Beachlover
May 14th, 2011, 13:22
This is an interesting article by backpacking blogger, Ben Groundwater.
He compares holidaying in Thailand to holidaying locally in Australia. Similar things could be said about many Western countries.
Full article: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/blogs/the- ... 1eh43.html (http://www.smh.com.au/travel/blogs/the-backpacker/is-holidaying-in-australia-worth-it-20110510-1eh43.html)
I've taken a few local short getaways recently and have to agree with the comparison. At home in Australia, you get shit all for what you pay. To me, Thailand and other countries in Asia offer MUCH better value and the air fares getting there are pretty cheap these days.
I like some of the comparisons made...
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(All quoted excerpts from the article)
"Two groups of friends... One group was heading to the Margaret River region of Western Australia, for four days of wine drinking, food eating, and surf staring (too cold to get in, unless you're English). The other trip was to Phuket, Thailand, for four days of Singha drinking, poolside lying and chilli eating."
In Australia:"a fairly basic two-bedroom flat in the middle of town, was $95 per person, per night."
In Thailand:"My Thailand-going friends... stayed at a pretty fancy hotel for $97 a night each."
In Australia:"A beer... goes for about $9 or $10 a pint."
In Thailand:"In Thailand, it [a beer] would have been about $2."
In Australia:"hired a car to drive us around the Margo wineries for $400 for a whole day."
In Thailand:"spent a fraction of that on tuk-tuks into town (when they weren't lurching from the breakfast buffet to the massage table)."
In Australia:"We got to hang out on some beautiful beaches, some of the best I've ever seen. We got to spend a couple of days hanging out in wineries and sampling the local product. We had a few fun nights out in the local pubs of Margaret River."
In Thailand:"four nights in a fancy schmancy hotel near Phuket, hanging by the pool drinking Singhas and taking a tuk-tuk into town when they felt like it. They had tasty, cheap Thai food in town, and buffet breakfasts each morning."
"the nitty gritty of this whole situation is that my friends got to fly to a new, interesting country, soak up the culture, eat great food and stay in nice accommodation with great service for the same money it cost me to stay in Australia, eat average food and stay in average accommodation."
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/blogs/the- ... 1eh43.html (http://www.smh.com.au/travel/blogs/the-backpacker/is-holidaying-in-australia-worth-it-20110510-1eh43.html)
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He compares holidaying in Thailand to holidaying locally in Australia. Similar things could be said about many Western countries.
Full article: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/blogs/the- ... 1eh43.html (http://www.smh.com.au/travel/blogs/the-backpacker/is-holidaying-in-australia-worth-it-20110510-1eh43.html)
I've taken a few local short getaways recently and have to agree with the comparison. At home in Australia, you get shit all for what you pay. To me, Thailand and other countries in Asia offer MUCH better value and the air fares getting there are pretty cheap these days.
I like some of the comparisons made...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(All quoted excerpts from the article)
"Two groups of friends... One group was heading to the Margaret River region of Western Australia, for four days of wine drinking, food eating, and surf staring (too cold to get in, unless you're English). The other trip was to Phuket, Thailand, for four days of Singha drinking, poolside lying and chilli eating."
In Australia:"a fairly basic two-bedroom flat in the middle of town, was $95 per person, per night."
In Thailand:"My Thailand-going friends... stayed at a pretty fancy hotel for $97 a night each."
In Australia:"A beer... goes for about $9 or $10 a pint."
In Thailand:"In Thailand, it [a beer] would have been about $2."
In Australia:"hired a car to drive us around the Margo wineries for $400 for a whole day."
In Thailand:"spent a fraction of that on tuk-tuks into town (when they weren't lurching from the breakfast buffet to the massage table)."
In Australia:"We got to hang out on some beautiful beaches, some of the best I've ever seen. We got to spend a couple of days hanging out in wineries and sampling the local product. We had a few fun nights out in the local pubs of Margaret River."
In Thailand:"four nights in a fancy schmancy hotel near Phuket, hanging by the pool drinking Singhas and taking a tuk-tuk into town when they felt like it. They had tasty, cheap Thai food in town, and buffet breakfasts each morning."
"the nitty gritty of this whole situation is that my friends got to fly to a new, interesting country, soak up the culture, eat great food and stay in nice accommodation with great service for the same money it cost me to stay in Australia, eat average food and stay in average accommodation."
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/blogs/the- ... 1eh43.html (http://www.smh.com.au/travel/blogs/the-backpacker/is-holidaying-in-australia-worth-it-20110510-1eh43.html)
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