Top 7 dollar-friendly destinations

7 dollar-friendly tourist destinations: Bulgaria
7 dollar-friendly tourist destinations: Bulgaria. Photo by Jeroen Kransen, Netherlands. Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5

Top 7 dollar-friendly destinations | The following seven cheap holiday destinations are not overcrowded yet. Most of the locations listed do not provide 5-star-standards in top notch regions. But if you don’t mind some rough edges, they might turn out to be your next diamond destinations.

Before we start our list, we want to give you a better understanding of the price index attached to each location. (‘One day in …’). Let’s check the average daily spending your wallet has to cope with in expensive places or regions such as Sorrento, Tuscany, Ibiza, Nice, Paris or Majorca. We’ve chosen Sorrento as our benchmark example.

One day in Sorrento, Italy
1 night in 3-Star-Hotel: $100.00
1 cup of coffee: $2.50
2 local meals: $80.00
1 Glass of wine: $2.50
2 Taxi Rides: $26.00
Total: $211

You will for sure spend somewhere between $200 and $220 per day in Sorrento. But here comes help: our Top 7 dollar-friendly destinations are:

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Top 7 dollar-friendly destinations angkor-wat-secret
Top 7 dollar-friendly destinations. #1 Angkor Wat – one of South-East Asia’s most affordable tourist sites.

With beds for $10 per night and delicious food for much less than that, Angkor Wat is very much afforable and our #1 in the list of cheap holiday destinations. You will feel guilty for paying so little. Once a no-go-zone because of landmines, the UNESCO Heritage Site became one of the world’s most visited locations. First there was the Backpackers flocking in. But now it’s more and more regular tourists looking for 5-star luxury without the price tag. You should not leave Cambodia without visiting Angkor Wat, which is more than just one temple. It’s the name of what used to be a 1-Million-people city in the Middle Ages. Entry to this UNESCO world heritage site costs $30 for a full day. You might need 2 days to get the whole picture.

One day in Angkor Wat, Cambodia
1 night in 3-Star-Hotel: $12.00
1 cup of coffee: $3.00
2 local meals: $10.00
1 Glass of wine: $5.00
2 Taxi Rides: $10.00
Total: $40

Halong Bay, Vietnam

cheap holiday destinations Halong Bay Vietnam
Top 7 dollar-friendly destinations: Halong Bay in Vietnam is our #2.

Halong Bay is no longer unspoiled and undeveloped. A significant rise in popularity in recent years is putting pressure on this gorgeous place. But ok, it’s still cheap to come and to stay here. In most parts Vietnam is crowded and not much appealing. Halong Bay appears to be a welcome exception. Halong translates as ‘where the dragon descends into the sea’. Once upon the time this mystical seascape was created when a great mountain dragon charged towards the coast. As the dragon plunged into the sea, the area filled with water leaving only the pinnacles visible. Ok, ok; there is a better fitting geological explanation of karst erosion available, but that one does not make this landscape less poetic.

One day in Halong Bay
1 night in 3-Star-Hotel: $20.00
1 cup of coffee: $2.00
2 local meals: $10.00
1 Glass of wine: $5.00
2 Taxi Rides: $10.00
Total: $48

Habarana, Sri Lanka

Cheap holiday destinations: Habarana, Sri Lanka
Top 7 dollar-friendly destinations #3: Habarana, Sri Lanka.

Habarana is the epicentre of a cultural triangle encompassing Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy. It is also proof that one still can pick up a low-cost luxury bargain. Example: 5-star Cinnamon Lodge. Swish suites boast fantastic views over Habarana Lake. Enjoy it from your own private jacuzzi, while being served champagne by your on-call butler from as little as $60 per night. If you are able to survive without Aircon: the temples and monasteries speckled throughout the surrounding countryside offer a window into Sri Lanka’s Buddhist culture.

