Alternative vacationing has gained some luster in today’s economic climate. Added to this financial stress is the ever changing and increasingly unfair policies of airlines. Phrases like “staycation” have started to appear in conversations accompanied by the rise in the popularity of a road trip.

Used camper vans have also relished in this alternative vacation movement. Buying a used one is a super cost effective way to get the plushest features for your cash.

Versatile and convenient

It is amazing what can be tucked into these handy vehicles. Roofs that collapse and extend can make a virtual suite out of what was once a simple mode of transportation. Tables fold out next to mini kitchenettes equipped with fridges, sinks, stoves, and even microwaves. Heaters designed to keep the camper warm when the engine is not running means that it can be used year around and in virtually any terrain. It is much better than a tent and way cheaper than a hotel. Buying a previously owned model will let you get one with all the options that might be too pricey brand new.

Where To Buy A Used Camper Van

Just as there is no shortage of options available, there is also no shortage of resources to find a used model. It is possible to find listings in magazines and newspapers and on the Internet. There are many retail lots that will sell them either new or used or both. What resource you use depends on the level of security that you desire as well as convenience.

Chances are the vehicle that is perfect for you may not be in your area. To get the best value you might have to consider looking in a different region. Buying from a lot often times will give the buyer more security in the case that it is a lemon. Be sure to check the lemon laws in your state, as they should apply to your camper purchase as well.

Do your research and shop around. Find out what options are available that you want and then compare prices. Buying any vehicle used can be met with challenges especially a used camper van. The best way to meet them is to arm yourself with information.

With a landmass of over seven million square kilometers, traveling Australia with a time constraint is best achieved by air; however, it’s not the most economical. When we had 365 days to explore the world and a backpacker’s budget, it seemed best to go to countries we could travel efficiently and inexpensively. So the decision as easy, backpacking Australia would be a separate trip to be planned at a later date.

Now that I am back home that later date has arrived. It is time to plan our trip to Australia! I find the planning stage of a vacation or extended trip is part of the fun of traveling. I follow personal blogs of travelers in my potential destination, read guidebooks, and subscribe to cheap flight notifications. From this information-gathering phase I have deducted that at some point in our backpacking Australia trip we will end up in Sydney. When visiting a city like Sydney, i.e. large and expensive, I like to have some budget activities in mind. Better yet, free activities to free up my money for other non-negotiable expenses like a comfortable place to sleep or tasty food for dinner.

picture by kevgibbo

The weather will be a balmy 19-26 degrees Celsius (66-79 Fahrenheit) when we are there in January. Walking the boardwalk in Darling Harbour will be a pleasant way to spend an afternoon and evening. The Sydney Opera House is close enough reach by foot and we could stop in at the Royal Botanical Gardens for a picnic. The beach is also a great option even if I’m not a surfer. I can bake in the warm Australian sun, read a book and get that relaxed-I’m-on-vacation feeling back. And when I’ve had my fill of the outdoors I can cool off inside one of the public libraries and surf the net for free.

One final tip I received from a friend: ‘don’t try to pickpocket a Kangaroo’. I’ll let you decide if you will follow his advice or not.

Cycling in Buenos Aires has recently become a pleasure with the opening of a network of bike friendly lanes. These are well cordoned off from the traffic with small brightly colored walls and are thus a safe way to cruise around town. And it is only going to get better as the local government plans to expand the bicycle lane network.

Located on the edge of the River Plate Buenos Aires boats flood plain flat streets. There are virtually no hills so a multi-geared bike isn’t necessary. The current local trend is of one-geared cruisers with wide handlebars. Baskets aren’t compulsory but prove valuable if you need to carry anything extra.

Photo by blmurch

If you have landed in the city bikeless and are itching to start pedaling, head to the park land in the south, known as Costanera Sur. Here there are several small stores that rent bikes by the hour. The park land is the perfect place to warm up before tackling the tarmac.

