Hello, beautiful souls.
Have you ever realised how the most amazing things in life are usually those things that could not cost us a penny? The manner in which the orange sun sets into a purple sea, the smell of rain on old dust or the laugh one shares with a stranger about a plain bowl of noodles.
We were lied to somewhere in the line of it. We were informed that we had to wait to see the world, we had to wait to get more money in our pocket, we had to wait to get some promotion, we had to wait until we were rich enough to afford a ticket to heaven. But I will tell you something that I have learned taking ten years of wandering: The world does not care about your bank account. It does not matter how you were dressed or how you appeared at all: you were there. Finding cheap places to travel is not about settling for less; it is about choosing to live more. Many of the cheapest tourist destinations offer experiences that money simply cannot buy.
I am not here to discuss with you about the so-called low-cost travel. That to me, is less than satisfactory. I would like to discuss with you High-Value Wandering. I would take you out to the ends of the earth and make your pound go so far as to seem like magic. I would like to demonstrate to you how to sell costly hotel lobbies mountain sunrises and overpriced tourist traps secret gardens.
Welcome to another world of vision. A direction in which we can measure our affluence no longer on what we spend, but what we look out, who we encounter, how deeply we breathe.
Come on, off the main highways with me. It is not a new journey as soon as you save a fortune, but when you make a decision to travel to the best cheap holiday destinations.
The Teardrop of the Indian Ocean: Sri Lanka
There is no better place which is like a warm hug to the soul than Sri Lanka is. Over the years I have been telling my friends that this is the place to be in case you want to see everything in a single country.
When seeking out cheap places to travel, Your pounds will go an extremely long way in Sri Lanka. It remains one of the best places to travel on a budget because the richness of the culture far outweighs the cost of the stay. You can ride the train that is perhaps the most picturesque in the world, on what is called the Kandy to Ella, for under the cost of a cup of coffee in London. You are sailing along through green tea plantations of emerald-green, your hair blowing in the wind, as you sit by the open door.
The Expert Tip: Forget about the flashy hotels. Stay in “homestays.” They are also very cheap (they can be as little as under £15 a night) but you will get fed the best rice and curry of your life by one of the local families who will make you feel like a lost cousin.
The Secret Coast: Albania
When all people are flocking to Italy or Greece and spend £10 on a sunbed, I would like you to have a glance a bit further across the Adriatic Sea. Albania is the best kept secret in Europe and one of the most remarkable cheap places to travel on the continent. Before you depart, a quick check of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) travel advice will give you the latest on entry requirements and local tips for this emerging gem. Its crystal-clear turquoise water is as Maldives but at a fraction of the price, making it one of the cheapest travel destinations for beach lovers.
Ksamil and Dhermi are some of the places that have white sand and fresh seafood dinners at approximately £7. It is a country of rocky mountains and ancient towns of stone such as Gjirokastër where time does not flow. It is crude, it is natural and it is incredibly low-priced truly one of the best affordable holiday destinations left in the world.
The Land of the Eternal spring: Vietnam.
Vietnam is not a location, it is a feeling. It is the aroma of fresh herbs in the morning air and a thousand motorbikes buzzing like a swarm of bees. For those searching for cheap places to travel that offer a luxury experience at the expense of a backpacker, Vietnam is a luxury experience at the expense of a backpacker, starting with the mists of the Sapa mountains and the golden bridges of Da Nang, it is consistently ranked among the cheapest tourist destinations globally.
You can be sitting on a small plastic stool in a corner of the street in Hanoi having eaten a bowl of Pho that is world class at a cost of 1.50 pounds and feel that you have been blessed with good fortune. It is undeniably one of the best places to travel on a budget for foodies. This is what the real world holiday vibes is all about, to strike that right balance where the price is cheap, yet the outlook of the trip is inestimably priceless.
The Expert Tip: Hire a bicycle in Hoi An. Go through the rice paddies in the morning. It is nearly free, and watching the sun rise on the water and water buffaloes grazing upon it is something one will never forget, with or without money.
