budget

We choose the places we travel to according to a variety of interests―relaxation, culture, food, aesthetic natural phenomenon, history, or maybe just bragging rights―but for most of us, such expeditions must always come with another concern: expense. One little Central American country, however, comes with an attractive mix of tourist-satisfying experiences as well as a modest price tag―El Salvador, the smallest but most densely populated country in Central America. For the travel-savvy tourist, El Salvador offers beautiful rural countrysides and a comparatively safe and stress-fee Central American experience. Yes, you’ve probably heard about the safety concerns, and yes, crime rates in El Salvador are high, but almost all of these dangerous altercations relate to gang activity connected to the drug trade. Tourists who practice safety precautions, such as not walking around at night, avoiding bad neighborhoods, and keeping their valuables hidden, should be fine.

Back in the day, the “Grand Tour” was the thing to do for 20-something-year-old rich kids. Young aristocrats would tour Europe searching for cultural enlightenment and a bit of adventure.

When you first meet Tim Olsen, he seems like your average neighbor. He dresses in button-up shirts and jeans, leaves early in the morning for school, comes back home around dinnertime, and mows the lawn on Saturdays.

Whether you want to dive in crystal blue waters, explore ancient ruins, feast on local flavors, or simply lounge on the beach and tan, Mexico’s Riviera Maya has much to offer. And when airfare to Cancun’s international airport is typically half the cost of a ticket to Hawaii, it’s easy to make this tropical vacation fit a tighter budget—if you know where to skimp and where to splurge.Located on the eastern coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, this lush strip of land along the Caribbean is the home of world-renowned scuba spots, ancient Mayan ruins, numerous hotels and resorts, and miles of white sand beaches and bright blue surf.

Next time you plan a trip across “the pond,” why not visit Wales? Not the giant swimming mammals that consume plankton, but the green, mountainous country attached to the western border of England.