Five winter holidays that won’t break the bank

It's time to start booking some warm weather getaways for the winter months, but one look at a booking website will tell you vacations can be pricey around this time of year. If you’re looking for a holiday that won’t break the bank, travel expert Natalie Preddie has some fantastic destinations where your Canadian dollar will stretch further! Watch our chat with her in the video above, and check out these gorgeous vacation spots below.

CROATIA

• Stunning coast lines along the Adriatic Sea as well as fields and rolling green hills inland
• Inland transport is inexpensive
• Very popular as Game of Thrones filming location, especially Dubrovnic where you can sample the best of food and wine
• A lot of family run wineries, chocolate makers, and farms
• Around $75 for a fancy meal and around $100 for a hotel per night

PORTUGAL

• A more frequent destinations for flights
• Well priced flights from Toronto
• Beautiful cities, extensive wine region, gorgeous coastline (Algarve)
• Travel within the country is inexpensive (train, car rental, airplane)
• Food and drink fairly inexpensive with smaller fishing villages, local bakeries, less ‘chains’
• Great weather year round

THAILAND

• Can be as much or as little as you want it to be: Eat street food for a few dollars or a lot on fancy meals
• Transportation around the country is inexpensive and lots of different options (fly, tuk tuk, bus, train)
• Options for accommodation can be luxury beach huts or hotel or even guest houses (Can spend as little as $35 or as much as $60 but the latter is luxury)
• Save money by avoiding Western food, booking tours on arrival and bargain with vendors

KENYA

• Stunning landscapes with gorgeous landscapes
• Best wildlife in the world (Here is where you can see the wildebeest migration)
• From Nairobi to the Mara, there has been a big focus on sustaining wildlife so you will see reserves and rescues everywhere from the city to Mount Kenya to the Mara
• Really just opening up their tourism industry so there are still a lot of deals to be had

COSTA RICA

• One of the top destinations to visit in 2020
• Costa Rica plans to be carbon neutral by 2021, 25% of the country is protected, which is one of the highest percentages in the world
• Lots of wildlife, surfing, microclimates, volcanos, delicious coffee
• More expensive than it used to be because people are aware of everything it has to offer
• Average $50 per day but can be up to $200 depending where you are staying
• Well priced vacation rental is available
• Eat at small, local establishments for the best Costa Rican food and the most affordable
• Transport is easily accessible and at lots of different price points

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