It's a poor man's: Costa Rica
The financial analysis: Nicaragua is radically less expensive than its once-cheap neighbor to the south (\"once\" being the operative word — the Four Seasons in Costa Rica charges upward of $400 a night, and Mandarin Oriental and St. Regis are both planning resorts there). Even during holiday season, the most luxurious place in Managua, the InterContinental, runs less than $150. Once you get to the coastal islands on the Caribbean Sea, they might as well be paying you to visit.
Price of a beer: $3
What to do: Forget the agricultural-sounding name: Little Corn Island is tiny, remote, and tropical, and a lot less disturbed than nearby Caribbean outposts. Nicaragua's islands share the same impressive barrier reef as Belize but don't have the crowds or inflated prices (one dive costs about $35). If you're not already certified, you can accomplish that here — it takes three days — so you can see barracuda, sharks, tropical fish, and all the other reasons people voluntarily breathe through a tank 100 feet below sea level. If you're not chicken, go on a night dive.
Hotel: Think of the bus-stop ads for Mexican beer — the photo of an anonymous and idyllic beach — and you're imagining the backdrop to Casa Iguana. Less a hotel than a sprinkling of brightly colored bungalows on a patch of fine beach, the Iguana proudly boasts, \"No cars, no phone, no Jet Skis, no cocktail umbrellas.\" And a bungalow for two is a mere $35 a night.
Cheap eats: For a little diversity after a couple of days on Little Corn, take the 40-minute boat ride over to Big Corn and make for the restaurant at the Paraiso Beach Hotel. Housed inside a giant alfresco palapa, it serves different specialties nightly; a lobster just plucked from the sea will set you back a mere $20 or so. Try to swing that at home. (The hotel's a good place to stay, too, with bungalows around $65 a night in high season.)
How to get there: Several American carriers fly to Managua for about $300 in low season and about twice that during the holiday season. From Managua, Atlantic Airlines and La Costena provide the short flight to Big Corn Island (around $165 round-trip), where you can hop on a boat in Brig Bay to Little Corn Island.
Paraiso Beach Hotel
Tel: 505 575 5111";
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It's a poor man's: Barcelona
The financial analysis: It's been nearly ten years since the economy collapsed in Argentina, and while the crisis is over, prices haven't risen to their former high mark. Steak and wine for two, which used to run past $200, can still be had for around $60. Argentines used to pop up to the United States to vacation and shop on the cheap. Now it's our turn.
Price of a beer: $2 for a Quilmes
What to do: There's only one thing sexier than watching a tango performance: doing a little tango yourself. Learn how from Argentina's most famous choreographer and dancer, Carlos Copello. His school, located in the Abasto area, is mostly for professionals but also features a program for first-timers and visitors. Group classes are only $6 an hour — cheaper than the rose you're going to stick in your teeth.
Hotel: It'll set you back a mere $90 a night for a room at the Cocker, in the heart of Buenos Aires's charmingly atmospheric San Telmo district. The Belle Époque–inspired hotel has only five rooms in a building that dates from the late 1800s. It was left for dead until two Brits refurbished it and stuffed it with antique furniture, hardwood floors, Egyptian cotton sheets, double-height ceilings, terraces, and, in one room, a king bed made from the original staircase.
Cheap eats: Cafe San Juan, a low-key cafe in San Telmo, is a family affair — a crowded local joint run by chef Leandro Cristobal and his mom. The menu is a mix of traditional and fusion fare, with highlights like roasted partridge and chicken with honey and sesame. Expect to pay less than $60 for two.
How to get there: American Airlines has nonstop service from JFK, Miami, Chicago, and Dallas, but you can find cheaper flights on Aerolíneas Argentinas, Copa, or Mexicana (though you might have to connect). And since the time difference between the U.S. and Argentina is minimal, you won't waste any precious vacation hours recovering from jet lag. Now that's savings.
