There are so many places to see, and so little time so in honor of 2022, I have put together a list of 22 of my favorite travel destinations around the world that I hope you get to scratch off your bucket list this year and the best part is that all of the destinations in this article are very budget-friendly
1. Mexico City, Mexico
Let’s kick off this list with one of the best budget destinations in the world, especially if you are coming from North America, and it is Mexico. Mexico is a huge country with rich culture, incredibly friendly people and diverse landscapes, and even better the most amazing food at shockingly low prices. One of my favorite places in Mexico is Mexico City I was able to eat my body weight in incredible street tacos and I barely spent more than two dollars per meal. So it is a very budget-friendly place and there are a lot of concerns about traveling to Mexico. As far as your safety – and I would say that for the most part, there are a lot of safe places to travel to in Mexico, but it is important to do your research ahead of time.
Another very popular place to travel in Mexico is the Yucatan peninsula. There are incredible tropical beaches on the Mayan riviera, there are luxury resorts, there’s diving, there are cenotes, which are amazing swimming holes, and I highly recommend a visit to the Yucatan. But I would say that I don’t necessarily recommend traveling to Tulum. If you are going to be on a budget. I traveled there recently and I was shocked by the prices. It’s become more and more of a popular tourist destination in the past few years and the prices are very different from other locations in Mexico.
So I would recommend getting a little bit more out of your comfort zone and exploring some different areas of this vast country. Keep in mind that, because it is such a big country, the transportation on flights can get a bit relatively more expensive than in other places, but it is still very much worth the trip.
2. Turkey
Next up we have Turkey. I saw so many incredible places and I was there for only two weeks and I barely scratched the surface. Turkey is a great example of a country that can be very expensive or relatively inexpensive, depending on your style of travel. If you want to take a hot air balloon ride in a place like Cappadocia, which I highly recommend, that is going to put you back around two to three hundred dollars. But thankfully there are a lot of free experiences to be had in the country as well. For example, you can visit the beautiful blue mosque in Istanbul, as well as the grand bazaar, which is an incredible ancient marketplace, that is in Istanbul as well.
Those types of activities are completely free and it is also great because there is so much incredible food in Turkey that is also relatively inexpensive. I believe that the average price I was paying for each of my meals was about five to ten dollars, or so, if not less, depending on the cuisine transportation within the country can get a bit more expensive, especially if you’re going to be taking flights from Istanbul to places like Cappadocia and Antalya, there is a lot of infrastructure for public transportation like buses, and there are many affordable options for overnight buses as well. We rented a car for two weeks when traveling in Turkey, and it was an incredible place to have a road trip.
It felt very safe and the roads in Turkey are incredibly high quality. California has to step up its game in comparison to even remote areas of Turkey. We were able to add so many different stops along the way that we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to see if we were on a public bus or a flight, and I also highly recommend going down to the Southern parts of the country.
One of the most underrated places in the world has to be the Turkish riviera. The water is incredible, the color of blue – and it almost reminds me of traveling in Greece, but with much more affordable prices, no matter where you end up traveling in Turkey, don’t forget to try the Baklava.
3. Vietnam
Next up we’re going to head on over to Southeast Asia to Vietnam. Vietnam is by far one of the most scenic and cheapest countries in Asia. I highly recommend visiting, although it is a very touristy destination. It’s touristy for some very good reasons. For example, Heilong bay was a great place to take an overnight cruise. You can spend a night or two on a ship floating through the islands of Heilong bay, which reminded me of the floating mountains of pandora from the movie avatar. There are a lot of different underrated, authentic places to travel to in Vietnam as well.
For example, I took a day trip out from Hanoi by bus to an area called tam, which has these incredible limestone landscapes, and I was able to just rent a little mountain bike for the day and took a bicycle ride through these incredible rice fields and mountains. It was a beautiful way to spend the day with no one else around another benefit to Vietnam is that they have some of the cheapest real hotel rooms that I’ve come across for ten dollars. You get a very clean private room that is also very safe and the food there is also extremely affordable. You can get a meal for only a few dollars and you can get a glass of beer for less than a dollar.
