Tag: Budget

15 Days in Southeast Asia Budget Breakdown

Happy 2025 all!!

Had to start your year with a budget breakdown that will make your head spin, I know mine did writing it. There are so many details in this, but I do try to be thorough! Maybe someone will need this information for their upcoming travels.

I did five countries on this trip: Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore with my boyfriend. Two of these are new for me (Vietnam and Thailand) and the other three I visited back in 2016, for my 30th birthday. I didn’t have a blog back then so I am super excited to share everything about this trip with you this time around.

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

** remember all the links for the hotels, excursions etc. are embedded in the names/amounts. You can always click those and go venture to see more about them or book them yourself

Flights

Let me start with the flights. We booked those super duper early in the year – January 16th.

The main flight from Toronto to Singapore is with Air Canada.

The total cost of the flight was $1638.00 CAD.

I think when we booked this they had just released this route going from Toronto to Vancouver, and then Vancouver to Singapore. The flight from Vancouver to Singapore is 16.4hrs, long as heck. Thankfully we did book this so early, because by JUNE it was already at $5000.00 per person for the same flight and by December?

$9,500.00, economy, same damn flight as me. Ridiculous. That kind of price better have me flying to Mars.

Checked in luggage is included in the cost of the Singapore flight, but I don’t trust Air Canada with luggage, and with the country hopping? I rather just me and my carry-on bag.

The next flights were booked two days later (January 18th) and went as follows:

Singapore to Phuket, Thailand = $194.00 CAD one-way, direct with Singapore Airlines

Phuket to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam = $129.00 CAD one-way, direct with VietJet Air

Ho Chi Minh to Bali, Indonesia = $137.00 CAD one-way, direct with VietJet Air

Bali to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia = $148.00 CAD one-way, direct with Air AsiaX

Kuala Lumpur to Singapore = $43.00 CAD one-way, direct with Air Asia

Making your head spin right? I know. Lots of flights.

The total cost of all flights for this trip came to $2289.00 CAD.

I think this is a REALLY good amount for country-hopping during the most expensive time of year to travel anywhere. Hope when people read this, they see why booking very early is important!! It gets more and more expensive closer to the date.

The route has us landing in Singapore, but heading to Phuket like four hours later. I learned in my earlier travels to always END your trip in the country/city you fly home from. So the trip goes around and the last few days are spent in Singapore before we fly home. Less stress.

Stays

Now, let me get to the stays.

Yes, FIVE different stays.

The first one is the Ibis Phuket Patong – December 22nd to December 26th, in Phuket.

I wanted something close to the beach, in the middle of the action and with a pool.

We got the ‘Superior Queen Room‘ and the total cost for three nights is $387.00, so $193.50 CAD per person.

The next stay is an AirBnB – December 26th to December 29th, in Ho Chi Minh.

We initially had a hotel booked here, but with us just traveling with carry-ons, I wanted somewhere we had access to our own laundry. This unit has that! It also has a pool, looked super cute and had awesome reviews.

Total cost for three nights is $159.00, so $79.50 CAD per person. Hell of a deal I think!

The next stay is at the Risata Bali Resort & Spa – December 29th to January 1st, in Bali.

I had booked an AirBnB I fell in LOVE with wayyyy back in January for Bali. Unfortunately, as the days lead up to the trip, I saw the weather (it is rainy season) and traffic situation in Bali on TikTok. It was at that moment, I had to choose being practical over fancy pants. The original AirBnB was all the way in the bush, and to get to destinations we want to go out to – it would take a WHILE in traffic.

Therefore, I opted to book something closer to the airport and also within walking distance of a beach so we can see the fireworks on NYE, without having to travel far.

We got the ‘Superior Double or Twin Room‘ and the total cost for three nights is $339.00, so $169.50 CAD per person aaand breakfast is included!

NOW TO MY FAVE STAY BOOKING FOR THIS TRIP!!!

The next stay is at Arte by Thomas Chan – January 1st to January 3rd, in Kuala Lumpur.

