A List of the Best Budget Friendly Countries to Visit
Travel is a favourite past time of so many people and is really one of the best things to do, getting to meet new cultures and new people. However, the issue so many people have with travel is the cost as sometimes the cost of a holiday abroad is fit to make you stay at home. However, today am going to be telling you some of the best budget-friendly countries to visit in this 2021 that will leave you wowed at how little you spent for an amazing trip.
Fiji
Most people imagine Pacific Island destinations as very expensive destinations filled with high priced resorts, food, and services. However, that’s not always the case. Fiji for example, unlike its expensive island neighbours, is actually relatively cheap to visit. While there are many $1,000-a-night resorts in the country, you can manage to enjoy pristine beaches, world-class diving, tasty seafood, and friendly locals without having to mortgage your home. The trick, however, is to avoid the big cities besides you will enjoy Fiji in its lesser developed areas, which are amazing. It is truly one of the best budget-friendly countries to visit.
Mexico
Mexico is often associated with cheap beach resorts, with many tourists going to places such as Cancun, Cabo, or Tulum. If you’re particularly interested in all-inclusive resorts, check out this comprehensive guide from Divein.com.
Well, these tourist-priced locations are only ‘cheap’ if you compare them to, say, Miami or Hawaii. If you really want cheap, you have to explore the rest of Mexico.
Whether you’re looking for a beach holiday or wanting to dive into the local culture, there is so much to discover in this huge country. One classic travel route runs from the buzzing Mexico City to Oaxaca and ending on the Yucatan Peninsula. If you’re on a tight budget, check out Chiapas State: it’s filled with jungles, waterfalls, and epic Mayan ruins — and travel costs are among the lowest. $60 a day is basically the cost an average traveller will spend in Mexico, making it one of the best budget-friendly countries to visit.
Laos
Laos is a destination where you can keep your budget at $30/day, many of the amazing activities you can do in Laos are cheap. You can pay $2.50 to see one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world, $7 for a full day tubing experience along the Vang Vieng River, and $6 for an awesome tiger balm massage. You can also rent a motorbike for cheap and venture off to the smaller towns, where everything is even cheaper! With more and more new hostels built to cater to the increasing number of backpackers, you can go for cheaper for longer. However, if you have a bit more to spend, you can get a gorgeous room for closer to $35 that would easily cost $100 in the US. Laos is definitely one of the best budget-friendly countries to visit
Below is a list of the cost of various amenities in Laos
Meals: $3 – $9 per day. Some hostels provide a basic breakfast
Accommodation: $5-$10 per night in a hostel
Transportation: $6 – $15 for a motorbike for the day (prices may vary depending on the bike condition and your haggling skills), or up to $25 for an intercity bus ticket
SIM card with data: $6 for 1.5GB with 30-day validity
Cambodia
While you could put all of Southeast Asia on the list, Cambodia is one of the best budget-friendly countries to visit in the region — it’s affordable, beautiful, and the locals are incredibly hospitable. You can get a private, air-conditioned room for $20 USD, street food for $2, and transportation across the country for $20. If you are spending close to $50 a day, you are living large. It’s way cheaper than all its neighbours, just as beautiful, and filled with some of the nicest people in the world. It’s one of the cheapest backpacking destinations in the world!
Vietnam
Vietnam is one of the best budget-friendly countries to visit, Think a soup with rice noodles, cilantro, amazing broth, and a whole shank of pork for $1.50, or a cup of strong, aromatic coffee for $1. As far as transportation goes, if you rent a motorbike, you are all set for the day. However, I understand that not everyone is comfortable riding a motorbike, especially in countries like Vietnam where the road traffic can be overwhelmingly chaotic. The good news is that GrabBike (similar to Uber but on bikes!) is widely available in all major cities, and the cost is as low as $0.50 for a 2km ride! The long-distance buses and trains are also affordable and reliable. Accommodation is similarly pleasant and easier to afford than almost anywhere else is in the world.
Thailand
The north of Thailand is easy on a tight budget. As one moves south, costs for accommodation start to double, triple, and even quadruple. If you are short on time and budget for your Thailand trip, stay up north! Even in popular places like Chiang Mai and Pai, you can easily find basic dorms for less than $5. If you stick with eating street food (To each her own, but why eat pasta when you can have pad Thai, am I right?), not only will you save yourself some money, the experience will be much more authentic and delicious, too. As far as activities go, you really do not need a lot of money to enjoy your day as most activities such as visiting the White Temple, hiking, or gathering 3 other people from your hostel to rent a car and go on some day trips, are all affordable.
Average costs are as follows
Meals: $5 – $15 per day. Some hostels provide breakfast
Accommodation: $5-$10 per night in a hostel
Transportation: $6-$10 for a motorbike for the day (prices may vary depending on the bike condition and your haggling skills) or a rental car split between 4 people
SIM card with data: $7 for 1.5GB with 30-day validity
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Written By: William Nwokoji
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