Tango Escuela Carlos Copello
Tel: 54 11 4864 6229
The Cocker
Tel: 54 11 436 28451
Cafe San Juan
Tel: 54 11 4300 1112";
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It's a poor man's: Italy
The financial analysis: Yes, it's on the euro, which is bad news for us poor saps getting paid in dollars. But Portugal is still a cheaper option than almost any place in western Europe, partly because it hasn't seen the economic boom of the likes of Ireland, nor the tourist hordes of Italy or Spain. Once you arrive, spend a few days in Lisbon, then drive north to the coastal city of Porto. Portugal's laid-back second city is filled with old-world charm, fantastic port wine, and cheap fun.
Price of a beer: Who cares? Port is what you'll drink here, and a glass of the same sweet, silken wine that would set you back $12 in Madrid or $16 in London will cost only about $7 in most of Porto's bars and restaurants.
What to do: Music aficionados and architecture fans alike will enjoy the Casa da Musica, Porto's concert hall, designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. Construction was completed three years ago, and the result — a giant, misshapen box — will make you feel like you've had one too many glasses of 20-year-old tawny. Average tickets are around $22, and you can see everything from classical symphonies to jazz musicians like Dhafer Youssef.
Hotel: Ten minutes from central Porto is the Castelo Santa Catarina, a 25-room villa built in the late 1800s. What it lacks in flat-screen TVs and iPod docks it makes up for in antique furnishings, impressive tile mosaics, and an outdoor patio filled with flowers and palms. Doubles start at a super-affordable $75 a night.
Cheap eats: Taverna dos Bebobos is the oldest (founded in 1876) and smallest (really, really small) restaurant in a town where age and tininess are points of pride. Set on a dock overlooking the Douro River, the Taverna has a view as appealing as its Portuguese specialties: grilled sardines, cod with bechamel, and fresh fish from the waters just outside. Many entrees run less than $10, and the restaurant's name translates as \"Tavern of Drunks,\" so you're covered in the wine department.
How to get there: Try TAP, the Portuguese airline — its fares tend to be cheaper than the American carriers, and even its business class prices can offer splurge-worthy savings.
Casa da Música
Tel: 351 220 120 220
Castelo Santa Catarina
Tel: 351 225 095 599
Taverna dos Bebobos
21-25 Cais da Ribiera";
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It's a poor man's: Napa
The financial analysis: When pricey properties like the Auberge du Soleil become the standard for hotels in the Napa Valley, and the French Laundry (home of the $240 tasting menu) is the yardstick by which wine-country restaurants are measured, you know that a substantial price creep has taken effect. If you're looking for great food and scenery that rival Napa's, without the gold-plated pricing, the Santa Ynez Valley, around 150 miles north of Los Angeles, is a good bet.
Price of a beer: This is wine country, as \"Sideways\" made clear. A superb bottle of local pinot noir starts around $26 at a local vineyard. Tastings, however, are mostly free.
What to do: It's a little dorky because they did it in the movie, but a vineyard picnic is the best way to spend an afternoon. Pick up cheese, bread, and salads at Los Olivos Grocery, make your way to the Melville Vineyards and Winery, buy a bottle of wine, and find a comfortable spot outside for an afternoon among the vines. Be merry.
Hotel: The calendar is on your side. The Ballard Inn & Restaurant is one of the nicest inns in the region and cuts its rates substantially in the winter (ask for the Winter Package special, where you'll snag a double room from $165). Even during high season, when a room can run up to $225, this place is far less expensive than similar properties in Napa or Sonoma.
Cheap eats: A wine region isn't a wine region without a Tuscan-style restaurant. In Santa Ynez, it's the Trattoria Grappolo, with frescoed walls, salty and delicious antipasti, an impressive wine list, and a happy, don't-you-just-love-California ambience. An entree such as calamari stuffed with smoked mozzarella is $18.
How to get there: Fly JetBlue to Long Beach, Southwest to LAX, or one of the majors to Santa Barbara.
