The Lake District is a mountainous national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Cumbria, North West England, famous for its glacial lakes, rugged fells, and literary history. It makes for a fabulous getaway or add on to a England trip!
PRO TIPS:
Food was delicious in Ambleside so carve out the time to try some of the restaurants! On the contrary, food in Grasmere left a lot to be desired. It felt overpriced and not as good quality.
We had glorious weather, but I think we got lucky. Bring clothes that are prepared for wet & cold
Bring your hiking boots for the wet hiking
You don’t need a car! You can get the train to Windermere and then a bus to Ambleside. Also there’s plenty of hiking from the town of Ambleside
CITY: AMBLESIDE
HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
We stayed at the Ferndale Lodge and it was great! The location was about a 5 min walk away from the dowtown area of Ambleside, but was very quiet. The room was cozy, but had everything I needed. The only downside was there wasn’t any communal space where we could hang out or play a board game, but we just went to pubs to play cards then. This place also offered free parking, which was a nice perk.
Where to eat:
We were shocked at how good the restaurants were in Ambleside! Like we couldn’t stop talking about them. Don’t miss these spots:
Copper Pot – great for breakfast or lunch. We ate lunch and had hoped to go back for breakfast but it was sadly closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (take a peak at their hours before you go). My caprese salad + crispy chicken so fresh & yummy
Dodds Restaurant – If there is one restaurant not to skip, it’s this one. This Italian spot is SO GOOD. They don’t take reservation so go early or be prepared for a bit of a wait. But truly it’s worth it. We celebrated Steve’s birthday here and we still are talking about how we must go back at some point. My pasta with chicken was unreal.
Ambleside Yard – Delicious pizza in a nice brewery style space. We played cards here and spotted others doing the same. They take reservations, which is nice.
Stiles Coffee Bar – Great spot for a reasonably priced breakfast. Dog-friendly and the food portions were generous.
Force Cafe & Terrace – cafe with incredible views. Great for a snack or hot chocolate after walking to the Stock Ghyll Waterfall
What to do:
The main thing to do here is enjoy the nature! We focused on hikes with our limited time here, but there’s also options to go swimming, try stand up paddle boarding, take a ferry, and more.
Here are the hikes we did:
Stock Ghyll Waterfall – this is an easy 1.8 km out/back hike (but if it’s rained it can be muddy/slippery) to some pretty waterfalls. Pro Tip: stop at Force Cafe & Terrace for a hot chocolate & snack on the way back.
Hike to Grasmere (and back)- we did a version of this hike. You can hike the whole thing round trip from Ambleside or catch a bus back from Grasmere. The downside of taking the bus back is you’ll miss the Rydal cave. This is a big hike. By the end of the day I think I had logged 35k steps! We grabbed a light breakfast in Ambleside before setting off for the day. We carried plenty of water, sunscreen and some snacks. We didn’t rush and made it to Grasmere in time for lunch & an ice cream. As mentioned, we struggled to find a good option for lunch, but finally found a pub for a burger and Fish & Chips (for $25+ which is def overpriced). Grasmere is very cute though and we enjoyed some window shopping. The weather was stunning and the views on this hike were gorgeous! The cave is worth stopping at also.
Orrest Head Circular – On our drive out on our final day, we did this hike in Windermere. Pretty easy and not too long. Views at the top were stunning over the whole region. Highly recommend!
The other spot that is a can’t miss is National Parks Print Shop. This gorgeous print shop in Ambleside (they also have a location in Windermere, which we obviously also stopped at) has tons of cute prints of all sizes as well as tote bags, postcards, and more. We each bought some prints and I can’t wait to have them framed when I get home. You can check out their website here.
Overall Thoughts:
This getaway was so dreamy!! I loved our little adventure here. I’d recommend staying a day or two longer than we did. We would’ve loved a day to go swimming, but we just had to prioritize hiking since we were short on time. I had the best time with Steve & Gemma. Lots of laughs, playing cards, and forcing Steve to wear a birthday sash. I also somehow convinced Steve to do a pub quiz on his birthday (such a good sport!). There is a ton to explore in this region and I can’t wait to go back!
BUDGET FOR 3 DAYS/2 NIGHTS IN THE LAKE DISTRICT:
What a cute getaway in the UK!
Accommodation: $207 ($103.50 per night) This felt very reasonable for a cute inn in town
Food: $248 (food wasn’t cheap, but this also includes me treating Gemma & Steve for his birthday dinner)
Activities: $0
Local Transportation: $20 (gas money)
Miscellaneous: $80 (I bought some gifts for friends at home)
Well the epic adventure has officially come to a close! I am so unbelievably grateful that I got to spend so much time exploring this beautiful world – what an enormous privilege. As per usual, I tracked every penny of what I spent so here is the final installment of what I spent on this trip! See here for the original post of my 1 Year trip Cost Summary & the Two Year update. Also if you are considering doing a big trip, check out my best tips for planning an epic adventure here.
Some considerations:
This is only for one person (me)
I travel fairly cheaply (mostly staying in hostels) & in general don’t have expensive taste in food or transportation, but I also am saying yes to any experiences that I want to say yes to
I am traveling fairly quickly so taking lots of flights + moving locations every 3-5 days usually. It’s much cheaper to travel slower
I am not traveling in a super logical route. For example, while in Europe I went to England, then Northern Ireland, then France, then England, then Switzerland, then England, then Ireland… I was meeting up with different friends at different points so while it wasn’t logical, it made sense for what I was doing. However, again this is an area that one can make cheaper if they don’t travel in circles like I did haha
When in Europe, I did spend a decent number of nights staying for free with friends!
I am flying home to California quite often for Christmas, my 30th birthday, and for some weddings. Again this is driving up some inefficiencies.
I have spent both summers at home in CA (a total of about 5 months between the two summers). This has actually saved me some money as I don’t pay for accommodation while I am home (thanks Mom + Dad!)
Here’s the trip summary leaving in June 2023, covering 54 countries across 7 continents:
6 months in Europe + Egypt – 19 countries
1 month Fiji & New Zealand with my family – 2 countries
3 months Southeast Asia + Japan – 6 countries
6 months Mexico + South America + Antarctica- 6 countries
1 month Australia + Vanuatu with my family – 2 countries
3.5 months in Central America – 7 countries
3.5 Months in Western Asia + Europe – 15 countries
Here’s how many days I spent on each continent in my 2.5 years of travel:
In full transparency, my parents kindly paid for Fiji, NZ, Australia, & Japan since I was with them for those four countries (very, very lucky!!) so this analysis will cover roughly 27 months (as the aforementioned countries were essentially free). This does include any spend I had while in CA, which is usually cheaper than traveling as I have no accommodation costs while at home.