Last time I was in KL, I booked the cheapest possible hotel. That shit was dingy as hell. I was a brokey then, but this time, I am slightly less broke, and traveling with my boyfriend. Last time I was traveling solo for the low-low.

You can get very nice hotels and AirBnB’s in Kuala Lumpur, the choices are endless for not a lot of money. However, I saw this hotel online a couple of years ago and swore if I ever went back to my favourite food city, I would get a hotel room here.

Now, did this cost a lot? I think so. But, shitty hotels in Toronto cost the same, yolo. #GirlMath

Once you see how this hotel looks and our room, I think you’ll understand why it was necessary to be extra as hell.

We got the ‘Palatial Noire III‘ and the total cost for two nights is $604.00, so $302.00 CAD per person aaand breakfast is included!

The final stay of this trip is at the Ibis Budget Singapore Clarke Quay – January 3rd to January 5th, in Singapore.

During my time visiting Singapore in 2016, I stayed in a hostel. It was a private room in a hostel, but nonetheless, a hostel.

This time I have a real hotel and everything!

I chose this specific one because of its proximity to all the fun things in Singapore, aka, food and the Lion. Plus, the price was right.

We got the ‘Standard Double Room‘ and the total cost for two nights is $363.00, so $181.50 CAD per person aaand breakfast is included!

Total cost of all the stays: $962.00 CAD per person.

I think that’s pretty alright! It could have been cheaper, obviously.

But, I deserve this.

Excursions & Events

Now, let us discuss the pre-booked shenanigans.

Once we arrive in Phuket, the first excursion we are doing is to the Phi Phi Islands. I do not care how busy it is, how many tourists there are – I saw the movie THE BEACH and will see that beach in my lifetime. We had booked a different tour before, but I saw this random one on TikTok that has the speed boat but once we arrive to the island-area, we have our own longboat for four hours. I rather that, I hate sharing and other people near me.

This was booked via Discover Phi Phi and it cost 11,200 THB total / $456.00 CAD / so $228.00 CAD per person for the day.

I love some beach clubs. LOVE.

I had been eyeing Yona Beach Club for sometime on Instagram.

It is the worlds first floating beach club, and I can’t think of a better way to spend Christmas, right?

You can go to this beach club and just pay an entrance fee to be there all day. But like, I can’t live with NOT having a booked space for myself. The idea of having to try and find seats, and then other people will want those seats too. No thank you.

My boyfriend and I chose to book a ‘sunset bed‘ which is on the second floor of the beach club. The lower part with the big swimming pool is the main party area, but I didn’t necessarily want to be amongst that either. I want to be able to leave the chaos and observe.

The cost was 15,000 THB / $636.00 CAD / so $318.00 CAD per person for the day.

Within this price we get the sofa bed to ourselves, shuttle boat transfer from the pier, entrance fee, towels, passenger insurance and 9,000 TBH ($378.00 CAD) to use towards food and beverage.

I’m freaking excited for this. NO LIE. I know this price is crazy for a day, don’t yell.

When we get to Vietnam, of course, we have a food tour booked!!

The tour is called, ‘Ho Chi Minh City: Walking Food Tour with 13 Tastings‘.

Yes, THIRTEEN. I cannot wait. I am going to devour everything. Also, the price was incredible at only $38.14 CAD per person.

Now, yes, another damn beach club.

Going from the worlds first floating beach club to a place that it is the world’s BEST beach club, aka, Finns Beach Club in Bali.

Last time I was in Bali, I went to Potato Head, so I am excited to see what Finns is like.

The cost was 4,000,000 IDR + transaction fees / $433.00 CAD (with fees included) / so $216.50 CAD per person for the day.

As you will see in the photo below, on December 30th the place is super booked up, we are one of those sold out beds in red.

We chose a bed at the ‘Finns VIP Oceanfront‘ – because there is a pool, and the area is only for 16+ patrons. I don’t want kids anywhere near me when I’m drinking, thanks.

The 4million IDR ($355.00 CAD) is 100% credited towards food and beverage for the day. This also includes escorted entry, valet service, welcome drink and afternoon spritz. I want it ALL. I will have it all.

