Costa Rica Travel – Another Adventure Travel

What is the real secret to cheap international travel? it’s the same as the secret to doing anything for less. Learn to be an opportunist. Opportunistic travelers get to travel more, see more & do more. Of coursework, you can ignore this advice if you have unlimited currency.

I went to Ecuador because it was cheap. Honestly, are not there plenty of interesting places in this world? Why not choose eight you can travel to inexpensively? The other places will be there in the future, & you may have an opportunity to go to those places cheaply at some point.

Ecuador is my favorite international location. You can still get a decent meal for eight dollars. U.S. dollars, by the way, since that is conveniently the official currency of Ecuador now. From the beautiful snow-capped Andes mountains, to the Galapagos Islands, you’ll seldom run out of places to explore in Ecuador. Travel there is safe & inexpensive.

Cheap Countries

South America in general is inexpensive, & the most affordable countries are, in my opinion, the most beautiful. These are the countries along the Andes mountains; Ecuador, Peru, & Bolivia. Argentina, thanks to it’s recent economic troubles, is once again a cheap place for travelers as well.

In Central America, it costs  little to travel & holiday in both Nicaragua & Guatemala. Nicaragua, in particular, has become more stable & safe for travelers in recent years. Costa Rica is a wonderful , & though it’s eight of more expensive counties of Central America, that probably still leaves it cheaper than Europe.

In Asia, India is still low-cost,  if you stay in the numerous hostels & boarding houses. Thailand & Indonesia are also  cheap. With all international destinations, the plane tickets will be your single biggest travel expense. This is  true with the asian countries. Being there is cheap, but getting there may not be.

Cheap International Travel Tips

Wherever you go, there are things you can do to keep it cheap. Eat where locals eat, for example, instead of at the tourist restaurants. To keep it  cheap, eat fruit from street markets (wash it well) & packaged snacks from grocery stores.

Visit the free & cheap attractions first. It’s possible you’ll have so much fun that you’ll seldom get around to doing the expensive things. A higher price means better quality with travel bags, but not with travel experiences.

For cheap accommodations find out where local visitors from within the country stay. Negotiating room charges is common in some areas. In Banos, Ecuador, we negotiated our room rate down from $12 to $6 per night, by paying for several nights in advance. Consider hostels, if you don’t mind sharing a room. they are much more common overseas.

Getting ready for a family vacation with a baby?  Many things can make the trip a more enjoyable experience, depending on the age of the child.  Of course, if the baby is still in diapers then having a good supply of diapers and baby wipes is a necessity.  Bottled water for drinking and for rinsing out cups is a plus.  Snacks, the healthy sugar free variety are also a necessity, and pillows and blankets to make the child comfortable during the long ride.

If your baby is old enough to pay attention, then travel games, coloring books, and toys that are quiet enough to avoid driving you crazy can be helpful.  Also a travel DVD player that plugs into the car’s cigarette lighter for power will allow the child to watch a favorite video, keeping him or her occupied and more comfortable.  Read along books for children are handy as well.  These books have recordings the children listen to while looking at the pictures and the words underneath, teaching reading skills at a very young age.  Possibly the most important tip would be making a schedule and setting realistic driving times each day.  Adults can handle longer spans of time in the car than children can, and especially babies. Try not to spend more than eight hours a day driving, and have rest stops every couple of hours to stretch legs, and get outside in the fresh air.

Jill is a mother of two who has fond memories of traveling with her children as babies and toddlers.  She tells many stories of trips to the lake, the park, the beach and even to Disneyland, bringing her small children along and says that the experience wouldn’t have been nearly as enjoyable for her or her husband if the children had stayed home.  She does however, recommend thoughtful planning.  “Story books were great.  I read to the kids while my husband drove, and that kept them occupied.  It also often makes them sleepy and led them to frequent nap times.”  Jill also recommends coloring books so that the kids can amuse themselves.  Ditto for the sugar free snacks.  You won’t want to get the children running in overdrive on a sugar rush.  But children do get hungry frequently, so keeping a good supply of crackers, fruit snacks and other things the kids enjoy will make the trip more enjoyable.

It helps travelers, that so many rest stops these days, have baby changing stations in both men’s and women’s rest rooms.    This allows both parents to handle the child changing chores, and eases traveling tensions.

Jill’s friend and neighbor Sally also remembers traveling with very small children, and offers this advice:  “Baby wipes.  Have lots and lots of baby wipes.  You never know when you’ll need them.  And be sure that you make rest stops every hour or two.  The kids will get a bit cranky and stopping for fifteen minutes can make a world of difference.  Also, be sure to bring animal crackers, graham crackers or some other sort of snack, and bottles of water or fruit juice to wash it down with.  Keeping a child fed with keep a child happy.”

Traveling with a very young child can be a challenge.  If you have friends with older children, ask them what they did to ease the stress of the rip with traveling with the children in earlier years.  It always helps to learn from someone else’s experiences.  Also, ask your own parents what they did when you were a baby, and how they handled traveling situations.  It also doesn’t hurt to check out the local public library for parenting magazines and books.  Being a parent is a very responsible job and learning from others is only wise.  However, traveling with your baby or other young child will provide you with a great deal of enjoyment.  If you take a camera or video camcorder you’ll be able to record the trip for future memories, and have stories to tell for years to come.  So enjoy traveling with your baby, but be sure to plan ahead.