I just booked a trip to Cuba today. I'm not sure if you could find a guided tour that fit in your budget but you could probably go on your own with your boyfriend via Mexico and as long as he paid for everything you'd be totally legal (he's not a US citizen, correct?). My understanding is Cuba can be very inexpensive if you're not on a guided tour.
I may be the only one who did not enjoy Belize as much as I had hoped. 2 week honeymoon all over the country. Only places I liked were Turtle Inn and one of the Cayes. Maybe it was because I was on my honeymoon and felt so sad about the poverty there, because I have been to much prettier beaches, and I am a picky eater and did not like a lot of the food options.
Post by sunshinedaydreams on Dec 13, 2014 11:39:25 GMT -5
What about Panama? We were there back in September and really liked that it seems to be off the beaten path - for US travelers, at least. We were there for 10 days and did a combo of beach, jungle and city pretty cheaply.
Our first stop was just south of Panama City in Plyon Chico. The Kuna Yala native people live there in villages on groups of islands. This place was far from luxury, but we LOVED it. We stayed in huts over the water, and they took us to deserted islands to snorkel every day (included in the price of the lodge). It was neat to see how the native people live and have the escape from everything (no TV, WiFi, etc.).
The jungle area in Boquete has lots of hiking, really pretty waterfalls, and a volcano that you can hike or ride up to see awesome views of the area. And there are some really good restaurants. We did a lot of hiking in the mornings and laying hammocks drinking coffee and reading in the afternoons. We stayed in an awesome coffee estate that was something like $80/night and included breakfast and the guy drove us around everywhere we needed to go.
Bocas del Toro was a bit more touristy than anywhere else in Panama, but still not overly so. There's not a lot to do there other than take boat trips out to snorkel, but it was cheap to do so. And there were some really pretty corals and fish there.
Panama City was really cool. The architecture in the old part of the city - Casco Viejo - is amazing. There is really, really good food in the city. And the Panama Canal is really interesting. We spent a few hours there watching cargo ships pass through the locks, and it was really cool to see how it all works.
Banff, Alberta is high on my list after a post by Sloane. Might not be as far flung as you were thinking.
do it!
you should come in July so you can fly into calgary and spend a day or two at the Calgary Stampede. i think you would love all the cowboy hoopla then rent a car and drive to banff (stay in Canmore since it's way cheaper) see the sites there for a couple days, then drive north to jasper.
granted we have our own car and free accommodations, but h and i do this regularly for a few hundred dollars. it's one of those places that you can spend $$$, but you absolutely don't have to.
I just booked a trip to Cuba today. I'm not sure if you could find a guided tour that fit in your budget but you could probably go on your own with your boyfriend via Mexico and as long as he paid for everything you'd be totally legal (he's not a US citizen, correct?). My understanding is Cuba can be very inexpensive if you're not on a guided tour.
Hmm, interesting point! He's not a citizen (until next summer!). Would it become illegal once he gets dual citizenship? If so, maybe now's the time to go
(he's got a UK passport right now, if that makes a difference)
At this point, I'd worry that going to Cuba could throw a wrench into him getting citizenship. I know that SO walked the straight and narrow while he was at this point as he did not want any questions to derail it. Unfortunately, something like this might.
Hmm, interesting point! He's not a citizen (until next summer!). Would it become illegal once he gets dual citizenship? If so, maybe now's the time to go
(he's got a UK passport right now, if that makes a difference)
At this point, I'd worry that going to Cuba could throw a wrench into him getting citizenship. I know that SO walked the straight and narrow while he was at this point as he did not want any questions to derail it. Unfortunately, something like this might.
Hmm. If something like this could prevent citizenship, that's not good. He has a green card so I wonder if that counts as being an American? We'll have to look into it further - thank you for mentioning that too.
SO had a green card too, and this was when he paid even more attention.