FYI – you can actually go to Finns for free, there is no cover. You can go and pay as you drink and eat, just finding your own seat amongst the masses somewhere. Again, not for me, I like things paid for ahead and a space designated just for me.

I had mentioned before that Kuala Lumpur is my #1 food city on the planet, so of course, we have a food tour booked there as well.

This tour is called ‘Culture on a Plate – Kuala Lumpur Food Walk‘.

Can’t even begin to tell you how amazing the food in Malaysia is, so I know this will rock.

The tour is 2.5 hours and cost $70.87 CAD per person.

Finally, in Singapore, I just want to make sure my boyfriend sees Gardens by the Bay. This is a pretty magical experience if you’ve seen them before.

Total cost was $79.96 CAD per person for this.

We opted for this choice because it includes entry to various parts of the Gardens and there is no time limit, like there would be on a group tour.

Total cost of all shenanigans booked: $951.47 CAD

I plan on having an epic time. Trust me.

Visas

I will try to make this as succinct as possible for EACH country! Also, note, all of these things are applying to me as a CANADIAN citizen at the time I traveled. I don’t know if it will change and I don’t know how it looks for people with different immigration status or different nationalities.

Thailand = no visa required or declaration

Vietnam = visa required

  • Applied for this about three weeks before the trip, a lot of information about your trip is required. Make sure you have a photo of yourself, scan of your passport and all your stay + flight information prepared to upload.
  • Received approval within three days.
  • There is NO visa-on-arrival available for Vietnam, so you have to do this before you go on the trip.
  • Link to Vietnam visa application site: click here
  • Cost for Visa = $37.09 CAD

Indonesia = visa required, tourism tax for BALI required, customs declaration required, health declaration required

  • Applied for the 30-day-tourism-visa about three weeks before the trip, a lot of information about your trip is required. Make sure you have a photo of yourself, scan of your passport and all your stay + flight information.
  • Received approval as soon as submitted.
  • There IS a visa-on-arrival option for when you arrive at the airport, but I don’t want to wait in line.
  • Link to Indonesia visa application site: click here
  • Cost for Visa = $47.20 CAD
  • The tourism levy I think is JUST for people heading to Bali, because clearly we mess up the environment, so we should have to pay up for maintaining something so beautiful.
  • Paid for this three weeks ahead.
  • Also can be done on-arrival at the airport, but again, I don’t want to wait in line.
  • Link to Bali tourism levy site: click here
  • Cost of tourism levy = $14.17 CAD
  • The Indonesian customs declaration has to be done a couple of days before you arrive,
  • Also can be done on-arrival at the airport, but again, I don’t want to wait in line.
  • Link to Indonesian customs declaration site: click here
  • Cost: free
  • The Indonesian health declaration has to be done a couple of days before you arrive.
  • I think can be done on-arrival at the airport, but again, I don’t want to wait in line.
  • Link to Indonesian health declaration site: click here
  • Cost: free

Malaysia = no visa required, digital arrival card required

  • The Malaysia Digital Arrival Card can be done on the website a couple of days before you arrive.
  • I am not sure if this is available on-arrival at the airport, but figured have it done before arrival just in case.
  • Link to MDAC site: click here
  • Cost: free

Singapore = no visa required, arrival card required

  • The Singapore Arrival Card can be done on the on the website a couple of days before you arrive.
  • I am not sure if this is available on-arrival at the airport, but figured have it done before arrival just in case.
  • Also, you will see on the site there is this new e-pass thing you get instead of a passport stamp? Going to see how that works out.
  • Link to SGAC site: click here
  • Cost: free

Now, I have never been to Thailand or Vietnam, but I was still surprised as Canadian we need a visa to enter? That’s cool though.

I do not remember ANY of these declarations for when I went to Bali, KL and Singapore back in 2016. I also don’t remember if I needed a visa to enter Bali then, definitely didn’t have the tourism levy.

Total cost of country-entry-requirements: $98.46 CAD

Given how much everything just to enter Nigeria cost me last year, this is nothing. Just was tedious trying to get everything done for each country, boohoo me. I know.

