10 Budget Friendly Destinations To Visit In 2017
Lonely Planet’s “Top 10 Destinations for 2017” was just that: a list of cities that, for a variety of reasons, deserved to be on travelers’ wish lists for next year. Notably absent was any consideration of how expensive visiting those destinations might be. Taking cost out of the equation makes for a provocative list, but maybe a less than practical one.
1: Kathmandu Road, Nepal
For the 99-percents of us, who must reconcile our check books and credit card statements every month, Lonely Planet also compiled a list of the top-10 “value” destinations for 2017. It ranges widely, over cities, areas, and entire countries, and offers something for every travel style.
2: Namibia
Balooning Over Namibia
Namibia possesses some of the most stunning landscapes in Africa, a trip through the country is one of the great road adventures.
Natural wonders such as that mighty gash in the earth at Fish River Canyon and the wildlife utopia of Etosha National Park enthrall, but it’s the lonely desert roads where you float above and the swirling desert sands that will stay in your mind.
Namibia is also the headquarters of adventure activities in the region, so whether you’re a dreamer or love hearing the crunch of earth under your boots, travel in Namibia will stay with you long after the desert vistas fade. Read more:
3: Porto
The town that gave the country (and port wine) its very name, Porto is Portugal’s second-largest metropolis after Lisbon. Sometimes called Oporto, it’s an age-old city that has one foot firmly in the industrial present.
The old town, centered at Ribeira, was built on the hills overlooking the Douro River, and today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 14th-century São Francisco church is a main attraction, as are the local port wine cellars, mostly located across the river at Vila Nova de Gaia.
4 Venice Italy
The ethereal city of water and stone rises like a dream from the waters of the lagoon. Regional inhabitants founded Venice as a marshy haven from invading barbarians, and the city’s waterways became the heart of both its defenses and its eerie beauty.
Ornate palaces line the Grand Canal, testament to the wealth and power of the Republic of Venice, which spanned nearly a millennium. St. Mark’s Square, designed to be approached from the water, has drawn a steady stream of awestruck travelers and artists for centuries. “A realist, in Venice, would become a romantic, by mere faithfulness to what he saw before him,” observed Welsh poet Arthur Symons.
For modern visitors, part of the city’s unique appeal is its human scale and anachronistic careless infrastructure, with its narrow, mysterious streets and captivating canals, crossed by hundreds of gracefully arched marble bridges above and gliding, silent gondolas below.
As with its no-limits list, Lonely Planet’s budget list is annotated with comments that are both instructional and inspiring. Here, as an example, is the Debrecen, Hungary, story:
Hiding in plain sight beyond Budapest is Debrecen, the country’s second-largest city and the heart of low-cost Hungary.
Now connected by Europe’s budget-airline network to seven countries, the city is opening up to international visitors. Debrecen is rich in history, but more modern influences have prompted a growing modern-art scene and streets that come alive with summer festivals. What really sets Debrecen apart is its location on the edge of Hungary’s puszta (eastern plains).
5: Debrecen, Hungary
The University of Debrecen is the oldest continuously operating institution of higher education in Hungary (since 1538).
The haunt of Hungarian cowboys and home to Hortobagy National Park, the region still dominates romantic visions of traditional Hungary.
The local tourist board would be hard pressed to paint a more alluring picture.
6: Belize
Belize, once known as British Honduras is a country where the weather is mild, the beaches are spectacular, the history is rich, and yes, it is a land of swaying palm trees and colorful sunsets.
7: Morocco
Morocco Beach football
The Kingdom of Morocco is filled with cultural and natural treasures that will not disappoint even the most adventurous traveler. Morocco’s fascinating medieval cities like Marrakech and Fez lie in between the Sahara Desert and the Atlantic Ocean.
8 Russia
Russia at Night
Russia is the largest country by land mass in the world, a status it maintained even after shedding 14 countries when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. As the largest country it offers it all, from historic cities and idyllic countryside to artistic riches, epic train rides and vodka-fuelled nightlife. Read more of Simon Richmond, Writer
9 Bellarine Peninsula
New Port Philip Cycle Trail
The Bellarine Peninsula is a peninsula located south-west of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, surrounded by Port Phillip, Corio Bay and Bass Strait. The peninsula, together with the Mornington Peninsula separates Port Phillip from Bass Strait.
10 Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, USA
The Upper Peninsula is the northern of the two major peninsulas that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It may also be referred to as the UP or Upper Michigan. That peninsula has Lake Superior on the north with The St Marys River to the east. On the southeast is Lake Micigan and Lake Huron but on the southwest is Wisconsin. Confused?
The Lower Peninsula of Michigan is the southern of the two major landmasses. Although the Upper Peninsula is commonly referred to as “the U.P.” it is fairly uncommon for the Lower Peninsula to be called “the L.P.”
Because of its recognizable shape, the Lower Peninsula is nicknamed “The mitten”, with the eastern region identified as “The Thumb”. This has led to several folkloric creation myths for the area, one being that it is a hand print of Paul Bunyan, a giant lumberjack and popular European-American folk character in Michigan.
When asked where they live, Lower Peninsula residents may hold up their right palm and point to a spot on it to indicate the location.
U.P In The Fall
The peninsula is sometimes divided into the Northern Lower Peninsula – which is more sparsely populated and largely forested – and the Southern Lower Peninsula – which is largely urban or farmland.
These are the unforgotten vacations that is rarely mentioned. Happy holidays!
