for itself. In my opinion this is where it all began. When step foot on Egypt, you’ll definitely feel that you are indeed human and even if you weren’t there when it all happened, you will surely feel that you are a part of its history. What do you think?

But of course, the most important thing before we go these exotic places. I think you should first try to at lease visit the different spots in your own country. You shouldn’t be a “foreigner” in your own country. Try to live the sights and sounds of your country. After that, when you finally get the chance to go to other countries, you’ll surely feel that your are indeed in a different place.
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Ryan Chua — February 21st, 2011, 11:21 pm

So many places to go to, so many places to plan where your next vacation will be.

I think Egypt would be a nice place to go to. Why Egypt?
Egypt is the real deal, this is where it all started, its history, its sights and sounds. We are all a part of Egypt’s history one way or another.

But come to think of it, before I plan on going to Egypt. I should try to visit the different exotic spots in my own country first. Because if I don’t have to chance to do that, I would feel like I’m a foreigner in my own country. How about you? have you done that lately? If you haven’t, well, now’s the time.
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rachel — February 22nd, 2011, 8:56 pm

traveling the thing I would like to do before I die..
Traveling may be expensive but I thing is for sure the experience and the fun will truly be cherished that you can no longer think about the money you’ve spent.. Never ever forget one thing before traveling: CAMERA!!!!
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Ging — February 23rd, 2011, 1:12 am

I was all eyes to go to Hong Kong, since everyone I know are going having their vacation trip there, however this blog helped me think that there other places in Asia that I should visit aside from going with the usual trend.
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Karina — February 23rd, 2011, 3:08 am

Great post! Made me wanted to pack my bags and go!

Been to Bangkok once and I say I really enjoyed my trip there. I stayed in a posh hotel near Sukhumvit for about $33 a night because I shared with three friends and they provided us with an extra bed.

I love eating Thai food street and it’s so cheap you could get authentic Thai meals at 30-45 baht. I too loved the iced tea at 15 baht!

We went to Pratunam Mall too which was heaven for us girls – got a bag at 120 baht! cheap!

After all the shopping and tours, I got myself a foot massage for 100 baht! Heaven!

I wanna go back there!

By the way, you should try the bungy jump at Pattaya!
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Logan Parker — March 28th, 2011, 9:03 pm

Very exciting. I want to spend the next several months or years travelling. This is great inspiration for where I might actually go.
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Angel Bernal — April 1st, 2011, 5:20 am

Hi Tim! I just want to add another on your list. I think Philippines should be there. Have you tried visiting the Philippines? We’ve got great tourist attractions which is why I cannot understand why our tourism is not flourishing. Why don’t you give it a try?
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Ray — April 8th, 2011, 3:39 am

I will be going to Bali in August, although getting a bit crowded its still got alot of charm and plenty of areas away from the crowds, give lombok a thought also its alot slower paced than Bali and has some awesome beaches and cheap hotels.
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jules — April 24th, 2011, 12:58 am

hey tim, i just wanna ask where this Spanish lessons including home stay is in Guatemala. i’m really interested in exploring Guatemala and at the same time learning Spanish, too. i’m planning on going there mid-June this year. your feedback’s badly needed. thanks! great choices!
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Blackjade — June 20th, 2011, 7:09 pm

Hey Tim, I love your suggestions! Here is a personal invitation to visit Belize! Come enjoy swimming with the sharks and rays at Stingray Alley off San Pedro. Kick your shoes off when you boat into laid-back Caye Caulker. And Belizeans are awesome……so much hospitality! Remember when you plan your next vacation visit Belize! looking forward to see you Tim!
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Blackjade — June 20th, 2011, 7:17 pm

Nora I would love to know more about the family exchanges.
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Dan — July 23rd, 2011, 5:19 pm

I have another good one to add… My friends and I were in Santorini, Greece last summer (Greek Islands) and even though they are on the Euro everything was still extremely cheap. This is a tourist destination that in much of the past has been a little pricey but with the current trouble Greek’s in makes for some amazing bargains on places to rent. Also – food, drink, etc are also nicely priced compared to the rest of Europe.
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Gay Aida — July 26th, 2011, 12:35 am

My parents have been to thailand and malaysia.

My older sister has also been to malaysia when she went to Australia and she says it’s totally amazing. Their totally clean and has great spots that you should visit. It was a shock to my sister when it seems that it is just ordinary for people there that they wear a lot of gold.

Thailand on the other hand, my mom says they have great beaches.