E-Sim

I usually do the whole Rogers Roam Like Home option for my trips, but, trying to be a bit better with my cellular spending this trip.

On Airalo I found an e-sim that is valid for 136 countries!!

All five of these countries are on this list, so I won’t have to switch every time I land.

Will report on how this worked out when I return.

Total Cost: $100.00 CAD for 20GB data

For spending money I budgeted $1000.00 CAD.

Aside from Singapore, our currency is decent in the other four countries, and we pretty much have so much stuff booked and paid for ahead of time.

I was smarter this time, buying PHYSICAL money for all five destinations before the trip!! I will not get caught with malfunctioning credit cards and debit cards this time. I mean, maybe I will, but I will have some cash on hand to help me out.

The total budget for this trip is $5364.93 Canadian.

I’m very proud of this total price!!!

Were the beach clubs necessary? No.

Was the super pricy hotel in KL necessary? No.

Even the excursion from Phuket to Phi Phi could have been done for cheaper, but guess what? SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO SPLURGE ON YOURSELF. (I realize I put this every time I make a fiscally unsound decision)

Regardless, very proud of this total for everything we are doing and again, during THIS time of year.

See you when I get back!

  • Mirna

4 Days in Santiago Budget Breakdown

Another long weekend, another trip.

This time I did a solo trip to Santiago, Chile. Country #65 for me, and #32 solo.

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

Let me start with the flight. I booked that waaay earlier this year, on January 10th.

The flight is with Avianca – as many of my Central and South American flights are.

The total cost of my flight was $419.00 CAD.

Now listen, this is an INSANELY low price to get all the way the fuck to Chile. Do you know how far south this is? Really far. It will be six hours to fly to Bogota, Colombia and then ANOTHER six hours from there to Santiago. I’ve seen this flight regularly stay at $1000.00 or more, so to get it for $419.00 was truly a steal.

Yes, this is personal-item only.

The AirBnB I chose for this trip, I’ve actually had my eye on for a bit.

I knew I’d eventually make it to Santiago, so I had a list of places I wanted and this one was still available for my dates.

This is a gorgeous two-floor loft, all to myself. The host is lovely, the location is great and I mean….look at it. I was not passing that up.

The total cost for three nights is $292.61 CAD and I will let you know what it was like when I return.

If you’re interested in checking it out – click here.

I do have one excursion booked for this trip and that is going from Santiago to Valparaiso and Vina del Mar for the day. There was a lot of booking options for day-trips out of Santiago, but this one stuck out the most. I read that Vina del Mar is gorgeous, so I wanted to see it for myself.

It is a lengthy tour (10hrs) for $137.07 CAD.

Will let you know how it was when I return, if you’re interested in this tour – click here.

For spending money I budgeted $350.00USD which is about $500.00 CAD. I figure for the amount of food and Ubers I will be taking, this should be a good amount.

The total budget for this trip is $1348.68 Canadian.

I am hoping this budget is good enough, but I also know Chile is on the higher end of pricing for South American countries and the food options look insane. I will be indulging.

See you when I get back!

  • Mirna

5 Days in Central America Budget Breakdown

Another long weekend, another trip.

This time I did a solo trip to San Salvador, El Salvador and to Managua, Nicaragua.

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

Let me start with the flights. I booked those all the way back in August of last year.

All of the flights were with Avianca and it was three one-ways.

The first was a direct flight from Toronto to San Salvador for $144.00.

The second was a direct flight from San Salvador to Managua for $137.00.

The final flight was Managua-San Salvador-Toronto and that was $200.00.

The total cost of my flights was $481.00.

I think I did pretty well. This felt like a good deal to me. All of the flight were personal item only, but that is a simple task for me nowadays.

The first stay of this trip is in San Salvador and I chose to stay at an AirBnB.

Judging from the reviews, this is the perfect place for a solo traveler as it is safe and has just enough room for me to sleep in and hang out. Prior to the trip, the host for this place has also been really great with communication and that is always a green flag for me.

The total cost for four nights at this AirBnB is $209.00.

If you are interested in seeing it yourself, click here. I will let you know how much I liked it when I get back.

