Your budget-friendly dream destination may be on this list

A trip to Kazakhstan will cost you just under RM90 a day (minus airfare). — MELODY L. GOH /The Star

As most travellers look ahead to spring or summer (or mid-year) vacations, analysis published by HelloSafe could prove useful for choosing this year’s destinations.

The travel insurance compari­son site studied no fewer than 136 countries to determine the least and most expensive in terms of daily expenses. Specifi­cally, this includes everything you need when visiting somewhere: A place to sleep, food and drinks, getting around and, of course, the cost of tourist attractions.

The only detail, and not the least, that cannot be integrated into the methodology is the cost of transportation from the traveller’s country of departure, which obviously varies according to distance, the availability of air, rail or sea connections, and others.

The Kuang Si Waterfall in Laos is a top tourist spot in the country, one of the cheapest destinations to travel to in Asia. — Pixabay

The findings show that it’s better to look to Asia for a lower-cost getaway. For the cheapest option, head to Laos where, according to this study, the daily budget amounts to just €14.80 (RM70.90).

Kazakhstan in Central Asia comes in second place with a budget of €18.20 (RM87.20). Meanwhile, Rwanda completes the podium with estimated daily expenses of €20 (RM95.80). Known for its gorillas, the African country can be visited independently, but many agencies offer trips and tours tailored to experiencing Rwanda’s exceptional wildlife.

In Europe, this research names Moldova as the most economical choice among the 40 destinations studied, with a daily budget of just €34 (RM168.90). Other options include Serbia (€40/RM192.60) Kosovo (€45/RM215.60), Poland (€56/RM268.30) and Bulgaria (€58/RM277.80).

Rwanda is one of the cheapest places to visit, if you don't include the price of your return flight tickets.

This ranking also highlights the most expensive countries, which may serve to confirm (or refute) travellers’ intuitions. As such, the Caribbean is home to a collection of countries that are unlikely to help you make savings while travelling.

Barbados, for example, requires a budget of €318 (RM1,543.40) per day for travellers, compared to €299 (RM1,432.40) for Antigua and Barbuda, and €262 (RM1,255.60) for Saint Kitts and Nevis.

At these rates, a trip to the Maldives (fourth place) seems almost more affordable (€258/RM1,236.45) even for Europeans. Note that Switzerland is not very far behind in sixth place (€241/RM1,155), just ahead of the United States (€239/RM1,145.60). – AFP Relaxnews