We can’t all afford to stay at The Plaza in New York or The Savoy in London, with rooms going for around $600USD a night, at least not very often, but there is a way to live in this luxury for just a fraction of the price. I am a lover of decadence and unfortunately my purse is only so deep. I travel a lot, and mostly on my own dollar, so when I do splash out, here’s where I go to get the best value and luxury for my dollar.
India
One of the most beautiful hotels I have ever stayed in was The Leela Palace, Chennai, India, and set be back about $35USD per night on Booking.Com. It had a bathtub big enough for four, an electric wall that slid up into the ceiling so I could soak in the tub and watch TV, the plushest of bath sheets, the crispest of linen. The restaurants were world class, with a display of cakes that were decorated with such exquisite craftsmanship I was fascinated. It hosts Culinary Sojourns, 3 days 2 nights of total submersion into the Tamil Nadu style and Southern Indian Cuisine Most cities in India have luxury hotels that are a fraction of the price of other more expensive places in the world, and they have an exotic flavor no other country can beat.
Las Vegas, Not Quite Another Country But Certainly A World Away
This may seem strange to others, but honestly, Vegas has some of the best hotel deals in the US. There are literally miles and miles of hotels. If you keep an eye on the deals, or you are prepared to go off the strip, you can get some absolute bargains on some very luxury rooms for chump change. Then there’s always the possibility of winning the money you spent on your room back on the gaming floor, or in other articles on TravelZork you can find out how to get comped rooms and casino hosts. If you aren’t into gambling there are plenty of other things to do, for example drive out into Death Valley and marvel at the scenery, or drive into Arizona to the western rim of the Grand Canyon, and the engineering wonder that is the Hoover Dam.
Dominican Republic
You can snap up amazing all inclusive deals in DR, the beaches are fabulous, the staff are friendly and there are endless possibilities when it comes to tours and attractions when you want to leave the swim up bar in the hotel pool. For 10 days all inclusive (adult beverages!) with return airfares from Europe I’ve paid as little as 750 Euros per person twin share. True, it is a little bit more expensive for 5 star accommodation or business class flights, but not a whole lot more, and well worth the miles of golden beaches and summer nights practically all year round.
Bosnia And Herzegovina
Sarajevo is very underrated as a holiday destination, the countryside surrounding it is green and lush, the rivers are the most amazing color and it has history and intrigue. An Archduke was assassinated on a bridge in 1914 sparking World War I, and it is eerie to walk across the bridge with this thought in mind, but then you walk straight into the Turkish quarter and a whole different world appears. You can sample Bosnian coffee served in a Bascarsija brass coffee set, which is easily confused for Turkish coffee, but its 100% local, or visit the many bars and clubs on offer. A reasonable drive through meandering cliff roads along a river with teal waters will bring you to the small town of Mostar, home of Stari Most, the recreation of a 16th century Ottoman Bridge. It has been made somewhat famous by RedBull for its diving competitions. If you’re lucky you’ll get to see someone take the leap, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can book a jump yourself. please don’t try this at home, or without expert guidance. In the Old Town around the bridge, you can pick up machine gun cartridges that are the remnants of the wars, along with local handcrafts and more coffee posts and other brassware. Perhaps because of its economy, perhaps because of its war torn history, 5 star hotels are a steal and gourmet food is cheap, fresh and Local.
Croatia
Tucked into the Dalmatian coast, which is dotted with limestone islands and crystal waters, are the cities of Dubrovnik and Split. As long as you stay out of the old city, or look for bargains inside the city walls, Dubrovnik is an ideal budget buster holiday destination that packs a big bang for your buck. We rented a luxury bungalow for 27 Euros per night that had magnificent views from the cliffs behind the city, bought a seafood platter for two and wine for about 30 Euros in the harbor, and had the best time until it came time to walk back up the stairs to our accommodation. Too many glasses of wine and heels made the taxi ride seem justified, but when we tried it another day it definitely burned up some of the cheap calories we had been indulging in.
You may have to leave your mental comfort zone to take a vacation in some of these places, but I promise you that your pocket, your Facebook happy snap album, and your taste buds will thank you, and you’ll have some pretty first class and unique experiences to share around the office when you get back to real life.
Also read:
Expat Guide To Living La Vida Loca – Part 1