The second stay for this trip is just a one-nighter in Managua.

I chose the Best Western Las Mercedes Airport – which looks to be directly in front of the airport there.

The reason I chose this hotel was because my flight home is REALLY early in the morning on the last day of the trip and I don’t want to deal with Ubers, taxis or shuttles.

Total cost for one night is $91.00 and I will let you know if it was worth it or not when I get back.

I didn’t book any excursions for this trip, well, I DID have one booked but I cancelled it. Let me explain.

This trip was actually supposed to be three countries in five days – El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. On the Saturday I had booked myself a day trip from San Salvador to Antigua, Guatemala. However, the tour operator was not responding to any of the four emails I sent them. This wasn’t a cheap day tour either, it was almost $400.00!! But no response? Red flag. I’ve learned the hard way that if tours or hosts aren’t responsive before the trip, they will definitely suck once you’re there.

I know for El Salvador a lot of people do the volcano tours, the big slide and that bicycle on a tightrope excursion. But, I am going during rainy season and didn’t want to walk near volcanoes in rain, I can’t do the slide because of my back and I don’t know how to ride a bike. Therefore, zero excursions.

For spending money I budgeted $350.00USD which is about $500.00CAD. I figure for the amount of food and Ubers I will be taking, this should be a good amount.

The total budget for this trip is $1281.00 Canadian.

I think this is a decent budget, but I could be wrong. Who knows? Going to see what shenanigans I can get into on my solo dolo.

See you when I get back……

  • Mirna

10 Days in East Africa Budget Breakdown

Hold on to your calculators, this is going to be one of the lengthier breakdowns.

(not Nigerian-Visa-and-Yellow-Fever-Needed type lengthy, but lengthy nonetheless)

My mom and I are off to East Africa!

My mom has dreamed of going to the Seychelles her whole life and for Mother’s Day 2024 – she will have her wish…………and a little extra.

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

That is a WHOLE lot of items. I know.

The Flights

Let me begin with the most important thing – the flight to the Seychelles.

We booked our flight to Mahe, Seychelles alllll the way back in July of 2023. I know this is really far ahead, but, the price was too good to pass up.

The flights to and from the Seychelles are shared between American Airways and Qatar Airways. I had flown with AA many times, but this would be my first time flying with Qatar Airways. Have to say I’m pretty excited because I’ve only heard good things.

On the way there we go Toronto to Philly, Philly to Doha and then Doha to Mahe. We have a lengthy layover in Doha, Qatar – but more on that later. Coming home we will be going Mahe to Doha, Doha to Dallas and then Dallas back to Toronto. The flight from Doha to Dallas is like 16.5hrs long, direct. Lordy.

Cost per person to fly to and from the Seychelles, $1500.06. I think this is AMAZING for how far we are going.

The plan was to only go to the Seychelles, but of course, I had to go be extra.

Figured while we are on that side of the planet, might as well mosey on over to Mauritius. I booked that on January 6th of this year and the cost was $568.00 roundtrip, direct, per person. The flight is with Air Seychelles and it is only about two hours and a bit each way.

Total cost of all flights: $2068.06 per person

I know this looks like a big amount, but going to BOTH destinations for that? I really think we scored for the pricing.

The Stays

For this trip we will have three different stays.

The first stay is when we arrive in Mahe, Seychelles we will be staying at La Villa Therese from May 12th to May 15th. Total cost is $418.00, so $209.00 CAD per person.

We chose this stay because it is right by a famous beach on the island (Anse Royale), and duh, the price was right! Our room is the One-Bedroom Apartment.

The second stay is in Mauritius and it is called Blue Beryl Guest House. We will be staying there from May 15th to May 18th. Total cost is $527.00, so $263.50 CAD per person.

Now we chose this place, again, because the price is right, but also because it was beachfront. This was close to where our catamaran cruise is leaving from as well. Oh, and breakfast included. Clutch. Our room is the Apartment with Sea View.

The third and final stay is back on Mahe, and that place is called Horizon View. Will be staying there from May 18th to May 22nd. Total cost is $238.00, so $119.00 CAD per person.