Also, on this trip, I have tried to add what I spent in each country to its dedicated blog post so hopefully that’s helpful. For example: scroll to the bottom of this blog post to see how much I spent for 3 weeks in the Philippines!
One last caveat – I did not include my costs for going to Antarctica because I got a deal through Freestyle Adventure Travel & signed an agreement that I wouldn’t share what I spent. Check them out if you are ever interested in exploring the one of the coolest (pun intended) places I’ve been.
Here we go…
Total Spend: $78k USD
Overall this about what I expected to spend on this trip! I’m averaging just under $3k per month while really enjoying life. I haven’t really said no to too many things while on this trip. I spend an average of $40k per year in my “regular” life while living in San Francisco, CA, so I’ve spent about 25% less by traveling to 54 countries (over the same time period) – not bad!!
Spend by Segment
This shows a breakdown of the total spend by trip segment. Obviously Europe would be the most expensive since that was the longest segment of the trip by far (a total of 9 months spent there). Pre-trip expenses include: clothes, Workaway membership, initial flights, & electronics. Scuba diving really drove up costs in Central America.
Average Daily Spend by Region
I was pleasantly surprised that I naturally (without too much oversight) maintained an average daily spend of less than $100, regardless of the region. Without scuba diving, Central America would have been far more affordable (perhaps the most affordable not including Oceania & CA, which are anomalies). If you are looking for bang for buck, it will be no surprise that Central America (outside of Costa Rica + Belize) & Southeast Asia would be my recommendations! You could also get great value in the northern parts of South America with Colombia, Bolivia & Peru.
Outside of Antarctica, the countries that cost me the most per day were Liechtenstein, Switzerland & Belize.
The cheapest were Tunisia, Kosovo & Latvia.
Spend by Category
This is a breakdown of how much I spent by category. As expected, accommodation is my largest spend, but I am actually proud of myself for spending so much on activities! I can be pretty stingy with spend so I love that I have said yes to so many experiences on this trip. A lot of them ended up in my top 5 memories of the trip 🙂 You’ll find the breakdown for the trip overall, as well as by region.
Europe (6 months): $18.1k
Southeast Asia (2 months): $7.5k
South America & Mexico (4.5 months): $14.5k
Central America (3.5 months): $13.2k
Europe + Western Asia (3.5 months): $9.9k
Top 5 experiences of the trip:
Antarctica ($$$$$)
Riding Motorbikes through the Ha Giang Loop in Vietnam ($300)
Hiking Milford Track in New Zealand ($2,045)
Climbing Acatenango in Guatemala ($105)
Scuba Diving with Thresher Sharks in the Philippines ($88)
Top tips for traveling cheaper:
Stay in dorms in hostels – you might sacrifice a bit on quality of sleep but in general the cost savings + meeting so many cool people makes this a great resource for traveling on the cheap.
You’ll notice I spent almost $11k on eating out. If you are staying in airbnbs or hostels with kitchens (more common in Europe, NZ & Australia), buy groceries!
Travel slower. As I mentioned, you’ll save a lot on accommodation costs if you can book a month long airbnb rather than hotels/hostels for a few nights at a time. This also will bring down your transportation costs.
Fly less! Unfortunately I did a lot of flying. I would have saved a ton of money if I did more bus/train travel.
Only take a carryon backpack. You’ll save on baggage fees every time you do have to fly.
Use credit card points to book flights.
Consider doing WOOFING or Workaway to save money in exchange for working a few hours a week (usually ~20).
Make friends on the road and then go visit them in their hometowns. It’s the best way to experience a place in a (usually) non-touristy place & you save money on accommodation: it’s a win-win!
Bonus section:
Since I track so many things beyond just expenses, here are some other fun facts from the trip!
Took 117 flights
Visited 201 cities in 54 countries
Spent $1950 on massages (avg per hour cost: $31) in 27 countries
Went scuba diving 37 times in 8 countries across 4 continents (North America, South America, Oceania & Asia)
Sent 274 postcards in 38 batches (Grandpa was #1 recipient)
Country visited the most times: England (9 unique visits). I spent 67 nights in England and spent $0 on accommodation thanks to all my friends there 🙂
18 land border crossings (mostly in Central America & Asia)
Well that’s the final cost breakdown of this epic trip around the world!! I hope this was helpful and as always, feel free to ask me any questions!
No visa required for US citizens (as of Oct 2025) for a short tourist stay.
Get some cash out at an ATM in town as there were a few times I needed it, including paying for my hostel.
Download Yandex Go as that will work as your uber around town. I also used it to get to/from the airport and it was very reasonable.
I felt very safe walking around.
CITY: CHISINAU
HOW LONG: 5 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
I stayed at the best hostel in Chisinau, it’s even in the name: Hostel Amazing Ionika 🙂 When looking at reviews this is was the only highly rated hostel listed on hostelworld so it made the decision easy. It was great! I love this size of hostel: big enough to have a some potential new friends, but small enough to feel cozy and easy to meet people. Pretty immediately upon arrival, I met 6 other backpackers and we formed a little group for our week here. We explored during the day & had dinner together each night. Also, random side note, but it was the most incredibly traveled group I’d ever met. I think the average number of countries been to by the group was 80 countries, which is wild. One South African guy had been to 150 countries!!! Anyway, there was good wifi, a kitchen, curtains & personal plugs on the bed. One note: they only accept payment in cash. Overall it was a great stay & I’d recommend!
WHERE TO EAT:
Here are my fav restaurant spots:
La Șezatoare – Great, authentic local Moldovian food in a cool atmosphere. I tried plăcintă which is like a filled pie (I chose cheese stuffed!).
Little Napoli – Yummy pizza right around the corner from the hostel! It was so good & easy that we went twice.
