The trip that produced this image was a splurge.
Was reading a blog posting recently outlining good reasons to splurge while on vacation. The author wrote about a still memorable $500 US one night stay in a luxury hotel in China. This expense, he wrote, still stands out as one of his most memorable travel experiences. Especially, since he spent the following night in a hostel.
I have a memorable splurge.
This year at Easter, I was cold water scuba diving off northern Vancouver Island. My dive buddy suggested I cut short my upcoming scuba trip to Thailand and head to Bali, Indonesia for a few days.
So I did.
The six day side trip cost me:
- $350 CDN for airfare between Bangkok and Denpasar.
- $1350 for accommodation including breakfast, at least two dives per day with lunch included, and all ground transportation.
- I spent an additional $400 or so on tips, dinners, a few extra dives and a few pieces of jewellery.
Since I would have spent the equivalent amount on accommodation, tips, food and diving in Thailand, the cost of this splurge was the cost of the airfare plus a few incidentals.
I’ll round this splurge out to $500 Canadian. Here’s what I got for it:
- Five days of spectacular diving, including two days diving with Manta Rays. I also saw baby sharks and enjoyed a thrilling drift dive.
- Avoiding the touristy Kuta area, I travelled though Bali’s rural areas and small communities.
- Had a memorable encounter with some Macaques.
- Great food and hospitality.
- Lost and found my Tilley hat.
- Slept under a mosquito net for the first time ever.
- Ate lunch through an earthquake.
Loved every minute there. Consequently, I’ve got plans to return to Bali for more diving in 2015.
This splurge was money well spent.
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