Travel can be unpredictable. Sometimes that’s half the fun, sometimes it can mean big problems. This month’s issue looks at perceptions and impermanence in three destinations.

Michael Buckley is back with a timely story on a travel destination that may finally be getting its act together to stop being a pariah state: Myanmar. See Slipping Through Gates and Doors in Burma.

Tom Koppel returns with a tale of picking a bad week to visit Hawaii: when some of the world’s most powerful politicians came to the island where he was staying. See Locked Down in Waikiki.

James Dorsey, a former director of the Adventurers Club, met a Maasai warrior in the U.S., where he was getting a doctorate degree. The author then went to visit his new friend in the bush. See The Warrior Scholar from Kenya.

William Caverlee returns to highlight two new and noteworthy travel books, from the practical to the eye candy. I take on the world music reviews this month, including Rodrigo y Gabriela’s latest and an especially solid reggae album.

And you know we give away cool travel gear there each month, right? If you do and you’re not on the monthly newsletter list, you’re missing out. Go sign up here because last month we gave away Ecco hiking boots, this month we’re giving away a cool packable Helium 2 waterproof jacket from Outdoor Research. Next month…who knows?

I’ve started work on updating The World’s Cheapest Destinations, with the 4th edition coming out in December. Meanwhile, here are a few updates in terms of which countries are cheaper, about the same, or more expensive since the 3rd edition came out in 2009. This is for those traveling with U.S. dollars. If your currency is up or down in a big way against the dollar, keep that in mind. For Canadians or Australians, for example, everywhere is cheaper than it was three or four years ago.

(Slightly) Cheaper Destinations

Unfortunately, this is a rather short list. There may be a recession in the developed world, but most of the cheap (as in developing) countries are going gangbusters in terms of growth. Vietnam’s leaders are freaking out, for example, because their GDP growth may be only 6% this year. If we had half that number in the U.S. then Obama would get re-elected in a landslide. Add more traveling Chinese, Russians, Indians, Brazilians, Turks, Middle Easterners, and others to the mix and the demand for international travel is growing around the world.

Eastern Europe – a mixed bag, but a slight fall in the euro often translates to a big fall in currencies that haven’t converted, as in the Czech Republic and Hungary. Now’s a good time to go.
India – with the dollar at around 50 rupees, budget travelers are getting a lot for their money here. At the middle and high end though, forget it.
Indonesia – Outside of Bali, where a crush of tourists has led to increased prices across the board, a more favorable exchange rate is keeping prices in check.
Mexico – For the moment, this “honorable mention” country is actually a tad cheaper than it was in 2009 because of exchange rate changes. You need to leave the resort areas though and go inland.

Quito, Ecuador

About the same

Someone getting off a plane now won’t notice a big difference from someone who did so three years ago in these places.
Ecuador, Panama, Belize – the first is one of the world’s cheapest, the latter two not. But all use the U.S. dollar, so no real changes.
Bolivia, Nicaragua and Honduras – the predicted surge in tourists never seems to happen, so things keep chugging along as before, with incremental changes.
Guatemala – Crime issues, a weak tourism board, and strong ties to the U.S. economy have meant no upticks here. Prices are stable.
Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam – You’ll find increased prices in pockets here and there where tourists congregate, but overall it’s not dramatic and they’re still a terrific value.
Jordan – Things keep getting better for Jordan, but it’s the best house in a bad neighborhood. So apart from the ridiculously high price to enter Petra, it remains a good deal.

Chivay, Colca Canyon, Peru

More expensive

These destinations will hit your wallet much harder than before. This is usually due to a stronger local currency, an improving local economy, an increase in tourists, or all of the above.

