When talking travel on this website, you will often find me going the cheaper route when seeing the world. Budget hostels, street food, and finding ways to save as much money as possible to afford it all. My personal theory on budget travel is not so much going cheaply, but optimizing the amount that has to be spent so we can do everything we want without regret. We save longer and stay in cheaper rooms if it means getting a few extra days and not being forced to pass up an experience. (Photo "United States Passport" by DontBBlu)But no matter how much we save, there are a few places in the world that always seem to be outside our budget range. One of the curses about being a budget traveler is that you always have the alternative scenarios playing in your mind that talk you out of visiting a particular place. Why would you spend $150 per night on a resort when you can stay in the dorm next door for two weeks for that price? Or more appropriate for us, why would we spend $1,200 on a plane ticket to Norway for our honeymoon when we can fly twice the distance for the same price.
Out of the places in the world we want to visit, which is pretty much all of them, five stand out as being the most expensive. Just as my drive to visit them is at its highest, their prices far exceed what I am able to cover at this time.
Bhutan
My interest in Bhutan has gone back several years, for a few simple reasons that you may not expect.
1) The nickname "Land of the Thunder Dragon" is like something out of a movie, and I have a personal love of it.
2) A country that values "Gross National Happiness" over Gross Domestic Product only exists in Bhutan, and the King appears to be doing a fantastic job at it.
3) Taktsang Monastery (The Tiger's Nest) looks to be one of the best hikes out there as it is located over 1,000 meters in the air, perched on the side of a cliff. After several hours of hiking, ending at one of the holiest sites in the country sounds like a worthy end. (Taktsang Monastery pictured above by Douglas McLaughlin)
How much is it? Bhutan is regulated by a daily tariff for all visitors outside of India and Nepal. Beginning in 2012 this fee will be $250/day including a guide, room, board, and most all activities (extra for luxury rooms). The downside to this is that as a single traveler or couple, the rate is even higher to $30-40 per day per person if there are less than 3 in the group. As much as I want to go, justifying almost $300/day per person is a hard sell.
Antarctica
My desire to visit Antarctica is entirely selfish, and I'm perfectly find in admitting that. The environmentalist/engineer inside of me knows the risks that the world faces with climate change and pollution, and how I contribute to it. But at the same time my drive to take an expedition ship to Antarctica is at its highest. Between the beautiful scenery and the fact that very few people make this trek is enough to make me hop on a plane to Ushuaia and go right now, if only the price wasn't stopping me. (Photo "Glacier Wall" by arinas74)
How much is it? As a tour to Antarctica is more like an expedition, prices are quite substantial. It is not uncommon for most of the more elaborate tours for 2.5 to 3 weeks to be above $10,000 without airfare. The best times to book are either last minute openings or on sales from major tour companies, with select dates being as much as 50% off. I'd have to settle with the latter if I can find one whenever I decide to go, as $5,000-$7,000 per person for 3 weeks is slightly more tolerable.
Gabon
One of my best friends from college is living in Gabon and has nothing but amazing things to say about visiting. For me, this is enough to make me want to go without any other background information. One look at tours and you are greeted with $5,000+ price tags for a 1-2 week long trip. What most people do not know is that although Gabon is still developing as a country, the oil business is booming and everything has become quite expensive along the way. Even though I'd have someone in the country playing tour guide for me, the act of getting to Gabon is quite expensive as you typically have to route through France or Morocco first. (Photo "Rainforest Gabon" by Jake73)
Out of all of the places on this list, I could actually see Gabon happening one day purely for knowing someone that lives there.
How much is it? Gabon is one of the most expensive countries to visit in Africa, and lousy hotel rooms can easily exceed $75/night. All other items you'd need to purchase also have the same premium that make it comparable, if not more expensive than traveling in most Western countries.
The Tropical Islands
This one is a little open ended because I am talking about the tiny islands of the South Pacific like Yap or Tahiti and smaller countries in the Indian ocean such as the Maldives or Mauritius. All you have to do is show me a picture of an over water bungalow or scuba diving images taken from one of these islands and you'll see me begin frothing at the mouth, until I see a price. I'm hoping that my line of work (outside of this website) will coincide with getting out to one of these remote destinations, but it is unlikely in the near future. (Photo "Bora Bora Life" by kalimah)
How much is it? While getting to these islands is an expensive feat in itself if you're not already nearby, the reason I consider these expensive is because I feel like I'd almost need to stay in one of those amazing over-water bungalows. I would drop the money in a heart beat to fly to the islands, but getting one of the luxury rooms at several hundred or thousand dollars per night is too much for my budget blood. Keep the fantasy of having one of those rooms, or go in another budget hotel? That is the question, and everyone here should know my answer.
Norway
This was our initial first choice honeymoon destination, until we started looking at price. What could be better than seeing the beautiful fjords, amazing outdoor scenery, and visiting the land of my fiancee's ancestors? It does sound like a great honeymoon idea, and we are still pretty upset that we are going to pass on it, but it will be there for us for another day when we can do it cheaply. Hopefully when we go we'll get 3 weeks of vacation rather than our current two and can do the country proper by heading north to see the midnight sun. One day. (Photo "Norway Stock" by Kovah)
How much is it? Unlike the other destinations, we've researched a trip to Norway pretty significantly and almost even bought plane tickets. For two weeks the price was getting well over $7,000 for two. Of course we could reduce the cost slightly by staying in hostels, but why would we want to do that on our honeymoon? Sadly, Norway will have to come later.
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As much as I would love to visit each of these destinations, the likelihood of me actually getting to them all is slim. Will I make it to Antarctica one day? Hopefully. Same goes for Gabon and Norway if we ever commit to spending the small fortune that is required. The others are looking pretty unlikely unless a random media trip pops up or another last minute opportunity presents itself that no one could predict.
For the travel companies out there reading this, are you looking for travel bloggers to review your tour and give countless posts and media promotion in return for a subsidized trip? If so, let me know and I will be your eternal best friend and shameless promoter.
For those who have been to any of these destinations, what did you think? Is it as expensive as I am making it out to be? What would you do in order to save money at these destinations? Help us make our dream destinations a reality!
This post was inspired by my friend and fellow travel writer Lisa from Chicky Bus and her "5 Fantasy Trips and Why I Haven't Taken Them Yet" post. Please check it out!
