OK, so you have decided to get out of town, you’ve determined your budget and you have started looking for cheap airfare to somewhere exciting and interesting.
Yet, at the same time you don’t want to spend all that money you just saved on your flights going to someplace expensive. Taking this all in consideration, I have come up with a short, but by no mean comprehensive, list of 5 of the cheapest places to visit and that I think would be worth travelling to and that you should add or cross off of your bucket list.
Cambodia
Located in Southeast Asia and although most people go there to visit the magical city of Angor Wat it has plenty more to offer for those are willing. You can fly into the capital of Phnom Penh or you could even catch a flight to Bangkok Thailand which sometimes has lower prices. If you go this route you just take a bus over the border into Cambodia.
Here are just a couple of suggestions on where to go and should give you start:
Once you get to Cambodia you really should make the obligatory visit to Angor Wat and although it can be crowded it seldom takes away from how impressive this place is and you imagine what it once must have looked like.
Once you have done that, try to check out Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem. These beaches are still relatively unspoiled and worth adding to any itinerary. You might want to check out the town of Kratie along the Mekong Delta. This town has a very laid back feel to it and is a great place to just sit back and relax.
Honduras
Unpackaged. Unfiltered. Unspoiled. This is the beauty of a trip to Honduras. From the breathtaking sunsets in Roatan, to the misty green mountains of Pico Bonito, Honduras is a vibrant wonderland, full of adventure and breathtaking beauty. It is also often one of those places that seems to be overlooked when travellers are looking to visit Central America.
The big reason for that is Costa Rica and more recently Nicaragua has been getting all the attention. Due to this the prices to these two places have increased dramatically and are not the deal they used to be so if your on a budget, Honduras is a great option. Most flights will have you going to either Tegucigalpa or San Pedro Sula.
I have a couple of places that I would like to recommend for the first time traveler to Honduras:
Roatan
Roatan is located on the northern coast of Honduras and even though it is best known for its beaches the world class diving (home to the second largest coral reef in the world), there are also many other things to do such as Zip Lining, swimming with dolphins, or even charting a sailboat.
If you decide to visit the beaches, the 2 o that I would recommend is West Bay and Tabyana.
If you are looking to go diving in Honduras and your looking for the best spot, I have found that it’s kind of a moving target from year to year, so its hard for me to give a concrete recommendation on the best operation for the time you will go so I would recommend that you ask at hotel you stay at since they have there own, in which case you may get a better deal since you are at there hotel, or if not they can give you a recommendation.
Personally, I went diving with the operation from the Anthony Keys hotel. I had a fantastic time and found that it was really well done, the downside here is that its not for those on a strict budget but I have to say the dive boat and accomodations were top notch and you might want to consider a splurge here.
Copan
There are two main reasons for going here: the ruins and the sepulchres. It has over 2,500 hieroglyphs and some incredibly carved Stella’s. If you have the time you can also visit “Las Sepulturas”, which was a residential and burial site of the Mayan nobles.
Oh and did I forget to mention that Copan is also a UNESCO World heritage site and one of the most important sites of the Mayan civilization?
Bolivia
Bolivia seems to be that country in South America that many people think about visiting but decide to go to one of the other more popular destination such as Peru, Chile or Argentina as they know people who have gone to these countries.
And although this is unfortunate, it does create a remarkable opportunity for those willing to take the time to visit a remarkable country with amazing prices.
Although there are many places to visit in this amazing country, I will mention just a couple of my favorites and leave it up to you to discover the others:
Potosi
Potosi is a UNESCO world heritage site and was one of my favorite towns I visited in Bolivia. It took a day or so to get acclimated to the high altitude so I would suggest that you take it easy for the first day or two. Potosi is most well known for its silver mines that helped finance the Spanish Empire and is still being worked until today.
Once you fly into the Capital city of La Paz, you can get there a variety of ways such as by bus, shared taxi or private transfer. Technically there is an airport in Potosi itself, but it does not have any scheduled flights and therefore does not work very well for the average traveler.
Salar de Uyuni Salt Flats
The Salar de Uyuni is probably one of the most incredible places to see and any description does not do it justice compared to actually going there and seeing it. Once you’ve experienced this incredible surreal landscape, can you really appreciate its incredible appeal.