One day in Habarana, Sri Lanka
1 night in 3-Star-Hotel: $30.00
1 cup of coffee: $1.00
2 local meals: $20.00
1 Glass of wine: $4.00
2 Taxi Rides: $6.00
Total: $61

Nesebar, Bulgaria

Cheap holiday destinations: Nesebar, Bulgaria
Top 7 dollar-friendly destinations: Nesebar, Bulgaria

Founded in the 6th century BC, Nesebar remained the only Dorian colony along the Black Sea coast, as the rest were typical Ionian colonies. Resorts in and around Nesebar have undergone a bit of a boom with predominantly British tourists in recent years, because it offers a bargain compared with other summer destinations such as Portugal and Spain. In 1983 UNESCO declared parts of Nesebar a World Heritage site, although much of Nesebar’s ancient city of Messembria has collapsed into the ocean. Still there are enough old churches to admire and cobbled lanes to stroll along. From Nesebar it’s just a 12 minutes ride to ‘Sunny Beach’, Europe’s no. 1 destination for sun-loving travellers on a budget. For hotel-booking check out this link -> Booking.com

One day in Nesebar, Bulgaria
1 night in 3-Star-Hotel: $65.00
1 cup of coffee: $1.00
2 local meals: $20.00
1 Glass of wine: $3.00
2 Taxi Rides: $8.00
Total: $97

Budapest, Hungary

Cheap holiday destinations: Budapest, Hungary
Top 7 dollar-friendly destination: Budapest, Hungary

Tourists love Budapest for all the right and wrong reasons: architecture: Art Nouveau and Thermal baths (checking out bodies). Romance: views from bridges spanning over the Danube River. Food: sticky apricot jam, Hungarian salami, peaches. Drinks: pálinka (a fruit brandy). And it’s still reasonably cheap compared to other European capitals. For hotel-booking go here -> Booking.com

One day in Budapest
1 night in 3-Star-Hotel: $35.00
1 cup of coffee: $2.00
2 local meals: $54.00
1 Glass of wine: $6.00
2 Taxi Rides: $15.00
Total: $112

Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic, Puerto Plata Beach. Credit: www.YogaTrail.com (Meghan K.)
Dominican Republic, Puerto Plata Beach. Credit: www.YogaTrail.com (Meghan K.)

The Caribbean – famous for endless beaches – is pricey, and hotels are booked out long in advance. Finding a dollar-friendly place to stay is not an easy task. Puerto Plata might be the best shot you can get for your money. The region offers pretty much all you need: white sandy beaches, the really nice Damajaqua Cascades (27 waterfalls), a scienic Teleferico Puerto Plata Cable Car, nature trails, river rafting, a bit of history here, a bit of nightlife there. Avoid rival city Rival Punta Cana – mostly an up-market destination, with very little in the way of budget resorts like you’d find in the Puerto Plata area. So let’s have a look at the prices in Puerto Plata.

One day in Puerto Plata
1 night in 3-Star-Hotel: $95.00
1 cup of coffee: $2.00
2 local meals: $14.00
1 Glass of wine: $5.00
2 Taxi Rides: $10.00
Total: $126

Marmaris, Turkey

Top 7 dollar-friendly destinations Marmaris Turkey
Top 7 dollar-friendly destinations: Marmaris, Turkey

Marmaris is a Turkish Mediterranean resort town, also known as the Turquoise Coast. It got a very busy, pebbly beach and a nice long seafront promenade. It’s known for buzzing nightlife on Bar Street. Tourists sit in a valley between pine-forested mountains and clear waters. Marmaris is popular for sailing and diving. It got nice weather from beginning of May until end of September. For hotel-booking go here -> Booking.com

One day in Marmaris
1 night in 3-Star-Hotel: $80.00
1 cup of coffee: $2.00
2 local meals: $30.00
1 Glass of wine: $5.00
2 Taxi Rides: $10.00
Total: $127

cambodia pick a destination
Cambodia – pick your property here.

Top 7 dollar-friendly destinations. By Chili & Churp | © International Destinations | More Travel Top Lists here. Explore travel destinations on a budget -> Florence | Venice | New York | Quebec