Friday, February 17, 2012

Travel: Top 10 Best Value Destinations for 2012

Happy Friday! :D

Yay for the weekend, right?!
The past couple of weeks have been insane -- you know that feeling when days are so long, but weeks go by quickly? Yup, that's how it's been for me.

So, since it's the weekend (and not to mention, a 3-day weekend for us, yay!), let's daydream a bit and talk about this year's top 10 best value destinations according to www.lonelyplanet.com:

1. Northeastern USA -

The Washington Monument rises above the Tidal Basin, as seen through the flowering cherry blossoms on the Basin's promenade- Washington DC

"... you can hop-scotch across the region without booking a flight or hiring a car. Better still, the ride’s comfortable, there’s free wi-fi, buses leave on time and there’s often plenty of room."

2. Japan -

Himeji-jo Castle and cherry blossom.

"... it’s possible to find simple, Japanese-style minshuku guesthouses from ¥3000 (US$37)."

3. Tajikistan -

Portrait of Kyrqyz herder, near Murghab.

"... stop off at hot springs, 2000-year-old stone structures and cartoon-style forts, finishing your days at village homestays or yurts for about US$10 per person."

4. Porto, Portugal -

The historic medieval coastal town of Porto. In 1996 it was declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

"You can stay in antique-filled inns with river views from just €25 (US$37.75), take a ride on a historical tram (€1; US$1.40) or head to the beach near Afurada village by ferry (€1)."

5. Lesotho -

Katse Dam Bridge in the Lesotho highlands.

"The best deals are to the west at off-the-beaten-track Malealea, about 60km southeast of the capital Masuru... Overnight trips - including a pony, food, and a guide - begin at US$50 per day."

6. Iquitos, Peru -

Brightly coloured buildings and motorcycle taxi.

"... venture into piranha fishing spots, look for pink dolphins in the wildlife-rich Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve (stopping at native villages to mingle with Amazonians) or reach the rustic Otorongo Lodge on the Colombian border."

7. San Francisco, California USA -

A San Francisco icon, the Art-Deco Golden Gate Bridge.

"Little boutique hotels near Union Square can be had for under US$100... Food-wise, San Francisco’s ‘mission burrito’ (stuffed with rice, beans, and carne asada) goes for US$5 in the bar-filled Mission."

8. Ohrid, Macedonia -

The Church of Sveti Kliment ( Church of St Clement ) - Ohrid, Macedonia

"... rooms are easy to find for €10 or less, while opulent historic villas turned into B&Bs run for under €50 (US$71.50)."

9. Mekong Delta, Vietnam -

The floating restaurant " La Monarque " moored on the banks of the Mekong River, Laos' major highway

"Go by air-conditioned bus or hire moto-taxis... Boat trips go for US$5 to US$10, while most guesthouses run from US$10 to US$25."

10. MĂ©rida, Mexico -



"Day trips to five Mayan sites on the public Ruta Puuc bus loop go for about US$40, or head to the village of CelestĂșn and hire motorboats (US$17 per person) to see hundreds of pink flamingos in the mangroves."

***To read the whole article, please click here.***

I love love love San Francisco, so going back there is definitely on my list. And of course, I would love to visit all these places too. But I think I should start with San Francisco and Northeastern USA first, haha! ;)

Which of these ten places would you like to visit the most? Have you been to any of them?
Do you have any tips to help us save some money when we travel?

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! :D

-------------------------------------------
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To enter, please click here.

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)

44 comments:

  1. I love it when you make travel posts! I've been to san francisco and some parts of northeastern usa. I would love to visit portugal the most though. =)

    --Olivia :)

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    1. aww, yay, i'm glad you love travel posts! portugal looks like such an interesting place to visit! :)

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  2. i would love to visit all these places, especially macedonia! i kinda feel embarassed that this is the first time i heard of tajikistan, lol

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    1. oh don't feel embarrassed! and macedonia sounds so faraway -- it would be amazing to be able to go there. :)

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  3. wow- it's so interesting to see all these different places around the world.
    amazing post- thanks so much for sharing these impressions.
    kisses to you- wish you a wonderful weekend.
    if you have a second, please visit me <3
    maren anita

    FASHION-MEETS-ART by Maren Anita

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. you're very welcome! i wish you a wonderful weekend too! :D

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  4. All the different places look beautiful!

