Travelling in August on a budget!
Replies: 12 - Last Post: Jun 5, 2012 1:30 PM Last Post By: dxm300
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Travelling in August on a budget!
Hi everyone!I'm a female student in Montreal trying to plan a solo trip for 2-3 weeks this August. I know it can be an expensive time to travel, but it's the only time I have free. I'm hoping to keep the entire trip under $3000. I generally prefer active trips (hiking, exploring cities, cycling) to relaxing ones (sitting on a beach, going to a spa). I speak fluent French and a bit of Spanish. I was thinking of these destinations:
Iceland
Chile
Bolivia
Argentina
Norway
Macedonia
Turkey
Portugal
Any thoughts? Suggestions? I am most interested in visiting South America, but this will be my first time travelling solo, and as a female traveller I am a bit concerned for my safety. Should I be?
Thank you!!
1
Macedonia is nice but 2-3 weeks is a little long to spend just there. You could easily travel round a bit in that time and do some combination (but not all) of Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania. These countries are all pretty cheap.Norway and Iceland are both pretty expensive in comparison. Hard to say if you have the budget without knowing how much the flight will cost.
If your a little concerned about South America maybe you could try Mexico or another area of Central America instead? Plus flights will work out cheaper.
2
Bolivia is one of my favourite countries and also one of the cheapest on your list. There's enough of a backpacker trail that you can go and not need to worry too much about not having much travel experience. Having said that, if you are concerned then consider Peru - It's a very easy country to travel around (at least in the South and with 3 weeks you can do a nice loop in the South). Argentina is also easy to travel around but more expensive - August would be ok for the North but not if you wanted to go to Patagonia. Chile is also expensive and the best bits are in the South where the weather will be crap. August is a great time to visit Peru and Bolivia. You could also consider doing a trip from La Paz to Santiago taking in a bit of Bolivia and a bit of Chile (I'd say 2 weeks in Bolivia, 1 week in N. Chile in that case).3
With that budget i would exclude Norway and Iceland straight away.Argentina would be difficult too,and Chile....and as Toad says above much of those 2 countries is not really accessible in August.Eastern Europe is a great destination and so is Turkey (though 3 weeks there is not a lot)....but if you are most interested in South america,why not go there?
Bolivia is a fantastic destination and you can cover some of the main highlights in 3 weeks.Its cheap as well,and the weather is ok in August.It is as safe as anywhere else if you take basic precautions and use common sense.
7
Oh no, reading over the post now I realize that it wasn't very clear. I'm not planning on going to all of these places in 3 weeks, I want to spend 3 weeks in one of these places--these are places that I have not yet been to that I would like to visit.WanderinWilco, in terms of how I chose the countries, it comes down to relatively cheap and direct flights (Turkey, Portugal), countries with decent weather in August (Iceland, Norway, Bolivia), and countries recommended by friends (Argentina, Macedonia).
Thanks james, Toad, and lucapal! After reading your comments, I did some more in depth research on Bolivia, and I think it offers the best combination of price + ease of backpacking + things to see and do. I'm thinking of flying into La Paz, signing up for a bus trip down to Uyuni to visit the salt flats, then making my way back north via Potosi and Sucre, maybe trying to fit in Lake Titicaca in the last week. Does that seem doable?
travelinhobo, I don't think anyone in my family necessarily taught me to be fearful. I've spoken with some friends who have backpacked extensively, and they've advised me to be cautious, as a solo female traveller.
8
That sounds doable for sure,in terms of time.You will have to be careful with altitude..take it easy for a couple of days in La Paz.
If you have the full 3 weeks and move fast you might be able to fit in a few days in the jungle as well (maybe at the start...as altitude is lower....you could fly to Rurrenabaque from La Paz)
9
I recommend Guatemala with my whole heart!! The country and people are both beautiful in and out! I spent a month there last summer and spent only about $3000 including my airfare. This included hostels, homestays, spanish lessons for two weeks, hotels, and galavanting all over the country to visit Antigua, Lake Atitlan, Quetzaltenango (Xela), Coban, Monterrico, the Ruins of Tikal, Flores, Semuc Champey (incredible!!), and more! They have volcanoes to climb, waters to swim, and mountains to trek. Quetzeltrekkers has a wonderful 3 day, 26 mile backpack trip through the mountains to Lake Atitlan! And as a single lady, I felt pretty safe the entire time! Good luck and enjoy!Edited by: wintersparks
10
I think you'll really enjoy your time in Bolivia and your budget will allow you to go on plenty of adventures and really make the most of your time there.And as a solo female traveler, you should absolutely be cautious. I have traveled in many developing countries as a single female and think it's wonderful, but precautions should be taken. Follow advice in guidebooks, get advice from other female travelers, and try looking on Thorntree's Bolivia section, which may help you learn about current scams to be aware of.
12
Another note on Guatemala: If you spend $3k there in a month you are going super luxury. I spent $700 there in a month and that included Spanish school.