Great list here Tim! I would also recommend my country the Philippines! Though you’ve heard a lot of my country, just don’t go to the south (in mindanao).
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Lora — August 3rd, 2011, 3:23 am

Hi guys,

and help, help, help . I need to fly to Brasil, Rio de Janeiro at the end of August and I could use any tip or advice as to how I can get lower rates. My leaving point is Brussels.

All the best to everyone and thanx in advance!

Laura
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Nomadic Samuel — September 14th, 2011, 7:33 am

This is a good list of places to consider traveling/backpacking to that are affordable; however, aside from possibly select areas of Indonesia, the rest of the list are places firmly cemented on the tourist map & not really what I would consider as ‘exotic.’ A destination that I recommend where you’re going to really feel like you’re traveling as opposed to being just another tourist or typical backpacker, is Bangladesh.
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NeyLo2011 — October 12th, 2011, 12:45 pm

Hi Tim,

Excellent post, and 8 destinations that tells us parecesn me wonderful places to travel and visit. From them I have been luckily in Thailandia, we did a tour, Bangkok (city with a lot of pollution), Chiang Mai is quieter and less polluting, giraffe women visited the necks is impressive with

Tim, I’m from Spain, I would like to ask if you know the ¡¡¡San Fermin festivities !!!!!! ??

a pleasure

NeyLo2011
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patrick — October 16th, 2011, 7:33 pm

Great list. Interested in the countries Indonesia, Thailand & Honduras, this will be on our next travel list.
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Allison Jones — December 14th, 2011, 11:28 am

Great article! These are all great places to visit and still keep that budget – love it!
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Eric — May 27th, 2012, 2:51 pm

Italy and Spain are now quite cheap as well. And if you’re after a Mediterranean setting, I think Malta is your best bet for budget and luxury. I stayed there last summer and the locals were telling me that b&b and hotel prices were half of what they have normally been in the past.
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juliemarg — June 21st, 2012, 2:38 pm

That was a wonderful exotic places you’ve posted!
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Aniket — July 18th, 2012, 7:47 am

I need a male partner to visit any of these places
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O Joseph P — July 29th, 2012, 1:21 pm

Great conversation.
By chance, can we have an updated top eight list, as things change (economy and civil unrest) and so on.

Much appreciated.
By the way, I am jealous of your travels, as well as many other posters on this blog….. if only.
Cheers
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tony — September 1st, 2012, 10:25 am

Check out Sheraton or nicon noga nigeria
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Ana — October 19th, 2012, 6:32 am

Tim, Tim, Tim, Tim, Tim, Tim, pág. 474 , viajar gratis por todo el mundo, uno de mis sueños, dónde tengo que ir a veros para comprobar lo fácil que es??????
Ayudante de Tim , gracias, gracias,gracias,gracias,gracias, tank you, merci beacoup, grazie mille, gràcies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Sascha Shamkin — October 19th, 2012, 8:54 am

I am turning twenty one in may I am a female and love exotic places exspeshlly if they have exotic animals of any kind. I think I want to go to Egypt but we do not have a lot of money to spend it would only be my mom and I going. Does anyone have any advice on how to find the perfect twenty one birthday trip of a life time if so can you tell me and if you know how much can you tell me that to?

Thank you
Sascha Shamkin
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George — November 4th, 2012, 6:02 pm

Study spanish in Guatemala in a city call Quetzaltenango or Xela (shiela) as a short name I was there for three months I was paying $100.00 per week included a room in a family home and two meals! and $10.00 extra for laundry! Many americans and europeans come to this place for learn spanish! and there is much to see!! I loved it, be back in june for another period of time!!
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Patti O'Connor — November 12th, 2012, 6:26 pm

Help! My 17 year old daughter and I (60yo f) want to travel to a non-western country over her 10 day February school vacation. This sadly does not leave enough time for Asia/Indonesia. We had planned on Morocco but after reading lots of posts on other sites, it seems a bad idea, mostly due to the extreme harassment. We live in Massachusetts and are city savvy. My goal is to give her a good exotic travel experience where she can learn about another culture and see first-hand some of the income/lifestyle disparities in other parts of the world.
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Quatxo — February 19th, 2013, 3:28 pm

Thx.
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Beatriz Subastas — February 23rd, 2013, 3:24 pm

Costa Rica is something of another world, a paradise on earth. I stayed there for 3 months and I changed my mind about everything that matters. Actually I live in france now but I hope that being a professional photograper someday will allow me to live there, I really need to be in a closer contact with the nature.
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Emma Pieters — March 27th, 2013, 12:23 pm

Of course Indonesia is affordable. In addittion you can also visit the world heritage status there. For further information, chek this linkhttp://indonesiagetaway.blogspot.be/2010/11/indonesian-tourism-world-heritage.html
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