10 Places to Travel on a Budget in 2013

Are you looking to travel in 2013, but need to stick to a tight budget? It’s possible to have a great holiday without having to spend a lot of money – some options include finding self catered cottages and camp sites in Europe, or offsetting the cost of a flight with the low day to day costs of areas like South East Asia. Discounted train tickets and city passes can also be found in many destinations as a way of lowering costs. What, then, are some of the best places to travel to on a budget for 2013?
1 – Antalya, Turkey
Part of the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, or the Turkish Riviera, Antalya has been a popular city for tourists over the past few years. Despite its fine spas and many architectural landmarks, Antalya is still relatively cheap to stay in, and is particularly recommended for a trip between May and June, and in September if you want to beat the crowds.
2 – The Loire Valley, France
One of the more inexpensive regions of France to visit, The Loire Valley has an extensive range of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and some of the best chateaux in the country. The Loire Valley is also home to vineyards, rich local food, and many small villages with self catering cottages and gites.
3 – Ko Phi Phi, Thailand
Now recovering from the devastating effects of the 2004 tsunami, Ko Phi Phi is one of the most cost effective places to visit in Thailand; the area represents an archipelago made up of several small islands, which include coral reefs, and small villages, hotels, and resorts geared towards different travellers.
4 – Slovakia
Eastern Europe has long been a great place to travel on a budget, and Slovakia is one of the best countries to visit in the region. Capital city Bratislava is recommended for its arts and museums, as well as for its low hotel rates, accessibility for backpackers, and for its proximity to mountain walking and hiking paths.
5 – The Bahamas
While generally associated with expensive Caribbean cruises and resort holidays, the Bahamas can actually be fairly inexpensive if you know where to look; the port of Nassau has experienced hotel price drops in recent years, and anyone who avoids the largest resorts can get by relatively cheaply.
6 – Spain
One of the many European destinations that has become cheaper to visit following the depreciation in the value of the Euro, Spain offers a lot of different options for the budget conscious traveller; Barcelona is ideal for a few days shopping and exploring of its beaches, while Madrid has a thriving, 24 hour culture. Visitors should also consider visiting the beaches of Costa Brava, and the Basque country to the North of the country.
7 – Northern Ireland
Another country that has focused its recent regeneration around tourism, Northern Ireland has also benefited from cheap flights from the UK – key attractions include Derry, the current UK City of Culture, capital Belfast, and the Giant’s Causeway.
8 – Lisbon, Portugal
Anyone wanting a high value Mediterranean holiday should spend a week or so in Lisbon; the Portuguese city is recommended for its beautiful plazas, art galleries, and for its busy nightlife.
9 – Roatan, Honduras
Relatively undiscovered until the past few years, Roatan is one of the Honduran Islands, and can be reached from Miami; the island is home to some oft he best scuba diving and sealife watching in the world, and has grown to include some excellent resorts and other types of accommodation.
10 – Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Still one of the most diverse cities to visit in Europe, Amsterdam is well known for its liberal attitude, but also for its excellent museums, beautiful canals, and boutique shopping. 2013 sees the Rijksmuseum fully reopen after a 10 year restoration project.
Author Bio: Liam Manning writes about travel, from EU travel insurance to weekend breaks. In his spare time he enjoys skiing and snowboarding.

Perfume Pagoda

After 70 km or 2 hours driving out of Hanoi, located on the limestone rocks of Huong Son Mountain in beautiful and mystical surroundings. Unlike other temples in Vietnam, the only way to reach this sanctuary is floating along a narrow but extremely poetic stream by rowing boats that takes 45 minutes.An iron boat can carry 3-5 people and a large wooden boat – up to 20 locals. The stream is edged by rice, grass, small paths, and temples here and there. A local pilgrim can spend here traditionally three days to visit entirely the area and pray at all the temples. The first temple they often stop is called Den Trinh (i.e. The Shrine for First Presenting), where Vietnamese burn the first jossticks to inform the local deities about their presence and pray for a good trip and good luck for the year ahead. If you are anxious to reach the main Wharf of Huong Son mountain to start the uphill trip to see the Main Grotto of Huong Tich, you may skip this temple, especially in the peak season between January and early April.The uphill trip takes an hour climbing on the ancient flat and sometime slippery stones, which have been here thousand years ago. The road is “breathtaking” in all aspects – you will have some exercise, and at the same time have chance to take some stops to contemplate beautiful scenery and daily life of local farmers, who plant cassava and apricots in the valleys, who run quickly on the slippery stone with their burdens of tapioca, apricots or medicinal herbs whilst you are careful with your steps. The main pagoda is set in a huge grotto containing a highly decorative shrine. Each stalactite and stalagmite inside, which are soaked by undercurrent, is combined with a legend about its miracle and good luck. Most of them became small shrines by now. Remember that the stone grotto is huge and very cool, so stop for a while at the entrance to dry your sweat before coming in.



The main festive days of Perfume Pagoda stretches from January to early April, busy and exciting. Sometimes it’s drizzling and the Vietnamese all believe that the real good things will reach you if you catch rainwater after praying in a sacred pagoda. And among all the sacred temples and pagodas in Northern Vietnam, Perfume Pagoda is even more attractive and mysterious not only for its spectacular scenery, but for the painstaking road you passed over to reach to the top.