Tag: Budget Travel

11 Days in Egypt Budget Breakdown

Well, this is the big one.

This is a trip that SHOULD have happened December 2021, but thanks to Omicron (that bitch), it didn’t. So finally, my boyfriend and I are heading to Egypt for the holidays.

Below is a photo of the budget breakdown I keep on my Excel spreadsheet:

For this trip we are spending Dec 28 to 30 in Cairo + Dec 30 to Jan 4 in Sharm El-Sheikh + Jan 4 to Jan 7 back in Cairo.

This breakdown will have a lot more pieces, so follow along.

First of all, we had a credit from British Airways from the year before that we could use for the Toronto to Cairo portion of the trip. This flight cost $974.00 per person, roundtrip, with a layover in London. We booked this flight back in February and THANK GOODNESS we did. Why?

Because the last time I checked, our exact same flight was going for….

Yep, $3135.00 per person. Are we flying to Mars? Insane. This is why I will never ever wait to book a flight. Once I see a good deal, I am booking immediately.

For the part of the trip where we travel from Cairo to Sharm El-Sheik we booked with EgyptAir. The cost of this quick flight was $177.00 per person, roundtrip, direct.

Now, the story of this flight.

When our original trip to Egypt had to be cancelled, BA was really easy to get a credit from. But, EgyptAir? No. Nothing easy about it. I emailed and emailed, nothing happened. No refund, no credit, absolutely nothing.

So I looked up their Toronto office and pulled up in-person to be like HEEEEEEEEEY SO ABOUT MY CREDIT OR REBOOKING. The woman at the Yonge and Eg office was so nice, she immediately rebooked us on our new dates for this upcoming trip. Got that done ASAP.

During this trip we are staying at three different places and it is a pretty cool range of experiences.

Initially, we were only supposed to be in Cairo for one night before we head off to Sharm, but BA had a flight change so we ended up with two nights instead. No problem.

Because at the end of the trip we had time allotted for doing the pyramids etc. I wanted something different for these two days. Somewhere we can get away from the busyness of central Cairo and just relax. Get onto this time zone and be normal-ish.

Then I saw the St. Regis Almasa. Oh my goodness. Whew. Go look at that site I embedded.

This place caught my eye immediately. Also, hello, THE ST REGIS? I want to live my best life in one of those robes.

The location of this hotel is outside of Cairo-proper, about 50km in the New Administrative Capital. It is massive, luxurious and most of all, looks very remote and relaxing. We need that.

We booked the Superior King room for $467.00, so $233.50 per person. I realize this is on the pricy end of things for two-nights somewhere, but, YOLO.

St. Regis Almasa Hotel, Cairo

Next on the list was finding a place to stay in Sharm El-Sheikh.

For this we definitely wanted something by a beach and for a change, an all-inclusive. I usually don’t fancy all-inclusive resorts for my trips, but once in a while. Let’s do it.

There was a lot of reading TripAdvisor reviews and looking at photos etc. for this choice. We would be spending New Years Eve here and want to just lay on the beach, with all food and liquor accessible to us.

Eventually we chose the Solymar Naama Bay.

This was everything we wanted; all-inclusive, good reviews and also really close to the party area. We definitely want to go out and party a lot during our trip to Sharm, so this property checked off all the things on our list.

Also, we initially had a whole other place booked, but this one had some REALLY good reviews and it was $400 cheaper than the one we originally booked. Hell yeah.

Total cost for 5-nights is $710.00, so $355.00 per person.

There were LOTS of options in the Sharm area, but the reviews ultimately lead me to choosing this hotel. When we get back I will let you know if they were telling the truth.

Solymar Naama Bay

After we are done relaxing and partying in Sharm, it is time for the final part of our trip in Cairo.

There was a lot of options for where to stay in Cairo. I get it, huge tourist destination with many things to see. We really wanted something closer to the pyramids, so we chose to go with staying in the Giza area.

Hotel choice was Jimmy Pyramids View.

If you look at the photos of this place, it is a pretty simple hotel but the rooftop and room views? Outstanding. Couldn’t be any better.

The total for 3-nights in the Deluxe Double Room with Balcony (and breakfast included) is $303.00, so $151.50 per person.

Heck of a deal, in my opinion.

