Here are 3 of the best budget travel destinations for Metro Vancouverites

Some of the most-affordable travel options might surprise you.

If you're looking for a new place to visit, you might be a little concerned about ongoing fuel shortages — or the costs of staying in a foreign country. Many destinations have skyrocketed in cost, but some of the best budget travel spots from Vancouver might surprise you. Have a look at three of the most affordable (but still awesome) places for Metro Vancouverites to check out in 2026 (that aren't in Canada or the U.S.).

Mazatlan offers more for your dollar (or peso) Mexico offers some of the cheapest flights from Vancouver, making it a top destination for locals who don't want to break the bank before they even arrive. Surprisingly, airline ticket prices haven't even increased to most Mexican hot spots since the fuel crisis began.

But not all Mexican cities offer the same amount of low-cost options. For example, you can find budget-friendly options in Los Cabos, but of the times I visited, it felt more like the kind of place you'd want to spend decent funds to enjoy your stay. But anyone searching for a posh hotel will be spoiled for choice (check out one of my experiences).

Mazatlan is one of the best places for cost-conscious vacationers, complete with a bevy of low-cost (but super cool) attractions, free spots to check out, and reasonably priced accommodation and meals. Since the destination hasn't blown up quite the way other Mexican cities have, prices haven't exploded (see gallery above). Return airfare from YVR won't set you back more than $600 if you plan carefully.

You can stay at an all-inclusive resort, but even if you don't, you can stay at a super cheap hotel and spend days at the beach for free or ultra-posh places like the Shekinah Beach Club for $65 a day, including a food and beverage credit. This chic spot feels like spending a day at a resort that would cost several hundred dollars daily. Visitors can also take a funicular ride up the steep hillside to reach the Observatory.

The cable railway system offers scenic ocean views that are breathtaking day and night. An adult ticket costs about 500 pesos (C$34), and a child's ticket costs 350 pesos (C$23). Once you're up there, you can enjoy the El Nido Mexican Bird Sanctuary, which houses over 70 bird species, including toucans, flamingos, parrots, and many others.

Guests can step inside and admire the beautiful exotic birds. Our guides introduced us to a talkative parrot who chirped "hola" several times as it hopped around the enclosure's perimeter. The Agaviary is located outside the bird sanctuary, offering over 30 species of cacti and agave to discover.

A tour includes a tasting of three different mezcals, historical information and awe-inspiring views from the observatory. You can also enter Mazatlán's spellbinding National Whale Museum (Munba) for the price of the ride. It's a remarkable testament to conservation and education efforts spearheaded by director Óscar Guzón.

Visitors will learn about at-risk species and discover rare skeletal remains and new technologies. My tour of the impressive facility started with a journey under a nearly 50-foot blue whale skeleton and then into an area exploring the evolution of whales from a common ancestor. Vietnam is very affordable (once you land)

Full disclosure: I've never been to Vietnam. Typically, I don't like to write about places I haven't been to when I'm comparing the budget aspect of visiting them. But I spent several years as a travel agent, and our training — as well as traveller feedback — showed that it was among the most wallet-friendly spots to visit.

But the flights aren't exactly cheap. You'll definitely pay more than $1,000 for a return flight to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. But once you're there, low-cost options are plenty.

While there are some pricier places to stay and dine, frugal travellers can expect to pay about $30 a day, including meals, hostel accommodation and transportation. Mouth-watering bowls of pho can cost as little as $2. Keep in mind that the "ultra-budget" accommodations don't come equipped with bells and whistles.

This may mean you don't get a room to yourself (such as in most hostels), or you might not have reliable WiFi. Hostel prices in the capital start at $18 per night at the Mai Ngoi Hostel and $20 for the Alleyway Hostel. Hotel prices, such as at the Cactusland Boutique Hotel, start at just over $32.

Since the country is so affordable, you may want to splurge on luxury. You can stay in a five-star resort in Hanoi, such as the Vinpearl Landmark 81, Autograph Collection, for as little as $100 a night. There are still some well-known brands charging a pretty penny in the capital city.

For example, the Park Hyatt Hotel Saigon's prices start at around $350. Experience a safari-like experince on a budget in Nepal I don't often write about Nepal, but when I do, I am reminiscing about a trip I took more then 15 years ago (time flies). But a magical place stays with you forever and is worthy of unbearable nostalgia, to borrow the immortal words of Milan Kundera.

Paris was a moveable feast for Hemingway, and Nepal is one for me. Yes, it's super cheap. I did things there for prices so low that it boggles my mind to this day.

True, the lion's share of my time was spent volunteering in an orphanage for over three months, so I wasn't exactly swinging from chandeliers and poppin' bottles. But I also crammed in some cool stuff before and after volunteering in a small mountain village. Full disclosure: prices and magical experiences aren't guaranteed to be like mine.

Back then, I didn't have a smartphone. I lived every moment. I took photos on an actual camera because I didn't have another option.

The phrase "What a time to be alive" meant something because holy hell: was I ever alive! I jogged in the Himalayas in sweltering heat, had a stranger risk their life for me (and others open their homes), and watched people's hearts transform in ineffable ways by shared surreal experiences. But here's what I can tell you.

Eating dal bhat (a traditional vegetarian meal) twice a day (at sunup and sundown) was definitely a cost-friendly option. Sure, that was in the orphanage, but even in Kathmandu, you could find numerous cheap restaurants. Visiting most temples is free, or you pay a donation.

But you can witness some markedly soul-soothing scenes. Accommodation prices appear to have stayed low, and you can score cheap activities country-wide. Don't ask me about mountain-climbing or trekking, though.

Somehow, I visited arguably the globe's top mountaineering destination and spent my time doing everything else (but I wouldn't change that). I did a safari in Chitwan on the border of India that I recall costing next to nothing. I know this because my absolutely unhinged 22-year-old self booked it on the spot from a random person on a short stint to the capital from the village I volunteered in.

The journey out there involved a couple of bus connections, and I had to overnight in Kathmandu and couldn't go directly from the orphanage. Anyway, I walked with a random French couple and a guide who only had a stick (no weapon or other defence) through the jungle and saw alligators in the river at daybreak while in a canoe, a troupe of wild monkeys (the guide greeted them with an adorable "Namaste" and something that ran past us at lightning speed. There are tigers in that jungle, but the animal that whisked past us was too small to be a tiger.

Elephants also strolled through that neck of Nepal, and big bushes of cannabis grew roadside. Anyway, I could go on forever, because as you can tell, this is my favourite place on earth. It was my first big solo trip, and, not unlike your first love, it hit harder.

Much to my surprise, pricing doesn't appear to have changed that much. The price to stay at a resort for a night and two days, including accommodation, meals, activities, and permits, will set you back about $169. To put that in perspective, an African safari, although a bit different, starts for the safari portion at well over $300 but can cost thousands nightly.

When I was in Nepal, I recall paying under $200 for several days, but I bought local, and it was a while ago. Still, this is an extraordinary price for everything you get. For Vancouver travel purposes, I will add one note: flights will be a pain in the ass with several connections.

Once you're there, however, it's arguably as cheap as Vietnam (depending on what you do). Find more information about exciting destinations in B.C. and across the globe, as well as travel deals and tips, by signing up for V.I.A.'s weekly travel newsletter The Wanderer. Since travel deals can sell out, find out the day they are posted by signing up for our daily Travel Deals newsletter.

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