8 Great Places To Travel On A Weak Dollar
The dollar has hit new lows, but fear not, thrifty globetrotters, there's still countries with weaker currencies than ours. What they lack in fiscal might, they make up for in natural beauty and exotic locales.
foXnoMad recommends Morocco, Thailand, Mexico, China, Jordan, Micronesia, Venezula, and Armenia. Hit the link to find out his reasons for each.
The Best Places To Travel On A Weak Dollar [foXnoMad]
(Photo: Carl Puentes Photography)
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Comments:
@NTidd: I lol'd ^_^
Seriously...Thailand? I guess after the $1500 plane ticket, you'd be getting a lot of bang for your buck...wait, that came out wrong. I mean, you'd be getting a favorable exchange rate and low prices. But the plane ticket cost would probably discourage people trying to save on travel.
I was thinking more along the lines of in-states when I read the headline. On that note, not being an international traveler myself, New Orleans is still real cheap to visit. I stayed in some very fancy hotels (e.g. Hotel Monteleone) for $69 + valet parking. Last time I went (pre-Katrina) I spent $99 to stay in the bad part of New Orleans at a Best Western. :|
Hmmmm, with the exception of China and Micronesia, isn't it odd that those other countries are places where there is a likely chance some politico-motivated group will kidnap and ransom foreign tourists, especially Americans....
I guess you could technically go to those places... but why?
Especially go to China if you've been looking for a Wii. There are loads of them being sold here, and they're pre-modded for convenience too. It's been a bit of a trend- I call it "gadget tourism" because some people just come here (Shanghai), tour the electronics markets, get their stuff, and leave. Which is perfectly acceptable.
re: CASSIFRAS' comment
Amazingly beautiful Palau is in Micronesia, but I'll 2nd your why on most of the other options....
@NoWin: You have a pretty good chance of being bribed by the police, mugged, kidnapped, and/or killed in Venezuela - but not for political reasons. It is a horribly unsafe place regardless of your political views, nationality, skin color, et cetera.
I'm surprised anyone would actually encourage people to go to Venezuela on vacation... If anyone is considering the trip, please do some Googling beforehand as a deterrent!
Sounds like a lot of those countries are places that pedophiles go already to find cheap kids to screw... :(
I don't WANT to go to those places. I want to go to Europe or Australia. And their answer will be "Welcome. Please bend over while we stick it to your wallet."
No thanks. I'm staying home. So much for your tourism budget. Charge me sane prices and I'll come. Don't? Fuhgeddaboudit.
@Buran:
And somehow, I think their tourism industries will get over the trauma of struggling along without your business.
Venezuela? Seriously? They hate us, remember?
I'm surprised Iran is not on the list.
@buran: Um ... I think their tourism budgets have stayed the same while the dollar has gone into a Goose-ejected-way-back-when spiral. Direct your complaints at the morons with their hand on that rudder, not the unhappy rest of the world for not lowering their prices to match our dismal currency.
"What? It's like you don't want flag jumpsuit wearing, fanny-pack toting people screaming 'do you speak English' in your face!"
Mexico deserves some love here.
My wife and I just got back from our second trip to Oaxaca and are recommending it to everyone.
Now I'm going to have the Dead Kennedys' "Holiday in Cambodia" in my head for the rest of the day (yes, I know Cambodia wasn't on the list).
Highly recommend Belize. Currency is apparently pegged to USD (2/1), so no worries there. Beautiful scenery, great weather, decent prices, Mayan ruins, relaxing beaches, great diving, ...
Consider Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. Costs are generally 3/1 in favor of the dollar, (although climbing) Wonderful cities with European style and culture, great food, welcoming people, and tons of musuems, arts, clubs, and theatre, plus beautiful beaches south of Buenos Aires and along the coast of Uruguay. People there are smart, educated, and take an active interest in politics.
I'm not a big shopper, but I was in Buenos Aires in '05 and when I found cool clothes and realized how much of a deal it was, (different styles than the same mall fare here) I went on a shopping spree, spent $300 and filled a huge duffel bag full of shirts and stylish jeans.
You can't beat a city where you can have a steak dinner and wine for $7, coffee for 75 cents, and plates full of empanadas for $3.
Yes the airfare is higher, around $800 -$900 or so, but for a weeks trip in an exotic, safe, modern, and culturally rich country you can't beat it. Unfortunately many people still equate everything south of the U.S. border as Mexico standards, and countries like Panama or South South America don't get the credit and respect they deserve.
james [www.futuregringo.com]
Thailand isn't all sex tourism and kidnapping, or whatever horror stories you've heard. I went there as a young, single white female and didn't have any difficulties. You just have to travel with your damn brain.
Definitely planning on Mexico and Morocco trips sometime in the relatively near future, too.
Eastern Europe as well. I was in Munich last May and my drinks were 5E each, which is $7. One country over in the (non euro yet) Czech Republic I was eating veal, potatos, and downing Czech beer for $10 a plate.
And you have to know where to go IN a city. The prices in restaurants of Pragues Old Town are that of London standards, as it caters mostly to tourists. A few subway stops north or south in New Town or north of the river you find little cafes, bars, and delis which treat your U.S. dollar very well.
It's not always the city you're in, but the neigbhorhoods you're at within a city...