Views from Jimmy Pyramids View, Giza

For this trip, NO TESTING IS REQUIRED for England or Egypt.

However, a VISA is required for Canadians to purchase for entering Egypt. The cost of that is $25.00USD per person, so about $34.00 per person.

For excursions, the only thing we pre-booked was a private all-inclusive tour of the Giza pyramids.

Can’t go to Egypt and not visit the pyramids.

The tour includes: hotel pick up and drop off, a guide, lunch, 30-minute camel ride and entrance fees for Giza Pyramids + Memphis + Sakkara and the Sphinx.

Total cost is $137.13 per person and the link for the tour is here.

Will let everyone know if it was good when I return. Also, after my trip to UAE a couple of years ago, I feel better prepared for my riding a camel. Last time, it was terrifying when that thing drops to its knees. Thought I was going to face plant into the sand.

Spending money.

This one is kind of a stab in the dark, to be honest. Egypt doesn’t seem like a particularly expensive destination and we are also in an all-inclusive for 6 of the days.

I decided to go with $500.00 Canadian which is 9149 Egyptian Pounds.

Just noting here, the Egyptian Pound has dropped DRASTICALLY this year so I think last year at this time this was like 6000 Pounds for the $500 CAD? Madness.

No idea if this will be enough or too much money. I do plan on spending a lot on partying and food outside of the resort-time, wish me luck.

The total budget for this trip is $2562.24 Canadian for me.

Might be a lot? Might be decent? Not too sure, wasn’t really looking for this particular trip to be a budget trip. Like Peru, for me, this trip is a bucket list event. I am happy I got the flight for a great price, but I wanted the stays to all be awesome.

See you in 2023.

  • Mirna

4 Days in Roatán Budget Breakdown

Yes, here to overshare again.

The boyfriend and I decided in August to book a quick beach getaway for November, and the choice was Roatán, Honduras. Neither of us have ever been here, and have you seen photos of the beaches? Wow.

Yes please, Roatán me.

Below is a photo of the budget breakdown I keep on my Excel spreadsheet:

I plan on this being another vacation where I try to do nothing but drink and lay on a beach. Pure relaxation

The flight was a decent price, I think.

We got the roundtrip flight on American Airlines, with a quick layover in Miami both ways for $746.00 per person.

By the looks of it, flying during the week is cheaper going there…. but yeah, have to maximize those weekends + vacation days.

We looked at all the places to stay on the island, and wanted to make sure we were beachfront. MOST IMPORTANT. I want to roll out of bed and onto the beach. Also, the prices on the island are super reasonable.

This is how we settled on Bananarama Dive & Beach Resort.

The cost of 3-nights at Bananarama is $342.00 for the Queen Room, so $171.00 per person.

For this trip, NO TESTING OR VISA IS REQUIRED.

From all the reading I did, I think Roatán is a good budget destination.

I exchanged $330.00 Canadian into $250.00USD for this trip. This should cover taxis and food/alcohol. The food on this island looks like it will be AMAZING and I definitely plan on indulging. Also, I have my boyfriend with me so any other costs, he’s there with me.

The total budget for this trip is $1247.00 Canadian for me.

I think if we got the flight for cheaper, this is totally doable for under $1000.00 but oh well. I’m super duper excited to visit. I love a nice beach and I knowwwwwww this will be a wonderful place to see.

  • Mirna

4 Days in The Bahamas Budget Breakdown

Back with another budget breakdown for you all.

I feel like this may be the shortest/most succinct one I will ever post.

I plan on spending the Canadian Thanksgiving Long Weekend in Nassau, The Bahamas. After flying over The Bahamas back in February when I was going to Antigua, I said to myself that I MUST go there soon and see it up close.

This trip is also special because this is #50! Yay! This makes it fifty countries I have somehow managed to travel to while not being rich or a flight attendant. Feeling pretty good.

Below is a photo of the budget breakdown I keep on my Excel spreadsheet:

For this vacation (you see I said vacation instead of trip, because for the first time in a long time – I plan on doing absolutely nothing) – I will be going with my mom and dad.

The flight was a good price, I think.

We got the roundtrip, direct flight for $493.00 per person. This is with WestJet and we booked it back in March because we knew the long weekend price would skyrocket. I was right….

