14 budget destinations around the world
Follow the Adriatic coast from Croatia to Greece and you’ll discover little-known beaches on the coast of mountainous Albania. Those who take the time to explore will be rewarded with an authentic culture (which remains intact, largely because of decades of Cold War isolation) and prices far cheaper than those across the Adriatic in Italy. Rooms in beach towns such as Dhermi (pictured), Himara, Ksamili, Saranda and Vlora cost as little as $33 a night. Or you can bundle Albania with Croatia, Montenegro and Greece on a nine-day guided tour through G Adventures for $999 a person (land cost only). Info: http://www.albaniantourism.com; package info: G Adventures, http://www.gadventures.com (Gent Shkullaku / AFP/Getty Images)
Where to go in 2014 that won’t break the budget? Bolivia’s volcanoes, Dracula’s castle, even the back roads of the Mississippi Delta. Veteran Beverly Hills travel consultant Roxana Lewis suggests these 14 somewhat less traveled destinations to discover and explore -- and stretch your dollar.
-- Mary Forgione
Could Nicaragua be the new Costa Rica, a tourist favorite? Lonely Planet dubs this country an “A-grade Central American attraction” unto itself, from the Colonial architecture of León to surfing in San Juan del Sur. The big scenic star: Concepción volcano on Ometepe Island in Lake Nicaragua, where $25 gets you a guided hike to the top. Or you could spend eight days with Nicaragua Adventures visiting Managua, León, Granada (pictured), mountain villages and Lake Nicaragua start at $699 a person (land only). Info: http://www.visitanicaragua.com (Spanish) or http://www.visitnicaragua.us; package info: Nicaragua Adventures, http://www.nica-adventures.com/NicaraguaDiscovery. (Stephanie Lim / Getty Images)
It’s often considered the “other Europe,” with a magnificent gypsy culture that makes wealthier Euro countries turn up their noses, Lewis says: “If you don’t need any better reason, explore Romania before it catches up with the Hungarians and the Austrians.” In Bucharest (pictured), you can tour the capital’s Baroque concert hall, a museum dedicated to rural peasant life and Revolutionary Square, where communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was deposed in 1989. Hotels in the city can be had for $41 to $109 a night. And don’t skip Bran Castle, known as Dracula’s castle, about an hour outside Bucharest, which you can visit for $8. Info: http://www.romaniatourism.com (Sean Gallup / Getty Images)
The country is known for its old-fashioned charm along with the rugged Annamite Mountains and the Mekong River. A six-day trip with Intrepid Travel can take you on a visit to the riverside city of Vientiane (pictured) with its magnificent Great Stupa, the Pak Ou Caves filled with hundreds of Buddha statues and the ornate temples of Luang Prabang in the north that’s also a
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Capital La Paz may be the seat of Bolivia’s government, but Lonely Planet dubs Sucre “the most beautiful city and the symbolic heart of the nation.” It’s inexpensive too. The UNESCO World Heritage City, founded in the 1500s by Spanish colonials, features white-washed buildings. Expect to pay $72 a night for a hotel room in Sucre and $50 to $90 in La Paz. Then go discover the salt flats of Salar de Uyuni (pictured) or Lake Titicaca’s floating islands. Info: http://www.bolivia.travel (Zack Seckler / Getty Images)
This is a place to go traveling through time, from the blues museum in Clarksdale (it’s said this is where the blues were born) to the Civil War battlefields in Vicksburg to the 1960s civil rights conflicts and protests in Greenwood. Chain motels along the way cost less than $100 a night, or you can splurge on historic places such as Cedar Grove Mansion Inn & Restaurant in Vicksburg for $100 to $215 a night. Info: http://www.visitmississippi.org and http://www.visitthedelta.com; Cedar Grove info: http://www.cedargroveinn.com.
Pictured: The Delta Queen steamboat navigates the Mississippi River. (Joe Sohm / Getty Images)
Travelers usually skip the crowded capital, Colombo, and head straight to the beaches. The country has bounced back from the devastating 2004 tsunami and the civil war that ended in 2009, a recovery that has included construction of new luxury hotels on southern beaches that charge top dollar. But you can find small lodgings with reasonable prices not far from popular Tangalla Beach, places such as Mamboz Beach Cabanas for $135 for a double (including breakfast and dinner) and Talalla Beach Resort for $87 to $151 (depending on the season) for a double. Info: http://www.srilanka.travel; beach info: http://www.mambozbeach.com, http://www.talallaretreat.com
Pictured: Peraliya village in southern Sri Lanka. (Lakruwan Wanniarachchi / AFP/Getty Images)