The Uyuni Salt Flats are just one of the many highlights of South America but they are the best as the salt mines you will think you are in some other planet since the flats cover some 4000 square miles and are located 12000 feet above sea level. In my opinion, this is one of the most amazing places on the planet.
This is once in a lifetime places that you will not soon forget. I know I won’t!
The are 2 way s of getting there. If you are on a budget you can take the bus, go with a tour group or you can take a look into the flight options that are available for the time you are going.
Vietnam
Vietnam has a tremendous amount to see and do. It goes from the rice terraces and lofty peaks of Sapa in the north, all the way down to the Mekong Delta in the south, it is a country of unforgettable beauty and amazing history.
When I made my first trip to Vietnam and I traveled from Saigon to Hanoi, it was just beginning to open up and had yet to see the changes that have subsequently happened.
However, even at that point you could tell what a fantastic place this was to visit. And even though it has become an ever increasingly popular country to visit, it still remains an incredible deal.
Here are a just couple of the highlight that should be on any trip to Vietnam although there are many more to look at going to:
Halong Bay
Halong Bay has towering limestone pillars and tiny islets located in the North Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994. The way travelers visit here is usually with a cruise and it can be as simple as a day from Hanoi, Halong City and Cat Ba or you can do multiple day tours that gives you the opportunity to visit much more of the area.
Hue
Hue a fantastic mixture of history and beauty. Located in the Center of Vietnam along the Perfume river, it was once home to the old kings and was the Capital of Vietnam until the French colonization. Make you give yourself a couple of days in Hue as there are a lot of things to do and experience from the history and the people to the food and nightlife.
Da Nang
I like Da Nang and not just because its close to Hoi An. Although its not one of the cities that is often in many peoples top cities to visit in Vietnam, I enjoyed it when I went there and that may be in part because of the historical signifigance it has for someone from the United States.
Its located right on the beach in the center of the country and is home to China Beach which was a R & R center for U.S. soldiers serving the war. Of course, there are other interesting sites to see and are just a couple of my favorites:
Tran Phu and the Dragon Bridge
A good place to stop and eat is Tran Phu where there are lots of street food bars etc.. Then either before or after you can check out the Dragon Bridge where there always seems to be lots of people hang out here at night and its starts to pick up as the sun starts to fall and you the views are incredible
Marble Mountains
If you are looking to see shrines and pagodas from a bygone era, this is where you should go while you are in Da Nang. There are 5 marble and limestone outcrops that are home to these places and although there are a lot people around its still well worth the visit. If nothing else,addition along the way you get some amazing views.
Bulgaria
I always thought that visiting Bulgaria would not take as much time as other countries to visit as I thought it was a relatively small country in relation to the others and therefore would not need as much time devoted to it.
However, I quickly found out that although it may seem like small country it has so much to offer and your money goes further then in other places. From the hundreds of beaches at the Black sea coast to the mountains in the interior where skiing is one of the big attractions.
You also have the traditional folklore and modern music festivals and the distinct taste of Bulgarian food.. Bulgaria is country that needs to explored to its fullest.
Again here are just a couple of places you might want to check out if you decide to go:
Veliko Tamovo
Or more commonly referred to as VT, is to the northeast of the capital Sofia and located along the Yantra River. Its claim to fame is that it was the historical capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, The old part of the town is situated on three hills and is a must visit for any trip to Bulgaria
The Rila Monastery
is the largest and probably the most famous monastery in Bulgaria. It was founded in the 10th century and is commonly thought to be one of Bulgaria’s most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments. Church of St. Petka of the Saddlers.
This church dates back to the 14th century and today ia a monument of culture known for its murals of biblical scenes from the 14th century thru to the 19th century.
Black Sea Area
It offers hundreds of wonderful sandy beaches and resorts that appeals to all ages and budgets. Flying there is made is by two airports, one in Varna and the other in Burgas.
You could just stay in Varna which is a beautiful town in and of itself or you could visit a town such as Nessebar which is a UNESCO world heritage site.
Final Thoughts
Well…. that’s it, my 5 places to visit when you have a limited budget. I think are worth visiting and that won’ t set you back too much…. I hope you make it to at least a couple of them and that you find them as wonderful to travel to as I did.