Check out our feature in Forbes —Â The 38 Cheapest Places to Travel in 2019, click here!
If you’re planning a trip for your family, spouse, girl’s getaway or a solo travel, reference this article for travel inspiration and ways to save money while you travel. Find out the four destinations that Global Adventuress recommends – scroll down!
And more destinations selected by Laura Begley Bloom, former deputy editor of Travel + Leisure. She shares“Every year, I tap into experts and influencers to find out their picks for cheap travel in the upcoming year. For 2019, I convinced a group of travel wizards to open their little black books and recommend their favorite places to travel on a budget. They also shared the smartest ways to see these places (affordable hotels, bargain restaurants), and they zeroed in on some money-saving ways to visit otherwise expensive locations. While experts like the Global Business Travel Association are predicting that travel prices will rise sharply in 2019, you don’t need to worry. With this list of inexpensive places in hand, you’ll be able to travel for less. See the full list below of the cheapest places to travel in 2019, and compare it to the best budget travel destinations in 2018 and 2017.”
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Global Adventuress Cheapest Travel Destination Picks!
CHILE
Where: Valparaiso, Chile
Chosen By: Patricia Stone is founder of Global Adventuress. She has traveled to 164 countries, seeking out unique, off-the-beaten path destinations for solo, girlfriends, couples and families. Her site has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Toronto Star and USA Today. (You can also read Stone’s tips on cruising in “The 20 Best Cruises To Take in 2019.”)
Why: Valparaiso, Chile is known as the “Jewel of the Pacific.” Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this lively city displays street art with a bohemian beat on every corner. Highlightsinclude exploring local life in the lovely parks and plazas, such as Italia, De La Victoria and Sotomayor. After walking a few of the city’s 42 hills, you may want to consider taking one of the eight funiculars to the top, with panoramic views from Pleasant Hills, Cerro Concepcion or Cerro Alegre, where musicians, artists and poets flock. Visit La Sebastiana, the home of legendary Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. Or take a walk — on the Ruben Dario and the Carvallo, you can stroll the beach and see fishermen reel in the catch of the day at the fishing cove Caleta Portales. Hungry or thirsty? The iconic Bar Cinzano offers a fun setting with Latin American music, dancing  porteñas cuecas and Creole food. Where to stay? You can find great deals at inns in Valparaiso for as low as $54 per night. Or drive north along the Pacific Coast to the small beach towns of Concon or Reñaca, where you can find charming inns for as low as $35 per night. There are also wine valleys within a 30-minute drive from town. How to get around? In Valparaiso, you can take the old buses or funiculars or rent a car. If you prefer a tour company, contact South Excursions, which offers day tour of Valparaiso and the nearby Casablanca Valley.
LAOS
Where: Luang Prabang, Laos
Chosen By: Patricia Stone is founder of Global Adventuress. She has traveled to 164 countries, seeking out unique, off-the-beaten path destinations for solo, girlfriends, couples and families. Her site has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Toronto Star and USA Today. (You can also read Stone’s tips on cruising in “The 20 Best Cruises To Take in 2019.”)
Why: Laos has some of the most charming towns in Southeast Asia. Visit the capital city of Vientiane, then head north to Luang Prabang, an ancient royal town that has been recognized by UNESCO as a cultural center. Observe the daily sai bat, with 1,000 saffron-robed monks chanting ancient sutras as they walk barefoot collecting alms, food offerings from the local people. Join a bike tour around the old town and along the banks of the Mekong River. Walk the quiet lanes in this small town to the former Royal Palace and explore some of the 34 golden-spired temples. Climb the 328 zigzag steps of the holy mountain Phou Si and get a 360-degree panoramic view of the town and see the 60-foot Wat Chomsi gilded stupa. Visit the 16th century Buddhist temples called wats: Xieng, Sene, Mai and Visounalath. Don’t miss the markets: The morning market at Talat Pakham is where you’ll see vendors selling exotic fruit, live eels, chickens, rabbits, fish, green vegetables and hot peppers. The Night Handicraft Market is where you can buy ethnic handicrafts, local textiles, silk scarves, wall hangings, teas, spices and snacks from food stalls. Relax at a café along Sisavang Vong Road and enjoy a drink and bite at Ban Vat Sene Café in a chic restored colonial building. Pick up the best butter croissants in town at Le Banneton Café. Dine at Elephant Blanc and order the Prince Lao Feast with 10 Laotian dishes. Stay at the Maison Souvannaphoum; once the former residence of the late Prince Souvanna Phouma, today it is a boutique hotel that blends French colonial architecture with Lao motifs and has prices as low as $103 per night.
MEXICO
Where: Merida, Mexico
Chosen By: Patricia Stone is founder of Global Adventuress. She has traveled to 164 countries, seeking out unique, off-the-beaten path destinations for solo, girlfriends, couples and families. Her site has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Toronto Star and USA Today. (You can also read Stone’s tips on cruising in “The 20 Best Cruises To Take in 2019.”)
Why: Mérida is the capital of the Yucatán in Mexico, with central plazas, cathedrals and narrow streets with pastel-colored buildings. Its rich Mayan heritage combined with colonial influences of Spanish rule is evident throughout the town. Compared to the popular beach towns along the Riviera Maya, your pesos can buy more at restaurants, hotels and excursions. Think: tacos for 50 cents, a room at a small hotel or B&B for around $50 a night and car rentals for $11-13 per day. Stroll the Plaza Grande, the central square in town, and visit the Mérida Cathedral and Iglesia de la Tercera Orden. Admire the colonial architecture at the 16th century Casa de Montejo Mansion. Shop at the local markets Mercado Santiago or Mercado Lucas De Galvez. Take day trips to explore UNESCO-listed Mayan temples and ruins like Chichén Itzá, Uxmal, Mayapán and Dzibilchaltun, or swim in Cenote Xlacah, one of the thousands of natural limestone pools in the region. Celebrate at annual festivals – January’s Merida Fest or early Spring’s Carnival or November Day of the Dead. Sign up for archaeological and cultural tours with a local guide from Mayan Heritage Tours. If you can stretch your travel budget, contact Catherwood Travels to arrange a private tour of the 17th-19th century haciendas or Pueblos Magicos (magic towns) nearby. Merida is also known for its rich dining scene. Don’t miss the local Yucatan dish cochinita pibil, pork marinated in achiote and spices. Stay at Casa Mexilio, an historic townhouse downtown for only $57 a night. Or there’s Casa Azul and Casa Lecanda in the low $200’s. Or splurge and stay at Chable Resort, a luxury wellness resort on the outskirts of town.
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