4. Laos
You can stretch your budget out very far in Vietnam and the same goes for its neighboring country, Laos. I always feel bad pronouncing Laos because I never know whether it’s pronounced Lao or Laos. Laos reminds me of what it would be like to travel in Thailand without any tourists. Laos might be my favorite country in Southeast Asia, because of just how underrated it was. I had no idea what to expect when I traveled there.
I went to Luang Prabang solo for nearly a week and I was able to take so many tours throughout a lot more tours than I usually do throughout the city and surrounding areas because it was so affordable. I took a mountain bike ride to lush, hidden waterfalls. I went kayaking on the Mekong river and I also took a lot of tours of the different temples that are incredible: architectural feats within Luang Prabang.
If you do go to this area of Laos, I highly recommend waking up before sunrise and witnessing the march of the monks who travel to and from the temples every morning, before, sunrise and you’ll be able to see the long lines of these monks on their Way to prayer – and there are devotees, passing them alms as they walk by, and it was one of the most peaceful sacred interactions that I’ve been able to witness while traveling and I highly recommend having to the opportunity to experience such a special moment.
5. Thailand
While Laos is an amazing destination, especially if you were looking to get off of the beaten path, there truly is no place like Thailand. Thailand is a rite of passage for basically every travel enthusiast. It is a backpacker’s paradise and I know quite a few people who traveled to Thailand and ended up spending months there because they fell in love with the culture, the landscapes, and the prices. Thailand is an infamously affordable place to travel, especially in the north of Thailand. I highly recommend visiting Chiang Mai for some different cultural experiences as well as Bangkok, which is one of the craziest cities in the world, but it is worth a visit if you have a very low budget.
The north of Thailand is going to be the region for you because, as you move South things get incrementally more expensive because there is so much of a higher tourist demand to visit the uh islands off of the coast and places like Phuket. Anyone traveling to Thailand, especially young or first-time travelers. I do recommend exercising caution and remembering to use your common sense, especially if you are traveling alone.
I have heard a lot of terrible stories of people getting taken advantage of in Thailand because they were out alone at night or they were drinking and lost control of themselves or their surroundings. So keep this in mind Thailand is notorious for being a party destination, but if you want to make sure that everything in your trip goes smoothly, nothing is stolen or nothing bad happens to you just remember to utilize as much common sense as possible that’s the most important thing to never leave home without.
6. Nepal
If you have an adventurous spirit, look no further than Nepal. Nepal is a cultural gold mine located in the Himalayan mountains, some of the tallest mountains in the world. Many of them are located in Nepal, which makes it the mecca for climbing hiking, mountaineering, and even white water rafting. Nepal is filled with this spectacular contrast of not only adventure and rugged outdoor experiences, but also a beautiful cultural element as well with very sacred practices, especially surrounding some of the gorgeous temples located throughout the country.
Nepal is a country that I do recommend having a plan before you travel there because it can get a bit pricey. If you do everything on the whim, I recommend booking local guest houses in different hotels online. So you can have an idea of what their price points are going to be like before you arrive, and if you are going to be doing an outdoor adventure that would require camping gear or hiking gear. You might want to look into purchasing all of this type of equipment beforehand or travel there with all of your equipment because it did seem like a lot of the different shops were upselling a lot of potentially not high-quality gear for a lot of the tourists who travel there so just keep in mind what type of adventure you want to go to before you head to Nepal.
7. Georgia
From Nepal, we are now going to head over to the intersection of Europe and Asia to a little-known country named Georgia. Everyone that I know that has been to Georgia has fallen in love with its mountainous landscapes and remote churches on the black sea coast, as well as the cobblestone streets of its capital Tbilisi. This area of the world is by far one of the most underrated, especially due to the extremely low cost of food and the wide variety of accommodation, and it also has a fairly accessible public transportation system which can cut travel costs as well.