Oh....and if you travel with him, don't EVER let him forget to bring it! We went to Mexico and he only had his Canadian passport on him. It wasn't a problem leaving the US, but it was getting back in. We sat in immigration 3.75 of the 4 hour layover we had in ATL trying to get a temp card. The official waived the $600 charge for a temp green card, fortunately. That could have been a very pricy goof!
I know that things are easing up quite a bit getting into Cuba, but when SO's family wanted to to a family trip to Cuba, SO said 'thanks but no thanks'.
I definitely would look into the immigration issues with going to Cuba. They definitely make you list every country you've visited in many, many years during the citizenship process. It comes up again and again. I don't know if it's allowed or not, but I would look into very closely if he plans to try and get citizenship soon.
I've been to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Thailand was my favorite. You can get by very cheaply once you are there, especially if you rough it a little. Plus the food. Yum. Thailand is definitely a place I'd like to get back to again someday.
I've been to Belize, Costa Rica and Guatemala and loved them all. Belize is really nice, friendly and easy-going. Costa Rica is beautiful and easy to get around as well. Both cost more than Guatemala though. Our Guatemala trip was really fun and super cheap. The flights are much shorter than going to Asia, so that helps with the costs as well.
I want to know how it qualifies as cheap while you're there. I've only been through the airport but I assume it's insanely expensive (but I could be wrong).
Based on your specifications my vote is Central/South America.
I found it to be not insanely expensive. I mean, I wouldn't want to buy a pint of grape tomatoes there but the things we did/ate/drank were comparable to what we're pay in NY. Some things were more expensive; some less, but I wasn't nearly as offended by prices as I expected.
If you get into super jeep tours and such, those are super expensive. But we drove ourselves around (gas is expensive there).
I didn't consider our trip to iceland a cheap trip, but that was mostly because airfare was costly. but since people are getting $799 hotel and airfare packages and those are usually by far the largest components of our travel -- if you can get a deal like that it would take a lot of the sting out of it.
UnderProtest, it is just gorgeous and unspoiled and remote and otherworldly. We went over Labor Day, and I thought that was a good time to be there (but our airfare and hotel weren't bargains then).
We are toying with the idea of renting a car, mostly because I want to visit Snæfellsnes peninsula, and none of the tours go there on a day that would work for us. Do you have a company you would recommend? Any tips? I'm honestly a bit nervous about driving while there due to the fact that only 1/3 of the roads are paved, weather, etc.
I agree with v; I found Iceland to be pretty pricey. We spent $5k for 5 days and did a lot of cheaper meals at cafes, pizzerias, hot dog stands, and a family style soup lunch at a horse farm. we also enjoyed some splurges as well. I want to weep at $799 airfare. we spent $3,500 on a flight + hotel in august.
I knew I had to jump on it when I saw that price! We are flying out of JFK but live in Florida, so we do have to pay for the connecting flights. Luckily, points from our airline cards took care of that. Of course, months after we booked it, IcelandAir started offering flights out of Orlando again. But what can you do? We plan to do the walking tour you recommended in your post- it has come in handy so thank you!
Post by emilyinchile on Dec 13, 2014 13:00:41 GMT -5
@buckybells I think that as a US resident your BF is also not allowed to spend money in Cuba. I can't find the same page that I looked at before my trip (which I think was before the new programs of the type that @sfgal530 is doing, so the info might all be different now), but what I can find says that no one "under US jurisdiction is allowed to engage in tourist travel to Cuba: www.travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country/cuba.html. Usually these requirements cover both citizens and residents. We LOVED Cuba, and I'm happy to talk about it to anyone who'd like to go (in PM if you prefer, cc: cheezer), but it may not be the best option for you.
Ditto Chile being too expensive for your budget. I would stick to Central America if you're looking to spend $3k max, unless you have enough miles to fully cover the cost of two tickets to SE Asia or some of the cheaper South American countries. You mentioned miles, but I'm not sure how many you have.