This is the exact same flight we are taking for the exact same dates, yeah. From $493.00 to $1392.00 roundtrip per person. I’ll stay happy with the price we got ours for.

We originally had another place booked, but it seemed to be a bit of a walk to the beach, so we changed hotels in July.

The new choice was Sandyport Beach Resort.

I mean, look at this place. You can see why the choice was pretty easy. It is beachfront and quiet. Although I plan on returning one day to Nassau to party hard, this is not going to be one of those trips. I truly intend on just laying on the beach all day and trying not to burn.

Seems like the perfect place for me to do all of that.

The cost of 3-nights at Sandyport is $1078.00 for the Standard Room, so $359.33 per person.

For this trip, NO TESTING IS REQUIRED. This is also a direct flight, so no worries about testing requirements for layovers either. Also, ArriveCan is done now for coming home. Yay.

If you ever want to know testing requirements for whatever trip you have planned, make sure to check the Sherpa website. It is great because I can input that I am a Canadian citizen, fully vaccinated, traveling from where and to where + what my layover is. Then the website gives me a total breakdown of everything required for the trip. Fantastic. Such a big help.

I know The Bahamas is pricy. This is not somewhere I’d consider a budget destination. I am very very aware.

I exchanged $375.00 Canadian into $300USD for this trip. I’m not even sure between taxis and how much conch I intend on consuming if that will cut it for four days. But, I figure this was a good number to start with and plus I have my parents with me to manage any other costs.

The total budget for this trip is $1227.33 Canadian for me.

Pretty damn excited to see Nassau, I have to say. The closeness of this destination is crazy, I have done many itineraries for people to visit and never even took in how short of a flight it is.

Promise this will not be my last time visiting this country. Next time, hopefully, I’ll have time to party and visit the Exumas.

  • Mirna

10 Days in Peru Budget Breakdown

I feel like it has been FOREVER since my trip to Ecuador.

Here I am again with a budget breakdown for you nice people, because I am all for travel pricing transparency. Also, I feel like this is a place many people would like to travel to, so I wanted to give as much information as possible about it.

Below is a photo of the budget breakdown I keep on my Excel spreadsheet:

I divided everything in two as I am doing this trip with my mom! Super excited about it. Peru is one of those bucket list places, and being able to travel there with my mom makes it even better.

First we started with the flights.

As you can see on the above Excel sheet screenshots, the flight(s) for this trip were booked way back on January 27th. Our roundtrip flight from Toronto to Lima, with American Airlines, was $719.61 per person. (we have a quick layover in Miami there, and one in Dallas on way back) The flight from Lima to Cusco was also booked at this time for $158.50 per person, roundtrip, direct with Latam Airlines.

So far I’ve had decent experiences with AA, but this will be my first time using Latam and will update on how that experience was when I return.

For this trip we actually have three different stays:

3 nights in Lima, Peru

4 nights in Cusco, Peru

2 nights in Lima, Peru

When we arrive we begin our trip in Lima, where we will be landing.

We figured to get somewhat acclimatized to the altitude, it was best to spend more than just a night in Lima. For this portion of the trip we are staying in a two-bedroom and two-bathroom AirBnB. The place looked awesome in the photos, had perfect reviews and a great location. Total cost for the 3-nights was $235.96 so it was $117.98 per person. Will let you know how the AirBnB was when I get back, but if you’re interested the link to it is here.

After Lima we will fly over to Cusco and stay 4-nights in a hotel called El Balcón. The location of this place looks great for exploring Cusco, the reviews are great and breakfast is included in the cost of the stay. Total for a triple room is $204.00, which is $102.50 per person. I think for 4-nights that is outstanding.

Following Cusco and visiting Machu Picchu, we return to Lima for 2-nights before our flight home, and for that we opted to book a hotel.

The hotel name is Hotel Estelar San Isidro, and the cost was $156.00, so $78.00 per person. This is for the Standard Twin Room and breakfast is included in the price. The hotel looks great and seems to be the perfect choice to wind down before we fly home.

For this trip, NO TESTING IS REQUIRED. The layover in the USA doesn’t require it either, fantastic. I will note here though, the testing would have been required if we both didn’t have three shots. Literally leading up to the day we fly I just happened to read those with only two shots would also need a negative rapid test. Luckily, we both have two + booster so we were good to go, no test needed.

