Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel place?

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cherijoh
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by cherijoh »

john94549 wrote:
livesoft wrote:Are you thinking of just living on a rural farm somewhere in the middle of nowhere? I hear this is what a farmhouse in parts of France are like. They come with a one-speed bike to ride into town for a baguette and cheese.

You could do this in Iowa, too. OK, no bike, no cheese, and no baguette.
Spring for the "sandwich jambon, avec fromage". "Moutard?" Mais, oui. Clean, quiet, safe, and cheap defines rural just about anywhere in Europe, France included.
It depends on your definition of cheap. France is ranked at 13th most expense country by cost of living index (101.95) out of 119 countries shown here: http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/ra ... ountry.jsp. Portugal would be a much cheaper choice in western Europe with a COL index of 67.78.
atwood
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by atwood »

travelnut11 wrote:Luang Prabang, Laos. Lots of great Western amenities but quiet and beautiful scenery with many options to venture out into the beautiful countryside.
Excellent suggestion. Clean, quiet, safe, lots of international visitors, cheap, good food and a very relaxing atmosphere.
livesoft
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by livesoft »

oragne lovre wrote:
livesoft wrote:Are you thinking of just living on a rural farm somewhere in the middle of nowhere? I hear this is what a farmhouse in parts of France are like. They come with a one-speed bike to ride into town for a baguette and cheese.
Do you happen to have links to such French places?
Here is a place used by my spouse and friends: http://www.dominiquesvillas.co.uk
HOWEVER, they said that such an agency probably raises the price by 40%, so they would try other ways such as VRBO.
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dolphinsaremammals
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by dolphinsaremammals »

Faith20879 wrote: I've also heard that in some developing countries, animal or sometimes human waste are used as fertilizers.
Have you not been to your local garden store and seen the bags of composted cow manure? The stork does not deliver food to your table :D
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Dutch
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by Dutch »

Argentina must be super cheap these days.
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Peter Foley
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by Peter Foley »

If you avoid the ski season, the Aosta Valley in Italy is very nice. There are hostels there that are very inexpensive during the shoulder seasons.
aerofreaky11
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by aerofreaky11 »

How about the highland plateau of Colombia. 50-70 daily. Quiet, nice people. How about a small city like Suesca, Zipicon, Villa De Leyva, or Facatativa? All are an affordable taxi (or cheap bus) ride from Bogota's airport. I think you would be pleasantly surprised with the daily life. There are always weekend activities, parades, festivals, and live music. It is safe, cheap, and I can attest to world standard medical care. Of the cities I mentioned, Villa De Leyva is the most expensive, but still not really so. Transportation to these cities could be arranged ahead of time and your transfer would be easy. A cool thing about this area is that you are a short drive or flight away from the tropical climate. i.e. in Facatativa, it is a 40 minute bus ride to tropical paradise with small hotels with pools and a beautiful water park--not the ride kind... Google "PARQUE SAN FELPE DE LA VEGA" and look at some of the photos.
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tc101
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by tc101 »

How about the highland plateau of Colombia. 50-70 daily.
I read somewhere that there is a lot of kidnapping in Columbia. Is that not true?
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avalpert
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by avalpert »

travelnut11 wrote:
avalpert wrote:
travelnut11 wrote:Luang Prabang, Laos. Lots of great Western amenities but quiet and beautiful scenery with many options to venture out into the beautiful countryside.
Eh, overcrowded tourist spot. Much better places in Laos than that.
Certainly I agree with you but LP would make a great base for someone interested in venturing out a bit into Laos but who admits to being past the backpacker scene.
If I were basing myself for a long period I would pick the outskirts of Vientiane. If I was looking to spend 4 months and was more open to splitting my time I would base myself in Luang Namtha for a while and explore the northern hills, Vientiane for a bit to see the only French colonial capital I haven't disliked, and Pakse to explore the Mekong region (if I really wanted an adventure I'd ride local boats down the Mekong through northern Cambodia). You can spend a few days in Laung Prabang between Luang Namtha and Vientiane.
avalpert
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by avalpert »

tc101 wrote:
How about the highland plateau of Colombia. 50-70 daily.
I read somewhere that there is a lot of kidnapping in Columbia. Is that not true?
It's a lot better than it was a decade ago - as with most of these type of security issues it is a localized risk that can be avoided if you choose where you go intelligently.
TravelerMSY
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by TravelerMSY »

