Customer Reviews

The World's Cheapest Destinations: 21 Countries Where Your Money Is Worth a Fortune, Second Edition

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Kudos to Leffel for this improved second edition of "The World's Cheapest Destinations," the original book having been published back in 2003. He makes some beneficial additions to the introduction as well as updating prices and information for individual countries.

However, the most useful changes were those Leffel made in his list of inexpensive countries worth visiting. For example, he substituted great value Argentina and super cheap Nicaragua for Mexico and Venezuela in Latin America. He also replaced the now pricey Czech Republic with the much more afforable Romania in Europe. Furthermore, he added to his list by providing extra "honorable mention" countries for each region. These include some sub-Saharan countries in Africa as well as numerous other places worth travelling to throughout the globe.

I believe these substantial changes make this edition better than the first and make this book a worthwhile purchase, even for those who already have the original.

Why? Anytime you plan on doing something that has "value" in it, anytime you want to buy low, when the price will most likely be higher later on, or anytime you are contrarian to where everyone else is going - that's smart investing.

Leffel's book is well researched, and very well laid out. Some travel books that I've read, you can't compare country to country, because they use different measuring sticks, or they won't include the same categories. One country might have great dining, while it will barely mention it in another. Leffel's book covers the same basic categories in each country and allows you to compare apples to apples.

The other thing I like about this book, is that it's not the LEAST COSTLIEST countries, where you're being sent to some hole in the wall country. The key term to this book is VALUE - where can you get the most VALUE for the least amount of money. Warren Buffett uses this strategy to evaluate and buy companies, and Leffel does the same thing in evaluating and then travelling to countries.

Buy it, and then plan your vacation next year to someplace fun and exotic!

Cheap doesn't mean stingy. This book shows travelers where to get the most value in nearly two dozen countries. The author is a veteran international traveler and knows a number of tips for getting the most from your travel budget. This second edition is 40 pages longer than the first and is a terrific update. Also available as an e-book.

Tim Leffel hits one clear out of the park with this entertaining, easy-to-follow, and information-stocked book. This seasoned trekker divies up the globe into four parts (Asia, Africa & Middle East, Europe, and the Americas) and gives you the skinny on the nations with the best travel value in relation to its travel-worthiness.

He addresses cost-of-travel scenarios from two angles: more of the "backpacker" type and also the mid-range dollar traveller, while also giving ranges for cost-sharing couples. For each country he gives you the broad strokes on accommodation, food & drink, transportation, some what-to-see highlights, and "what you can buy for a buck or less." All this with a conversational, no-nonsense style that makes you feel like you're having a beer with a buddy that just got back from _________.

Note: This book was not intended to be a factoid powerhouse, but a superbly useful jumping-off point for the beginning stages of trip planning. However, little did I know prior to buying this book right here on Amazon, that the author has several online resources for budget travellers. Destination reviews, a travel blog, and a practical travel gear resource name just a few.

As far as a bargain goes, this book has to rank right up there with the $4 hour-long massage on a beach in Thailand (mentioned on page 24). Pick this book up, folks, but be warned: your feet will start itching immediately.

Tim makes an engaging case on why you should sell everything and explore the world. Traveling through parts of the world can be cheaper than living in America and this book explains what to expect, how much to spend and how to get around.

This book is meant for those who are in the planning process of a long trip. Budgeting is important when planning. It is going to be most helpful for those backpackers planning on doing Southeast Asia, but its a good way to come up with ideas for other unique destinations as well. Even if you want to do very little planning, this is a good marker. I personally liked that he put a lot of things in terms of couples, b/c that is the way we will be traveling. He has a lot of experience and I valued his opinions, making me rethink how much time I would spend in some countries. Also, it is a light read, and the author makes it easy to skip sections and get just the info that applies to you.

This is a great book for putting together a cheap, fun, and exciting vacation to a far away place! It gives you the basic details about each country so that you can figure out if the country is right for you. This is NOT a comprehensive guide. It does not go into too much detail but it gives you a feeling for what you can expect when traveling to the different places. I have already shared this book with all of my family and friends.

The author has a wealth of knowledge and an immense amount of experience with world travel. He also has a great sense of humor and keeps the book fun to read.

The only problem I find with this book is that every time I read a chapter, I am overwhelmed with wanderlust!!

Great book, I love the section on each one where it says "What you can get for $1" That alone is worth the book. The book is a few years old though so just add 30% onto the prices quoted, yet everything is still relatively up to date and great.

If you love saving money and traveling. This book is for you!

Money is the object......spend or save, you can learn from this book, where to do both. Travel and enjoy....Purchase and enjoy this well written, easy read.

Its good for me because I have not traveled much yet. I can see how if you have traveled very much it wouldn't be very useful.

It gives you a good idea of what to expect. Great for beginner travelers!