It's May and many people are already making vacation plans. You're ready to stoke your wanderlust and your feet are itching to explore new roads.
If only money could grow on trees, you'd be off right now. But traveling on a budget takes planning. With some research you can still enjoy trendy cities, crazy adventures in remote areas, breathtaking scenery and delicious food without breaking the bank or wrecking your diet.
Iceland
The thrilling “Land of Fire and Ice”
should be on your bucket list. Few other countries on the planet have wild lava fields,
sky-high waterfalls and black sand beaches in one place, but even fewer offer them for a modest sum of money. Iceland boasts the highest ratio of
geothermal swimming pools per person, so, thanks to supply and demand laws, enjoying one is not expensive. The most you’ll pay is about $5. You can also hike the Hike the Pig Mountain Glacier or sail through the Ice Lagoon. Bonus: You won’t spend a dime for water – tap water there is among the cleanest in the world.
Photo Credit: Moyan Brenn on Flickr CC by 2.0Click Here to See Bucket List Trips You Can Do on a BudgetEast Africa
Going on a safari doesn’t have to be a $4,000 luxury. There is a 3-day super budget safari in the Maasai Mara in Kenya that is about $300 a day, including park fees, transportation and accommodation. Uganda and Tanzania offer special deals as well (largely because the industry was badly hit due to the Ebola outbreak). Don’t miss the chance to
encounter gorillas in Uganda in May and November (low-season) and see a geologic wonder like the Rift Valley.
Photo Credit: Thinkstock Namibia
You can find round trip tickets for just over $1,000. Once you’re there, go on a self-drive safari. Track the Big Five on foot, horseback, camel, or in a jeep. Camping is a very popular activity, maybe because it’s cheap – between $4 and $6 per person per night (
Best national parks for camping). How about
skydiving over the Atlantic Ocean and Namib Desert? This will cost no more than $140.
Sandboarding in the desert and hot air ballooning over the magnificent Namib-Naukluft National Park should be on your list as well.
Photo Credit: ThinkstockPeople in the country are using only 77 percent of their paid time off, and the decline is partially tied to recent economic problems. Use of vacation days is at the lowest point in four decades.
The dollar is still strong, which means you can get a lot of bang for your buck whether you go to Europe, which has many inexpensive secret gems, East Africa or South Asia. A couple of charming and cool places in the U.S. made the list as well.
So make a plan, pack a bag and go have lots of fun without spending lots of your hard-earned money.
Click Here to see the Original Story on The Active Times
- Hristina Byrnes, The Active Times
