If you are planning a winter escape, you’ll want to know which are the cheapest holiday destinations.
The Indonesian resort of Bali, above, is top of the best value destinations for the third year running and was among 16 of 33 surveyed to have price falls, says the Post Office report.
Travelbag – which carried out the survey – reveal a 5.5 per cent price fall to £37.91 in the cost of 10 tourist staples in Kuta, Bali. They are an evening meal for two with a bottle of wine, bottle of beer/lager, soft drink, glass of wine, cocktail, chocolate bar, mineral water, suncream and insect repellent.
Cape Town (£41.58), above, remains second cheapest for the third consecutive year but a bigger price fall year-on-year of 10.9 per cent has helped the city narrow the gap. And Tokyo, always thought of as an expensive place to visit, prices have dropped by an incredible 50 per cent so it is now at No3.
The most expensive place is Egypt’s Sharm El Sheikh, above – popular with Brits – with the 10 items costing £107.32.
The Top 10 cheapest long-haul holiday destinations are:
- Bali, Indonesia
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Tokyo, Japan
- Mombasa, Kenya
- Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Phuket, Thailand
- Cancun, Mexico
- Tamarindo, Mexico
- Grand Baie, Mauritius
- Penang, Malaysia
Andrew Brown, of Post Office Travel Money, said: “Price remains the big issue and so it is good news to see so many long haul destinations offering great value, even though the strength of sterling is the main reason for the low resort costs.
“The trick is to do some holiday homework before booking and pick destinations where the cost of living is already low and where the strong pound is making prices even cheaper.”
Anna Watt of Travelbag said: “Our customers are particularly keen on getting the best value for their holidays, from luxury beach getaways to city breaks or off the beaten track adventures. They look for both value in the holiday price itself, as well as costs when in the destination.
“Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Mauritius and Mexico are in our top 15 bestselling destinations over the last 12 months, with Australia and New Zealand picking up as the exchange rate improves. Bali and South Africa in particular have seen a rise in popularity, with bookings up 22 and 26 per cent respectively year on year.”
This year’s biggest falls have been in Penang, where prices have plummeted 41.1 per cent year-on-year to £68.29.
Three other Far Eastern destinations offer good value. Although prices are up 6.2 per cent to £58.31 in Phuket, the Thai resort has dropped just one place to sixth. Hoi An, Vietnam (£73.02) has retained 13th place with a 0.8 per cent drop in costs, while another fast-emerging Far East destination, Seoul in South Korea (£69.02), is just outside the Top 10 at 11.
Cancun returns to the Top 10 in 7th place after a slump in the value of the Mexican peso. At £63.75, Cancun prices have plunged by over 11 per cent since last September to make Mexico cheapest in the Americas, followed by Costa Rica.
Orlando, above in Florida, (£70.12) was the only destination of 12 US and Caribbean ones to register a year-on-year fall in prices.
Destinations ‘down under’ have traditionally been among the most expensive places for UK visitors. Now, thanks to a sterling surge that puts over 20 per cent more Australian and New Zealand dollars in the purse, the cost of goods has fallen heavily in both Darwin (£91.13 – down 16.8 per cent) and Auckland (£100.66 – down 24.3 per cent).
As a result both have moved up the table – Auckland to 24th place and Darwin to 20th.
Holidaymakers can compare prices on the full list here