Los Olivos Grocery
Tel: 805 688 5115
Melville Vineyards and Winery
Tel: 805 735 7030
Ballard Inn & Restaurant
Tel: 805 688 7770
Trattoria Grappolo
Tel: 805 688 6899";
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It's a poor man's: Dubai
The financial analysis: As the middle-est of the Middle East, Jordan has all the food, culture, and heritage of the region but none of the Vegas-style glitz (or prices) of Dubai. Prices in Jordan are on par with those in Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt, but it's more politically stable.
Price of a beer: $4. Although Jordan is a Muslim country, most restaurants, especially those that cater to tourists, serve beer and wine. Hotels and nightclubs have full bars.
What to do: Petra is one of the seven wonders of the world, but it's swarming with tourists in buses. Your best bet is to rent a car in Amman for the day (about $50), drive the three hours, and explore the site alone — the tour groups move slowly and don't offer any more information than you'd get from a Lonely Planet. Even better, you can arrive before everyone else does and stay longer, too. Jordan's other don't-miss is the Dead Sea, which you can reach by taking the 30-minute, $13 shuttle bus from the Marriott in Amman to the Jordan Valley Marriott Resort & Spa on the lakeshore. A $46 day pass lets you use the beach, pools, umbrellas, and chairs. Cover yourself in the famous mud and float the day away in the world's saltiest body of water.
Hotel: The only boutique hotel in Jordan is the AlQasr Metropol, in Amman's trendy Shmeisani district. It may lack that Ian Schrager touch, but the rooms are big and modern, the location is terrific, and the $140-a-night tariff can't be beat. Besides, no matter how many stars Dubai's Burj Al Arab claims to have, all that garish purple and gold doesn't justify the $1,000-a-night rate.
Cheap eats: Street food abounds in Amman, and nowhere is it better than at Reem Cafeteria. Open 24 hours, it's renowned for its charred roasted-lamb sandwiches served with fresh tomato, onion, and spices. The line can run ten deep at 3 a.m., but it's worth the wait when you realize the sandwiches cost less than 50 cents each.
How to get there: Tickets can be pricey (up to $2,000 on American), but hunt out cheaper flights on Middle Eastern airlines like EgyptAir and Royal Jordanian, where you can find fares for as little as $900.
AlQasr Metropol Hotel
Tel: 962 6568 9671
Jordan Valley Marriott Resort & Spa
Tel: 962 5356 0400
Reem Cafeteria
Tel: 962 6464 5725";
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It's a poor man's: Hawaii
The financial analysis: Barbados has its share of upscale resorts like Sandy Lane (burn, money, burn!), but that's only half the story. Head to the east side of the island, where the beaches are wilder, the front yards less manicured, and the rates a whole lot less expensive. See, wild is the way.
Price of a beer: $4 for a local Banks beer
What to do: If you're a die-hard surfer, want to learn how to surf, or—let's be honest — think you might look really good holding a surfboard, head to Surfer's Point on the south coast. Zed of Zed's Surfing Adventures has the easygoing demeanor and shaggy hair that come with being a really good surfer — and instructor. Group lessons are $80 per person, including board rental.
Hotel: Sea-U is a guesthouse in the village of Bathsheba, with doubles from $136. Rooms are tidy and unpretentious but include convenient amenities like coffeemakers, mini-fridges, big bathrooms, and mosquito netting. The vibe is friendly and trusting: Most nights, a chef cooks dinner for guests seated at communal tables in the semi-outdoor patio, and you grab your own rum punch from the honor bar.
Cheap eats: Dina's, the local beach restaurant, is right out of an '80s Tom Cruise movie (minus the flying bottles and cheesy soundtrack). It's a cheery wooden house with cute waiters; a lively outdoor deck; lots of icy beer; and a menu stocked with fresh seafood (flying fish is the local favorite), chicken, and goat dishes. Whatever you order, top it off with the local Bajan hot sauce.
How to get there: American Airlines and Air Jamaica often have good deals from Miami, New York, and Atlanta. Just plan in advance, and expect to pay around $400.
