Budget travel offers lots of sights to see.

I don’t want to spend more money than I have to when I travel. Especially on accommodation I hardly use.

The must haves are:

-Clean room, especially bathroom. I don’t care if the room’s decor is dated.

-No signs of bedbugs. I do check.

-Good reviews on Trip Advisor. This is very important. I read reviews very carefully and look at the photos.

-Fridge and safe.

I’m not fussy. I stayed in lots of ‘tired’ hotels/motels in Northern B.C. when I worked as a news reporter. Good training for budget travelling.

I don’t spend much time in my hotel room, so I don’t want to pay a lot. For years, I booked into four or five star all-inclusive hotels in Puerto Vallarta and paid dearly.

I’ve just returned from my ninth visit. This time (and last) I booked an air conditioned, ocean view room for $55.00 USD a night in a hotel near the dive shop I patronize. It’s not fancy, but the location is great and it has everything I need. I also split the cost with a friend. Total cost for nine nights = $253 Canadian each.

Next year, I’m contemplating trips to Colombia, Honduras, Indonesia and Malaysia. Not all – just one! I’m starting to look at Airbnb accommodation to save more money. Several friends swear by it.

I’ll have more to say about travelling on a budget in future posts.