Georgia is also very accessible, as it doesn’t require visas for a very wide range of nationalities, and there are very few limits to how long you can stay in the country. I have heard a lot of amazing stories from backpackers who traveled to Georgia and were able to hitchhike long distances across the country and have been able to find hostels for only a few dollars. And that is also not to mention the beautiful scenic views that you can have throughout the area.
8. Armenia
If you are looking for a destination that is even a bit farther off the beaten path than Georgia, which has been gaining a bit more popularity in recent years. Look no further than its neighbor Armenia, I traveled to Armenia as a solo, female traveler and I can attest to the very friendly and welcoming atmosphere that I experienced there similar to Georgia. Armenia is known for its gorgeous natural landscapes and mountains, which can also lead to a lot of different popular extreme sports locations within the country, as well as incredible cultural landscapes and very rich history.
That has a lot of remnants of the past. Where you can take tours through different museums and ruins and be able to study Armenian history from that perspective, as well.
9. Bosnia and Herzegovina
After visiting every country in Europe, I would have to say that Bosnia and Herzegovina was by far one of the best-hidden gems on the continent. From quaint mountain villages to a unique nightlife, there are a lot of things to do in Bosnia and Herzegovina that are often overlooked, especially with its neighbor Croatia, located so close by.
I spent the majority of my time in Bosnia and Herzegovina exploring a city called Mostar which is most famous for this beautiful stone, arch bridge that is also home to some of the most epic cliff diving in Europe. There’s even a red bull cliff, the diving competition there. Every few years, one of the aspects of this very small country that I found to be the most interesting was the mixture of both influences from Christianity and Islam and how that is reflected in the architecture, the people’s way of life, as well as their cuisine.
10. Croatia
From Bosnia and Herzegovina, I recommend traveling over land to its neighboring country of Croatia, and you have to stop at all of the incredible national parks to see some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world. While I was in Croatia visiting kirk national park as well as Plitvice National Park, was a highlight of my experience. I ended up making my home base the city of the split, which is very centrally located for exploring the dalmatian coast as well as the Croatian riviera.
There is a buzzing hostile atmosphere in the city of split and I’ve also heard amazing things about Dubrovnik and it all comes at a relatively reasonable price point. I was able to take a few day trips by boat out to some of the surrounding islands that are near split islands like Hvar and Vis, which are also very popular destinations for yacht trips. There are a lot of different yacht-oriented festivals, where you’re able to buy a ticket that includes a spot on a boat where you’re able to sail from island to island during the day and then get off and go to some of these amazing party islands at night, which has always been on my bucket list.
11. Greece
While we are on the theme of island hopping, let’s hop on over to Greece. Greece is by far one of the most touristy countries in the world, but again it is touristy for very good reasons, and if you are strategic about the places that you stay and eat as well as the time of year that you travel, you can see Greece, on a budget, if you are traveling on a budget, I highly recommend doing some research on all of the different islands in Greece to see which ones feel like they would potentially be in your price range, because an island like Mykonos is going to be significantly more expensive than visiting another island like Milos, also keep in mind that, as most people travel to Greece to visit the islands, there are some amazing activities that you can find on mainland Greece as well.
12. Poland
Speaking of traveling in mainland Europe, I highly recommend visiting Poland although most travelers overlook Poland completely or they only spend a day or two in Krakow or warsaw. There is so much more than this country has to offer everything you are looking to find in more touristy western European countries like world-class museums, fun, nightlife, and beautiful landscapes. You can also find it in Poland, but for a fraction of the price. There is also some amazing infrastructure for travel within the country which makes it very accessible for backpackers.
13. Kosovo
I almost traveled back to Poland on my most recent trip to Europe, but I ended up traveling to a small landlocked country named Kosovo. I traveled to Pristina, Kosovo to host the first-ever limitless army meetup, and I was blown away by how welcoming the community was in Kosovo, and I was even more blown away by the prices, especially coming from a city like Paris, I had to double-take when looking at the menu and realizing there were full meals for only two or three dollars. Kosovo is also an ideal location for road trips, especially since some beautiful mountain villages are worth a visit. We started our trip in Pristina and ended up traveling to the cultural capital called Pristina. We explored the entire city from the different museums and mosques up to the Pristina fortress, which is this beautiful archaeological remnant of a fortress overlooking the entire city, and it was an incredible place for the sunset.