There are two main day trips visitors to Moldova go on:
Transnitstria – officially the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), is a self-proclaimed breakaway state that is internationally recognized as part of Moldova. It is a de facto independent territory that declared independence from Moldova in 1990 and has its own government, currency, and military. Transnistria is known for its unique Soviet-era atmosphere, with landmarks, infrastructure, and cultural elements from that era still present. I booked this tour through my hostel & it was excellent! We got to see lots of Soviet era monuments, buy local stamps, & see beautiful churches. We also had a meal at a Soviet Cantina. Of note, some countries list this location as Level 4: DO NOT TRAVEL, but we had no issues. You do need your passport as they see it as an international border. They won’t stamp, but instead give you a slip of paper that is required as you leave so don’t lose it. Pro tip: Don’t bring any cameras (only your phone).
Monasteries & Wine Cellars – Moldova has some of the largest wine cellars in the world as well as some beautiful monasteries. I had planned to do this until last minute some of the guys in my group decided they wanted to do an overnight in Ukraine, & I decided to join them. It was an incredibly eye-opening experience & I’m glad I went.
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
My time in Moldova ended up being quite the adventurous week! Between Moldova itself, visiting the autonomous region of Transnistria & my overnight in Ukraine all while hanging with some of my most traveled new friends, I had some of my memorable experiences. I will say that Moldova won’t go down as one of my favorite countries & I wouldn’t say you need to add this to the top of your bucket list. But overall I had a great week!
BUDGET FOR 5 DAYS IN MOLDOVA:
Accommodation: $119 ($24 per night) – this included double paying for accommodation one night (hotel in Ukraine + my hostel back in Chisinau)
Food: $108
Activities: $115
Local Transportation: $58
Miscellaneous: $35 (insurance for Ukraine + postcards/stamps)
Total: $435 (Daily average: $87)
Transportation to next destination: $200 (Flight to London + flight to Jersey)
My mom & I stayed at a cute, small hotel (Hotel Rosa) right in the middle of Old San Mario, which is perched way on top of a mountain. The room was small, but perfectly comfortable. I’d recommend getting one with a view (ours did not sadly). The 10 euro breakfast was great – and honestly I didn’t see many great breakfast options in town (which is what I usually prefer) so would recommend doing the hotel breakfast.
WHERE TO EAT:
Two places we loved in San Marino:
Caffè Titano – Great little cozy spot for a casual lunch or coffee.
La Terrazza – AMAZING dinner spot – this is a must do while in San Marino. It’s higher end but so worth it. Views were awesome & service was top notch. We both said this was out favorite meal of the trip! I had a delicious truffle & rabbit stuffed pasta while my mom had a seafood pasta that she raved about.
WHAT TO DO:
Here were the highlights of our San Marino visit:
Most importantly visit all the towers. Start with the Guaita Tower before walking over to the second tower (Falesia Tower). Both offer fabulous views over the whole of San Marino & on to Italy.
Just walk around the tiny old town (probably takes about 20 min in total haha)
Ride the Funivia up & down (a gondola offering pretty views of the surrounding areas)
We also spent one day visiting Rimini, which was fun because neither of us had been to the East Coast of Italy. However, I think both of us preferred San Marino. I think Rimini is better in the summer when beach activities are in full swing.
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
San Marino was so dang delightful & special. We couldn’t get over how cool this little city/country is. It is literally perched on top of this huge mountain and is built into the cliffs. We loved our time here and can’t believe more people we know haven’t visited.
My mom joined me for this little adventure so we stayed a cute, small airbnb right near old town. It had a loft with a queen bed + a pullout couch in the living room. It also had a washing machine which was awesome. It was very walkable to all the important parts of Nice & the main train station. Highly recommend!
WHERE TO EAT:
Nice – Try Casa Leya for dinner. Food was delicious and ambiance was lively. We also wanted to check out Comptoir du Marche but it was too busy when we showed up.
Monaco – We had lunch at Graziella. It’s tucked away in the Fontvieille neighborhood and it delivered. Delicious spinach salad & caprese salad! Not touristy at all, which was exactly what we were looking for.
WHAT TO DO:
So the main reason we went to Nice was to spend a day in Monaco. I am currently trying to visit the final few countries in Europe that I haven’t been to (like Monaco)! With our one full day here we got up and headed to Nice-Ville to catch a train to Monaco. We bought tickets day-of so no need to plan ahead. Trains run every 15 min or so.
Here were the highlights of our whirlwind visit to Monaco:
Fontvieille neighboord to check out the Princess Grace Rose Garden + quiet waterfront.
Walk up to the Prince’s Palace – the views from here are incredible!! The palace isn’t open year round, but just coming up to the top of this cliff/mountain for the views & charming streets is absolutely worth it. This was my favorite stop in Monaco.
You can’t come to Monaco without visiting the casinos! Step into the Casino de Monte-Carlo to see what all the hype is about.
We also spent two evenings walking around the old town in Nice & the waterfront!
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
Nice was a really pleasant city to visit! I can’t imagine how packed it is in the summer time, but in October the weather was still warm, but the streets weren’t overly full. Also Monaco for the day was great! The weather was perfect for walking around without breaking a sweat. Tons of beautiful views and buildings. Definitely a fun adventure!
Malta is part of the Schengen Zone so no visa needed for US Citizens but just watch your 90 day count if you are visiting here on a longer trip around Europe
They use euros here so currency is easy 🙂
Uber & Bolt both work for getting around the island
Avoid coming in August as I can only imagine how packed it would be
Bring a friend or partner as I think this would’ve been a lonely place to visit solo
Decide if you want to stay the entire time on Malta or if you want to spend some time in Gozo. Gozo is pretty tiny so would be pretty quiet, but if that’s your thing, could be fun for a night or two
CITY: VALLETTA
HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
Because my best friend Haley joined me in Malta, this was more of a vacation vibe than a backpacker vibe so these places were $200+ per night (good thing I’m staying with friends for most of the rest of the trip 😝) #balance
For our 4 nights in Valletta, we stayed at the Grand Excelsior. Theoretically it’s a five star hotel but was a little tired & dated. The room was very spacious as was the bathroom! We had a little balcony which is always nice. The hotel has a big outdoor pool & indoor pool as well as a little beachfront area where you can jump in the sea. We didn’t eat at the hotel but there were a few options.
WHERE TO EAT:
My favorite restaurant for breakfast was Elephant Shoe. Such yummy breakfast options and felt like a classic brunch spot from home. A real treat since I haven’t had a good brunch in a while! Also the service was top notch, which isn’t always the case in Europe haha.
We also had breakfast at Manouche Craft Bakery which had a nice menu + lovely outdoor patio.
