Dear GoMad Nomad,
I read a lot about traveling to countries that are inexpensive for travelers. Is it good enough reason to go to a country just because it’s cheap? And what are some of your favorite cheap countries in the world to travel?
–Rori in Ottawa, Canada
Dear Rori,
Throughout my travels, I have visited plenty of cheap countries. There are lots of places where your money goes a long way and have interesting cultures, beautiful nature, and delicious food as well.
I believe you should have some kind of interest in a country before deciding to travel there, even if it’s just curiosity. Some countries may be cheap, but are not necessarily interesting for tourists nor do they have an infrastructure for tourism. There are lots of countries that are both popular with travelers and cheap.
It’s also important not to cancel out your dreams of visiting countries perceived to be expensive. For years I avoided visiting Japan, Norway, and Switzerland. After traveling to those places, they ended up high on my list of world’s favourite places.
A few of my favorite cheap places to travel:
Laos: Read What it Costs: A Day in Laos
Yunnan Province (China): Read What it Costs: A Day in Yunnan
Vietnam: What a $1.25 gets you in Vietnam
Indonesia: Read more articles about Indonesia
Nepal: Read more articles about Nepal
Peru: Read more about Peru
Egypt: Read more about Egypt
One travel writer has dedicated a whole book to traveling to cheap countries. I reviewed the book for GoMad Nomad. Check out Tim Leffel’s: The World’s Cheapest Destinations: 21 Countries Where your Money is Worth a Fortune.
Besides cheap countries, there are plenty of countries that I categorize as good value destinations. These countries are not especially cheap, but you still get a lot for your money.
My favorite good-value destinations are:
Turkey
Tell me your favorite budget-friendly countries in the comments below.
Thanks for the shout-out Stephen! I agree that just because a country is cheap doesn’t mean you’re giving up something in terms of how much there is to see and do there. Just look at Peru, Nepal, or Indonesia for a start.
I’m totally with you on Portugal. I was there in May and once we got out of Lisbon the prices were fantastic. On par with Hungary and the Czech Republic in rural areas of Alentejo where I was on a bike tour. If prices don’t rise between now and when I start updating the next edition down the line, I might include it for Europe. Turkey, alas, is getting more expensive every year. Their economy is on a tear and every year they seem to get another million or two tourists than they had before.
Yeah, Tim, the last time I was in Turkey was 2007, so I’m not surprised that prices have gone up. Back then it wasn’t cheap, but I thought it was a good value. I would have like to include Hungary, but I haven’t been there yet! Hope to make it in 2014. Thanks for your suggestions!
You know, I still tend to think of Istanbul as good value even if not exactly cheap. It takes a little more attentiveness to your spending to do it, of course, but there are also so many cheap places to eat and inexpensive transport options to balance out the expense of sites and accom.
My husband and I would like to travel ( package ) in Asia between March 25 -April 24, 2014. Do you have any on those dates?
Great answer! I would have said the same thing. Travel cost alone should not be the weighing factor for deciding to visit a city or a country. It should always come down to whether or not you’re actually interested in going there.
Cheers!