14. Colombia
Now we’re switching gears and we’re going to head over to South America’s Colombia, considering how much change has happened in Colombia over the past few decades, it is very impressive that they have become one of the most popular and trending travel destinations in the entire continent. Not only has it become a very safe destination for tourists to visit, but it has also become very popular with the digital, nomad lifestyle and I’ve seen a lot of people who do remote work taking up shop in Colombia. You could spend weeks traveling in Colombia and barely scratch the surface because from the colorful cities like Cartagena, Bogota, and Medellin, there are also beautiful natural landscapes, which also include the Amazon.
Colombia is one of the more biodiverse countries in the world, so there is plenty to explore while hiking biking or even visiting a few of their beautiful islands on the Caribbean sea before traveling to Colombia, I highly recommend learning salsa dancing so that you are prepared for The amazing Colombian nightlife.
15. Peru
Just around the corner from Colombia is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, Peru, and this is mostly thanks to it being home to the iconic wonder of the world that is Machu Picchu. Many travelers flock to Peru to hike the Inca trail on their way to Machu Picchu, but they stay once they realize how much Peru has to offer. During my trip to Peru, I was able to stay at a beautiful lodge located within the Amazon rainforest in Peru, and being able to go on hikes to see all of the natural wildlife, especially at night, was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Another highlight of my trip was visiting lake Titicaca, which straddles the border between Peru and bolivia. One of the most unique aspects of this area of Peru is that you can visit the floating villages and I highly recommend giving this area a try as well. The best part of all is that traveling through Peru is very inexpensive, even if you want to take trips like the Inca trail to Machu Picchu,
16. Brazil
Another must-visit travel destination in South America is also the world’s fifth-largest country, Brazil. I have spent over a month traveling throughout the country of Brazil, and I have barely even begun to scratch the surface of how much there is to see. I recommend traveling to the states of Bahia in the north if you’re interested in seeing some of the more authentic Afro-Brazilian cultures. I was also able to spend carnival there a few years ago, and it was by far the wildest street party I have ever experienced in my life another once in a lifetime.
The thing to experience in Brazil is by far that Iguazu falls located on the border between Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. Iguazu Falls are the largest system of waterfalls in the world and it is jaw-dropping. Brazil has become more and more affordable, especially in recent years, and I cannot recommend enough visiting this beautiful gigantic country, especially if you are on a backpacker’s budget.
17. Bolivia
Speaking of being on a backpacker’s budget, one of the most affordable countries in South America in Bolivia. One of the most popular things to do in Bolivia is visiting the Uyuni Salt flats, and I recommend doing this during the rainy season because these salt flats turn into a gigantic mirror when they’re flooded with water, which reflects the sky, especially during sunset, and it makes For some of the most surreal landscapes in the world, there are still so many other amazing places in Bolivia to see the highlight of my trip was visiting Amboro national park. Amboro national park is home to so much biodiversity, as well as gigantic unique sandstone, cliffs, and waterfalls.
18. Costa Rica
Next, we’re going to head north up to central America to Costa Rica. Costa Rica is one of the most idyllic quintessential tropical travel destinations in the world. It is home to everything you can imagine in a tropical landscape from the waterfalls to the volcanoes. Hot springs, jungles, and wildlife. By far the best way to see a lot of costa Rica is by renting a car and traveling throughout the jungles and up to the coast.
I adored the pacific coast side of Costa Rica, as there were so many things to do and a very vibrant backpacker yoga surfing culture. If that is something that you are interested in doing as well, another great perk to Costa Rica is that a lot of the attractions that are worth visiting are completely free, whether that be hiking to a waterfall or even just lounging, on the beach of Costa Rica is the most popular tourist attraction in all of Central America, which unfortunately does make it a bit more expensive than some of its neighboring countries.