For dinner, check out Papannis. Right in the center of Valletta, it’s a cute, upscale restaurant with great locale cuisine menu options. Haley tried the rabbit here!
WHAT TO DO:
Three main things I’d recommend:
Day trip to Comino & Gozo – We signed up for this one through Viator. You sail from the North part of the island to Comino to visit/swim in the Blue Lagoon, then have a few hours to explore the island of Gozo. This is a must!! If you don’t care about visiting Gozo, there’s also an option to stay at the Blue Lagoon for a few extra hours (while the others visit Gozo).
Walking around Valletta – the streets & views are so charming!
Taking a water taxi to the “three cities” across from Valletta – check out Senglea & Birgu. The water taxi was a fun experience in and of itself and only costs 3 euros per person. Walking around the small fortified cities was a great way to spend a half day.
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
Valletta was fabulous! Charming, medieval, & highly walkable. It was a great first stop back in Europe after 2 years away! Haley & I had a blast meandering & catching up during out time in Valletta.
CITY: MDINA
HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
We stayed at Palazzo Bifora in Mdina. Obviously Mdina is TINY, but it was fun to stay in the middle of it. This hotel is quite small but it felt really nice. The room is quite small (but that what’s available in a quaint, small medieval walled in city 😅). Breakfast was included! Would highly recommend at this hotel if you plan to stay here! Also, Haley told them we were celebrating our friendship anniversary so we arrived to this gorgeous room haha
WHERE TO EAT:
I wouldn’t say we were overly impressed with any of the restaurants, except the restaurant at our hotel. Definitely worth the splurge!
We also obviously found some sweet treats to try around town! Try Fior di Latte for an afternoon gelato.
WHAT TO DO:
It doesn’t take long to explore all of Mdina, it’s so so so small, but we enjoyed strolling through all the quiet alleys and taking lots of pictures 🙂
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
I’m glad we stayed in Mdina for 2 nights even though there’s not much to do. We loved the slow pace, especially at night when it really emptied out (since most people just come visit a a day trip). We even said we could’ve spent another night here, but I think Haley & I would be happy to spend time anywhere together haha.
BUDGET FOR 6 DAYS IN MALTA:
Accommodation: $766 ($110 per night)
Food: $200
Activities: $45
Local Transportation: $71
Miscellaneous: $10
Total: $1092 (Daily average: $182)
Transportation to next destination: $100 (Flight to Marseille + train to Nice)
Well I’ve officially been on the road for over a year!! I can’t believe how fast time flies when you are having fun… & jet setting around the world! If you know me at all in real life, you know there are two topics that get me more excited than anything else: Travel & Personal Finance. So I thought it would be fun (for me anyway haha) to put together a post on what one year of international travel can look like from a financial perspective.
Some considerations:
This is only for one person (me)
I travel fairly cheaply (mostly staying in hostels) & in general don’t have expensive taste in food or transportation, but I also am saying yes to any experiences that I want to say yes to
I am traveling fairly quickly so taking lots of flights + moving locations every 3-5 days usually. It’s much cheaper to travel slower
I am not traveling in a super logical route. For example, while in Europe I went to England, then Northern Ireland, then France, then England, then Switzerland, then England, then Ireland… I was meeting up with different friends at different points so while it wasn’t logical, it made sense for what I was doing. However, again this is an area that one can make cheaper if they don’t travel in circles like I did haha
I am flying home to California quite often for Christmas, my 30th birthday, and for some weddings. Again this is driving up some inefficiencies.
Here’s the trip summary leaving in June 2023, covering 30 countries across 6 continents:
6 months in Europe + Egypt – 19 countries
.5 month CA visit for Christmas
1 month Fiji & New Zealand with my family – 2 countries
3 months Southeast Asia + Japan – 6 countries
.5 month CA visit for my birthday
2 months Mexico + Colombia – 2 countries
In full transparency, my parents kindly paid for Fiji, NZ & Japan since I was with them for those three countries (very, very lucky!!) so this analysis will cover roughly 10 months (FJ, NZ, Japan + CA visits were roughly free). Also on this trip, I have tried to add what I spent in each country to its dedicated blog post so hopefully that’s helpful (for example: scroll to the bottom of this blog post to see how much I spent for 3 weeks in the Philippines).
Here we go…
Total Spend: $34.5k USD
Spend by Segment
This shows a breakdown of the total spend by trip segment. Obviously Europe will be the highest since that was the longest segment of the trip so far. Pre-trip expenses include: clothes, Workaway membership, initial flights, & electronics. Health insurance for the duration of the trip was $170 per month ($2,040 for the year).
Average Daily Spend by Region
This shows the daily cost by region, which makes it far easier to compare the costs agnostic of time spent in each spot. It’s no surprise that Mexico was the most costly since I did pay for my sister to join me 🙂 It’s amazing to me that Southeast Asia was my cheapest average spend, as I was living my best life while there.
I spent $351 on 22 hours of massage (average of $16 per hour).
I spent $577 on 13 dives (average of $44 per dive).
I did a 3 day sailing trip around the Philippines ($570)
I did a 3 day cruise of Ha Long Bay ($250)
I did a 4 day motorcycle ride through Northern Vietnam ($300)
I spent $450 on tailor made clothes in Hoi An.
This is opposed to Europe where the only “experience” I spent money on was the hot air ballon ride in Turkey ($210 per person). Put another way: in Europe, the activities category made up 15% of total spend. In SEA, the activities category made up 35% of total spend.
Spend by Category
This is a breakdown of how much I spent by category. As expected, accommodation is my largest spend, but I am actually proud of myself for spending so much on activities! I can be pretty stingy with spend so I love that I have said yes to so many experiences on this trip. A lot of them ended up in my top 5 memories of the trip 🙂 You’ll find the breakdown for the trip overall as well as by region.
Europe (6 months): $18.1k
Southeast Asia (2 months): $7.5k
Colombia & Mexico (2 months): $5.9k
Spend by Month
This breaks down my spend by month! Sept was particularly high because I managed to spend $1400 in 3 days in Switzerland (thank you last minute rental car & expensive destination). October was lower because 3 weeks of that I was au pairing in Spain with living expenses covered. As noted on the graph, Dec, Jan, April & June are all low spend months because either I spent 2 weeks at home or my parents were with me. I averaged $2,877 per month over the course of this year, which when you compare it to what I spent just living in San Francisco, this is actually cheaper!
