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The best value long-haul holiday destinations

John Fitzsimons
by Lovemoney Staff John Fitzsimons on 02 October 2012  |  Comments 8 comments

Sri Lanka tops study into which long-haul destinations represent the best value for money.

The best value long-haul holiday destinations

Sri Lanka is the best value long-haul holiday destination according to the latest research from the Post Office.

It topped the table for the third year running, even though prices there have risen 21% over the past year.

The research involves tracking the prices of a basket of 12 typical tourist items. These include a three-course meal for two with wine, postcard and stamp, bottle of water, suncream, cocktail, beer/lager, glass of wine, insect repellent and a paperback book.

The total cost of the 12 items in the south west region of Sri Lanka comes to just £43.85, almost £9 cheaper than its nearest rival, Hoi An in Vietnam. Other value destinations include Bali in Indonesia, Cancun in Mexico and Kololi in Gambia.

Below are the ten best value long-haul holiday destinations:

Destination

Three-course meal for two including bottle of wine

Suncream (200ml SPF 15)

Insect repellent (50ml)

Bottle of water (1.5l)

Total cost, including other basket items

Sri Lanka (south west)

£23.50

£3.39

£2.61

£0.47

£43.85

Vietnam (Hoi An)

£33.69

£1.38

£0.69

£0.62

£52.37

Indonesia (Bali)

£28.51

£3.31

£0.73

£0.54

£52.48

Mexico (Cancun)

£32.40

£4.32

£2.43

£0.54

£60.48

Gambia (Kololi)

£34.15

£4.59

£3.89

£0.59

£61.14

Thailand (Phuket)

£40.65

£5.65

£2.94

£0.32

£70.69

Egypt (Sharm el Sheikh)

£46.68

£4.08

£1.98

£0.23

£71.05

South Africa (Cape Town)

£33.10

£11.64

£2.49

£0.83

£71.73

USA (Washington DC)

£52.11

£3.75

£3.75

£1.48

£75.52

USA (Orlando)

£43.62

£5.37

£3.36

£1.01

£76.54

At the other end of the spectrum, Seoul in South Korea was identified as the most expensive long-haul destination. Here are the five holiday locations that came bottom of the Post Office’s survey:

Destination

Three-course meal for two including bottle of wine

Suncream (200ml SPF 15)

Insect repellent (50ml)

Bottle of water (1.5l)

Total cost, including other basket items

South Korea (Seoul)

£120.81

£6.71

£5.37

£1.34

£166.92

Australia (Darwin)

£104.86

£11.16

£4.37

£0.97

£157.79

New Zealand (Auckland)

£92.70

£9.16

£3.48

£0.56

£144.32

China (Beijing)

£81.54

£5.44

£1.63

£0.54

£131

Canada (Calgary)

£82.19

£8.22

£6.85

£0.68

£123.68

What do you think? Have you been to any of these destinations? Did they strike you as particularly cheap or expensive? What’s the best value long-haul holiday you’ve ever been on? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.

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Comments (8)

  • Maureen Fry
    Love rating 0
    Maureen Fry said

    Hope I am not repeating myself - apologies if I am - but everything disappeared towards end of my comment. Re alexms's comment re Kenya costs - 2 years ago we made a repeat to Mombassa and each time had to pay a £50 entry visit fee on arrival at the airport with an additional exit fee when leaving. For a family of 4 that is an immediate £200+ on the cost of the holiday. Having said that I could swallow the extra because I absolutely adore Mombassa. Treasurer (also known as dear husband) might have a different opinion to me. What has to be borne in mind is that these countries only levy these charges in response to their citizens being charged oodles of money when they enter the UK.

    Report on 04 October 2012  |  Love thisLove  0 loves
  • electricblue
    Love rating 643
    electricblue said

    Utterly pointless conclusions based on a skewed survey. With no direct comparison between where meals are purchased, we could be comparing a beach cafe with a four star hotel. In the USA I've experienced good value meals, but also terrible food and terrible value. I made the mistake of eating at a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco ('it must be good because the Chinese locals are eating here and it's a family restaurant'). At $100 a head the meal was utterly disgusting and ten times the price of my local takeaway for food I wouldn't give to a dog (he'd probably not appreciate eating his relatives). By contrast the following year my girlfriend and I ate at a Chinese restaurant in Santa Cruz (USA) with the lunch menu being excellent at just $10 a head.

    Report on 04 October 2012  |  Love thisLove  0 loves

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