Have you ever had an adventure so amazing that you enjoy thinking and talking about it years later?
Travelling is one of the best ways to bring excitement and fun into your life.
You get the opportunity to meet people with different customs and viewpoints, which expands your mind. You get to see phenomenal places that others have only read about. Your experiences make you a great conversationalist, too, as people love to hear personal stories full of adventure and intrigue.
Travel can be quite expensive, however. You need enough money to cover your airfare, visas, hotels, food, transportation, and spending money.
However, just because travel be expensive doesn't it mean it to be expensive.
If you plan correctly, you can experience the splendor of some exciting and exotic locales, even if you don't have a lot of money.
Here are 5 countries you can visit if you don't have a lot of money to spend.
Morocco
Morocco is full of culture, history, and exciting things to see and do. It's located in Northwestern Africa, and it has fabulous beaches on both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
$100 USD will get you about 942 Moroccan Dirhams, and there's quite a lot you can do with 942 Dirhams.
If you plan carefully, you can find lodging for very reasonable rates.
You can stay in a riad in Marrakech for around $40 per night. A riad is a townhouse built around a courtyard, and most riads are usually privately owned.
If you visit Chefchaouen near the Mediterranean Sea, you can stay in a hostel for as little as $7 per night.
You can feed yourself for very little, too, if you stay away from the high-end touristy restaurants and hotels.
Street vendors sell food such as sfenj and pommes frites for as little as $0.25 to $0.50. Dinner at a nice restaurant usually will only set you back $15-20.
To travel around, you can rent a car for around $30/day, or you can take a 10-hour return train trip from Marrakech to Tangier for a measly $70.
Admission fees to museums and cultural attractions are also quite affordable. Admission tickets to several popular museums in Marrakech usually range from $1-6 USD.
Costa Rica
This tropical gem of a country is a popular destination because it's safe, affordable, and offers a lot of fantastic scenery and things to do.
Costs in Costa Rica can be higher than other nearby countries, but you can definitely experience Costa Rica without spending a lot of money.
$100 USD will get you about 57,500 Costa Rica Colones.
A lot of Americans have relocated to Costa Rica, so prices in tourist and expat areas cost more than if you venture into the non-touristy areas.
Budget hotels cost around $30 per night, but you also have the option of renting dorm rooms. You can rent a room for around $10 per night. If you're even more adventurous, you can check out hosts on the website couchsurfing.com where you can stay in a person's home - and some of them are free.
You can keep your food expenses under control by eating simple. A sandwich and a soda at a popular nationwide bakery chain will cost you under $2.00 USD. You can eat at a local restaurant (not a tourist one) for around $3.50 per meal. Touristy restaurants usually cost twice as much.
For entertainment, you can visit one of the many national parks. Entrance fees range from $0 to $12 USD. Admission fees to many of the museums cost under $15 USD. Many towns set up farmers markets on the weekend, and it's free to visit those. You can meet local people and look homemade jewelry and food. You also can explore on your own by renting a bike, which is cheaper than hiring a guide a guide or renting a car. It's possible to rent a bike for under $15 a day.
Vietnam
For a truly amazing Asian experience, Vietnam is a wonderful place to visit.
$100 USD will get you about 2,273,245 Vietnamese Dong.
You can find inexpensive hotels - even in the big cities - for $25 a night or less. A 4-star hotel on the waterfront in Hoi An goes for as little as $45 a night.
You can get around using public transportation, and it's quite inexpensive. You can hop on a bus and go up and down the entire coast for around $50 USD.
Food is also quite cheap. A bahn mi sandwich or a big bowl of pho soup costs between $0.67 and $1.10 USD. Western restaurants that cater to tourists cost quite a bit more, so to stretch your food budget, eat Vietnamese food at traditional restaurants.
To visit most museums, the entrance fees are typically less than $1 USD. There are more expensive attractions, of course. A ticket to a show at a fancy opera house will set you back around $8.80. If you'd rather not spend the money, the Ho Chi Minh Opera House provides a free performance in front of the building on Saturday mornings.
It's free to visit the many Buddhist temples. In Ho Chi Minh city, there are several non-profit organizations and universities that offer free walking tours which is a great way to see some of the main city sites. There are also plenty of free, open-air markets where you can see (and maybe buy) exotic foods and locally handmade items.
Mexico
Mexico has a lot to offer, and the best part is it's close, so the cost to get there is usually a lot less than traveling to Asia or Europe.
$100 USD will get you around 1762 Mexican Pesos.
A simple lunch at a local restaurant that includes beans, tortillas, a main dish, and a beverage will cost you around $4 USD.
Lodging costs vary widely, of course. Hostels can cost between $4-$18 a night while low- and middle-end hotels can cost up to $40/night.
Public transportation in the cities is quite cheap. For example, in Mexico City, you can get a one-way bus ticket for around $0.25, or you can buy a card to take multiple trips for under $2 USD. Going by train is also cheap.
Entrance fees to museums and archeological sites generally cost between $3-13 USD. A ticket to a movie at a modern cinema will cost you between $4-8 USD.
If you plan well, you can enjoy a trip to Mexico for under $50 a day, and that includes everything except the transportation to get there.
South Africa
South Africa is a great place to see a lot of diverse people and amazing wildlife. The country has 11 national languages, so that should give you an idea of how diverse its population is.
$100 USD will get you about 1300 South African Rands.
Johannesburg and Cape Town are generally more expensive than other cities, so if you really want to save money, look for accommodation in other cities, like Pretoria, which is quite a bit cheaper.
Most of the food in South Africa is much cheaper than what you'll find in the US. A hearty meal at a local restaurant usually costs under $8 USD (like steak, a vegetable and potatoes). You can get a large seafood platter for around $13-$14 USD. Again, stay away from places that cater to tourists, or you'll be charged much higher rates.
Transportation can get pricey, depending on how much travelling you want to do in the country. Most South Africans travel by car, and there are not a lot of public transportation options. There's a metro train in Johannesburg and a mini-bus in Cape Town, as well as some private companies like Greyhound and Baz Bus. The shortest Baz Bus
If you want to travel around to different parts of the country, there are taxis and Uber. Alternatively, you can rent a car. Car rental prices vary, but you can expect to pay about $250 for two weeks. Uber is usually cheaper than that, though.
The cheapest lodging is with "backpackers", which are similar to hostels. Prices can range from $8 to $50, depending on location and scenery. Another option is to find cheap lodging online using AirBnB and couchsurfing.com. A regular hotel (not a fancy one) usually runs around $45/night, but again, it depends on what city you're in.
In Conclusion
You can see some exciting, exotic locations around the world if you plan well and avoid frequenting the tourist areas, even when you have limited funds to work with. There are plenty of fellow budget travelers offering advice online, so it's easy to plan ahead and save lots of cash.
Don't let the excuse of "I don't have enough money" stop you from having wonderful experiences and making treasured memories that you'll cherish for the rest of your life.
Try this: Get online and start learning about one place you'd like to visit. Make a list of how much it would cost for your trip, being sure to research all options. Then look at your finances and see how you will manage to save for this experience, and how long it will take you. Finally, make your dream a reality!
About the Author
Michele Swensen is a mother and a blogger who loves travel. She has visited over 20 countries so far. Check out her latest post at welovecostarica.com.