Top 5 experiences of the trip so far:
Hiking Milford Track in New Zealand ($2,045 USD, but my parents paid for this)
Riding Motorbikes through the Ha Giang Loop in Vietnam ($300 USD)
Scuba Diving with Thresher Sharks in the Philippines ($88 USD)
Hot Air Balloon Ride in Turkey (~$200 USD per person)
Hiking in Switzerland (~$35 USD)
Top tips for traveling cheaper:
Stay in dorms in hostels – you might sacrifice a bit on quality of sleep but in general the cost savings + meeting so many cool people makes this a great resource for traveling on the cheap.
You’ll notice I spent almost $4500 on eating out. If you are staying in airbnbs or hostels with kitchens (more common in Europe, NZ & Australia), buy groceries!
Travel slower. As I mentioned, you’ll save a lot on accommodation costs if you can book a month long airbnb rather than hotels/hostels for a few nights at a time. This also will bring down your transportation costs.
Fly less! Unfortunately I am doing a lot of flying. I’d be saving a ton of money if I was doing bus/train travel.
Only take a carryon backpack. You’ll save on baggage fees every time you do have to fly.
Use credit card points to book flights.
Consider doing WOOFING or Workaway to save money in exchange for working a few hours a week (usually ~20).
Make friends on the road and then go visit them in their hometowns. It’s the best way to experience a place in a (usually) non-touristy place & you save money on accommodation: it’s a win-win!
Hope this was helpful!!! Wish me luck on my next year of adventures, starting with more time in South America 🙂
After our incredible family trip in Fiji, the Nichols headed to New Zealand for a big adventure on the South Island. We flew to Christchurch before picking up a car to roadtrip our way to Queenstown. Ultimately we would embark on a bucket list adventure: the guided Milford Track! Will the Nichols survive another 2.5 weeks together in a car? Stay tuned!
CITY: Christchurch
HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTs
ACCOMMODATION:
We stayed at this Airbnb. It was a great location (about a 5-10 min walk to the CBD) and the beds were super comfy. Unfortunately I had gotten sick at the end of our time in Fiji and was still recovering here, but this was a lovely place to be stuck in bed.
WHERE TO EAT:
Given I was still quite sick, I barely had energy to eat or leave the airbnb, but I did manage to get out for a meal at Riverside Market, a very cool food hall. It’s right on the Avon River, and it’s a great place for a drink, a treat, lunch, or dinner! Highly recommend a stop here.
Sweet treat at the Riverside Market
WHAT TO DO:
Unfortunately being sick here meant I had no energy to do much here. The one thing I managed to drag myself out of bed for was some punting on the Avon! It’s a lovely way to pass some time in the afternoon. Enjoy a relaxing meander down the river. We had a beautiful sunny day & I was glad I got to do it. It’s also nice to just walk along the Avon River, which has beautiful green grass & trees to shade you.
The other thing I would recommend doing is checking out the Margaret Mahy playground. If it sounds weird to recommend a playground, hear me out. It’s a very cool all-ages, all-abilities playground that is truly worth seeing.
I headed back to the airbnb, but my parents & sister rode the cable car around the perimeter of town + also strolled through the Christchurch Botanical Gardens.
There’s also a gondola you can take to get some breathtaking panoramic views.
Walking along the Avon RiverPunting!
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
While I wish I hadn’t been sick here and got to explore more, I still got very good vibes from Christchurch. Seemed like a very livable, approachable city.
CITY: Lake Tekapo
HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
This was probably my favorite airbnb of the trip! We honestly just absolutely loved spending our evenings watching the sunset + playing cards with the huge sliding glass doors completely open to the outdoors. Magical! Also the sunsets being at 9:30pm is something I could get used to.
This view!!!
WHERE TO EAT:
We ate at the airbnb mostly while here. Lake Tekapo is fairly small, but there are a few restaurants right next to the lake as well as some coffee shops.
WHAT TO DO:
We did three main activities while here:
Hiking to Mt. Cook – Hooker Valley Trail. This was incredible! No permit required, we just parked and started the ~7 mile out & back trail. We got very lucky and got views of Mt. Cook the entire time. Often clouds can obscure its visibility.
View from afarThe final view at the end of the hike, before turning around
Tekapo Springs – We thought this would be more serene, natural, and relaxing. In reality, it’s more like a kids waterpark. We wouldn’t recommend it.
More like a kids pool vibe
Hiking Mount John Summit- We hiked this loop right before going to the Tekapo Springs as you can park in the same place. Gorgeous views of the lake from the top- highly recommend!
I mean the color of the lake!!Cute Mama
Unfortunately we missed doing the Dark Sky Project – guided star gazing. We honestly thought it might hokey, but in all honestly I think we regret skipping it. Although, just “normal” star gazing from the airbnb was spectacular!
Also, just walking along the lake is beautiful. There were nice pathways along the lakefront with some art installations.
Meg, the travelerEllie, the modelLake Tekapo
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
While the actual town is quite small, we just loved sitting at our airbnb in the evenings (with the late, late sunsets) and watching the world go by. The views are stunning and the pace is so lovely & slow. The color of the lake is such a cool shade of blue. The mountains are gorgeous, and it’s nice that Mt. Cook is only an hour away. I would’ve happily stayed here a week, honestly. I really, really enjoyed our time here.
CITY: Wanaka
HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
This was our Airbnb. While the airbnb itself was nice, it was too far to be able to walk into town, which was a bummer. Highly recommend prioritizing access to downtown Wanaka in whatever accommodation you book while visiting here. The highlight of the airbnb was the big tub outside on the patio. We all loved this for an evening soak, especially my mom & sister after they went horseback riding!
WHERE TO EAT:
Our favorite restaurant was Francesca’s. Very yummy Italian food. This place books up so make a reservation or plan to get it to go and eat by the water!
Brunch at Federal Diner is a must in Wanaka! My dad raved about the Comfort Kedgeree. Ellie & I loved “The Fix”: House made banana bread with Fix & Fogg chocolate & peanut butter 🙂
We also loved eating at the Brownston Street Food Truck market. They had probably over 10 different food trucks, all with yummy food! Something for everyone 🙂
Food truck milkshakeFederal Diner
WHAT TO DO:
My mom & sister went horseback riding and absolutely loved about it (it’s just not my thing so I skipped it).
I loved reading my book on the beach by the lake. I also took myself to a movie at the classic old Paradiso Theater. There are only three screens and some of the seating is cool, funky couches.