An alternative is to join a knowledgeable guide who can lead you bike Buenos Aires style around the city and point out sights of interest without getting you lost. This is a great option for those who want to see more of the city but are somewhat geographically challenged. Let someone else do the navigating and explanations on what you are seeing so you can sit back on your cruiser bike and pedal through Buenos Aires to get an up close and personal view of this dynamic South American city.

There are quite a few activities that nature lovers and visitors to Koh Chang Island will be excited about. These include sunbathing on the paradise-like white sandy beaches, swimming, diving and snorkelling, yachting, mountain biking, tree climbing, canoeing, jungle hiking and elephant trekking. The name of the island means ‘Elephant Island’ but this is due to the shape of the land more than the presence of elephants.

A real paradise island!

The island climate is easy and enjoyable. The seasons vary from rainy to dry, followed by summer. The rainy season occurs from May to October, the dry season from November to February and then summer from March to April (hot!). In terms of temperatures, this configuration makes it ideal for people from the northern hemisphere to visit during the winter season – although expect the most tourists at this time (650,000 annually, most of them Thai). Going during the months of July and August will give you more breathing space and cheaper prices but it will also come with some rain everyday (but not necessarily all day).

While luxurious accommodations and establishments do exist on the island, bungalows and beach huts are widely available and should please low budget and easy-going travel enthusiasts. Spas, quiet beach bars and nightclubs are also present. As would be expected, Thai cuisine is abundant in tourist restaurants. A few Buddhist temples grace the area as well.

For those looking for a slower pace and a natural setting, make no mistake: it can be found on Bali. It just takes a little bit of time and effort to get off the beaten track. An excellent direction to head onto is the opposite coast. Bali’s north coast, specifically the Lovina/Singaraja areas are just a half-day’s drive away and they might have exactly what you are looking for.

A stunning aerial view of Lovina

One of the best things about the north coast is certainly the prices. You’ll immediately notice how much cheaper it is to eat in restaurants, and good Lovina hotel rooms can be had for half the price of what you would find in places like Kuta or Seminyak – it may well be even cheaper. The geography of this area and the smaller surf makes it possible to find yourself a hotel room very close to the water’s edge. The area is replete with natural wonders such as hot springs and wild dolphins.

The ocean in this area is actually the Bali Sea, which is shallower and much, much, calmer than the Indian Ocean that crashes into the island’s south coast. If you are not in Bali to surf, or if you are nervous about having your small children on the beach with waves that are dangerous at times, Lovina is an attractive alternative.

Grab a souvenir in Kuta on your way back to the airport if you must and spend a night or two in the area to experience some of the Bali night life if that is your cup of tea. But if you find it all a bit too expensive and frenetic, get a driver to take you up to Lovina Beach, find a quiet hotel in Lovina.

If you really want to go cheaply, get a ‘bemo’, or small local bus, for a fraction of the price. No matter how you do it, the drive up is pleasant and the budget destination will transform your holiday into exactly what you were looking for: inexpensive, on the beach and not too crowded.

Costa Rica is a favourite of the eco-tourist crowd (which won’t mind getting down and dirty) because it’s a land of extreme natural diversity and offers to its visitors rain forests, volcanoes, marshlands and everything in between. Costa Rica crams 6% of the world’s known animal and plant species in an area that measures only 51,100sq.km. – these include over 1,500 species of orchid and more than 800 species of bird.

Monteverde Forest Reserve

Eco-tourists traveling to Costa Rica can choose between several excellently preserved parks and reserves in different areas of the country and heading the list is the Monteverde and Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserves. Situated in South Costa Rica and lying right on the continental divide, this reserve features an overwhelming collection of birds, big cats, insects, orchids and plants spread out across several different conservation areas.

