I went to Ecuador because it was cheap. Honestly, are not there plenty of interesting places in this world? Why not choose eight you can travel to inexpensively? The other places will be there in the future, & you may have an opportunity to go to those places cheaply at some point.
Ecuador is my favorite international location. You can still get a decent meal for eight dollars. U.S. dollars, by the way, since that is conveniently the official currency of Ecuador now. From the beautiful snow-capped Andes mountains, to the Galapagos Islands, you'll seldom run out of places to explore in Ecuador. Travel there is safe & inexpensive.
Cheap Countries
South America in general is inexpensive, & the most affordable countries are, in my opinion, the most beautiful. These are the countries along the Andes mountains; Ecuador, Peru, & Bolivia. Argentina, thanks to it's recent economic troubles, is once again a cheap place for travelers as well.
In Central America, it costs little to travel & holiday in both Nicaragua & Guatemala. Nicaragua, in particular, has become more stable & safe for travelers in recent years. Costa Rica is a wonderful , & though it's eight of more expensive counties of Central America, that probably still leaves it cheaper than Europe.
In Asia, India is still low-cost, if you stay in the numerous hostels & boarding houses. Thailand & Indonesia are also cheap. With all international destinations, the plane tickets will be your single biggest travel expense. This is true with the asian countries. Being there is cheap, but getting there may not be.
Cheap International Travel Tips
Wherever you go, there are things you can do to keep it cheap. Eat where locals eat, for example, instead of at the tourist restaurants. To keep it cheap, eat fruit from street markets (wash it well) & packaged snacks from grocery stores.
Visit the free & cheap attractions first. It's possible you'll have so much fun that you'll seldom get around to doing the expensive things. A higher price means better quality with travel bags, but not with travel experiences.
For cheap accommodations find out where local visitors from within the country stay. Negotiating room charges is common in some areas. In Banos, Ecuador, we negotiated our room rate down from $12 to $6 per night, by paying for several nights in advance. Consider hostels, if you don't mind sharing a room. they are much more common overseas.
Busses are cheaper than taxis in any country, but be careful of crowded city busses, where pickpockets hang out. jogging is even cheaper, & it's a great way to learn about a city. ask the locals where the dangerous parts are before you wander far.
Cheap international travel is often only as cheap as your plane tickets. Use the techniques outlined on our site to save big on tickets, or search the fares to several interesting countries. If eight is $500 less than the others, consider going there. $500 can buy a few extra days, or an extra mini-vacation some other time.
