Most travellers, unless far too wealthy for there own good, appreciate a good bargain when they find one. Indeed, many shoestring travellers make spending as little as possible something of a badge of honour, often haranguing others with their tales of brevity at every available opportunity.
So, this is the discussion for you! Boast away.
What is the cheapest day you have spent when travelling? The total cost must include paid accommodation and at least three meals. Give the price in US Dollar per person.
Many is the time I've slept at a train station and eaten nothing - this does not count!
To get the ball rolling, we have just returned from the stunning Banyak Archipelago in Sumatra. We stayed on the island of Tailana in one of three very basic huts (no electricity) and spent 150,00 Rupiah a day, or 75,000 Rupiah per person, which works out at $8 per person, all in. Not bad for a day in paradise.
So, lets here about your cheap stays.
Reply to this In Kyrgyzstan when solo trekking I used to give people who invited me into their yurts to stay the night and fed me $5 or $6 a day. I also stayed in one hotel in a town called Sary Tash where the price was $7 a night including 3 enormous, delicious cooked meals.
Reply to this Beijing- bed was 7$ per day in a hostel with AC and thermostat even in the bathroom. Meals from the streets and supermarket at one to two dollars per meal. Baked sweet potatoes, corn, strange chinese crepes, yoghurt and fruits. Tickets for the metro at 2 yuans one way, in a day I spent about 1.22$. Admission fees at about 9$. All in thats about 20$ per day for a bed, meals, transpo, and admission fees. And thats in a major city!
Reply to this Stay a month in Sary Tash for the equivalent o a couple of days wages! Stay a year for the price of a decent new telly! Would this town/city reward the budget conscious traveller with much interest for his meager buck?
Reply to this not really 😊 it's just a stop off on the overland route into Tajikistan (the Pamir Highway). There's some pretty impressive 7000m + mountains nearby accessible from a town called Sary Moghul though, I hitch hiked between the two then hiked into the mountains where there are lots of farmers and herders you can stay with.
Reply to this In 1998/1999 I spent 4 months travelling around Indonesia. This coincided with the end of Suharto (I was in Jakarta when that went down!) Add to that The Asian Financial crisis and the Rupiah fell to 16800 to the dollar. I spent LESS than a $1000 in 4 months!
(This was of course a freak event)
In 2002/3 I spent a year travelling from India to South Africa overland and averaged just over $11 per day all in. I was watching what I spent of course (literally) but it just goes to show how much costs have risen these days.
I used to think things cost relatively more these days simply due to my own spending habits which have become a lot more lax down the years; I have become a lot less vigilantly thrifty. But the truth is, travel costs have been going up and up (doubtless tied to fuel costs). And if I were just starting out my travel career nowadays I doubt I would have been able to afford to see half of what I have on a shoestring budget.
This is still the Golden Age of Travel though, I reckon. Enjoy it while you can, I can't see this inflationary trend changing in the long term.
Reply to this Yeah, Jason, that's true. First couple of trips I was so freakishly obsessed about costs, haggling over the most trivial details. Now, not so much. I like to think this is because travel has taught me the relative worth money and how incredibly fortunate I am to have been born in England (financially). But perhaps the stress of constant thriftiness and the mellowing effects of increasing years have simply worn me down!
Yes, travel has become, and is continuing to be, more expensive but, as I have recently found out, some really amazing bargains can still be had. The Banyak Archipelago is not, and doubtless never will be, a vacationers destination but, should some sand and sea junkie choose to spend there two week vacation here, they could, at a push, achieve this for under 700 quid. London KL return with Air Asia, get a good deal and perhaps 350. Return to Medan, another 50. 12 days at 10 a day is 120. Factor in a few additional costs and you have, should the inclination take you, a crazy cheap beach holiday. In paradise!
Reply to this scottandanny, this fills me with much joy...