@TheName: If you want tourists, you need to do something to stop pricing your attractions out of their reach. Basic supply an demand.
There is a little somewhere for everyone on this list. *Europeans* visit these countries by the hundreds of thousands every year and they seem to make it fine.
Why NOT go to those places? Live a little, people. Any big city in America relatively presents the same dangers as anywhere else in the world. And it's silly comments, actions, politics, and unwillingness to soak in other cultures that cause people around the world to "hate us".
@Buran: I don't think anyone is pricing attractions out of anyones reach. As the poster said before, the dollar's value is FALLING making our money worth less. Its not that the attractions in Europe are costing Australians or Britans more they cost US citizens more because our currency is plummeting.
Not that the point of the article is anyone is having problems making money of tourists...isn't it suggesting places where the crappy dollar is actually worth something?
Doesn't it alarm anyone that you have to go to Venezuela or Armenia for that?
@Buran:
Seems like both Europe and Australia have plenty of tourists, they're either (a) people with plenty of money, (b) people who don't get paid in USD, or (c) people who have modified the terms of their trips.
@ Kurtz:
Don't confuse the people with the government. It's not nice when people do that to Americans is it?
Prague is fantastic. The exchange rate is amazing because they're part of the EU but they aren't using the euro. Also, it's a very safe city - the biggest crime problem they have is pick pocketers but I never had problems. Just watch out for shady people and keep your hands near your wallet/ID/passport at all times.
I am not sure that you can find a better deal than a flight to Madrid and traveling down to Morocco through the ports in the south. I was in the country for an entire month, and for both me and my fiance, only spent $1000.
Now, that number doesn't include plane tickets, but it does include the ridiculous expenses in Spain as well as all transportation to, from, and inside of the country. A nice double room in a Moroccan hotel usually will run you no more than 100-150dh/night.
If you do go, I could suggest skipping Marrakesh, but making sure you made it to Essaouira, Fes and Chefchaouen.
"What? It's like you don't want flag jumpsuit wearing, fanny-pack toting people screaming 'do you speak English' in your face!"
Smart traveller tip: You can magically make English sound like any other language simply by SPEAKING LOUDER! :-D
@MissJ:
Prague is fantastic.
When were you last there? Maybe I didn't dig into the correct hidden/seedy neighborhoods (see jamesdenver's post above) but it was overpriced and average at best. In retrospect I wish I had skipped it and spent an extra 2 days in Berlin. I know a lot of people who have been to Prague in the last 5-10 years who really loved it (pretty much why we made a side trip there) and I'm either missing something or times have changed in the last few years. Perhaps it's relatively safe, but it certainly didn't *feel* as safe as other places I've been, and that certainly was a detractor.
@CAPTAINVEGETABLE & @DENIZ8 - Agree with you guys completely.
Make the world your oyster and explore some, dammit!
I just got back from a trip to Guatemala (not on the list, but it SHOULD be). My boyfriend and I had a week full of beaches, drinks, and good food, and we spent less than US$500 for the both of us (including hotel stay). Yep.
Visit Guatemala (go to the cities of Antigua and Monterrico!), a beautiful country you don't hear too much about.
I don't know, do I go to Bangkok or just Phuket?
@veronykah: That doesn't mean I want to go to some backwater mudhole. And I do think it's well within the abilities of places that are trying to attract tourism to do something. They could, for instance, drop their prices when they find out that prices are too high. That's something that IS well within their grasp.
@Buran:
Again, why should they think their prices are too high? Are they seeing a dropoff in tourism? Not as far as I can tell.
The perception that many of these places are "backwater mudholes" are exactly what keeps them cheap and makes them desirable destinations for the savvy traveler.
Some think of the Czech and Slovak country as post communist relics filled with abandoned factories and gary desparity rather than this:
[www.futuregringo.com]
@ Troy. I agree. Prague's central area is as bad as Disneyland. The neighborhoods opposite the river are more residential with small shops and markets, and an easy 10 minute tram ride to the touristy sights
Oops I meant gray desparity. But referring to Gary I guess that would be a pretty cheap destination too.
@rlee: I too love Belize. Another colony turned tourist fun land is the Philippines.
Armenia you have to be kidding me. The place is far to lawless if one does not understand the culture and the language. I would not recommend it.
@Troy F.: I went March 2007. Funny, I also went to Berlin that week. I didn't enjoy Berlin quite as much as I enjoyed Prague. Prague has its fair share of scammers and the restaurants that tend to cater to touristy areas tend to tack on extra fees, thinking you won't notice, or they don't give you back all of your chance. I was well-versed in my guide reading though. Most often, if you confront them nicely, they shrug and give you the money they owe you. I guess many of them figure if the foreigners can figure it out, they deserve to keep their money.
Berlin struck me as very stiff. The food was fantastic, but people were not quite as friendly. In Prague, people were incredibly friendly, and many of them went out of their way to help you. Part of the reason is that they have finally started to become a popular destination for travelers, and their money comes from that. They don't have a lot of engineering or manufacturing, like Berlin does. Our last night in Prague we had a large dinner and our waiter was just the nicest, most hilarious guy. He was new at his job, and he paid extra attention to our orders. He cracked jokes, asked about our trip, it was fantastic.
We stayed right in the city, walking distance from the museums.
I was thinking Ohio or Chicago or something.