Travel like Royalty – Get more travel bang for your Aussie buck
Travelling overseas in the next 6 months? Everyone wants to get value for money when travelling overseas, because let’s face it, overseas trips don’t come around that often. To help you holiday like royalty for less, we at Finance Detective have taken a closer look at the Aussie dollar to discover where you will get the most bang for your buck!
The current Aussie dollar
The Australian dollar has fallen a long way since the good old days when it was sitting over 1 US dollar. Do you remember how good it was when the Aussie dollar battled it out $1 for $1 with the US.
Recent predictions say that the US dollar will gain in strength due to beliefs that president-elect Donald Trump will boost the world’s economy through tax breaks and more money spent on infrastructure. This combined with higher yields for US government bonds have seen the US dollar performing well. Meanwhile, the Australian dollar is predicted to fall due to job losses and decline in iron-ore futures. (The Australian, 17 November 2017)
If you’re waiting for the good news, here it is. There are still plenty of destinations where you can travel and stretch the Australian dollar further and have an amazing holiday. Thanks to some inspiration from Jane Reddy’s article Warning: dip ahead, we’ve selected our favourite 5 destinations to travel to while our dollar is falling.
Bali
There’s a good reason why Bali was ranked 3 in Australia’s most popular holiday destinations in 2015 by traveller.com.au. Combined with ridiculously cheap flights, once you’re in Bali you can spend as much, or as little as you like. There are accommodation options and food choices to suit everyone’s budget, and you can live like royalty splurging on massages, beauty treatments and eating out for very little cash.
Tip: Keep your eye out for when the airlines release cheap flights. It could save you up to 50%.
Cook Islands
A holiday to the South Pacific is very affordable. While it looks like an unaffordable destination due to it’s white sandy beaches and tropical vibes, the currency in the Cook Islands is the New Zealand dollar, which is currently weaker against the Australian dollar. Another bonus is that the food is cheap and you can eat beautiful food for next to nothing.
Tip: Eat local at the food carts and markets to save money on food.
Brazil
The Australian dollar performs well against the Brazilian Real, and the cost of living means you get more bang for your buck. With the Rio Olympics now over, it’s a good time to head to Brazil and the most of all the infrastructure upgrades and investments in tourism that took place for the games back in August.
Tip: Travel off-peak
Mexico
Again, the Australian dollar buys a lot in this South American land of Coronas and tacos. Cheap food, accommodation and drinks make this a great escape for those wanting to keep a hold of their Aussie Dollars.
Tip: Although organised tours can be great, they can also be more expensive.
South Africa
Taking in the sights on safari in South Africa might seem for out of reach, but the Aussie dollar performs quite well against the South African Rand. Eating in South Africa is very cheap, and you have to admit, eating is a huge part of being on holiday!
Tip: Plan your itinerary carefully, some locations can be much more expensive than others to explore.
Wherever you go, we hope you have a lovely holiday season! Happy Travels 🙂