Turkey – I’m taking this country out of the next edition. It’s now one of the world’s most popular tourist spots and is priced accordingly. Now a huge cruise ship destination too, which never helps.
Thailand – This is the one I get the most angry e-mails about. Sorry kids, but the baht was in the high 30′s when I researched the last edition. Now it’s at 30. The country has weathered multiple crises that would have sunk almost anyone else and is more popular than ever. Growth has been frenetic and the locals have more money to spend.
Argentina – It’s not that their currency is doing well or that their economy would be cranking it it weren’t held together by central government duct tape and magic tricks, but inflation is very bad, so the prices keep rising, especially for anything imported. Beef and local wine are still a great deal…
Peru – Take a resource-based economy witnessing record-high commodity prices and combine that with a bucket list bucket of moneyed tourists and you get…rising prices all around. It’s still a deal off the main corridor, but “doing Machu Picchu” is going to bust the budget no matter how you work it out.
Morocco – Though still probably the best value in Africa for those on a $100 or $200 a day vacation budget, prices have gone up as they have aligned with the euro. With Spain in the crapper though economically and the rest of Europe ailing, the situation here could improve as time goes on.

Also on the “who knows” front is Egypt, which is still a big question mark. Africa’s other great value could implode or it could return to tourism as normal. We shall see.

Last post I talked about why I still recommend Hotwire and Priceline a lot. But of course they’re not the only places to get a cheap hotel deal. Also, their reach is limited the further you get from the U.S.

So here’s a quickie list of websites worth checking out, depending on your budget range. Don’t forget the obvious one though: just show up. For hostels, guesthouses, and budget hotels, you’ll often get the best deal in person. This doesn’t work for peak periods—like summer in Europe or when a big festival packs the city—but normally you’ve got economics on your side in person. There are empty rooms, you’re willing to fill one, bargaining can ensue.

Free and Cheap Lodging

Booking a hostel or cheap place to crash is easier than it used to be. Just pull up a site like Hostelbookers or Hostelworld and you can see all the options. Prices, location, reviews, and photos. (See note about about showing up though—booking ahead means paying list price.)

Trusty guidebooks are still useful, though remember that the places listed in Lonely Planet don’t need your business very much and will be priced/packed accordingly. Often a better bet is to consult guides or websites run by people specializing in a region or country. Examples would be info and apps from Travelfish for Southeast Asia, Eurocheapo for Europe, or IndiaMike for the sub-continent. Or drill down further to sites like Yucatan Today or Guanajuato Guru in Mexico. Just do some targeted searches and you’ll often find a great resource on even obscure destinations you thought nobody had heard of before. These days Google will even roughly translate ones built in another language.

The cheapest option of all is…free. Couchsurfing is the best-known option for finding willing hosts around the world, but also try Hospitality Club or Global Freeloaders. (Or friends of friends.)

A $60 hotel in the Czech Republic

Mid-range Lodging Deals

Once you get about the $30-$50 range, depending on country, your options open up a lot. As mentioned before, Hotwire and Priceline work very well in many developed countries if you use the message boards listed here to figure out what you’re probably getting in this “blind” buying process. Otherwise, mid-range chain hotel prices don’t vary much from site to site: there are too many agreements in place to keep that from happening. In the U.S., one of the most reliable discount finders is very old-school: the motel coupon books you find at highway rest stops. Printed deals are usually excluded from the price-fixing arrangements online.

Otherwise, many of the methods listed for budget travelers still apply, especially the websites focused on a specific location. Andean Travel Web, for instance, has Cusco recommendations from $16 to $787 a night. And again, waiting until arrival can work at this level too, for independent hotels where the front desk person has some real authority to discount.

If you own your own home, or a vacation home somewhere, you can tap into the whole home exchange network and pay next to nothing. Someone stays in your house or apartment while you stay in theirs. There are formal programs for this like HomeExchange.com, or some find success targeting specific areas on Craigslist.

Or you can rent out someone’s pad short-term with AirBnB. You’ve probably heard about this place in the news, and not in a good way, but they’ve put a lot of new systems in place to give more confidence on both ends. This works especially well where hotels are crazy expensive, like New York City. For Europe, a similar site is Wimdu.com.

While the U.S. is dominated by chain hotels, many locations do have quite a few bed-and-breakfast hotels that are independent. Check BedandBreakfast.com for comprehensive listings and deals.

Guidebooks can often lead you to alternative options too, like state park cabins, campgrounds, or colleges renting out dormitories in the summer.

