£10k and want to see more of the world? Where would you go?

[ForSaleChesterDraws]

Trying to think of a multi centre family holiday (couple of cities and a beach) with DH and 12 yo son in the summer holidays. Had thought about Japan, but alas, £10k isn’t enough. DH and I did Thai island hopping in our 20s, so would like to try somewhere else. We had wondered if we could do Vietnam on our budget, staying midrange hotels with air con.

If you stayed in business hotels then I’m genuinely confused as to why you think my costings sound so rock bottom. Even at the most expensive time of year, you can get a double or twin room in a very decent business hotel that is right by a station in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka or Hiroshima for £100-£120 per night.

Even if you paid the top end of that for every night the price for 13 nights is £1560 for a couple, so £780pp. £780pp plus the £1900pp that we’ve spent on flights comes out to £2,680pp.

Travel by bullet train between Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka is maybe £100. (Tokyo to Kyoto is pricy but Osaka to Kyoto isn’t).

I don’t understand what it is that you think will cost so much extra money? You can get an amazing meal in Japan for less than you’d pay in a mid range chain here in the U.K. and a very good meal in a family run local place for less than you’d pay for a meal in McDonalds here. There are fab little places offering “one coin” lunch sets all over the place. If you’re then mostly visiting shrines, temples, castles, gardens etc. they are free or nominal cost. Local metro/bus travel is rarely going to be more than £10 per day and mostly less.

When we went you absolutely could not and we were choosy about area . We ate medium priced meals out. Nothing very expensive and we don’t drink. What we don’t do is seek out rock bottom prices and don’t eat in the equivalent of subway. We also had various guides and I know that costs money. I absolutely loved Japan. I can also see our Tokyo hotel was fairly expensive but we had a view to die for. I might look again next time but it was convenient for transport and Ginza.

If there weren’t decent business hotels for £120 per night then I am curious as to when you travelled. It wasn’t 2019 by any chance?

It’s worth bearing in mind that £120 worth of yen at todays exchange rate would have cost £180 in 2019, so things would have felt a lot more expensive. We aren’t going rock bottom either. There were far cheaper options than what we booked. We’re on Shinsaibashi in Osaka and walking distance to multiple metro and train stations in Ginza.

I have no plans to eat in the equivalent of subway either, but there’s tonnes of
amazing Japanese food at very good prices, especially at lunchtime. Again, may not have felt as cheap if you went when it was 125 yen to the pound but will feel very cheap to Brits at 185 yen to a pound.

We are unlikely to be paying for guides. I have passable enough Japanese for a tourist and can navigate myself well enough.

July/Aug weather is unfortunately less than ideal in much of the world outside Europe

Some places with good weather then:

Malaysia (East coast - Perhentian islands) and Borneo
Peru
Indonesia (Java, Lombok, Bali)
Middle bit of Vietnam only
Some of bits of Sri Lanka (east I think)
Thailand eastern islands only

We went to Japan in 2015. We had companion flights and a holiday company booked everything else for us. So JR pass, hotels and activities in Kyoto which included cooking and a trip to the theatre.

I’ve just looked at the hotel we stayed at in Tokyo and it’s not cheap. It’s £200 per night in May but location is everything and back when we went it was mid price. Many hotels were a lot more. It still is mid price. It was classed as business and many people we saw were business people. Just ones who work for companies with more money I guess! The hotel at that point was cheaper than a London hotel would be in a similar area but is now cheaper! It will be great if our next trip is cheaper but Inside Japan is a useful yardstick and prices are t that cheap. Flights are expensive. No vouched for us right now!

Train route from North to South of Vietnam is worth a do.