Beat those Credit Crunch Blues: Luxury Holidays on a Budget

With all the talk of the credit crunch and doom and gloom around the world, you might think a luxury holiday is the last thing you should be booking. Ironically, there isn’t a better time to get away and there are some real bargains to be had to places you might have never dreamed of visiting.

You may have to travel a bit further than usual to make you stretch those pennies and pounds, but it will be more than worth it.

One of the first destinations to consider is Sri Lanka. A beautiful, tropical island in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka has thick jungles, picture perfect beaches and historical cities. The climate is tropical (hot and humid) most of the year with monsoon season falling between October and January. It is a good time to visit Sri Lanka as you will be helping to support the local businesses that have lost a lot due to the recent unrest, but you can also pick up a nice deal while you are at it. The British Pound is continuing to rise against the Sri Lankan Rupee, so a lot of travel companies are able to pass savings onto the consumer and hotels need to fill rooms. Flight times are long, but not excessive (around 10 to 11 hours), and there are real savings to be made by booking all inclusive breaks and keeping your holiday dates flexible.

One of the most popular luxury holiday destinations in the world is Thailand. This Southeast Asian gem is a holiday favourite for British travellers because it has so much to offer. The good news for travellers is that the British Pound is starting to recover against the Thai Baht, which means your stay will be considerably cheaper. Tourism is an important part of the Thai economy and has taken a hit due to recent political unrest. This means travel agents have been able to negotiate some fantastic deals on resorts and flights. If you are after a luxury holiday to wash away your daily stresses then Thailand has so much to offer both families and couples with some of the world’s top spas and resorts.

Like Thailand, Malaysia has something for most travellers – beautiful sandy beaches, incredibly vibrant cities and natural wonders that will take your breath away. It’s maybe not the first place on every holidaymaker’s list because of the 13 hour flight time from London, but if you are looking for a budget luxury holiday it’s hard to find a better destination. The British Pound is getting stronger against the Malaysian Ringgit, which means cheaper flights and hotels and also the cost of living when you are away. Choose to stay in five star luxury amongst the skyscrapers of Kula Lumpur, a lavish hut on the white sandy beaches of Langkawi or amongst the Orang-utans of Borneo in a rainforest eco-lodge.

Far away from the tropical surroundings of Southern Asia, Egypt - a popular African holiday destination - has really come into its own during the credit crunch. There’s so much going for this destination at the moment, including reasonable flight times of around five hours, a strong British Pound against the Egyptian Pound, lush sandy beaches and some of the world’s most interesting historical monuments. Egypt is a very hot and sunny country with up to 12 hours of sunshine a day in the summer. Egypt also has some of the best scuba diving and snorkelling in the world with incredible visibility and an abundance of fish, coral and marine life.

Unlike Egypt, which has often been an affordable destination for sunny holidays, the Maldives has always been thought of as an exclusive group of islands for the rich and famous. It is still a high-end luxury holiday destination, but the economic crisis has made it much more affordable and should be on your radar if you are looking for a luxury getaway. There are some real savings to be made at the moment, especially during the low tourist season. It may be a bit rainier from May to October, but it is generally hot all year round with average min and max temperatures around 25oC and 30oC respectively.

Whether you chose to holiday on the white sandy beaches of Malaysia or spend a week snorkelling in the Mediterranean off Egypt, affordable luxury holidays are available in a growing number of destinations around the world. With so many enticing destinations to choose from, the only problem is deciding between them all.