The highlight of our time in Wanaka was the 40km electric bike ride we did along the Dunstan Trail. From the website: The Lake Dunstan Trail is the 23rd and newest trail in the Ngā Haerenga Great Rides of New Zealand network and links the townships of Clyde and Cromwell. It was so much fun, but we were all very sore the next day! The trail ended near a winery so we took a much needed break for a lovely snack & drink in a beautiful setting, before returning to Wanaka.
Water front in WanakaStart of the rideLunch mid way through the ride – made on a boat!SquadHorseback riding
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
I just love Wanaka. I would live here in a heartbeat. My parents thought the same. I think they are ready to spend a few months here sometime in the future! This is a must do stop on any NZ South Island itinerary!
CITY: Queenstown
HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
We stayed in Queenstown one night before we left for the Milford Track and three nights upon our return. Honestly neither of the accommodations were note-worthy. Queenstown can be expensive and it can be hilly so I recommend booking early and looking for a place very close to the center of town so you are not huffing & puffing up the hill to your stay.
WHERE TO EAT:
Fergburger! Need I say more? The most famous burger joint in the world 🙂
We had a more fancy dinner at The Grille, which had excellent service and very yummy food.
I returned to my favorite brunch spot I ate at on my 2019 trip: Vudu Cafe
I loved going to CookieTime for a cookie dough milkshake! Although at this point I have mastered my own recipe for cookie dough, which I think is way better…. haha
Our favorite meal was at Bella Cucina our last night together. It’s very popular so get a reservation 🙂 The food was mouthwateringly delicious. It made our last evening together quite lovely. We loved reminiscing over this incredible trip over yummy food & great drinks.
FergburgerFergburgerCookieTime for some milkshakesCookieTimeThe GrilleBella CucinaBella CucinaFinal dinner together
WHAT TO DO:
I don’t even know where to start! There is literally so much to do in Queenstown, but make sure to bring your wallet hehe.
Here’s a (non-exhaustive) list of things to do (bold are the ones we did):
Paragliding – wish I had done this – would’ve been amazing views on a sunny day
Swimming in the lake
Bike around the lake
Mountain biking
Skydiving
CanyoningPre- bungy jumpPost bungy jumpSquad takes on the Nevis Swing
Luging
Got a bit competitive while lugingOr should I say, Dad took it competitively Full Wipeout!
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
Obviously I love Queenstown! It’s one of my favorite places in the world and I was very happy to spend another 3 days here. It’s very easy to fill your time in Queenstown and I love that there’s such a variety of activities between just enjoying the vibe of the town, shopping, eating yummy food, getting your adrenaline up, soaking up the lake views, & experiencing the nature. Can’t go wrong here! Would happily return here for a third visit anytime.
Lake frontLovely sunset walk at 9:05pm
CITY: Milford Track
HOW LONG: 5 day/4 NIGHT adventure
You can either do the Milford Track on your own (thru hikers) which means you carry your tent, sleeping bag, & food, or you can pay a pretty penny to do a guided tour with Ultimate Hikes. They are the only company that you can do the guided hike with and it sells out as this is very popular so book ahead. This is a bucket list item for a lot of people, including my Dad!
The Milford Track is one of the “Great Walks” of New Zealand & you walk 54km (33.5 miles) through the heart Fiordland National Park and you end in the gorgeous Milford Sound.
ACCOMMODATION:
You stay in private lodges all four nights and they were all lovely. Each had everything you needed (even if it was fairly basic), but the views were always incredible. Also they all had fabulous common areas to hang with the other hikers in your group, play cards, stretch, & rest after the hard day’s hiking. I have nothing bad to say about the lodges. It’s pretty incredible how pleasant they are when they are literally located in the middle of nowhere and are only accessible by helicopter or by foot.
Loved the viewBasic, but clean!We could see 20 waterfalls from our window at this lodgeOur favorite lodge was the one at the end at Milford Sound!
WHERE TO EAT:
LOL not much choice along this track 😉 But I cannot emphasize how incredible the food is along the trip. I am amazed at the freshness & quality of each meal (although lunch is build your own wrap or sandwich, but I am not complaining). Dinner each night had a few courses and you go to choose from a few options for your main course. I am not exaggerating when I say it was some of the best food we had on our trip,, which again is incredible when all the food has to be helicoptered in.
Sample menu!!
WHAT TO DO:
Hike 🙂 Here’s the official itinerary. The first day is pretty easy (1 mile). The second and fourth day are medium (10 & 13 miles, but fairly low elevation change). The third day is by far the hardest (9 miles, but you go up and over the pass). It’s the longest day and it’s hard on your knees. But it was also my favorite day as we had gotten rain the night before, so we were treated to hundreds of small & large waterfalls coming down the mountains and into the valley’s. It was so, so magical.
At the trailhead – we had no idea what we were in for 🙂Cutest mama in the worldRain gave us some gorgeous waterfallsI mean!!!A little peak of Sutherland FallsMy favorite waterfallMade it to Milford Sound!Hiking buddiesThe final mile markerMilford Sound in all it’s beauty!
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
This was truly a top 3 moment of my trip so far, and that’s saying something given I’ve been traveling for 7 months and NZ was my 21st country of the trip. I’ve done tons of cool stuff, but the combination of being in the mountains (my favorite), the hundreds of waterfalls, being with my family, and meeting tons of new people, just made this such a special experience! While it’s not cheap (thanks Mom & Dad!!), I can highly recommend this trip if you like hiking in gorgeous nature. You won’t regret it.
Trip Summary
I can’t even truly put into words how much fun this trip was! How often do you get to go on a family vacation with your core family, but everyone is an adult? I loved all our deep conversations, learning more about one another, and even the tears 🙂 I mean would it be a Nichols family trip without some tears shed by me & Ellie haha. But, to be fair, we made a bet at the beginning of the trip on how many tears there would be, and it ended up being less than we expected – so not too shabby!! I can’t believe I got so lucky with my family ❤
How did I get the best, kindest, cutest parents in the world:) So grateful for them & making this dream trip happen ❤
I stayed at Good Morning Solo Traveller Hostel. Overall it was in a great location, it was super easy to meet people and the breakfast spread was fabulous. Given all that, I would definitely stay here again. However, I would advise against doing the all inclusive rate (which I had signed up for after all the reviews encouraged it). It was fairly expensive and as soon as you get to Lisbon, you realize there are just too many fabulous restaurants to try to want to eat at the hostel every meal of the day. You can always sign up for a one off meal if you find that you do want to participate in a dinner here or there. Also, I wouldn’t recommend the Basic 10 bed dorm. I booked it because there were no bunk beds, but there was a weird room within the room (this is all located in the attic) where all the volunteers were sleeping so it was really like 14 people in the room and it had a very weird vibe. It was also hot (and I was there in Dec) so I can’t imagine what summer would’ve been like in that room.
