From Matt Easton in Tana Toraja, Indonesia
Here’s a round-up of posts from people traveling in The World’s Cheapest Destinations, with current price examples. Compare these to what you’re spending on fun at home…
This Travelfish.org story on hiking around villages in Tana Toraja , on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, brought back memories. Prices for a guide, including village stays and meals, start at around $35 a day.
Andy of Hobotraveler.com is back in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, and notes that the whole concept of “assistant living” gets turned on its head when local wages are $150 to $300 per month .
Southern India is still a great value and more laid back than the tourist-hustling north. Here’s a round-up from a family kicking back in a hill station town. They’re renting bikes for 50 cents an hour, riding horses for $2 to $9, and hiring a guy to row them around the lake for $1.85—for an hour. Family fun in Kodaikanal
Recession be damned, flashpackers with “pockets full of pounds” are taking over most of the old cheapo backpacker haunts in Thailand and driving up prices. Exhibit A: Ko Tao, a report from Vagabonding Life .
Travelojos quoted a comment of mine in this post and as he points out, whether you think Mexico City is cheap or not depends entirely on how you travel. But with 25 cent metro rides, awesome lunches for $3 or $4, and taxis for a few bucks, I’ll take it over similarly exciting capitals around the world any day.
Finally some good news on the currency front: you can get more for your dollars than a year ago if you head to Vietnam or Turkey .
And, this is not destination related, but is important for travelers. The much-hated U.S. banks are trying to join congress and legacy airlines with an approval rating close to zero. If you use one of the big banks who has made a lot of screw-ups the past few years, be prepared to get gouged even more on fees . My own bank, soon to be former bank, is about to become one of the worst. That’s Regions and they suck wind badly. I’m moving to one literally next door that is healthier and gives far better service—without all the gotcha fees.