19. Guatemala
If you are on a tight budget, I highly recommend visiting Guatemala. Traveling in Guatemala can be a bit more rugged than some of the other countries in Central America because it still is developing infrastructure for tourism. However, there are still so many incredible places to see from Guatemala city to lake Atitlan, which is a very popular travel destination up north towards the Mayan ruins of Tikal, which give you a glimpse into the beautiful history of this region in the world, and my personal favorite experience from traveling in Guatemala was renting a car from Guatemala city traveling through koban on my way to Semuc Champey, which is a natural reserve, I was able to stay at a super cheap, but very fun hostel right on a river, and I spent a few days visiting this place called Semuc Champey, which has an underground river running through it, which formed these incredible limestone pools that Were the most epic swimming holes you can imagine, and I was also able to visit a lot of the different waterfalls in Guatemala as well, and I have to say I stayed at the cheapest hostel of my life in Guatemala. It was only two dollars per night, but it was also not exactly the most comfortable accommodation, but for a backpacker like me who just wanted to see the world, it was perfect.
20. Cuba
Another country I was so interested in visiting, especially as an American was Cuba. Traveling here felt like stepping back in time or entering some kind of time, a capsule between the architecture and the vintage cars that you can find lining the streets of Havana. It was a very unique travel destination.
Cuba is a very backpacker budget-friendly destination, especially if you stay at the family-run guest houses which offer very affordable accommodation as well as very affordable food. One of the main things on my bucket list in Cuba was renting one of the classic convertibles and being able to drive all around the different interesting spots in Havana, I was able to rent one for about two two and a half hours I think It was around 20-25 US dollars, and that was money well spent. I felt like I was able to get a unique perspective on the city.
21. Morocco
Another country I had always wanted to visit was Morocco. Morocco is conveniently located a short flight away from Europe. So it’s very easily accessible. I was able to travel there for about two and a half weeks and I felt like I was able to see so many different parts of the country. I started my trip in Marrakech and then drove through the Atlas mountains. I saw the blue city called Chefchaouen, which was unlike anywhere else I had ever seen before by far one of the most aesthetically pleasing places in the world, and I was also able to go to fez these different places have so much rich historical value and one of my favorite parts was staying in the small boutique hotels called Moroccan Riad they’re, often located in walking only areas of the city. So it puts you in the middle of the nightlife they’re very small, often open air in the middle, with some kind of fountain or pool centrally located, and it was just an amazing way to feel like you were getting in touch with a unique culture.
I was also able to take a trip to the Sahara. I believe the place I went to was called Mendoza and I was able to get some camels with my friends hike out to the middle of the dunes and camp there overnight, underneath the entire milky way galaxy, which was an incredible night to remember. Traveling in morocco can get a bit more expensive. If you are on a tour, I had a private car and tour guide that I was splitting their rate with three other people, so it became a somewhat more manageable price. But if you do travel independently throughout Morocco, that can also save you some money as well.
22. South Africa
Last but not least, we have South Africa. South Africa is a bit of a wild card on this list because it’s not often thought of as a very budget-friendly destination. South Africa has an incredibly wide range of activities and things to see and do, many of which are free. Visiting cape town is one of the most interesting and unique cities in the world. It’s a buzzing up-and-coming city with also so many natural places to visit surrounding it, which makes it a great place to use as a home base. I would say that a lot of the different safari lodges in the national parks, like Krueger national park, are going to be on the more expensive side of things, but there are also different areas where you can do it. Self-Guided safaris within your vehicles and renting cars in South Africa are relatively inexpensive, and I would highly recommend taking the garden route along the coast.
You can see False Bay, which has a lot of great white sharks, as well as the breathtaking rugged coast, which is also popular for surfing as well, and that concludes this massive list of travel destinations. You should be adding these places to your bucket list and I hope you get to see a few of them for yourself this year.