We tried to go for whatever price for this place because we have a rental car, and want to just have a good spot to go explore from. The hotel is also close to a very nice beach (Anse a la mouche), so we can visit that. Our room is Apartment with Sea View.

Total cost of all stays: $591.50 CAD per person

Again, given that both of these islands aren’t exactly THRIFTY destinations, this isn’t too bad. I am excited to stay in various parts, gives me more things to see on an island.

Transportation (Car Rentals)

I rarely ever have car rentals on my trips, because I do not have a drivers license.

For this we have two car rentals, one in Mauritius and then one in Mahe on our final days there.

Both were booked on Expedia.

The cars are both automatic, and my mom will have to drive on the OTHER side of the road on both islands, which should provide comedy.

For the car rental in Mauritius the cost was $172.66, so $86.50 CAD per person from May 15th to May 18th.

For the car rental in Mahe the cost was $225.58, so $112.79 CAD per person from May 18th to May 20th.

I have no idea if either of these are a good price or not. But I will tell you, once I saw how much the damn taxis cost on both of these islands? IN EUROS? The car rental price seemed like the best idea.

Visas

Well, at least this wasn’t as pricy as my last jaunt into the African continent.

Entering Qatar, we don’t need anything as Canadians.

For entering Mauritius, we just had to fill out and print one form (from this site) per person giving information on when we are entering, leaving and where we are staying. But it was free.

Now for the Seychelles, we had to fill out FOUR forms and pay four times to enter. Why? Because there are two of us, and we had to enter and exit twice, since we are going to Mauritius from there.

The cost was 10 Euros per entry, so 40 Euros which ended up being $31.36 CAD total per person. The entry form is pretty lengthy – you do have to upload a photo of yourself, your passport, your flight information and the place(s) you will be staying. Have all that ready, it is all found on this site.

Just a quick note here, I was highly impressed by the Seychelles customs people. I had emailed and asked a question and someone got back to me THE NEXT DAY? Amazing. Don’t think you can email any government agency on the planet and hear back that fast. The application to enter was also approved for both my mom and I within 24hrs. Super.

Tours

For this trip, we have three different excursions booked.

The first one is actually during our layover in Doha, Qatar. We are excited to see the airport there, but not for as long as the layover is. Luckily, Discover Qatar actually offers transit tours. We opted for the ‘Transit Exclusive – Discover Doha‘ tour which is three hours. This takes you from the airport to a bunch of places in Doha and then brings you back to the airport for your next flight. These are done like nine times a day, so most people with a lengthy layover can do this. The cost was $42.98 CAD per person.

Alright, so the Seychelles have a bunch of islands but the primary three are Mahe, La Digue and Praslin. We had contemplated (before we booked Mauritius) on spending 2-3 days on each island. Then I saw the cost of the damn ferries between the islands. Absolutely-the-fuck-not. I am not that rich. But we still wanted to get to those islands and we found a day tour that goes from Mahe to both islands. This is the ‘Praslin & La Digue Island-Hopping Tour with Lunch‘. The tour starts super early in the morning and will last 11 hours in total. This includes transport to both islands, and back + a lunch on board. This way we could see it all in our limited time. The cost was pretty hefty at $410.94 CAD per person. However, like I said, after seeing the cost of the damn ferries between in islands in Euros, this seemed way more economical – although, shorter.

Finally, in Mauritius we have a nice catamaran tour. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I can’t resist some time on a boat. We booked the ‘Full-Day Catamaran Cruise to Ile aux Cerfs with BBQ Lunch‘. This tour is seven hours long and makes some stops for swimming and snorkeling. Of course, lunch on board included. The cost was very reasonable at $108.00 CAD per person. I am excited to cruise on those beautiful waters.

ESim

I never have this section in my breakdowns, but this one I will have to.

Typically, Rogers Roam Like home is what I use on my travels but for some reason, the Seychelles is not a part of their offerings. Qatar and Mauritius are though.