Zed's Surfing Adventures
Tel: 246 428 7873
Sea-U
Tel: 246 433 9450
Dina's
Tel: 246 433 9726";
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It's a poor man's: Phuket
The financial analysis: Everything — from the street food to the hotels to the scooter rentals — is cheaper in Vietnam than in resortier Thai locales like Phuket or Koh Samui. It can be expensive to arrive, but once you do, you'll thrive.
Price of a beer: 60 cents for a Bia Hoi beer
What to do: A UNESCO World Heritage site, Hoi An is as quaint, historical, and charming as any tiny beachside town in Southeast Asia can be. But another treasure is the abundance of talented tailors, who will copy or create pretty much any garment you can think of. Just stop by on the way to the beach, and by dinnertime, an army of invisible sewing gnomes will have whipped the thing up. You can have couture knockoffs for a few hundred bucks at a place like ADong Silk.
Hotel: The Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort & Spa (from $135) has all the amenities that come with Asian beachside resorts — a pool, tennis courts, private balconies, a white sand beach, and a shuttle bus to central Hoi An — and some that don't, like the elephant that wanders around the property.
Cheap eats: Vietnam's best street food may be at Bale Well. It's an outdoor restaurant (OK, food stall) where you sit on flimsy plastic chairs and eat nem nuong — chicken, pork, or beef; fresh greens; and sprouts rolled in a thin sheet of rice paper. A filling dinner for two is about $5. The catch? You assemble the spring rolls yourself. But if you stare at the platter of ingredients long enough, the proprietor will take pity on you, pull up a chair, and do it for you, you big baby.
How to get there: No matter what, it will take at least three flights to get to Hoi An. Most major airlines fly to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. From there, fly Vietnam Airlines to Danang. Then it's a 30-minute drive to Hoi An.
Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort & Spa
Tel: 84 510 927 040
Bale Well
Tel: 84 510 864 443";
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It's a poor man's: Prague
The financial analysis: Poland is not on the euro yet, so prices are very reasonable. The fact that it has (so far) escaped the attention of most tourists also helps to keep prices down. Plus, the Poles love Americans, so chances are you'll be bought a drink or two.
Price of a beer: $3 at most bars
What to do: Pack your hollow leg and make a night of it — you're in the land of heavy drinking and all-night clubs. Warsaw nightlife is dark and gothic, in a good way. Start out at local favorite Sklad Butelek or Tomba Tomba, a self-proclaimed \"heterofriendly gay club.\" If you're still standing in the wee hours, head to the dance hall Luztro before you go back to your hotel and sleep it off.
Hotel: One of the only boutique hotels in the city, Hotel Rialto has 44 rooms done up with vintage furniture and a Roaring Twenties vibe. Even the price is a throwback: $175 a night. The staff is young, friendly, and likely to point you in the right nightlife direction.
Cheap eats: Any restaurant located in a university is a safe bet, economically speaking. Biblioteka, named for its location in the University of Warsaw library, is part traditional (the game-heavy menu), part modern (the ambience), and part Italian (the wine list has over 200 labels). Highlights include lamb with spinach and duckling served with caramelized fruit. Expect dinner for two with wine to come in around $80.
How to get there: Check out LOT or Czech Airlines, whose fares to Warsaw tend to be lower than those of American carriers.
Hotel Rialto
Tel: 48 22 584 8700
Biblioteka
Tel: 48 22 552 7195";
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It's a poor man's: Morocco
The financial analysis: Tunisia has a reputation as a backpacker's beach destination (and yes, the desert filming location of the first \"Star Wars\"), but a recent influx of design hotels means better accommodations with prices still hanging on the low end.
Price of a beer: $4
What to do: Get yourself some culture. Walk around Tunis's Old City and stop by the Zitouna Mosque, which dates back to the 800s. Be sure to dress conservatively when you wander around the courtyard (non-Muslims are not allowed inside).
