I tend to go away before or after Holidays. ... week after Christmas...never been across an ocean...would like some place warm. That doesn't have a crazy party vibe. I'll most likely stay in a hostel. Suggestions?
What is your notion of "not a crazy party vibe?" Yes, I'm sure Ibiza and Monaco aren't what you mean because partying and other forms of unmitigated fun is about the only reason anyone I know visits there. Otherwise, you're talking about a period that leads to New Year's Eve, which itself is a major party no matter where one is.
If you're trying to keep your lodging costs down in that regard, Africa (Vic Falls, Calabar, Gaborone or Okavango) or Southern Asia (Thailand or India) are great choices. Ditto Central America (Belize or Costa Rica), though neither is "across an ocean."
- Tips: You're trying to go low cost on lodging, so no matter where you go:
- Ask to see the room they're offering you. Go in and turn back the covers or check the furniture cloth for dried blood. If you see it, it means you run the risk of being plagued by mosquitoes. If you're relatively indifferent about mosquitoes' presence but don't want to be bitten, make a trip to REI and buy deet products for spraying on clothing and for bodily use. Take it and use it.
- Pack a zippered plastic pillowcase and a cloth pillowcase from home. Spray the insect repellant on the bed/sheets and pillows/cases (or, if you prefer, you can spray chemical anti-flea furniture spray pet owners use on the mattress, replace the sheet and spray it with the insect repellent for clothing). Allow it to dry before you go to bed.
- My personal rule for budget travel in developing nations: if the place hasn't got reasonable and reasonably quiet air conditioning in the bedrooms, I don't stay there. I can't stand being hot/humid indoors.
- Make sure you've gotten the vaccines you need for the country(s) you'll visit.
- If you are the social sort, get a PrEP prescription from your doctor and take it. It's absolutely absurd to assume anything about the prior sex life of total strangers in foreign countries. It's fun to "make friends" for a fun weekend or a night.
No matter where you go, however, a local hotel/inn is a cheaper than major chains you'll recognize.
- Tip:
- Book a flight that arrives early in the morning so you can get to the hostel/hotel, check it out, and decide whether you want to upgrade. Then go sightseeing and be sure to keep your eye open for modest hotels -- go in and tell them you're considering to shift from your hostel to a nicer place and want to know their rates.
- Avail yourself of the hostel's social opportunities....people there always have great "what to do and what not to do" tips that are presently relevant.
As for developed places that are also warm, I'd pick Sydney, Auckland/Queensland or Buenos Aires.
New Zealand offers great touristing in Auckland and Queensland and a plethora of bucolic respites, including backcountry camping, which is abetted by the absence of dangerous wildlife. NZ is among the first places to encounter the new year, so that makes it a great place to be for that. As for non-urban NZ:
- Discover Maori culture
- Hike on a glacier
- Whale watching
- Bird watching: penguins
- Star gazing -- NZ is among the best places to view the Milky Way
- If you have time, make a side trip to Lake Tethis in Australia to see stromatolites.
- Or just go to Perth (it too has a favorable exchange rate) instead of NZ and take a day trip to the lake and make other excursions in and around it. Just remember that Australia has more deadly critters than any other place on the planet.
India has more things to do than one can shake a stick at. You want to be in a city, you can do that sort of trip. Want to something outdoorsy, it has that too. Since you're going at the end of December,
Goa's Sunburn festival and the
Winter Festival at Mt. Abu are great picks. Even if you don't go to either of those events, the exchange rate will be greatly in your favor, it'll be warm, the food will be awesome, and no matter where you go, there's plenty of culture to discover and you'll have no difficulty finding acceptable accommodations in your price range.
Sorry I haven't specific hostels I prefer. The last time I did that was in college "backpacking" through Western Europe, (I'm 60 now.) and none of it will warm, though southern Italy, France and Spain will be temperate (40s - 60s).
Your money will go farther up here, the beer is better, and pot is legal. What else do you need??? :lol:
