There comes a time in the cycle of my World’s Cheapest Destinations book where people start asking about whether it’s still accurate. I seem to hit that point about three years in, which is why I’ve just started working on the 4th edition. (#3 came out in 2009.) Prices change of course, and currency fluctuations can really multiply those changes. For the short answer of what has changed, be advised that Turkey, Morocco, Malaysia, and Thailand are all pricier than they were when that last edition came out. India and Hungary are a tad less. Most are relatively flat, thanks to a worldwide recession. But particular cities/towns that have gotten more popular have seen a rise in accommodation and restaurant prices.
This new edition should be out in December. In early November I will have made it to Bolivia, a country that’s never been real high on my list, and after updating those prices I’ll send in my manuscript. Since I work outside the traditional publishing industry (via Booklocker ), it won’t take long after that for the book to be in the marketplace.
I thought it might be useful to show where I’m headed this year in the interest of getting the freshest information on real prices budget travelers are paying. Sure, I can do a lot of research these days by sitting on my butt in an office chair and looking at what others have written, but that gets boring and it doesn’t lend itself to discovering what you can get for a buck or less on location. So here’s the plan. Watch future posts for updates along the way!
April/May
Slovakia (replacing Turkey in the book)
Hungary
Romania
Bulgaria
June
Nicaragua
July
Thailand
Cambodia
Vietnam
October
Bolivia
That’s 9 of the 21 countries and of course I’ve hit a lot of the others in the not-too-distant past. Plus I’ve visited some of the “honorable mentions” I throw in at the end of the continent sections, like Mexico and the Czech Republic.
Stay tuned!