Hotel: Quick — what do you think of when you hear \"ruins of Carthage\"? Whatever it is, it's surely not Villa Didon. A sleek white box of a hotel surrounded by ancient ruins, it has ten suites, a spa, rooms with high-tech touches, and lots of right angles. The bar on the terrace overlooks the Mediterranean. You can afford to splurge here: A lavish suite costs around $300 a night.
Cheap eats: Located in the medina, Dar El Jeld specializes in local Tunisian cuisine, like couscous with fish, lamb stew with spinach, and syrupy desserts and pastries. The adjacent shop sells local art, jewelry, rugs, clothes, and other crafts, which somehow seem less touristy if you buy them after dinner.
How to get there: You can probably score a ticket for less than $800, though no U.S. airline flies nonstop. Many connect through Casablanca (try Royal Air Maroc) or London.
Villa Didon
Tel: 216 71 73 3433
Dar El Jeld
Tel: 216 71 560 916";
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It's a poor man's: Anguilla
The financial analysis: The Yucatan Peninsula has long attracted frat boys, package tourists, and people looking for their third eye — in other words, cheapskates. The Riviera Maya is chockablock with luxury resorts now, but there are still bargain secrets like Holbox, a wisp of an island in the Caribbean, north of Cancun.
Price of a beer: $3 for a Corona
What to do: Getting to Holbox takes a bit more than three hours after landing in Cancun. But it's a universe away from Cancun's loud nightclubs and bead necklace hawkers. Your main task will be to lie on the talcum-soft sand and marvel at the flamingos, who come in the summer and fall. If you're one of those people who get bored on the beach, there's also kayaking, fishing, biking, snorkeling, and kite surfing. Now go play and let us read our book.
Hotel: Villas Paraíso del Mar Hotel has 36 rooms with air conditioning (not something you take for granted here), palapa roofs, terraces, and ocean views, all on a quiet stretch of white sand. How much would you pay for this? Folks staying at Maroma, a couple hundred miles down the coast, are easily coughing up a thou a night. Here, it's only $170.
Cheap eats: The choices are limited—there are only a handful of restaurants on Holbox — but lucky for you, one of them is Viva Zapata. Open only for dinner, it's Mexican by way of an Italian chef and has live music every week. The specialty of the house is grilled fresh catch, whatever that happens to be, usually for less than $10.
How to get there: You'll find nonstop flights to Cancun from most major U.S. gateways, and the competition means they come cheap. From the airport, the hotel will arrange your transfer to Holbox, including the 30-minute ferry ride to the island.
Villas Paraíso del Mar Hotel
Tel: 52 984 875 2062
Viva Zapata
Tel: 52 984 875 2204";
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We know you're like us. We check the tabloids, but don't care what soap star picks up his own dry cleaning or what Golden Globe-winner cleans up after her Labradoodle. What does interest us, though, is which beaches the A-listers are heading to for vacation. Sure, partly it's because they often have the inside scoop on the super exclusive restaurants and most secluded stretches of snad ... but a little bit might be because it's fun to see how great (and occasionally not so great) they look in beachwear.
Click here to see where Hollywood's A-list soaks up the sun.
";
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We were so getting used to Jack Frost's pathetic efforts this winter. Then he stepped up to the plate and let us have it with snowstorms and temperatures in the single digits. And with our credit cards still recovering from the holidays, we thought there might be no respite—until, that is, we realized that the price to become a temporary castaway needn't break the bank.
Click here to check out some budget-friendly beaches.
";
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If you were a managing director at a top hedge fund, these would be our ten suggestions to relieve that bundle burning a hole in your pocket.
Click here for trips worthy of a fund manager.";
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Call it travel evolution. While some vacationers always turn to the Same Old year after year (Mickey!), the ever-curious vanguard are on the hunt for the Next. Sometimes their discoveries are exotic and far-flung, other times they are the once-beloved places seeing a renaissance.
Click here for the 10 places you'll be hearing about this year.
";
// END editorial data