To avoid any stoppage in my constant posting while on vacation, I will have to use an esim for the Seychelles portion of my trip. I opted to go with Airalo for this trip, and they have a Seychelles package that is $49.00 USD for 10GB. Therefore $67.62 CAD total.

Spending Money

Whoooo knows?

$1000.00 Euros is like $1500.00 CAD – so that is what I am going with.

The good thing about going with my mom is that I am less likely to end up in a nightclub buying a bottle, or a strip club. Go me! Slightly less of a degenerate with my family trips. I truly have no idea if the $1500.00 CAD will be too much or too little, but I doubt the too little part. Mauritius looks like it can be done for smaller amounts of spending money, but I don’t think the Seychelles can. I think my food costs are going to run the bill up really fast.

The total budget for this trip is $5019.75 Canadian.

I’m pretty proud of this, because this is ALL THOSE THINGS I LISTED! That is a lot of stuff. And a crazy distance flight. I’m happy. Can’t wait to experience this with my mom, especially being there for Mother’s Day. Yay.

See you when I get back……

  • Mirna

5 Days in Belize Budget Breakdown

Yay, new country time!!!

This time my boyfriend and I are heading to Belize – the island of Caye Caulker, specifically.

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

Let me start with the great flight deal we got.

As you can see from the chart above, we booked this really early. My boyfriend and I have been wanting to go to Belize so this deal from WestJet popped up at theee best time.

The total cost for the flight was $348.00 per person. Big bonus, this flight even includes a carry-on so we don’t have to cram everything into a personal item. It is also roundtrip, direct and we don’t have to be up at 5am to go to Pearson to catch it. Very pleased with this flight deal.

I had been eyeing Caye Caulker for a WHILE, so I actually had quite the list of saved AirBnB’s for the island. Luckily, one of them was available for our dates. Booked that like four minutes after I booked the flight.

Always prepared!

The place is pretty basic, but they have great reviews and are right by the beach. Don’t need much, I don’t plan on spending any time in the room except to sleep late at night. Our entire time there will be spent swimming, lounging and partying.

The total cost of the AirBnB for four nights was $429.79 – which is $214.89 per person.

If you are interested in seeing it yourself, click here. I will let you know how much we liked it when we return.

The other bonus of staying in this AirBnB is that the host immediately messaged me to set up the transport from Belize City airport, to Belize City port and then the boat from Belize City to Caye Caulker.

Of course, you can figure out your own way – but having someone tell you they can set it up for you? So good.

She told us the price of a car from Belize City Airport to Belize City Port/Marina was ($30.00 USD each way) and that she would get the ferry tickets for us ($29.50 USD roundtrip) to go from Belize proper to Caye Caulker. Then we could just pay her when we get to the AirBnB. Super straightforward and one less thing for me to plan.

Total for the transport to the island and back is $78.60 CAD per person. This price was fine by me, as I had considered booking the quick flight from Belize City to Caye Caulker and that was like $150.00 USD one way? No thanks. I’ll just stick to the taxi and boat route.

We didn’t book any actual excursions, but we did book to attend a party.

There’s a place called Bella’s Backpackers on the island of Caye Caulker and every weekend they have Sunday Funday.

What is Sunday Funday? Well basically for $55.50 USD you get to go play outdoor games with other party people at the hostel, get on a sunset cruise ….. oh, and bottomless rum punch all day. Now, if this isn’t a ME activity, I really don’t know what is.

With the conversion, this is $68.34 CAD per person.

Now, for spending money, I kind of guessed that Caye Caulker might be somewhat like Roatan? So the prices may not be too crazy for buying food and alcohol, or to go party. Just like Roatan, we don’t need any spending money for transport on the island, which is a big money saver.

I budgeted $250.00 USD for the trip.

This is $340.00 CAD, with the conversion. I have no idea if this will be enough, but in my experience, nothing is ever solid with me. I usually spend way more if I get into shenanigans. I will let you know if I was a degenerate or not when I return.

The total budget for this trip is $1049.83 Canadian.

I do think with how good our flight price was, this probably could have been done for even cheaper. But, ah, I still this is a good price so fuck it.

See you when I get back……

  • Mirna