Dec 21 to Jan 5 trip from Vancouver

July 5, 2024 12:31 PM

I would like to leave Vancouver, Canada and go to a country that is not Canada or the US. I have time off over the holidays, and want to spend less than $4,000 CAD. Where should I go?
posted by anonymous to Travel & Transportation (8 answers total)

If you like the outdoors, that's the good season for Belize. This place is really good (rustic, but lovely), I've recommended it to a lot of people. Not sure about the total price - don't know what airfare is from up there, but it might work.
posted by bluesky78987 at 12:50 PM on July 5 [2 favorites]

It all depends on the cost of the flight but if you can keep it under $1,500 you could visit Thailand or Cambodia.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:50 PM on July 5

My first suggestion is Sydney/New Zealand but flights are $2k which is not leaving much for hotels. Mexico City is my runner up - vibrant city with lots to do, delicious eats and flights are $800. I’ve been to Belize, Thailand as well - all beautiful places too but I found Thailand too humid and Belize boring (beautiful beaches but not worth the time it takes to travel there).
posted by pando11 at 1:14 PM on July 5

Mexico?
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 1:15 PM on July 5 [1 favorite]

If you're up for adventure travel, you could check out G Adventures. They often have sales on their group tours if you book in advance. They call it adventure travel, meaning they bring you off the beaten path and take you on some pretty physically demanding excursions, and let you experience local culture. I have friends who have done trips in Ecuador, Peru, Galapagos, Costa Rica and Nicaragua and had a great time.
posted by winterportage at 1:22 PM on July 5 [1 favorite]

There was a seat sale $950CAD for Fiji from Vancouver a month ago but you’d have to check because that’s shoulder season / winter. Then you can stay at a hostel for like $50 a night.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 3:21 PM on July 5

Flights on those dates tend to be very expensive, so unless you have significantly flexibility, you are probably limited to Latin America or Europe in order to have enough of your $4000 left over to live on. There's plenty to explore in Mexico, but without knowing what you're looking for, it's awfully hard to recommend anywhere in particular.
posted by ssg at 5:23 PM on July 5

Seconding winterportage here. I've done three G Adventures tours (I returned from Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan yesterday from a eight day tour with them). The prices are very reasonable, and usually give you a great mix of the "must see" and "off the beaten track". Accommodation can be hit and miss (great for us in Jordan, so-so to poor in India, great to so-so in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan). Group sizes have been between 12 and 18, and age ranges from 21 to 76. Highly recommended, if you can get a price and dates that work for you. A search is here for your dates and some options. (I don't work for them, just a fan of their tours)
posted by philsi at 12:50 PM on July 7