Luxury at a Discount

If you’re reading the Cheapest Destinations Blog, you’re probably not a luxury traveler. But hey, everyone likes a splurge now and then and for all I know you’re helping grandma plan a big family vacation.

The obvious choice for the high end in the most locations is Luxury Link. They run auctions on high-end properties that can snag you a significant discount. Also try SkyAuction, which is especially good for all-inclusives in resort areas. As mentioned in my last post, I also like Bookit.com for discounted resorts. If you or someone you’re traveling with has an Amex Platinum card, book with that and get all kinds of extra goodies thrown in.

If you go high-end on a regular basis, it makes sense to subscribe to one of the many (and growing) flash sale sites like Jetsetter, SniqueAway, TripAlertz, Vacationist, and on and on. Even Groupon and Living Social are in on this act. Sometimes the deals are great, sometimes just barely.

Your Turn

Where do you go for free, cheap, or discounted places to stay?

Happy 2012. Will the world end this year?

Probably not, but we’ve got a review of the Moon Handbook Maya 2012 and a Mundo Maya story about Tikal from the author in the January issue of Perceptive Travel. Known as the home of the best travel stories from book authors on the move, Perceptive Travel comes out monthly, edited by yours truly, and we’re celebrating our 5th birthday this month!

I was so happy about this milestone that I got my butt in gear and contributed a feature of my own. It’s about an organized guided tour in Mexico that was neither guided nor organized: My Chiapas Misadventure.

Jessica Lee, author of many guidebooks on places everyone is scared to visit right now, gets out of the Middle East to tell us a story about religion, acronyms, and bus preachers in Kenya: Not the One in the Bible.

Plus we’ve got world music reviews from Graham Reid.

Last month we gave away two backpacks to newsletter subscribers and Facebook followers who were paying attention and took a few minutes to enter. This month we’re giving away what may be the toughest travel pants the world has ever seen. See the Perceptive Travel home page for details. The newsletter has already gone out, so you’ll have to follow us on Facebook to get in on the action.

I’m proud to join in the Passports with Purpose effort for a third year. If you’re not familiar with this campaign already, you can go read about it here. The short version is that 100+ bloggers talk up this event, get sponsors to participate with prizes, and send 100% of the money raised to a project that will make a huge impact somewhere.

Two years ago we built a school in Cambodia and staffed it with almost $30,000 from generous readers. The school, built through our partnership with American Assistance for Cambodia is now complete. In 2011 we doubled that and raised $64,128, enough to build an entire village in India. Construction is now underway.

This year we’re banding together to build two libraries in Zambia, Africa through Room to Read. By helping the cause, you can truly change children’s lives and give them a shot at a brighter future.

The best part is, you don’t have to just kick in money out of the goodness of your heart. You’re welcome to, but this is set up as a raffle system where each donation of $10 and above gets you in the running for a prize you choose. Donate more among various prizes and you’ll have more chances. (I’ve personally won something three times. Last year it was a $200 car service ride from Groundlink. Sweet!)

You could get this bag for a $10 donation

I’m proud to say my sponsor is a company near and dear to travelers trying to keep their valuables away from thieves: Pacsafe. This company makes a lot of cool bags and gadgets that put multiple hurdles in front of people trying to get their fingers on your goods. For Passports with Purpose, Pacsafe is giving away one of their cool VentureSafe 200 daypacks. This is an anti-theft day bag that features slash-proof mesh built in, locking buckles, and lots of small features that will frustrate bad guys looking for an easy score. (There’s a video demo at that link.)

Add up all the value of all the electronics you’re carrying around when sightseeing and you’ll probably see why you could use this. It holds 20 liters worth of stuff and will give you years of hard-core use. Their products come with a two-year warranty and I’ve got items that still work like new after five years of travel.

Follow this link to make a donation, either choosing this Pacsafe bag or going for one of the many other great prizes: gear, hotels, gadgets, and more. This one’s open to anyone on the globe as the sponsor has agreed to ship internationally to the winner.

Thanks in advance for your generosity!