WHERE TO EAT:
Dear Breakfast – Two friends had recommended this spot and it did not disappoint! Cutely decorated and delicious breakfast/brunch food.
Lupita Pizzeria – again it came highly recommended, and I’ll support this recommendation.
Nunes Real Marisqueira – Went here with Emily! On the nicer/fancier side and had great seafood.
Time Out Market – very cool food hall! I went with a group from the hostel & it was fabulous to all get the food we each wanted. Great vibe & lots of options for food.
Nannarella – This literally might’ve been my favorite ice cream place in all of Europe… don’t question it, just make sure to visit here while in Lisbon. Pro tip: get the dollop of cream on top (my fav flavor was Oreo, but all flavors looked good). Also, it’s been featured on Somebody feed Phil!
Lisbon is a fabulous city to just meander, and as the second oldest capital in Europe, there is much to discover. Despite the many hills, none were so dramatic that it prevented a nice stroll, and they often provided beautiful views of the city. Go to one of the many viewpoints, like these ones. I also took a walking tour (there were many times to choose from).
Don’t forget to try a Pastel de Nata. Pasteis de Belem invented them, but the pastries are going to be delicious at many other cafes around the city if you don’t make it out to Belem. But Belem is worth a visit for it’s Tower and seafood restaurants.
My favorite thing to do was my day trip to Sintra! There are so many places to visit in Sintra and easy to go for the day via a 5 Euro train ride. See here for a comprehensive list 🙂 I visited Pena Palace & it’s gardens, Quinta de Regaleira, & The Castle of the Moors. I ran into some folks from the hostel while there so we ended up exploring all together! Pro tip: try Travesserios or Quejadas from Casa Piriquita, which was founded in 1862 and is the most famous pastry shop in Sintra. Fun to try local pastries and it was incredibly affordable. We also had delicious bacon + cheese pastries as a mid day snack from Fábrica da Nata.
Overall Thoughts:
I honestly loved Lisbon. I am not sure if it’s because it was the last stop on my European adventure & I was extremely homesick, but because Lisbon reminded me so much of San Francisco (cable cars, hill, “Golden Gate” bridge, earthquakes, weather, etc), Lisbon totally hit the spot. I just loved the overall vibe and it was extremely easy to explore.
BUDGET FOR 3 days in Lisbon:
Accommodation: $193 ($64 per night) – This includes Full Board, but I never ate lunch/dinner here annoyingly so this was not a good deal. Should’ve been closer to 30 euros a night.
Food: $96
Groceries: $0
Activities: $36
Local Transportation: $5
Total: $343 (Daily average: $115)
Transportation to next destination: $373 (Flight to California for Christmas holidays!)
To get to the city center in Istanbul, you can take a bus from the airport called Havaist or the new metro line (M11). We ended up taking the bus.
Unless you plan on getting around exclusively by taxi, you will need to buy an Istanbulkart (a contactless, prepaid transportation card) to be able to use the metro and other public transportation services (tram, bus, Metrobus and ferry) in Istanbul. (Highly recommend taking a ferry at some point!). We got confused by the machines, but you need to find one that sells the actual card, not just a machine that tops up an existing card. I found that using google translate app was quite helpful in figuring this out.
Here’s a great guide of how to get to/from the airport.
It’s helpful to get cash out as many vendors/taxis only took cash (if you are American, make sure to get a Charles Schwab debit card to get any ATM fees reimbursed)
Jake is so happy to be on hour 29 of traveling!!
ACCOMMODATION:
We splurged on hotels in the other two spots in Turkey so we stayed in a private room at the Cheers hostel in Istanbul. We thought it would cool to have views (see two photos below) of the Hagia Sofia, which was indeed true until the Call to Prayer woke us up twice throughout the night every single night. Night ideal when Jake was trying to adjust to an 11 hour time zone change.
The hostel room was very old and basic, but it did the job. However, the room was quite warm & the AC was turned off for the winter. Normally wouldn’t be a problem to just use the windows to cool the room off at night, but we couldn’t leave the windows open because the city was so dang loud. Between the garbage getting collected at all hours of the night, construction starting at 6am (it felt like), and the Call to Prayer, we couldn’t get any sleep if the windows were open. The free breakfast was pretty great and there was a hostel bar, so overall seemed like a decent hostel.
WHERE TO EAT:
Incili Mozaik – We ate here our first night after a long day of travel (8 hrs for me, 30hrs + for Jake) so we ended up in the touristy area close to our hostel. We honestly expected subpar, yet expensive food as such, but we ended up loving the food. We might even say it was out favorite meal in Istanbul (although it could be just that we were so tired & hungry that anything tasted good haha). My Turkish meatballs were so moist & tasty. Jake loved the assortment of meats he got. Honestly, a great spot that is very close to the Hagia Sofia.
Zapata Burger– Because we couldn’t find a restaurant that served a Thanksgiving meal, we decided to just go out for a classic American meal – Cheeseburger + fries 🙂 This burger was fabulous and the fries weren’t half bad. Although we would’ve rather had some turkey and mashed potatoes, this was a great alternative.
What to do:
There is so much to do in Istanbul – it’s a huge city! Here are a few highlights:
Hagia Sofia – you can’t not visit it (you also won’t miss it, as you can hear the call to prayer 5-6 times a day and it’s LOUD)
Blue Mosque – I actually this one was more beautiful
Kadikoy- our favorite neighborhood. Just make sure to map to the center of this area as google maps took us to a very weird part of the neighborhood where nothing was going on lol. You can use Zapata Burger to map yourself to & then you’ll be in the mix of the neighborhood.
Do a Hammam – Here’s a summary of what it is & some of the best places to do one. It’s a must do while in Turkey if you like spa experiences.
We loved taking the ferry across from the European part of the city (we stayed in Sultanahmet since it was close to a lot of the mosques) to the Asian part of the city (if I came back, I’d stay in Kadikoy).
