Where can I still get good value for the US dollar?

[Lilliana Member Find all posts View Profile Close Lilliana]

I was in Croatia 3 or 4 years ago, and it was beautiful. I was on a tour so we got to see many places that I may not have been able to do on my own. Dubrovnik was gorgeous, the Dalmation coast is spectacular, Split was interesting with it's medieval castle and that at one time the water reached at the doors of the castle. I also went onto Slovenia which was beautiful too, they I think are on the EURO. There is a church in the middle of a lake on an island - Lake Bled in city of Bled that was interesting. From the castle you could see the Julian Alps, it was beautiful. I also remember going to a large park with trails and waterfalls and babbling brooks and streams and lots of walking, just not sure where. I think it was in Slovenia but it was very nice and peaceful and an easy walk, you could decide which trail to take and the complexity of it.

My friend went to Prague and loved it and wants to return there.

Liliana

[eal Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close eal]

I LOVE Costa Rica. We are spending the month of January 09 there so I was happy to read about the low colon.

I already live in Canada so I can't get too excited about it.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

Thanks Liliana, and welcome to TS4M's

It's good to hear from people that have been to, and enjoyed Croatia. Seems that most people have good things to say, and have enjoyed their stay there.

I'm still working on my DH. When he came home, I told him I thought we should go to Croatia. He said "Huh, Croatia, why?"

[CarolF Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close CarolF]

Bali, Thailand or Malaysia would be very cheap (especially Bali). Lots of Australians go to South East Asia for warm weather, inexpensive holidays. Lots of things to do, fabulous food (expecially Malaysia) and exceptional shopping. I'm not sure what your airfares would be like though.

[Keitht Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Keitht]

Also...1 US dollar = CZK Czech Koruna 16.11301 What the heck does that mean?

It means that you get 16.1.... Czech Koruna (local currency) for every US$.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

It means that you get 16.1.... Czech Koruna (local currency) for every US$.

That sounds really good, but what does it mean in terms of actual value? For instance, how many CZK dollars would it take to buy dinner, or a cup of coffee, etc. ?

[buff Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close buff]

Agree with Eal. Seconf Choice would be Costa rica ., guuancoste. Has mountains and Beach. I have connections for villas there very inexpensive. Trading into timeshares can be difficult during prime season

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

I LOVE Costa Rica. We are spending the month of January 09 there so I was happy to read about the low colon.

I already live in Canada so I can't get too excited about it.

Agree with Eal. Seconf Choice would be Costa rica ., guuancoste. Has mountains and Beach. I have connections for villas there very inexpensive. Trading into timeshares can be difficult during prime season

The dollar seems to be very strong in Costa Rica, so you'll do well there. Is this a safe place to travel? What does the area offer for entertainment? I like to keep busy, so spending a week on a beach alone, wouldn't be for me. What do you guys normally do when visiting here? Are there any nice restaurants? How's the shopping? Sorry for all the questions, but I know zilch about Costa Rica.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

I forgot about this but South Africa is at an all time low. You can get a lot for your money there.

[eal Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close eal]

This is my favourite Costa Rica website
The Real Costa Rica

There is so much to do in this small country that sometimes we need a vacation to rest up from our Costa Rica vacation when we get back!

Volcanoes, rainforest, cloud forest, zip lines, amazing birds and wild animals, river rafting, mild to extreme, snorkelling, seeing the sea turtles, coffee plantations, restaurants ranging from local "sodas" to very fancy seafood palaces.

The people are generally very gracious to tourists, they also enjoy the "tourist" activities in their own country so they can appreciate why so many people come to visit.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

I forgot about this but South Africa is at an all time low. You can get a lot for your money there.

I'd like to visit someday. Always wanted to go on a Safari. Not sure why tho, since most animals are smelly, and would most likely scare me.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

Thanks for the link. Great info! I've read a bunch already, and will read more when I get a chance. Volcanoes, rainforest, sea turtles, rafting, etc.....Sounds great.

This is my favourite Costa Rica website
The Real Costa Rica

There is so much to do in this small country that sometimes we need a vacation to rest up from our Costa Rica vacation when we get back!

Volcanoes, rainforest, cloud forest, zip lines, amazing birds and wild animals, river rafting, mild to extreme, snorkelling, seeing the sea turtles, coffee plantations, restaurants ranging from local "sodas" to very fancy seafood palaces.

The people are generally very gracious to tourists, they also enjoy the "tourist" activities in their own country so they can appreciate why so many people come to visit.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

I'd like to visit someday. Always wanted to go on a Safari. Not sure why tho, since most animals are smelly, and would most likely scare me.

There are two parts of SA, One is what we all know as the safari area, The other is the beach area that people either forgot or did not know was there.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

There are two parts of SA, One is what we all know as the safari area, The other is the beach area that people either forgot or did not know was there.

For SA beaches, you need to know what you want in a beach. The Atlantic Ocean beaches are c-o-l-d, influenced by a current from Antartica, but are the high-end beaches, like jet set Cliffton. In the Capetown area, you can go a few miles to the other side on the Indian Ocean, where the water is warm, influenced by a current from the Equator, and where the beaches are more of a family nature than the trendy Atlantic beaches. Around Cape Town, there is no shark problem and the wave action is mild. The Durban area beaches are also warm, but are prone to sharks in spite of the shark nets that are installed offshore. The waves in the Durban area are also some of the roughest I have ever experienced anywhere. For beaches, I prefer the Capetown area, but have to divide my beach time, on the Atlantic side for hanging out on the beach and people watching and the Indian Ocean side if I actually want to get in the water. The Atlantic Ocean side also has a clothing optional beach at Sandy Bay.

[djyamyam Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close djyamyam]

What about So America? Maybe Brazil, or Argentina?

I would definitely vote for Argentina or Chile. We were there two years ago and are going again early next year. If you want the big cities, then Buenos Aires and Santiago are good places to explore. From there, you have lots of options.

On the Chilean side, you could go up to the Valispariso (sp?) regiona which is a great wine region about an hour or so northwest of Santiago. You could go south to Puerto Varas and go over the Cruce de Lagos (series of 3 lakes and a couple mountain ranges into Bariloche, Argentina. You could hope onto a flight west and go to Easter Island. You could continue south and go on a cruise of all the glaciers or go see the Torres del Paine (see pics).

On the Argentina side, Buenos Aires is a great city to explore. From there, you can head north to Iguazu Falls (Greatest Places: Iguazu Falls Page) for some of the most amazing waterfalls in the world. It would rank up there in the top three waterfalls in the world behind Victoria Falls (Africa) and Niagara. You could go west to Barriloche which is world renowned for its chocolaterias (there is literally a chocolateria every 3 stores on its main street for a 4 block section). You could visit the wine region in the San Martin de Los Andes. Or you could head south to my favourite the Patagonia region. You'd have to go visit the Perito Moreno Glacier, maybe head over to the Chilean side of the Patagonia and take a tour to visit the Torres del Paine. You could go south to Ushuaia, the southernmost tip of Argentina, almost to the south pole. Heck, you can hop on an icebreaker and take a big tour down to the south pole!

The dollar goes a long ways so you can either shop or go lots of exploring and tours.