Monteverde : image by Eljefe

Travellers in Monteverde are also faced with a dazzling array of activities and the only problem they will experience is deciding what to do first. Highlights of the jungle experience include the thrilling zip lines and canopy tours (try the exhilarating Selvatura tour), tree top suspension bridges, night walks, and insect museums and gardens. Those interested Monteverde should visit the reserve’s official web site at www.monteverdeinfo.com to obtain more information.

Rincon de la Vieja Volcano National Park

The Rincon de la Vieja Volcano National Park in Costa Rica’s North Zone offers tourists a splendid example of the type of eco-system that grows up around a live volcano. Although it has not erupted in over 3,500 years, Rincon de la Vieja, an andesitic stratovolcano, has been known to grumble from time to time and has interacted with the surrounding countryside enough to have created a vibrant and unique natural system.

Visitors to the park can look forward to climbing the volcano and inspecting the mud pots and fumaroles that are intrinsic to such a system before swimming in the natural lagoons and marvelling at the waterfalls. Animals to watch out for include the two-toed sloth, the howler monkey and the armadillo and the park has the largest concentration of Costa Rica’s national flower, the delicate Guaria Morada orchid, than anywhere else in the country. Learn more about this unique venue at www.liberiacostaricainfo.com

Cocos Island

Cocos Island lies 310 miles southwest of Costa Rica’s southern Pacific coast and is home to the UNESCO protected Cocos Island National Park. This park comprises the island itself as well as 240,171 maritime acres of surrounding ocean and features yet another of this country’s splendid natural systems: the marine ecosystem.

The inspiration for Stevenson’s ‘Treasure Island’, this isle was once a pirate haunt but is now best known for its tropical lowland eco-systems that lie only a short way away from its cloud forests. The marine areas that fall under the park’s protection are riddled with reefs where divers are likely to encounter friendly dolphins side by side with awe-inspiring giant manta rays and lethal hammerhead sharks. Diving is the park’s most sought after activity and exciting night dives are available for the more adventurous. Visit www.costarica.com to see what else this magical island has to offer.

Travellers who have visited Costa Rica and caught glimpses of the magnificent jaguar or the nocturnal margay count themselves extremely lucky and would recommend their Costa Rica experience to anyone even vaguely interested in the natural world.

Just a few miles down the coast from Agde is the quaint and ancient fishing village of Bouzigues. Here you can look out over the Étang de Thau with its hundreds of oyster tables where oysters and mussels are collected by the thousands. You can be sure that they’re fresh in your plate when you try them. They are best eaten in their half shell with a squirt of lemon or a dash of Tabasco sauce – it’s an acquired taste but definitely something to be tried at least once!

If seafood isn’t your thing and you have more of a sweet tooth then definitely take the opportunity to try out the famous croustade of Besan. This is a rich and flaky pastry containing a decadent mix of chocolate and raisins (some varieties are made with walnuts and raisins). Definitely a satisfying accompaniment for a nice cup of coffee in the morning, or with your favourite cup of tea in the afternoon.

Cap d'Agde / picture by Jean-Louis Zimmermann

Staying on the sweet pastry track, be sure to taste Les Petits Pâtés. It is unlikely you would have seen patisserie like this before – they can best be described as looking like large cotton reels and they are filled with a mixture of brown sugar, suet, minced lamb and grated lemon peel. They are quite tasty and génial along with an appetizer or as a dessert.

Something else to look out for as you proceed to the many market stalls in and around the resort is the  tasty Lézignan-la-Cèbe sweet onion (available from May to September). You’ll recognise it easily as it looks longer and flatter than your normal onion variety. Take it back to your self-catering apartment and add it to any stirfry. Also of interest at the market are the wonderful figs of the region. Over the past few years the Languedoc area has been removing many of its vines plantations and planting new produce instead. For this, there are now over 80 varieties of beautiful figs being cultivated in the area.

These are just a few of the specialty foods you should try when you’re eating out in Cap d’Agde. Don’t forget that, as in most of the Languedoc region, you can also find beautiful locally produced honey, fruits and vegetables during the warm seasons. Bon appétit!