Romania The Fairy Tale of the East.
In case you are a lover of history and mystery, Romania is addressing you. Eastern Europe is often disregarded by many travellers, but they should not make this mistake, as it holds some of the most enchanting cheap places to travel in the world. As one of the cheapest travel destinations in Europe, Transylvania (location of the Dracula stories) is full of castles and dark and beautiful forests in the middle of the middle ages.
Brasov is a city that is a personal favourite. It is as though walking into a Fairy Tale of Grimms. The menu is comforting- we are talking of hot soups in bread bowls and prices are among the cheapest in Europe. You can get a local beer, which will cost you less than 2 pounds a pint, proving why it’s among the best cheap holiday destinations.
The Lagoon of Seven Colours: Bacalar, Mexico.
Disregard the congested and costly resorts of Cancun. To the south you had better go to Bacalar, to get the real magic. It contains a fresh-water lagoon which is lit in seven variations of blue.
Due to the fact that it is a little off the road, the prices remain budget friendly, making it one of the most stunning cheap places to travel in the Americas. It is one of the best affordable holiday destinations for those who want peace. You may spend your days kayaking or swimming in cenotes (natural sinkholes) in a gorgeous eco-cabana by the water. It is quiet, natural, and very good to your bank account.
How to Travel Like a Pro (And Spend Your Pennies)
- At this point, now that we have some destinations in mind, I would like to present to you some of my Expert Secrets on how to make it so that you are not spending a lot of money yet have a great experience in these cheap places to travel:
- Eat Where the Locals Queue: When a restaurant has a menu in five languages, and someone is outside, who is pointing you inside, leave. Locate the area where the residents are standing in line. It will become less expensive and the food will be ten times healthier. Even in the cheapest tourist destinations, this rule saves you from “tourist prices.”
- Rapid Breakdown: It is the most costly method to get about by attempting to visit ten cities within ten days. You waste your money in buses, trains and planes. Rather, just choose one location and spend a week in one of the best affordable holiday destinations. You will receive long stay accommodation discounts and you will really learn the pulse of the town.
- Shoulder Season Travel: Never travel in the middle of the summer or during Christmas. Go just before or just after. The weather might still remain beautiful, however, the flights and hotel prices are reduced by fifty percent in the cheapest travel destinations.
- Almighty Walking: Walking shoes are my favourite gadget in travelling. The process of walking is free, and there is no other way to discover that small hidden bakery or that nice piece of street art. This is the secret to finding the best places to travel on a budget seeing the world on foot.
A Final Note to My Dear Travellers
When the next time you make plans, keep in mind that Travel does not consist in the number of threads used to make your sheets; it is what you write about when you come home. These best cheap holiday destinations offer the richest stories. The best experiences that I have ever had did not occur at the costly VIP lounges. They occurred when we shared some fruit with a stranger on a bus in Laos, or when I was looking at the sunset in the Albanian mountains and had a 50p coffee in my hand.
The world is waiting for you. It is also bigger, nicer, and far cheaper than you imagine. Lighten your bags, sir, open your heart big, and off. It does not require you to have a fortune to make this adventure.
Frequently Asked Questions.
Eat where the locals queue. Eat out of the restaurants that have multi language menus and street touts in order to get the best and cheapest to eat.
Stay in one place longer. The reason behind slowing down is that it lowers transport expenses, opens the door to long-stay accommodation discounts, and offers a more in-depth cultural experience
Book a flight and accommodation in the so-called shoulder season, the time immediately before/after popular summer and winter holidays, to choose a flight and accommodation that cost half the price.
Prefer homestays to hotels. They are usually less than 15 pounds per night, and feature authentic and home-cooked meals, as well as local insider tips.
Albania. Its secret coast has turquoise waters and fresh sea food with half the cost of the neighboring Mediterranean nations.