One our own personal challenges on this trip is to spend the same or less than in a month, as the amount we receive for one months rent on our house... so around £500... I didn't think we'd be able to manage it (although only babies you'd be surprised how much our two kids can eat), but we may be visiting this place you mention. They sleep with us so accommodation shouldn't be an issue, we may just have to pay more for food. I'm sure we can manage playing on the beach for a month! 😊
Reply to this hey Scott and Anny, good to hear from you.
Afther 11 months of traveling so far, Indonesia is dirt cheap. I remember Maumere in Flores, a cottage on a black vulcanic beach. Priceless... well... 7 usd
also in Flores, but i cant remember the name of the place. 15usd, on the beach with a coralgarden just in front.
O and this, we began our trip from London to KL for 200 USD, (airasia) and you and Anny must remember, the 40ct Rum in the Philippines.
Reply to this He he, cheap Rum, hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Good to hear from you guys, you get your passport issues sorted?
Michael and Faye, just returned from our second visit to Pulau Banyak (Palambak and Bangkaru this time). If anything, even more impressed the 2nd time round. Don't worry about being bored, there is Kayaking tours available where you can camp on your own, uninhabited idylic desert island. There are turtles to go ans watch nesting on Bangkaru, as well as thick steaming jungle. There ias good surfing, especially June to Sept, and both Balai and Haluban are very interesting villages. There is also, of course, the incredible white sand beaches and crystal clear water! Enjoy!
Reply to this I also had a wonderful (and cheap) experience in Sumatra. In the towns of Tuktuk and Berastagi I was paying $4 per night for accommodation, $1 for breakfast, $1.50 for lunch and same for dinner. All this with either epic lake Toba views or lush jungle covered volcanoes towering around me. Total per day: about $8.
Reply to this hay i also have experience exciting when i vacation in bali, staying in a villa area seminyak per night of-kind of one $ 300 - $ 1000> ..hihihih i chose to yan $ 300 to be able to sleep soundly and trips to the beach - beach bali ^_^, so i am happy to talk with you all.
Reply to this Jason interesting comment and one I have to agree with. Ordinarily the thought of Bora Bora and Rangiroa and Moorea etc would be ridiculous, but with the economy here the actual price of meals is similar if not cheaper and groceries and fuel a tiny bit cheaper so I thought, in this age of travel where I can go somewhere amazing for what is still far from a budget hotel, in the position im in at the moment, in this economy, why the heck not...I may never get another chance.
While a different demographic perhaps from others replying to this thread I dont like going hungry or backpackers..yes, i admit, shame im a flashpacker...but have spent 4K for a month in thailand, cambodia, malaysia and a day in vietnam for two people including everything from airfairs to diving trips and always flew between countries. A trip from here in Perth to Bunaken or Lembeh including flights, food, accom, diving will give me change out of $1500.
I dont expect this economy to last, but while it does, im going to have fun
Reply to this i stay in ubud village with low budget, i use <snip> to surround Ubud village and rafting actvities, many more activities we can do in bali with low budget.
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Reply to this A hostel in BKK which cost me around $ 1.50 a night! Lunch for 10 baht rice topped with fried pork, and 20 baht for a Khao Phad. 😊
Reply to this Taiwan is definitely a good chance for budget travelling, with a wide array of choice of accommodation, from food stalls to Micheline, from High Speed Bullet Trains to budget buses
Commercial Link Removed - Littlewing
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Reply to this Thanks for sharing nice information with us
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Reply to this This site allows you to find destinations according to your budget, might be interesting to some who have a budget constraints and some days of availability, allows you to find both flight, hotel and tells you of the trips' total expenses using numbeo.
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Reply to this If you want to travel to cheap destination, Vietnam is the best place for you. In Vietnam, you can stay at local people in some places such as Mekong Delta, Hoian, Danang... Furtheremore, renting a motorbike and guide, you can travel all places in Vietnam
Reply to this Laos and Vietnam is the two places for travelling with cheap price. Local people are friendly and hospitable. To travel around the two countries, you can follow this itinerary of Vietnam Tour Booking: Luang Prabang - Xieng Khouang - Phonsavan - Vientiane - Vietnam - Hanoi - Halong Bay - Hue - Hoi An - Can Tho - Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta.
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