Budget Travel - Most Bang for the US Buck?

My friends and I are planning a trip for this summer out of LAX for about 4 to 6 days, and we're looking for a nice international spot where we can get the most out of the exchange rates. We're all around 30 and make enough $ to splurge a little bit... but don't want to go to places like London or Tokyo where a Big Mac costs $15 with the exchange rate.

Last year we went to Belize, and Costa Rica the year before that. We like a bit of adventure mixed in with relaxing on the beach.

Any ideas and recommendations are much appreciated.

Thanks...

Thailand comes to mind.

Buenos Aires holds a place near and dear to my heart regardless of the prices I've had to pay -- and while its prices are rising, it's still a great value once you get there.

Thanks, both are good suggestions.

A few of us have been to Thailand recently so that's already been nixed.
Argentina sounds like fun and has been suggested. The only issue i have is the fact that it will be Winter in Argentina in July when we are planning to go.

More suggestions are appreciated.

Hmm. Thailand seems an awfully long way, even for an FTer, if you really want to be able to relax and chill out.

Sydney would be the obvious solution, but as it's winter down there now, and again another longer flight that trip is best postponed till New Year's.

If you want something warm/beach, with great hotels, superb restaurants (http://www.accessbarbados.com/barbados_restaurants.php) but with some local flavour and the opportunity for some adventure sports like diving, sailing or visiting the odd plantation then the caribbean seems like the obvious choice, and the journey time would make it particularly attractive. You can play some great golf and tennis if that's your bag, too.

The spas are great for the ladies and the guys, a genuinely relaxing break on a beautiful island with a unique culture.

One of the world's best hotels:

www.sandylane.com/

There is also a Concorde resting the which you can visit if it rains:

www.concordesst.com/latestnews.html

And the night clubs are packed with a very high end international/European set (particularly Germans and Brits) who party alongside the locals. When I went there ten year's ago (ouch - is it that long ago!!) I went to Harbour Lights most evenings, which was great fun:

www.harbourlightsbarbados.com/

Though another more edgy solution would be Tokyo which is meant to be very happening right now, though I am not sure your dollar would go that far in the notoriously expensive city.

And a Big Mac is only about $8 in the UK right now - and we don't add tax on afterwards!

but don't want to go to places like London or Tokyo where a Big Mac costs $15 with the exchange rate.

You can stay in Tokyo in comfortable digs for around $30 a night and that $15 will get you a fantastic 2-3 course lunch (just as long as you don't order any beer or wine with it).

But I won't press this any further, I understand what the point you're trying to get across is. It's just that Japan always gets such a bad rep for being exhorbitantly expensive when it's potentially significantly cheaper than visiting London (same as being in Spain from my experience). You can budget $80-$100 a day once you're there, sleep somewhere clean, eat really well and have an amazing time.

Cancun.

There is nonstop flight to SIN and BKK from LAX . but both entail up to 17-18 hrs. You could get to Malyasia, from SIN very cheaply and quickly . AS far as Americas , for Central America doesnt have tourist infrastructure to let us take advantage of cheap prices. I have found you have to go as far as Colombia or Equador to get bang for your buck . which from WEst coast of usa , would take at least 8-10hrs . Bottom line to get cheap prices , u gotta fly .
I dont find Costa rica that cheap ,cheaper maybe , but 2$ meals , no .

Check out this guys website. He is the king of inexpensive foreign destinations. His most recent post has a review of Vietnam as a cheap holiday location.

http://travel.booklocker.com/

Good luck

My friends and I are planning a trip for this summer out of LAX for about 4 to 6 days, and we're looking for a nice international spot where we can get the most out of the exchange rates. We're all around 30 and make enough $ to splurge a little bit... but don't want to go to places like London or Tokyo where a Big Mac costs $15 with the exchange rate.

Last year we went to Belize, and Costa Rica the year before that. We like a bit of adventure mixed in with relaxing on the beach.

Any ideas and recommendations are much appreciated.

Thanks...

Philippines. Great beaches and cheap accomodations and tasty food.^

Thanks everyone.

So far, most of the guys are in agreement to go to Peru. We'll see what happens, but most likely we'll end up in Central or South America. If you have any great spots we should consider please let me know.

Thanks again...

