Welcome to Bugbog Travel Guide and Pictures Helping you plan great value holidays quickly, with maps and tours
Photos of some great, good value destinations for July - August 2009: Ireland, Portugal, Alaska, Namibia. Europe: - Ireland [Republic of] is a busted flush offering good value [tho' €uro] vacations from lovely Dublin to superb walks and spectacular festivals in August such as Waterford's Spraoi street fest, Kilkenny Arts, Puck Fair for kid-type lunacy, Fleadh Cheoil for music and the Rose of Tralee for romantics. p.s. hope for the best weather but prepare for the worst! - Portugal is a fascinating little family-friendly country with reasonable prices, excellent beaches, amazing forts and incredible churches. - Iceland was previously pricey, but not for now, and mid summer is the best time to be there for brilliant walks among geysers, volcanoes and blasted landscapes followed by a dip in a hot pool and some stinky fish. - The UK. The lowly pound continues to make the United Kingdom a good value holiday destination, though this summer is going to be crowded with busted Brits and lost politicians. Book hotels early for discounts and enjoy London's walks and other free stuff or choose Edinburgh in Scotland for August's diverse and frequently hilarious arts festival with great walks a short drive away. n.b. stay away from the winding little roads and charming beaches on England's south coast from Dorset to Cornwall, that's where I'm going! North America: - USA. Lucky Americans, so many sensational destinations right there at home: Alaska, the USA's wildest state is at it's best in July, brilliant for watching bears fishing, hiking and cruising the fjords. August will be busy and may rain. California beaches are fine, SW USA canyons are crying out for RV travel-based walkies, while some festivals are superb, e.g. July: Cheyenne Frontier Days in Wyoming and Virginia Arts Festival, August: Hog heaven at the Harley Sturgis Rally in South Dakota and liberal arts madness at the Burning Man in Nevada's Black Rock Desert. Plenty of action across the border in Canada too! Africa: Wildlife Safaris are at their very best at this time of year but quite costly, tho' less so than a couple of years ago: mass migrations across Tanzania/Kenya's plains, huge clusters of beasties and pink sand dunes in marvellous Namibia, posh safari tours in soggy Botswana, walking tours of Zambia and best value on Kruger safaris in South Africa.   Enter your search terms   Web Bugbog Submit search form
Look for SPECIAL DEALS or DISCOUNTS from tour operators: Intrepid Travel special promotions [worldwide, esp. small groups, activities or overland expeditions] Explore Worldwide price reductions or best budget deals [esp. small groups, activities or families] Trek America discounts [North America tours] | Footloose discounts [Latin America tours] OzXposure discounts [Australia and New Zealand tours] Adventure Life specials [Outdoor life, Latin America, Alaska, Antarctic]

A short guide to saving money on foreign holidays:

Times are tough for world travel right now with credit crises rampaging across the globe and fuel/flight costs higher than ever, so consider a vacation destination that isn't long-haul and do some thorough research.

1: Research and book online [pay by credit card and if using a tour operator check they have ATOL insurance coverage].
2: Keep check-in baggage to the minimum for no-frills flights and ensure the airline knows how many bags you'll have.
3: Eliminate any 'world care fund' or 'carbon footprint' contributions - they probably go straight into the airline's revenue stream.
4: If you already have travel insurance make sure the airline doesn't add it to your charge by default. If not, check offerings through a price comparison site [see below], and consider multi-trip insurance if you take more than one holiday abroad in a year.
5: If you are planning to drive yourself to the airport, choose your parking area and book it well in advance to get the cheapest rate. Alternatively explore public transport options; buses are often fast and good value for couples, though not perhaps if travelling as a family.
6: Never change money at the departure airport - apart from a little emergency cash if essential. Check around before you leave for the best exchange deals; for example the UK's Post Office offers great value. If you forget and need some cash pronto, exchanges at your vacation destination usually give better rates, assuming you don't arrive in the middle of the night.
7: Car hire costs differ dramatically place to place, so research will be required in this area too. If you're planning to head for a city first, then drive around the country, it will be easier and cheaper to taxi or bus into town from the airport then rent a car after you've finished the city sightseeing. [popular value comparison websites: www.travelsupermarket.com or www.moneysupermarket.com]

See our low cost flights comparison site listings:
UK Cheap Flight Comparisons | USA Cheap Flight Comparisons

Using bank cards abroad efficiently:

Buy goodies or pay bills [checks] with credit cards when on vacation as they provide insurance as well as delayed repayment but don't draw cash out from ATMs with them [unless it's a new-wave no-fee card like UK's Abbey Zero]. Interest starts accruing immediately and bank exchange fees in addition to the ATM fee may be unreasonable. Better to buy foreign cash at home from a commission-free provider [e.g. in the UK, the Post Office, Thomas Cook] though, of course when you travel you'll have to carry a fat wad around, so the best solution depends on the security of your holiday destination. If you travel a lot and want to get cash from an ATM do some research on transaction fees and get the lowest fee debit [not credit card] card you can find. [Nationwide is the UK's cheapest in 2008]
Also, never pay for anything abroad in your home currency [the exchange rate is likely to be absurd], insist on paying in local currency.

Mobile phones when travelling:

Ideally use a wifi internet or Skype phone abroad and you will escape the ridiculous charges incurred if you use your home cell phone for local or international calls when abroad.
Alternatively get a global sim card at home [do some net research on best deals currently] and change the sims over when you arrive at your destination. The number will be new but charges will be way less.

Finally, don't go short of travel insurance if you're going to be participating in any kind of marginally dangerous activity, or even a non-dangerous activity in a third world location, that's NOT the way to save money! Use your brains while they're intact!

External reviews of travel and hotels

'The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page' St. Augustine

Bugbog is an independent travel guide that helps plan holidays - whether it's beaches, safari, exotic or European tours - quickly and efficiently. We provide guides to the world's best destinations, with key tourist information, festival dates, travel pictures, travel health and safety advice, maps and thousands of useful exit links.

The travel guide summarises the best times to go, good and bad points of different great holiday destinations, and gives you an idea of what they look like with well over three thousand travel pictures in our many photo galleries.
Bugbog is not attempting to be a detailed reference, but rather a concise and inspirational guide.