Three weeks on a shoestring flying out of NYC - where should we go?

October 19, 2006 8:19 PM

Three weeks on a shoestring flying out of NYC - where should we go?

We originally thought we would go to Isla Mujeres (Mexico) and/or Rio Dulce (Guatemala) at the end of the year. But upon research, it just doesn't sound financially feasible and the only good sale is to Cancun. With Mexico's current situation, I don't think it would be too safe at this time to visit...or am I wrong? Puerto Angel sounds somewhat ideal but that's just based on a little bit of reading...

DH and I recently decided that each trip will be research for when we retire (we have time). We'd love to retire overseas and maybe run a small business.

Any suggestions? Feel free to email me as well at [e-mail]

Likes:
Warm/Hot climate
Low cost of living
Local culture
Local mom and pop type village/town
Safety (as safe can be)
Little or no commercialism
Swimming beaches
Jungles / mountains - sure why, not? :)
Laid back atmosphere

Islands we've visited and liked for different reasons are Carriacou (Grenada), Culebra (Puerto Rico), and West Bay - Roatan (Honduras).

Looking forward to suggestions or even just hearing about your favorite spot!

posted by Jujee to travel & transportation (11 comments total)

Cancun will be perfectly safe. It's in the middle of nowhere, and very far from the politics of Mexico City.

Given that, I'm not sure that it's a big retirement area, and it is very commercial.
posted by smackfu at 8:37 PM on October 19, 2006

Costa Rica seems about right, but I don't know about the shoestring-budget part.

What about the Dominican Republic? Probably some deals there from New York given the local Dominican population, and it's probably pretty easy to get out of the main tourist areas (unlike, say, Cuba).
posted by mdonley at 8:43 PM on October 19, 2006

It'll cost about $800 to get to Argentina, but once you're there everything costs roughly 1/3 what it does in the US.
posted by unmake at 8:57 PM on October 19, 2006

The Cancun area should be fine. Fly there, then catch a bus for someplace down the coast, like Tulum.

Alternately, I spent a week in Panama a bit over 2 years ago, and enjoyed it quite a bit.
posted by fings at 9:25 PM on October 19, 2006

A vote for Costa Rica here. It isn't as cheap as others in central america, but it is way cheaper than Puerto Rico, which is basically as expensive as the rest of the US. Also, it has the reputation of being the most stable country in central america. There are parts that are quite commerical (but nothing compared to Cancun, for example) but there is plently that isn't that developed. Yeah, looking through your list, it really has everything you are looking for.
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 6:36 AM on October 20, 2006

I can second both Costa Rica, and Argentina as EXCELLENT destinations.

What exactly is your budget and for what period of time period?

Like unmake said above, plane tickets to argentina are $800 but after that you can easily live on $25 a day (eating out every meal) in Buenos Aires. Traveling will cost you a little more. A 16 hour ride on a first class bus (very comfortable, reclining chairs, meals provided to you, movie, etc...) to the Iguazu waterfalls on the border with Brazil was like $80 last winter. The peso is tied directly to the dollar at 3:1, but most things have a 1:1 relationship with american prices. For example, a can of coke that would be US$1 in the USA costs ARG$1 peso in Argentina, or US$.33. We spent almost two months in Argentina, traveling all over and spent something like $2k.

Costa Rica is a much more tropical destination. It will cost you about $500 to get to, and is a little more expensive than Argentina (not sure what the exchange rate is now, but last year it was CR$400 to US$1, with a coke being about CR$400, a beer being about CR$200-600, and a great hostel 10 feet from the pacific ocean in Montezuma (Lucy's, I recommend it highly) was $20/night for a double. We spent about $300-400 in 7 days in CR after airfare last winter.
posted by youthenrage at 8:44 AM on October 20, 2006

Plus-plus for Argentina. It has everything you're looking for but not in a country (or island) so small that being in it too long would cause a variety of cabin fever.

A 16 hour ride on a first class bus ... to the Iguazu waterfalls on the border with Brazil was like $80 last winter.
If you have the amount of time to vacation that most Americans do, and want to see the area around Iguazú (which you should), I would suck it up and pay the airfare, which is about $200 roundtrip from EZE and takes maybe two hours each way.

But yeah, everything there is cheap. If you decide to check out BA, you should also go into Uruguay, which is even cheaper and less touristy. It is typically cheaper to take a ferry there form BA than it is to fly "directly" from the States. If you head to BA/UY, I'd be happy to give specific recommendations on places to stay or eat...
posted by whatzit at 9:02 AM on October 20, 2006

Costa Rica. I spent $200 on the ground for a week. And I loved it. It's wet this time of year, though, and expensive around the new year.
posted by sweetkid at 12:13 PM on October 20, 2006

oh, and I think in CR you'd like Montezuma. Quiet, not super touristy beach town.
posted by sweetkid at 12:13 PM on October 20, 2006

I only spent a day in BA, but I really loved Ushuia - beautiful town surrounded by pristine wilderness. It's the right size so that you can go there and not be bewildered as to what to do. It'd be wise to make travel reservations in advance, though: getting there on a whim was no problem, but it took us at least three days to leave. I'd say it's a must see, but as far south as it is, you'd be wearing sweaters and drinking hot cocoa instead of relaxing on the beach.
posted by unmake at 6:21 PM on October 20, 2006

Ushuaia, rather.
posted by unmake at 6:23 PM on October 20, 2006