Thanks for the info on immigration/Cuba, guys! I think we may have to hold off on that one for now. I don't want to risk it, and I'm positive he doesn't either. But, after looking at Cuba it's definitely on my "someday" list. Hopefully we'll either be able to afford a tour type trip later, or things will change in the next few decades we plan to travel. That's really too bad though
I'm late to post, but I just got an email from g adventures about some incredible trips... With cheap prices. Like 12 days in India for $850 plus airfare.
I found it to be not insanely expensive. I mean, I wouldn't want to buy a pint of grape tomatoes there but the things we did/ate/drank were comparable to what we're pay in NY. Some things were more expensive; some less, but I wasn't nearly as offended by prices as I expected.
If you get into super jeep tours and such, those are super expensive. But we drove ourselves around (gas is expensive there).
I didn't consider our trip to iceland a cheap trip, but that was mostly because airfare was costly. but since people are getting $799 hotel and airfare packages and those are usually by far the largest components of our travel -- if you can get a deal like that it would take a lot of the sting out of it.
UnderProtest, it is just gorgeous and unspoiled and remote and otherworldly. We went over Labor Day, and I thought that was a good time to be there (but our airfare and hotel weren't bargains then).
We are toying with the idea of renting a car, mostly because I want to visit Snæfellsnes peninsula, and none of the tours go there on a day that would work for us. Do you have a company you would recommend? Any tips? I'm honestly a bit nervous about driving while there due to the fact that only 1/3 of the roads are paved, weather, etc.
We rented through a company called procars which was fine, but a bit off the airport and hard to find to return the car!
We drove to the golden circle one day and the glacier lagoon another day (am on my phone so I won't even try to type the name out), plus to and from the airport. All of those roads were paved (and flat, and pretty straight) so it was easy peasy. But the weather was fine and it was the end of summer so we had lots of daylight.
We rented through a company called procars which was fine, but a bit off the airport and hard to find to return the car!
We drove to the golden circle one day and the glacier lagoon another day (am on my phone so I won't even try to type the name out), plus to and from the airport. All of those roads were paved (and flat, and pretty straight) so it was easy peasy. But the weather was fine and it was the end of summer so we had lots of daylight.
I agree with v; I found Iceland to be pretty pricey. We spent $5k for 5 days and did a lot of cheaper meals at cafes, pizzerias, hot dog stands, and a family style soup lunch at a horse farm. we also enjoyed some splurges as well. I want to weep at $799 airfare. we spent $3,500 on a flight + hotel in august.
I knew I had to jump on it when I saw that price! We are flying out of JFK but live in Florida, so we do have to pay for the connecting flights. Luckily, points from our airline cards took care of that. Of course, months after we booked it, IcelandAir started offering flights out of Orlando again. But what can you do? We plan to do the walking tour you recommended in your post- it has come in handy so thank you!
happy to hear that!! I recommend doing the walking tour on your first day in the city, if possible. so many good recs for food/drink/sites to see.
Loved Thailand and Cambodia. My favorite southeast Asian spot is the Gili Islands, off the coast of Bali. Can't go wrong!
ETA: getting there is not cheap (unless you have miles)
Can you tell me more about the Gili Islands? I'm going to Bali for 5 days in February and won't be doing the beach thing, I'm thinking mainly Ubud for the cultural aspect. I'll need to find something else to do on top of that.
I want to know everything you've got to tell me, links, blogs, anything. I plan to spend my Christmas break researching/booking everything, so you could help me free up my time for more reading.
TIA!
Yes, of course! I'll post more when I'm not on my phone. Also, FWIW- I loved Ubud too!
We've toyed with going to Cuba for a few years. How are you going about doing it? Are one of you on a foreign passport?