Overall Thoughts:
I have mixed feelings about Istanbul. On the one hand, it’s huge & loud & overwhelming & busy (fun fact: Istanbul topped the list for the number of international arrivals in 2023, followed by London & Dubai). On the other hand, there were some cool pockets & neighborhoods with fun cafes, nice large sidewalks for strolling, & beautiful architecture. Given I spent 5 days here, I don’t feel like I missed much that I would’ve wanted to do, but if I had only done 2-3 days, I might’ve felt like I needed to return.
CITY: Cappadocia
HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
I can’t say enough good things about Kelebek Cave Hotels. The room itself was spectacular and just so unique. It was huge and the bed was so comfy. The free breakfast buffet was extensive and the views from everywhere in the property were stunning. The thing that really took it over the top was the staff were all incredibly helpful and bent over backwards to make sure our stay was excellent. They booked everything for us (airport transfers, hot air ballon ride, sunset ATV ride, and even mailed some postcards on my behalf). Can’t recommend this hotel enough!
WHERE TO EAT:
Inci Cave Restaurant – We met some other travelers at lunch at chatted with them so we invited them for dinner that night. The restaurant put us in a private room that was basically a carved out cave. Very cool! Food was pretty good, but the room was the standout element. It was fun to have some new people to chat to as well!
Turkish ravioli restaurant – we’d heard about the Turkish so when we came across this restaurant we knew we had to eat here! Jake said it was one of his favorite meals in Turkey. Nice ambiance and excellent service.
What to do:
There were quite a few activities to choose from in Cappadocia, although it’s really known for their incredible Hot Air Ballon rides.
Sunrise Hot Air Balloon rides – this is why most people come to this region, and it did not disappoint! The scenery from up above is unreal- it felt like a mixture of Sedona, Bryce Canyon, & Mars. It was so peaceful, serene and magical the entire ride. It was truly incredible to see the scenery and once you add 100 other balloons also along the horizon – it’s just indescribable. At the peak, we were 950m above the ground! FYI they can often get cancelled due to weather, and it was cancelled both mornings we were there… luckily we were able to change our flights to later on the day on our last morning there and the balloons were good to go! Well worth the stress of changing last minute flights. We paid 180 euros per person, which isn’t cheap, but it’s a no brainer to do. Our hotel arranged it all for us, so it was a breeze. I would recommend booking the balloon flight for your first morning you are there so if it gets cancelled, you still have other mornings to go. It’s for this reason too that I would say you should spend a few days here in case your first go at it is cancelled. Also it was quite cold in November when we went, so bring layers if you are going in winter.
Sunset ATV ride – This started out not that fun as it was freezing cold (we were here in November) and it was raining… not a recipe for success. They gave us rain jackets, but the weather literally put a damper on the experience. However, the weather turned a little clearer by the end and we did get to explore a few awesome views/sites in the end, including Rose Valley, Love Valley, & Red Valley. Unfortunately the clouds ruined any chance of a sunset, but we still enjoyed the experience. Maybe just check the weather before you book! Here’s an example of a tour (although we just booked ours through our hotel the night before).
Take the Red or Green day tours – We did the Green one, as this is what other folks had recommended. We got to see one of the underground cities (pretty impressive), Pigeon Valley, an Onyx factory, Selime Monastery, a nice hike along a river (although ours was shortened due to weather) & Goreme Panorama. This is a nice way to see a ton of sites in an efficient manner.
We loved grabbing a drink or snack at one of the many cool restaurants that have views of the city.
There are a few walks/hikes you can do, but when we tried to do one, we experienced the craziest/strongest wind either of us had ever seen so we didn’t last long before seeking refuge in a cafe for some lunch.
Overall Thoughts:
Cappadocia is definitely worth a visit! It’s so unique and I enjoyed it for more than just the hot air ballon ride (although this was undoubtably the highlight). This was my favorite stop in Turkey!
CITY: Antalya
HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
We stayed at the Perge Hotel in Antalya, which was almost amazing. The room itself was awesome! We really splurged and got a room with an amazing private deck & hot tub, knowing that the pool would be closed for the season. The room was huge and literally had two bathrooms, basically a dream. The location was great – right on the Mediterranean, but still walking distance to the Old Town. However, the hotel was a bit of ghost town (to be fair we were there in off season in Nov, but still it was odd). The front desk staff were very strange, awkward and not very helpful. They charged us 70 euros for laundry and didn’t tell this upfront (obscenely expensive for laundry). If they had had the customer service level of the Kelebek hotel, this stay would’ve been perfect!
WHERE TO EAT:
Mono Terrace – This was the only standout restaurant in Antalya that we ate at. The food was great, but even better was the rooftop vibe & views. Definitely go at sunset! Cocktails were fun & reasonably priced, which was a bonus.
What to do:
There is definitely way more to do here in the summertime, as this is the most popular beach destination in all of Turkey. People scuba, snorkel, go on a boat cruises and just lay in the sun on the beach. Given it was in the 60’s most days, we did not have those options. In fact, it was quite slow and quiet when we were there.
It poured rain one day so we headed to the mall and went to a movie (3 hr movie in Turkish 🤪). Honestly going to movies while traveling is one of my favorite ways to escape a bad weather day! (But normally I prefer English movies with local subtitles 🙃)
When the sun popped up, we meandered the streets of Old Town. It was actually quite nice to explore without the throngs of tourists that I’m sure are here in the summer.
I went on some runs (Jake tried to join me but couldn’t keep up 😄) through Old Town and along the water front.
We meant to go on a hike to see some waterfalls but ended up just enjoying the gorgeous deck and tiny private pool on the hottest day we had. After a fairly packed week of activities, we were happy to have a chill day, mostly playing cards (I won – don’t worry).
Overall Thoughts:
Antalya would’ve been awesome if we’d been here during the summer. However, despite being here in the offseason, we still enjoyed it. I’d happily return to check it out when it’s more happening.
BUDGET FOR 14 days in Turkey:
Accommodation: $1,433 ($102 per night): Jake and I decided to splurge and stay at cool/fancy hotels since it was overall pretty good bang for your buck.
Food: $238
Groceries: $0
Activities: $442 (I treated Jake to the hot air balloon ride since he didn’t really want to go in the first place (weirdo), which accounts for $180 of this)
Local Transportation: $271 (includes 3 flights within Turkey)
Total: $343 (Daily average: $170)
Transportation to next destination: $51 (Flight to London)
