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Travel Suggestions for a Weak Dollar

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    For those of us who get paid in $US Dollars, traveling at the best hotels and restaurants can take a real toll on one's bank account. I'd like to plan a really memorable vacation in the next few months, but I'd prefer to get more value for the dollar, if that's even possible. Even Canada has become expensive!

    Are there any countries worth vacationing in where the exchange rate is good enough and your dollars can go far? Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you.

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    I would definitely recommend Latin and South America right now. Argentina is still bouncing back from the devaluation of the currency a few years ago, but places such as Honduras and Guatemala are not too far and definitely an adventure. If you're a diver, Honduras is great.

    Also, Panama uses the USD as its currency and the Casco Viejo district has been in a resurgence as of late.

    The Lodge at Pico Bonito is a wonderful place to stay.

    Thanks from: MelC
      Perfect Escapes_Honduras.jpg
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    I know this is a biased comment, but i would really recommend Buenos Aires and Argentina for your next trip. Buenos Aires is a very European city in South America, many people find it very similar to Paris and Madrid, and it also has a great Italian influence. There are great museums, restaurants, cultural events, beautiful parks and sights to see. I know many people are changing their vacations in Europe for Buenos Aires.
    The exchange rate is very favorable for us$ dollars, and even better for euros. To give you a few examples, you can rent a luxurious apartment for us$ 500 a week, have a dinner at a fine restaurant for us$ 50-70 for two, take a taxi for no more than us$ 5-8, buy a leather jacket for us$ 200, or a leather bag for 80.
    We have also Iguazú Falls, Patagonia, Salta, and many beautiful places to visit in the country.
    You can see many pictures of Buenos Aires in my Picasa web album:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/basandy01/BuenosAires

    I don't want this comment to look like spam, but if you look at my profile you'll find a link to my blog where you can find more information about Buenos Aires.

    I will be very pleased to answer any other questions

    Thanks from: Herry Lawford, MelC
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    As a general concept, you'll do well in places where tourist goods are often denominated in US dollars. The suggestions for Latin America are a good starting point (Argentina is great; the Four Seasons resort at Carmelo in Uragua is very nice indeed and an excellent value.)

    Other possibilities:
    - Thailand; hotels, etc. are often still priced in USD
    - Turkey; they may switch to the Euro at some point, but I've seen a fair number of dollar-denominated options
    - And, of course, the United States is a big place and the dollar still spends the same here. I'm definitely thinking more about domestic trips this year, and there are a bunch of interesting places to go.

    Thanks from: MelC
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    I second the Argentina suggestions - Buenos Aires is glamorous and your dollar will go a long way. Mendoza and the wine country are gorgeous too. Also in South America - Ecuador uses the US dollar, and it is full of historic cities and stunning natural landscapes, and the Galapagos if that is your kind of thing.

    Morocco might be a good choice, and it is definitely exotic. Flights might be expensive, however, depending on where you are coming from. Turkey could be a good call as well.

    Also, Portugal is not that horrendously expensive if you really want to do Europe; or you could try Croatia or somewhere else in Eastern Europe.

    Thanks from: MelC
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    I'll cast my vote for Buenos Aires ~ even the trees tango here!

      Buenos Aires2008_0184.JPG
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    Argentina is very nice but do not forget about Brazil either. First, Rio is fabulous--it's like a california beach town with New York City attitude. Spend one day on Copacabana and the next day at Ipanema. The food is spectacular from pure lobster tails to wild interesting AfricanBrazilian Flavors. There is alot to do tourist wise. Nightclubs are fabulous and the Brazillian lifestyle is very special. You can go to the Igazu Falls (spend a day or two there), you can take a cheap flight over to Manous and cruise down the Amazon. Brazil is actually larger than the United States so if you get bored there, it's your own fault.

    Thanks from: MelC
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    Great picture love2travel. I must have passed by those trees a dozen times and never saw them "dancing"!

    Thanks from: love2travel
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    Well now the dollar is just ridiculously weak now. I don't think it's ever been this bad.

    http://finance.google.com/finance?q=USDEUR

    The dollar is practically worth a little more than half a Euro! I hope everyone who lives outside of the US is taking advantage of our super currency sale over here.

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    Sorry to not offer a good suggestion, but even the Chinese Yuan is starting to strengthen against the dollar, and the Chinese usually try to match the value of the Yuan to the dollar.

    I read an article today that the Yuan is expected to strengthen against the dollar even more in the coming months. That is staggering to me. I never thought I'd see the day.

    To think there's one less destination where one can find good value.

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    Aside from the airfare and the long flight, Bali and Indonesia are still good destinations for US dollars. There are some amazing resorts in Bali and if you're looking for a good excuse to go, now is a great time to make the trip.

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    I love Argentina, with dollars or euros is an excellent options. And if you go out of Buenos Aires you have places that are so beatiful that they are unreal (and I am a big fan of Buenos Aires).

    I am attaching a picture of the Perito Moreno glacier, for instance, in Patagonia. Unbelievably beautiful. And in the north you have Iguassu waterfalls ..... here you have some videos (in Spanish, sorry).

    I am including one of them here:

      DSC01502.JPG
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    Even expensive destinations like Europe still offer good value if you travel off-the-beaten path. The most relaxing vacation we took last year was a barge trip in France. For $1800 for 6 nights, we got a comfortable (though cozy) cabin aboard Litote, three excellent meals each day (with wine at lunch and dinner), plus guided sightseeing in an air-conditioned mini-van. The chef onboard was excellent and prepared everything fresh. After dinner, the Captain would describe what there was to see and do in the area and we would make plans to walk into town, bicycle along the towpath, tour a chateaux or visit a local winery.

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    We were in France and Portugal last month and, while we were there, I had the opportunity to talk to some of the senior executives at two of the five-star hotels we stayed at, Le Meurice and the Lapa Palace, as well as to the captain of the luxury barge we traveled on in the Burgundy area. The general feeling I got from these conversations was that their business was suffering somewhat because of the strength of the euro against the U.S. dollar. This resulted in a significant (but not catastrophic) reduction in the amount of American tourists visiting Europe so far this year. However, almost everybody agreed that the decline in business has not been so bad because, in general, people tend to schedule their European vacations approximately a year in advance and, once they've bought their airline tickets (or used their frequent flyer miles) and made their hotel reservations, they normally won't cancel their vacations outright.

    However, there was also general agreement that NEXT YEAR could be much, much worse for them, since, going forward, Americans are now acutely aware of how expensive travelling to Europe will be, because of the weak dollar, and are considering other destinations for their next vacations. As a result, I believe that it's fair to assume that there will be some very attractive discount rates and packages offered by leading hotels and resorts throughout Europe that will be geared towards attracting leisure travelers to Europe, despite the strong euro. Some of these offers might be so attractive that travelling to Europe next year might not be so expensive afterall!

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    sweet! that is what i will count on. this year will be xmas/new year in new york....

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