We are going through National Geographic. They - and a handful of other US tour companies - have special permits from the government that authorize them to take US citizens to Cuba for people-to-people immersion tours. The downside of those is that they are more expensive than going on your own would be (our trip costs $6500 pp for 8 nights), and they are pretty much non-stop. You do sightseeing mixed with cultural interactions - so for example the city tour of Havana is led by an architect who talks about the buildings, the dance performances you watch include Q&A sessions with the performers afterward, etc. You don't get down time to lay on the beach, because if you don't participate in pretty much all the excursions, the tour company can potentially lose their license.
That being said, my main interest in visiting Cuba IS the opportunity to interact with locals there and to learn more about their country and lifestyle. I obviously expect the conversations to be somewhat surface-level and sanitized, but I expect they will nonetheless be interesting. I admittedly am not as educated on Cuba's political and social culture over the last 50 years as I would like to be so I think any conversations we have will help enhance my understanding of what life in a communist country really is like (I have a high-level understanding, obviously, but have not delved too deeply into the nuances of the last 50 years of Cuban politics). The only downfall my H and I see with this tour is that we will likely be the youngest people in this group by 20-30 years. I would have loved to find a younger group tour but we had real specific dates I wanted to go and Nat Geo was the best match (I also expect NG to be one of the best tours out there because they are just good at this stuff).
If you don't go through the guided tour, then the other option is to basically enter via a different country, operate only in cash, and hope the officials don't stamp your passport on entry or exit (I've read rumors that Cuban officials have started to stamp American passports even when they come in through other countries- which apparently they have never done - as a way to sort of give the finger to Americsn government vis-a-vid the embargo). If you knew someone who lived in Cuba, you could also (in theory) get a visa to visit them through the US government. As I said in a previous post, it is not illegal for US citizens to visit Cuba; it is only illegal to spend money there (though these guided tours pay for most things, apparently we are allowed to spend some money as we have two nights on our own for dinner and we are allowed to purchase items of a cultural nature such as drawings, paintings, sculptures, etc., which you can apparently legally import into the US - but your standard souvenir shot glass or something cannot be brought into the US). So if you have someone who lives there that you could stay with, then in theory if they host you then you don't spend money there either and so the US will sometimes allow you to get a visa. You have to fly on a charter flight to/from Cuba if going from Miami as there is no commercial airline service from the US.
I have heard more than one person in the travel industry speculate that if the Republicans win the 2016 Presidential election, the new president will likely repeal the travel programs put in place by the Obama administration, so Cuba jumped to the top of my list after the midterm elections last month. I'm much too by-the-book to try to go into Cuba via another country and don't know that I could relax enough to enjoy myself while there (I'd constantly be worried something would happen), so going the legal route seemed like the best option for me. It is obviously more expensive but it also gives me access to a country that I believe would change rapidly / drastically if the US ended the embargo and lifted sanctions and opened the border for travel, so I would like to see it while I can. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
(Apologies if I have confused you with another poster!) How were the Maldives? That trip got shelved for me this year because of a wedding (Cuba took its place) but I am itching to make it out there. I hope you loved it!
Very interesting information. That trip sounds really cool but exhausting!
Yes, it was me that went to the Maldives. I just got back last week. It was wonderful! Very relaxing, amazing snorkeling and scubaing. Beautiful hotel - we stayed at the Park Hyatt. Only problem is it's so damn far away that you lose a lot of the relaxation going to/from IMO.
Post by compassrose on Dec 15, 2014 8:52:53 GMT -5
I've lived/worked/traveled in Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua on very tight budgets, so PM me if you choose any of those. I can give specific advice on where to stay and eat. And if you decide to travel to multiple countries, look in to Tica Bus for your travel. It has a/c and actual seats, unlike the chicken buses.
Banff, Alberta is high on my list after a post by Sloane. Might not be as far flung as you were thinking.
Love Banff but it is pretty $$. However, it is one of the most amazing places in the world!
August and December are the busiest months of the year in Banff. If you can manage to go in September, it's much cheaper (although the weather's a toss up that time of year)
Love Banff but it is pretty $$. However, it is one of the most amazing places in the world!