When I want those qualities I just stay home.
livesoft
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by livesoft »

TravelerMSY wrote:When I want those qualities I just stay home.
Thanks for expressing my thoughts exactly. :)
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oragne lovre
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by oragne lovre »

livesoft wrote:
oragne lovre wrote:
livesoft wrote:Are you thinking of just living on a rural farm somewhere in the middle of nowhere? I hear this is what a farmhouse in parts of France are like. They come with a one-speed bike to ride into town for a baguette and cheese.
Do you happen to have links to such French places?
Here is a place used by my spouse and friends: http://www.dominiquesvillas.co.uk
HOWEVER, they said that such an agency probably raises the price by 40%, so they would try other ways such as VRBO.
Many thanks for the tip.
The finest, albeit the most difficult, of all human achievements is being reasonable.
larmando
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by larmando »

Try Greece (Crete, for example)
rixer
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by rixer »

Hawaii, you pick the Island. It's clean, safe, can be cheap if you rent a VRBO or AirB&B, they speak English so no language barrier, there is plenty to do and there are people from all over the world to meet.
aerofreaky11
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by aerofreaky11 »

I read somewhere that there is a lot of kidnapping in ColOmbia. Is that not true?
:confused

Take a look at some more recent facts about Colombia. The areas I suggested are safe. Just like there are areas in the US you would probably not want to visit, down the road the picture is completely different. The NYT and other media typically have a few Colombia travel pieces a year. Tourism there is "hot."

I have been there more times than I can count, all across the country from the coast to the Amazon. Only one bad experience with a taxi driver in Medellin--he was a jerk.
scone
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by scone »

The back country of Australia can be fairly cheap, and it's pretty safe. Because of the heat, I would stay down south at this time of year-- possibly Tasmania. But if you want to be near the Great Barrier Reef, try Macleay island, near Brisbane.
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dgdevil
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by dgdevil »

Dave55 wrote:New Zealand.... but I do not know if it is cheap. It is clean safe and quiet though especially the south island.
Dave
Not cheap at all, but the other criteria might be fulfilled. I would split my time between NZ and Australia - not necessarily 50/50 - with an excursion to the Cook Islands. NZ is really small and could be boring depending on your requirements. A strengthening USD would lessen some of the grief at the supermarket.
Dutch wrote:Argentina must be super cheap these days.
Killer inflation, and now quite dangerous. Who would have guessed Colombia would end up being one of the safest, most welcoming countries in Latin America?
TravelerMSY
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by TravelerMSY »

Argentina is super cheap as long as you get the blue market exchange rather than the official rate.
frequentT
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by frequentT »

Boquette, Panama: meets all your criteria + pleasant climate
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ram
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by ram »

I live in such a place. The 'cheap' will be cheap as in a rural midwest town. Will be more costly than many parts of rural Asia. Summer weather is excellent. Five months of snow.
Also check out door county , Wisconsin on the banks of lake Michigan. This is crowded by rural midwest standards but nothing like NY or Chicago.
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DireWolf
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by DireWolf »

Spain
WhyNotUs
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by WhyNotUs »

Loas, if you liked Thailand way back when you will like Laos.
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reggiesimpson
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by reggiesimpson »

Check out these folks http://travelingloveaffair.blogspot.com/
They have made world and U.S. travel a lifestyle and an art form for two decades. Very experienced and knowledgeable and i am sure they could help you in your quest.
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William4u
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by William4u »

+1 on Little Corn Island in Nicaragua. However, it take a little more time and money to get there, but once you are there it is pretty inexpensive.
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VictoriaF
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Re: Clean, quiet, safe and cheap. Is there such a travel pla

Post by VictoriaF »

The city Košice is Slovakia is clean, quiet, safe and cheap. I spent two days there in 2013 and would return.

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