Having lived and travelled through Thailand back in 2009, it’s no secret the country holds a special place in my heart. The mystique of the people, cities, and natural beauty are not to be understated, and it pains me to watch the country suffer through disastrous the recent flooding. While donations are the best way to help out, participating in their economy by travelling there is probably the second best way to give back, and hey, you’ll get an amazing adventure out of it at the same time. If I had to limit my argument

Unreal good Cost per Quality ratio
Thailand has managed to become one of those countries that offers a safe, exciting, easy adventure without breaking the pocketbook. Prices for living, accommodation, and transport within Thailand have remained low while not hampering on the quality of the services – from metros, to taxis, to last minute friendly tourist focused bus lines. By and large the most expensive line item for your trip will be the flight. Flights from the US tend to run on the high side (excluding west coast airports like LAX), but flights from Europe tend to be a lot more manageable. Flight specialists such as DialAFlight can source a cheap flight to Thailand for only £369 from London (to Bangkok including taxes).

High Activity Density
I find Thailand to have a highest density of urban & natural activities (more…)

Naturally, as I reside in the Middle East, I’ll begin writing on everything not related to the desert and the Middle East region. My mind wanders, and with the first snow in the US, it’s drifted (pun intended) to snow skiing. I haven’t been snowboarding since my teen years, and this is a sad realization which I’m determined to change (soon).

It’s no secret snow skiing is rather expensive, but keep in mind the environment RIGHT NOW that may help facilitate a budget ski holiday:

• The never ending global economic crisis. Resorts need to draw visitors with deals, and the Euro is dying.
• The LCC. Budget airlines are still battling for fares, and the low cost carrier is still alive for the time being. Take advantage.
• You made new friends that love to go on adventures, so you have a large denominator to divide lodging, food, and transport costs by.

So perhaps a budget ski holiday isn’t entirely out of the question. From my own wanderlusting and research, below are a few ski resorts and trip ideas I’m going to keep in the back of my mind.

Exploit the Premiere Euro Ski Resorts

The Euro is dying. It’s no secret. The worst is yet to come in the Euro crisis over the next several months. With contagion and the pending fall of Italy, Spain, and even France. The crisis could result in some great value ski holidays for North Americans and British folk eying French and Italian chalets. The relative value in Italy and France could be attractive. I’d probably avoid the Swiss Alps for now, from a purely economic standpoint.

Bulgaria / Andorra / Slovenia

These have forever been the budget destinations of choice in Europe, rightfully so. The smaller and more affordable resort in Bansko, Bulgaria might be calling you if you’re interested in Eastern Europe. With the Eastern Europe price level preferable to its Western counterparts, Bulgarian ski resorts offer a great bang for the buck. Similarly, travel to Andorra (Soldeu - El Tarter ) or Slovenia might be of interest to budget travellers. You’ll save on everything in Eastern Europe, from food to beer to accommodation.

Ski Dubai

Living in Oman, Dubai is only a 4 hour bus ride or 1 hour flight away. Whenever I end up visiting, I will surely be visiting Ski Dubai. While not budget friendly at $60 for a very short session, the peculiar nature of it makes it worth it. Given the only other opportunity to ski is hours away by plane, Ski Dubai offers a comparably good value for expats itching to hit the slopes without dropping $400.

Turkey, Lebanon

Real Middle East skiing exists in Lebanon and Turkey. If you can stomach political unrest and some danger, Lebanon has a fairly developed ski resort scene with 6 resorts. Turkey, on the other hand, has ski resorts more in its infancy but offers more stability. Don’t expect the Alps, but the price tag will be more than preferable when you consider much lower lift tickets, rentals, and the more plentiful accommodation opportunities.

Lesotho

Another somewhat strange ski opportunity lies in the ski resort of Lesotho, Africa. Lesotho, the country surrounded by South Africa, has a ski resort for you if you’re into novel experiences and watn to say you went snow skiing in Africa.

Motivation. Watch. This. Video.

My commentary and ideas not motivating enough. Watch this video from Matador, and you’ll be itching to book a ticket to start burning those Thanksgiving turkey cals.

I recently visited Ethiopia for a very brisk vacation to ‘try out’ Africa. The trip was far from ideal, but I never really expected it to go amazing from the get go given my lack of preparation. After experiencing some of the country and talking with numerous other more veteran Ethiopian travelers at guesthouses, I feel that I can shed some light onto budget traveling in Ethiopia. Here are a few of the main points.

Highlights

First of all, here’s a rundown of the highlights of Ethiopia:

• Injera – the national dish. It’s tasty, just spicy enough, filling, and cheap.  50 Birr  - ($3)
• Coffee – Very cheap, very good. Some of the world’s best, and definitely has a distinct flavor. Coffee, Machiato, and Espresso all are a must. 7 Birr  - ($.40)
• People – The people are very nice and friendly. Ethiopia is safe…relative to the rest of Africa.
• Women – Ethiopian women are unbelievably beautiful. I have never seen such a high density of stunning women in my life. Just don’t be a creep and expect a price.
• Heart wrenching – Poverty is everywhere. HIV is everywhere. Prostitution is rampant. Mentally prepare yourself, but if you give 10 birr to everyone that asks you won’t make it more than a week.
• No Budget Backpacker infrastructure - Overland travel is very time consuming and/or expensive. You can’t just show up and expect cheap transport. Plan accordingly.

Arriving in Ethiopia

Odds are you’re flying into Addis Ababa. (more…)