August and December are the busiest months of the year in Banff. If you can manage to go in September, it's much cheaper (although the weather's a toss up that time of year)
Yes! Ditto late March, we got some good deals then (relatively). I need to get back.
I'll recommend Morocco. It's a little off the beaten path, but not crazy. It's pretty cheap - we stayed in riads (small hotels) and spent maybe $50 a night for nice rooms. You could go cheaper if you wanted to. There's so much to see and explore. I loved it so much. Flights were the most expensive part. We ended up flying to Madrid and then booking a separate ticket to Morocco on EasyJet which is one of those cheapo European airlines. That was a lot cheaper than booking straight through to Morocco, but I haven't looked up tickets in a few years so I don't know what it's like now.
Hmm, interesting point! He's not a citizen (until next summer!). Would it become illegal once he gets dual citizenship? If so, maybe now's the time to go
(he's got a UK passport right now, if that makes a difference)
It is not illegal for US citizens to go to Cuba, but it is against embargo restrictions for Americans to spend money in Cuba. So you are welcome to go at any time, but CBP would assume you spent money if you went. Since British citizens aren't subject to those same restrictions, your BF can spend money there without problems. I would assume once he becomes a US citizen, then he would be subject to the same US laws so then he couldn't spend money after. Just a thought. You would want to look into this more to figure out how you do it (emilyinchile had been), but Cuba seems fascinating to me as it is still a communist nation, it is basically stuck several decades behind, and most Americans have not been there. Definitely off the beaten path with lots of history and culture. I personally can't wait to visit.
Did you know that there was talk of changing the laws??? Or is this just coincidence that this is in the news now? My BF texted me a bit ago and since I didn't explain to him where my Cuba idea came from, was really surprised that I had not known they were talking about changing things when I was talking about going to Cuba over the weekend
Who knows what the changes will actually mean, but I thought that was really random. And exciting - you have us both wanting to go to Cuba now!
If you have enough time to travel and think you can get your tickets with miles I think Thailand and Laos would be a great choice.
We just came back from 15 days there and our trip cost about $4000. But we could have done it for half that and still had very nice accomodations. As long as you are comfortable eating local food you don't need to pay more than $2 for a meal. Our 2-3$ meals were as good as our $200 meal at Nahm. We also spent $1000 on internal flights, but could have save significantly by traveling by bus or making fewer stops.
We just went to Nahm about 10 days ago! I actually was not entirely impressed for it's huge ranking but it was very good.
Did you know that there was talk of changing the laws??? Or is this just coincidence that this is in the news now? My BF texted me a bit ago and since I didn't explain to him where my Cuba idea came from, was really surprised that I had not known they were talking about changing things when I was talking about going to Cuba over the weekend
Who knows what the changes will actually mean, but I thought that was really random. And exciting - you have us both wanting to go to Cuba now!
Ha! I have no government sources, but I had done some research and definitely was aware of the deteriorating state of Alan Gross and figured that a release of him would certainly improve relations between the two countries (I was totally unaware of the American intelligence agent held for 20 years). I'm excited that we might be able to get money from banks while there, import goods (my BIL will be SO STOKED if we can bring back Cuban cigars!), and have internet access while traveling (mainly so I can Instagram - how sad is that?).
I would say that if they open the borders to unregulated travel, you should try to go immediately. I have (personally) long held the belief that the embargo with Cuba is outdated and was likely to be modified / suspended under a "liberal" government, and I have always believed that once we have a free flow of trade into Cuba you will see it change rapidly. So, if you want to get Cuba before it changes, I would definitely try to go as soon as you can.
Makes sense I had looked up airfare and cheap accommodations and it seems very do-able, and now BF and I are both stuck on wanting to go. So maybe we'll go this year if things change! I'm a little leery of doing anything that could put his citizenship at risk (though he, surprisingly, seemed less risk averse than I expected when it comes to that) but if they open the borders, we're in!