Destination Guides
In-depth guides to the best destinations around the world, from hidden gems to popular hotspots.
Exploring Peru on a Budget: Lima, Cusco, and the Sacred Valley
The altitude hit me in Cusco at 3,400 meters. I was carrying my backpack up a steep cobblestone street from the Plaza de Armas to my hostel when my vision start...
Budget Travel in South Korea: Seoul and Beyond
The Korean barbecue restaurant in Seoul's Mapo district charged 9,000 won ($6.70) per person for unlimited pork belly, lettuce wraps, and side dishes. The grill...
A Two-Week Budget Itinerary for Egypt
The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only surviving Wonder of the Ancient World, and standing at its base at 6 AM, with the sun rising over the desert and the city...
The Philippines Island Hopping Guide on a Tight Budget
The boat from El Nido to Coron took eight hours and cost 2,200 pesos ($38). The sea was rough for the first two hours, and half the passengers were seasick, clu...
Budget Guide to Argentina: Patagonia and Buenos Aires
The steak at a parrilla called La Brigada in Buenos Aires cost 4,500 Argentine pesos ($4.50 at the blue dollar rate). It was a 400-gram ribeye, grilled over woo...
A Budget Traveler Guide to the Greek Islands
Santorini and Mykonos are the Greek islands that everyone knows. They are also the most expensive, with hotel rooms averaging 200 to 400 euros per night in peak...
Budget Guide to the Balkans: The Cheapest Region in Europe
I was sitting at a cafe in Sarajevo, drinking a Bosnian coffee that cost 2 marks ($1.10), when I realized that my entire day, including accommodation, food, tra...
Budget Weekend Getaways from Major US Cities
I live in Los Angeles, and most of my friends think a weekend getaway requires a $400 flight and a $250 hotel room. They are wrong. Within a three-hour drive of...
The Best Budget Destinations in Central America for 2026
I crossed the border from Guatemala to Honduras at a land crossing called El Florido, where a Guatemalan immigration officer stamped my exit in a building that...
Exploring Colombia Beyond Cartagena: A Budget Traveler Guide
Most people who visit Colombia never make it past Cartagena. They land, walk the walled city, eat a few arepas, take a photo on the colorful streets of Getseman...
A Budget Guide to the Caucasus: Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan
The marshrutka, a Soviet-era minibus, lurched to a stop on the side of a mountain road in Georgia, and the driver shouted something in Georgian that I later lea...
The Cheapest Way to See the Galapagos Islands
The sea lion popped its head out of the water three feet from my kayak and stared at me with enormous dark eyes. It blew a spray of water from its nostrils, div...