Living in So Cal, are you set on the beach???
(Granted, plenty of much more scenic alternatives around the planet than Huntington, Laguna, Manthattan, Venice, etc.)
One advantage of the South American winter is being able to go skiing!!! ....and it's definitely a change of pace from anything you'd get up at Tahoe.

Nowhere near the time differences from So Cal that Europe or Aisa would be, so one overnight flight down there won't kill you with jet lag.
Steak & wine in that part of the world are incredibly awesome, at incredible prices.

Portions of the post that previously appeared in this space have been deleted. I would provide you with a reason why, but doing so would likely be against the TOS.

but don't want to go to places like London or Tokyo where a Big Mac costs $15 with the exchange rate.
I didn't know it was $7 to the GBP? Big Mac around my way is about £2

Yea I know... I was just making an exaggerated point... so folks would get what I meant...

Anyway, some of us who have more vacation time saved up are talking about heading over to Brazil and/or Bolivia after Peru. It's starting to look like a real fun trip.

Thanks again...

Egypt - $4/night for dorm beds. Breakfast for $0.50.
Morocco - $8/night for single rooms. Delicious Tajines for $3.
China - $4/night for dorm rooms. Amazing dumplings for $0.10.

See the Pyramids for a $0.20 bus ride from Cairo.

we're looking for a nice international spot where we can get the most out of the exchange rates...
... but don't want to go to places like London or Tokyo where a Big Mac costs $15 with the exchange rate...

Yea I know... I was just making an exaggerated point... so folks would get what I meant...


I still have no idea what you meant. The exchange rate with the yen is quite favorable. (You currently get about 118yen for $1 - which is more than the average for the past ten years).

A Big Mac in Tokyo costs 280yen (http://www.mcdonalds.co.jp/sales/menu/menu.html) ($2.32). A cheeseburger costs 100yen ($0.85). But how does exaggerating this make a point? And what point does it make?

I'd say this is a great time for folks from the US to visit Japan. The exchange rate is still fine. And prices here have not increased in 15 years.

If you are going to South America I can thoroughly recommend Buenos Aires, Argentina and the beaches north of Maceió, Brazil, which I visited last year. But the currencies there have strengthened in the last couple of years. And you can't get a Big Mac on the remote beaches for any price.

Brazil got expensive.. and Argentina isn't as cheap as it once was.

Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and China are still good deals with USD.

Japan's a good deal too, all things considered, since it's categorically expensive, I find it reasonably priced (consistant with US pricing for similar items) and prices, as stated, really haven't changed since the early 90s.

margarita Island in Venezula but you have to get local prices. Just go there and figure it out. We had a Villa for a month for 300 bucks. Rented a car for 21 dollars a day and 5Cents/gallon gasoline you can drive all you want.

Vietnam is my number one pick for an inexpesive and wonderful vacation. Nha Trang is a seaside resort while Old Town Hanoi has great shopping and inexpensive rroms. Have fun!
Kate

The wife stopped in Vietnam during her Asia trip last year. Thought it was excellent. She said it was great not having to really think/worry about her costs because things are so cheap there. She still bargained a bit locally so that she wouldn't have to pay full "tourist" prices for everything but even then, prices were still cheap.

She mentioned there seemed to be a number of Aussies tourists. It's probably just a matter of time before North Americans "discover" it as another cheap exotic vacation destination.

Much of SE Asia is inexpensive. Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia are all quite affordable. The Philippines aren't too bad, and Indonesia is also quite nice. I spent two weeks in the Philippines recently, and for what I spent on food and lodging would last me about two days in most of Europe.

I was in Japan last year and didn't think it was ridiculously expensive. I had heard all the horror stories, and it is true certain things there aren't cheap -- beer, for example. But I thought food and other things were pretty reasonable.

Argentina was an absolute steal. I know, a few years back the exchange rate was better, but I still couldn't believe how cheap it was. Very good value for the money, although I don't know how the locals can afford it sometimes.

(And I also shudder to think how expensive it was when the exchange rate was even with the U.S. dollar.)

Philippines. Great beaches and cheap accomodations and tasty food.^

I'll second that. Philippines is a great destination if you are on a budget. There are and abundance of flights from LAX to MNL. Boracay is my favorite beach destination of all time. I highly recommend this place. It's only about an hour to Caticlan from Manila by plane. From Caticlan you have to take a boat to Boracay which takes about 15-20 minutes. It sounds out there but it's worth it. A beautiful beach, lots of nightlife and more beautiful women than you could imagine.