If you ever want to know testing requirements for whatever trip you have planned, make sure to check the Sherpa website. It is great because I can input that I am a Canadian citizen, fully vaccinated, traveling from where and to where + what my layover is. Then the website gives me a total breakdown of everything required for the trip. Fantastic. Such a big help.

Now for spending money I’ve looked up what food costs are etc.

I exchanged $350.00 Canadian into $1100.00 SOL, which is the local currency in Peru. I have no idea if this will or won’t be enough, another thing I will update on when I return. Doesn’t look like food costs and Uber costs are that egregious, but I have been known to spend a fortune on food and liquor. *shrugs*

Finally, the one big ticket item for this trip is the tour from Cusco to Machu Picchu. No way we were going to visit Peru without seeing this magical place.

There was a lot of tour options, but we ended up choosing this one, found on Viator.

This is a lengthy day trip that I think requires taking two busses and a train to finish the whole thing. We will definitely be gone the whole day, I can’t wait. The cost was $474.31 per person. Fine by me.

The total budget for this trip is $2000.90 Canadian for me.

I bet Peru can be done for a much cheaper budget, but what the heck. I am traveling with my mom and I’d like to have comfortable accommodations with very good reviews, plus I am gone for 10-days.

For me, the money spent to see one of the Seven Wonders of The World feels very much worth it.

Will let you know how it all goes when I return!

  • Mirna

4 Days in Ecuador Budget Breakdown

Yes I know I was literally in Europe last week. But….

What had happened was, I saw another deal earlier this year and capitalized on it. It isn’t my fault it fell on the weekend after another trip. Even better, this was a long weekend! Yay.

This trip was for myself, my boyfriend and his 13-year-old daughter. She is graduating grade 8 and this is a nice little graduation trip/gift. Also, she speaks Spanish fluently and that will be a super duper bonus in Ecuador.

Below is a photo of the budget breakdown I keep on my Excel spreadsheet:

I divided everything in three (obviously she didn’t pay for anything) but because she counts as a whole adult human at 13 when bookings things like flights and hotels, I just wanted to show you guys an accurate budget.

So I had seen another deal with Avianca Airlines – as I did for my Costa Rica trip last month. There was a roundtrip flight from Toronto via Bogota to Guayaquil, Ecuador. Total cost for the flight was $526.00 per person, roundtrip. I thought that was a pretty good deal, so my boyfriend and I booked it. I really enjoyed my last experience with Avianca, hope this will be just as good.

Because I wanted this to be a well-priced trip, but also something really nice for her, I found a really an awesome deal for a 5-star hotel in Guayaquil.

This is the Radisson Hotel Guayaquil. It is a 5-star hotel, with a nice pool, awesome location and breakfast is also included in the price of the room.

I know the title of the post is ‘4 days‘ but the trip is technically five days, I just didn’t count the day we fly home because we leave SO early.

The cost of this hotel for 4-nights is $459.00, therefore $153.00 per person. For some nice 5-star living? Why not? I checked waaay after booking it to see what the prices were like again and it was almost double the amount we booked it for. Early booking for the win, again.

For this trip, NO TESTING IS REQUIRED. The layover in Bogota doesn’t require it, the arrival in Ecuador doesn’t and the return to Canada vis San Salvador does not as well.

If you ever want to know testing requirements for whatever trip you have planned, make sure to check the Sherpa website. It is great because I can input that I am a Canadian citizen, fully vaccinated, traveling from where and to where + what my layover is. Then the website gives me a total breakdown of everything required for the trip. Fantastic. Such a big help.

Please don’t call me dumb, but I had no idea that the currency in Ecuador was USD. What the heck?

Luckily, this doesn’t seem to be a place things cost much (even in USD) and I also have my boyfriend to pay for things with me. I decided to bring $250.00 USD on this trip for spending money so total $320.00 Canadian.

The total budget for this trip is $999.00 Canadian for me.

I bet that Ecuador can be done for cheaper but, eh. Sometimes you have to indulge a little bit and I think a graduation trip for someone special is a great time to do so.

Can’t wait to come back and tell you all about how Ecuador was!

  • Mirna