    New follower :)

    Xx

    poochytails.blogspot.com

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  5. Love to go to D.C. if I couldn't make it to Japan for the Cherry Blossoms!

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    1. i would love love love to go to D.C. as well! and oh man, i heard those cherry blossoms are gorgeous! :)

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  6. Hi! I just found out about your blog and I love it :)

    I live in Porto (Portugal) and I didn't know my city was in 4th place on that list! I am so proud. I love,love my city. I may be biased but it's a beatiful city. I recommend it ;)

    Have a great weekend

    Francisca

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hi! thank you so much, it means a lot to me to read that you love my blog. :)
      and wow, now i can say that i know someone from porto, that's amazing! i would love to visit one day! :)

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  7. Macedonia is high on my list! I've been to Japan before, and thankfully their transportation system in most places is phenomenal also. Just get a pass and go!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. oh that's awesome, an excellent and quick public transportation is something i wish los angeles had. but oh well, haha. anyway, i think it would be a dream come true to be able to visit macedonia one day! ;)

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  8. I've only ever been to the places in the US, but they are lovely. I'm going to Paris in a month, that's definitely number 1 on my list! Although I think I'd also like to go to spain.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. oh my, paris is definitely at the very top of my list! i would love love love to go there one day! i always daydream about it. ;)

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  9. Amazing photos :)) You should check out Serbia, we got amazing nature <3

    ReplyDelete
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    1. lonely planet has really gorgeous photos of different places. :) and i will definitely check out serbia, i think that would be the perfect place to feature on my next travel post. :)

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  10. Hi, thanks for visiting my blog :D
    The pics u posted really makes me wanna go on a long vacation!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. you're welcome and thanks for stopping by and leaving me a comment! :)

      p.s. i want to go on a long vacation too! ;)

      Delete
  11. This world is really beautiful! I want to visit Japan! :D

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  12. Great locations... Need to keep them in mind for my honeymoon. ;)

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    1. i think these are great choices for your honeymoon! :)

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  13. I would Looove to go to Peru!!! My sister's boyfriend is from Lima, Peru:) So gorg!

    <3 Marielley

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    1. peru sounds amazing! and i heard their food is delicious! :)

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  14. Great photos, love the second one!!! Come see my new post :)

    xo Emma

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  15. I've only been to the U.S. ones. I've been to Portugal, but not to Porto, it looks gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. i would loooove to visit portugal! any part of it would be awesome. :)

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  16. I love San Francisco <3 Please take me to all places lol ;)

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  17. Well I'm not quite sure where Lesotho is ... but I like the looks of it. :)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. it's in africa, and it looks gorgeous, huh? :)

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  18. I've been to D.C. and San Francisco, they are both beautiful places! I would love to visit Macedonia and Vietnam!

    Love, Belle

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    1. i would loooove to go to d.c., i heard it's beautiful there especially when the cherry blossoms are in bloom! :)

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  19. You have nice blog, with a beautiful banner and nice pictures, I LOVE.
    If you want to read my blog there are flags next: D

    ReplyDelete
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    1. aww, thanks! i'm glad you liked my blog! i'll definitely visit yours too. :)

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  20. Following back! Thanks for visiting

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  21. Oh gosh, I want to visit all of these places! I really hope I get to. I'm a travel bug lol. I've been to San Fran and I love everything about that city! I am dying to visit Portugal and Peru. :D

    Lots of love, B
    http://vivalabreee.blogspot.com/
    Tweet me: Viva_La_Breee

    ReplyDelete
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    1. i love san francisco too! but i haven't been there in years, i wanna go back -- road trip!!! ;)

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  22. My sisters and I have been wanting to go to San Francisco!!! I think the last time I went there was when I was 10 years old. That was a long time ago. LOL. I also want to see Japan and Mexico. That's why when i grow older, I want to travel around the world and just see different places.

    Shoetopia Giveaway -- Come and join! :]

    :)
    Carrie
    http://readmylifeascarrie.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
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    1. me too! i really wish traveling didn't cost too much money! ;)

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