Cards on table, traveling for most of us is not an option, it’s a luxury. Almost about to graduate, I have long begun planning trips far away from India. But money remains an issue and after college it would just seem weird to ask my parents for money and that too in a trip where I don’t plan to include them. For many of you, the situation might not be as grave as mine and you might actually enjoy a wiggle room. But for the other half craving for that gap year or a sabbatical, concern to suck the life out of your bank account is a viable issue.
Ergo, I narrowed my list down to these five destinations where lodging and food charges remain basic, allowing you a guilt free wanderlust.
1. Barcelona, Spain
If you are traveling on the dollar, euro is leaning in your favor and you would be a fool to let that slide away. The Catalonian capital has a vibrant street life and some off the charts architectural displays, the trip would be one where you actually need to get your feet dirty. The street food is imaginative yet quirky and the bars let you hack their menus with meals around ten dollars and $2 beers.
The city strolls of Barcelona is one of the finer temptations in the whole of Europe, as most walks around the city would let you admire Gaudi’s architectural brilliance, free of cost. Most of his mansions for the higher Spanish classes are open to the public. This being another reason why the destination is ideal for a budget travel as you would not need to spend a fortune over visiting passes and such.
2. Thailand
You can shack up at $3 dorms, or have a room service ordered worth five times that money while staying at a $1000 suite. Thailand runs the gamut for varying genres of tourists, year round.
The country is a goldmine for bag packers as one can wind up a day at thirty dollars, alcohol inclusive. While at Thailand, wasting money on lodging is a waste of money, as the place is diverse and all the destinations are easily accessible. The islands although are really expensive to live in but hiking around the locations can be a great along with the shady ruins and the quaint temples. Urban hubs such as Bangkok, the capital and Chinatown are perfect walk-arounds as the street life of Thailand involves labyrinth streets, crammed with food-stalls and shop-houses.
3. Egypt
Contrary to popular belief, traveling in Egypt can be pocket friendly but at the same time a little delicate. Standard meals range from a dollar to three, alcohol exclusive and you can buy a good night’s sleep for as low as four dollars.
On the other hand, most of the historic sites in Egypt will charge you an entrance fee ranging from ten to fifteen dollars. The cash seems legit considering the brilliance of every structure ever made there, right in the middle of a desert. With a visa and flight charges around $400 and per day expenses ranging from $20, Egypt is one of the apt bargains for the 2016 bagpacker.
Bonus: Entry charges are subsidized to half for student travelers.
4. Uruguay
American trips can be a bit pricy, but a smart traveler can cut corners while packing bags for places like Brazil, Argentina and with even better destination value, Uruguay. The country is crammed with hostels where you can book dorm beds ranging upwards from ten dollars, based on season. A budget hotel room in Uruguay costs around forty dollars, which would be a smarter choice than a private room in any hostel.
Bagpackers in Uruguay involve in a very unique culture of cooking their own food, as regular meals would cost you in the range of fifteen dollars, which is considered a little above standard while touring. Uruguay excels in transit networking of their buses and intricate routes for taxis as well. While some might complain about the prices of the country, the transport means can assist you with an all round experience in a very short period of time, say three to four days.
5. Greece
Many might be put off with the country’s economic crisis, while a smart traveler would make use of this window as the prices have been shunted down. While you might be saving money on this trip, your meager money can slowly boost the economy by contributing to the tourism revenue. Unless you are a flashpacker, lodging charges in Greece will cost you downward of fifteen euros. Food worth of a day, coupled with the basic beer would cost you around seven euros. You can include museum tours and miscellaneous activities as such at a charge of ten euros, although I would keep that out if you want a hastle free bagpacker’s trip.