7 Cities To Stretch The Dollar
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Here at The Expeditioner offices, we work like dogs. We are forced to deal with annoying content meetings, an excruciating traffic-ridden commute and a sneaky office kitchen thief (whoever has been swiping my Triple Double Oreos cut it out. Maria, this means you). So when we travel it is imperative to stretch our funds as far as they can go in order to preserve our hard-earned cash.
With the euro demanding a current exchange rate of $1.40, it’s time to explore more affordable international cities. A recent article appearing on msnbc provides a comprehensive list of the top seven, oft overlooked vacation spots where a $200 per-night hotel room is more than a rusty cot with a creepy shared bathroom down the hall.
So because, as Editor-In-Chief Matt Stabile relentlessly reminds us, time is money, here is the quick and dirty, abbreviated lowdown on global cities where you can return to the homestead with a semi-fat wallet.
1.) Hanoi, Vietnam
$1= 20,595 dongs
Stay: Bed and breakfast accommodations from $15 per night.
Eat: Noodle and rice dishes from street vendors for $1.
2.) Cuzco, Peru
$1= 2.75 Peruvian Nuevo soles (PEN)
Stay: Hostel accommodations from $10 per night.
Eat: Chifa, a fried rice dish, or cuy, roasted guinea pig.
3.) Sibiu, Romania
$1= roughly 3 leu
Stay: Guest houses in the main square from $31 per night.
Eat: Splurging at a nice restaurant for two, including drinks, will set you back around $35, or try ciorba, a clear, sour soup for less.
4.) Chennai, India
$1= nearly 45 rupees
Stay: A bevy of hostels and guesthouses available for roughly $20 per night.
Eat: Regional masala, pongal and dosa from fast food stands costs a couple dollars.
5.) San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala
$1= over 7.5 quetzal
Stay: Hostels from $7 per night, higher end accommodations from $40 to $140 per night.
Eat: Great low-cost vegetarian fare. Check out the open-air market for produce.
6.) Fez, Morocco
$1= around 7.8 Moroccan dirham
Stay: Hostels from $25 per night. Riads, traditional guesthouses, from $65 per night.
Eat: Regional street food like kebabs and harira, a soup with meat, chickpeas or lentils for several dollars.
7.) Vientiane, Laos
$1= 8,000 kip
Stay: Hotels available for under $60 per night.
Eat: Splurge on an upscale restaurant for $20 per person, or head to a noodle shop for a $1 meal.
[Stretching the dollar by Truthout.org]
About the Author
Jenna Blumenfeld, (Jenna Ogden Blumenfeld when she’s in really big trouble) hails from the wee state of Connecticut. Although her childhood dream of becoming a bug doctor — with a specialization in ladybugs — has gone unfulfilled, she is content writing about travel, cuisine and culture. A vegetarian, she currently resides in the food hub of Boulder, Colorado. Read more of her food-centric writing at NewHope360.com.