THE WORLD'S CHEAPEST HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS
Added on: 8th Mar 2016
CAMBODIA
With beds for £1 and lip-smacking food for less than that,
Cambodia is so cheap you can feel guilty for paying so little.
Where once travellers often feared to tread, Cambodia is now
very much on the Southeast Asia travel scene, particularly among
backpackers and, increasingly, holidaymakers looking for
five-star luxury without the price tag.
VIETNAM
Unspoiled and undeveloped, despite its rise in popularity in the
last few years, Vietnam is still super cheap, as well as a beautiful
country. You can easily get by on £5 a day, including a guest house,
local food, transport and a bit of drinking - a pint of Vietnam's most
popular brew, Bia Hoi, costs as little as 50p.
INDIA
A spending spree in Mumbai's designer shops and a stay in an
international hotel in Delhi’s going to cost you as much as it would
in Dubai, but away from these enclaves the cost of living is
ridiculously low. Even if you travel first class on the trains
(the Rajdhani or the Shatabdi Express are the most
comfortable to travel on, being fully air-conditioned with meals
included in the ticket price) and take taxis everywhere, you’ll be
hard pressed to spend a lot of money here and it's possible to live
like a raj on just £15 (about 1,500 rupees) a day.
BOLIVIA
Known as the Tibet of the Americas, Bolivia is a relatively
remote bolthole, being one of only two landlocked countries
in South America (the other is Paraguay). Bolivia perhaps
boasts the best value food and drink in all of
South America. For example, a bottle of Paceña beer generally
costs less than £1 and a bowl of chairo (potato soup)
about the same.
HUNGARY
Budapest, the historic Hungarian capital on the Danube, is a
definite must-see on anyone's European tour. While it's not quite
as cheap as it was before the budget airlines got there,
prices here will leave plenty of cash in your pocket. With meals
for £2, train tickets for £1 and rooms for £10, Budapest is a
beautiful bargain. And you can visit those beautiful bathhouses,
such as Gellert, for £10, with massages starting at less
than a tenner.
HONDURAS
There's Belize. There's Costa Rica. There's even Guatemala.
But for real bargain-basement Central American value, plump
for Honduras. The country isn't up there on the most-visited lists,
but if you do decide to give it a go you'll discover white sand
beaches reminiscent of the Maldives, diving to rival the Red Sea
and mega cheap food and drink - all while spending less than
£20 a day. For the Caribbean at a fraction of the cost, check out
the swathes of pristine beaches along Honduras's northern coast.
BULGARIA
Bulgaria's Black Sea resorts have undergone a bit of a boom with
British visitors in recent years, probably because they offer a
total bargain compared with traditional summer sun destinations
like the south of Spain. If you prefer city breaking to beaches,
capital Sofia offers hearty food, warm company, 'robust' drink
and a comfy bed, all yours for £20 a day.
SRI LANKA
With gossamer-fine sands, cloud-wrapped mountains, waterfalls,
tea plantations and palm trees wafting in the breeze, Sri Lanka
is the picture perfect paradise'... Ok, thanks tourist brochure.
You can live like royalty for under £25 a day. Modern tourism began
to boom on this idyllic south Indian Ocean island in the 1960’s,
but it's somehow managed to stay on the side-lines of many a
Southeast Asian itinerary, so it's still possible to pick up a
low-cost luxury bargain.
ARGENTINA
From the jungles of the central plains in La Pampa, to the rugged
Andes mountains on the western border with Chile, there's
plenty to see and do in Argentina, the world's eighth largest country.
Experience the colourful, flamboyant life of the Argentinian
capital by staying away from its most exclusive hotspots
and you can easily get by on £25 a day.
GREECE
Due to the country's ongoing economic difficulties, the cost
of holidaying in Greece is lower than it used to be. While it's
still pretty pricey to stay on famous Greek islands like
Santorini or Mykonos, pick a quieter Greek getaway like Paros
or Skiathos and you can still while away the days in 28 degree heat,
sipping ice-cold Mythos (between about £1.50 and £4 a pint
depending on where you stay) for half the price.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
The Caribbean is pricey, right? Not if you fly to the Dominican Republic,
where £30 a day will cover accommodation, travel and food if you're
thrifty. Eat where the locals do and you'll find dishes - and beers - for
under £1, while taking the local bus into town can be done for less than
50p. Check in to the Bavaro Hostel and for just £13 you'll get a bed
within a three-minute walk of the white sands and swaying palms
of Bavaro beach.
IRELAND
Flight prices to Ireland have tumbled over the past few years,
meaning you can get to Dublin for less than you might think. Once in
the Irish capital, stay at the central Generator Hostel and you could
pay just £6 for your bed. Dublin's oldest, and sup on the central city's
(rumoured) cheapest pint, just £2.30 in the Pavilion Bar at the cricket
pitch in Trinity College. If you'd rather get out into rural Ireland, head
to Galway, where prices are lower than the capital across the board
and a weekend break could cost you about 20% less. You could
spend some of those savings on the city's vibrant nightlife (thanks
student population!) with a trawl through the city's pubs - where
Guinness is around 15% cheaper than in Dublin - and the live music
sessions at Trad music pub An Pucan are free.
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