Interesting and cheap places to travel. – by Klarisa Sota

New Orleans

New Orleans is known for colorful nightlife, a bursting festival calendar and a decadent local cuisine — but the Big Easy is also an undercover gem for budget travelers. Let’s start with the basics. Most NOLA must-dos are free: people-watching in the French Quarter, house peeping in the Garden District and bar hopping the live music venues on Frenchman Street. But get creative. Need to cool off after all that strolling? Head to fun and flirty The Country Club, where entry to the pool out back costs a reasonable $15 a day and the bar provides a steady stream of frozen cocktails. Worked up an appetite? SoBou and Commander’s Palace are two of many local restaurants keeping the 25 cent martini weekday lunch alive. You read that right. Order lunch, and martinis are a mere quarter — though most enforce a limit of three, because, as the menu states, “that’s enough.” Need to work off all that indulgence? Head to one of the several free weekly fitness events thrown by Move Ya Brass. They have a calendar of running clubs, yoga classes and dance-based workouts heavy on local music and flavor. Need a place to recharge so you can do it all again tomorrow? Check in to the Catahoula Hotel, a chic boutique design hotel in the Central Business District with rooms starting at a mere $100 a night.

Jamaica

Though Jamaica is a legendary beach destination, 2019 will be the year to discover Kingston, an untapped, culturally rich capital of the Caribbean. Still rough around the edges but with a soul that is impossible to resist, Kingston is the place to experience the heartbeat of Jamaica, in ways simply not possible from within a beach resort — and for a much cheaper price tag. Rhythm rocks the streets from sunup to sundown. In fact, in 2018 Kingston opened the Peter Tosh Museum, which rounds out the city’s musical offerings, in addition to the Bob Marley Museum and the Jamaica Music Museum.

Experience the local dance halls, tour the Trench Town Culture Yard and see a side of the country that few Americans take the time to truly experience before they jet off to the beaches of the north. That said, with the recently opened high-speed highway that connects Kingston to Ocho Rios, visitors can easily make the trip north to weave together a city and beach vacation in one trip, especially with the new S Hotel in Montego Bay, a sleek-and-sexy, South Beach-style spot that will open in January. End your jaunt with a ride through reggae music history as you depart from Sangster International Airport. VP Records, the world’s largest independent reggae music label and publisher, is kicking off its 40th anniversary with an installation chronicling its indelible contribution to reggae music.

Lisbon

Lisbon is the affordable European city you’ve been dreaming of visiting. It offers a rich history, incredible architecture and delicious local cuisine and wines, all without the high price tag of Paris and London. Bargains abound around every corner. Indulge in the city’s decadent custard-filled pastel de nata for just 1€ at the historic Pasteis de Belém café. A Lisbon city pass is 19€ and gives you 24 hours of admission to everything from modern museums to historic monasteries, as well as all transportation, including rides on the Lisbon’s scenic tram cars and stunning elevators that lift passengers up the steep city hills. Thirsty? Local wine bars charge less than 3€ per glass of wine; even swanky restaurants offer bottles for under 10€ (try that in New York City, where you’ll be lucky to find a glass of wine for that price). Extra bonus: Lisbon is great for families. There’s a fabulous aquarium and science museum on the waterfront, not to mention a real castle to explore. Centrally located, family-friendly Martinhal Chiado offers full-service apartments with kitchens starting at around $150 a night. Included in the reasonable rate: free use of baby equipment, including everything from bottle warmers to strollers; a complimentary kids club that runs late so parents can go out for dinner on their own; and a free breakfast that includes made-to-order pancakes and those amazing nata tarts.

Tallinn

Only a short ferry ride away from Finland, Tallinn is a cheap alternative to visiting Northern European cities such as Helsinki or Stockholm. Accommodations run for a fraction of the price compared to most of Europe, and public transportation is easy to navigate, as well as cost-efficient. Make sure to pay a visit to Tallinn’s UNESCO-protected medieval old town, a preserved walled area with many restaurants and shops. For an exceptionally special experience head to the restaurant Olde Hansa, located in the old town’s center. Providing medieval musicians performing nightly, meals prepared using 15th-century recipes and authentic medieval attire, this restaurant is reason enough to pay Tallinn a visit. To learn more about Estonian folk culture and art, make sure to add both the Estonian Open Air Museum and Kumu Art Museum to your itinerary.

Cooperstown

 Although this charming town may be internationally known for being home to the iconic National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Cooperstown has more up to bat than just baseball. Strolling down the historic main street you’ll find an array of cute shops, antique stores, cafes and my favorite — the bountiful Cooperstown Farmers Market, where you can find affordable (and incredibly delicious) bites made locally. During the day, you can find plenty of inexpensive fun, like a tasting at Ommegang brewery ($10 for a tour and tasting), a visit to Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard (complimentary tastings), a tour of the Farmer’s Museum ($12 entry) or a stroll around the Fenimore Art Museum ($12 daily pass). Even for those who aren’t baseball fans, make sure to visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame this year to celebrate its 80^th anniversary. With Cooperstown being situated in prime farming country, this town is home to some very tasty restaurants. Head to the greenhouse-chic Origins Cafe (entrees around $12) or splurge on dinner at the lakeside Blue Mingo Grill (entrees around $30). For an inexpensive yet historical hotel, stay at the Railroad Inn (rates starting at $85 a night).

Barga

Tucked within the mountainous Serchio Valley is Tuscany’s best-kept secret. Not yet overrun by tourists, Barga is a quiet medieval town that takes you back to old-world Italy where mama cooks for all and wineries are still run by families. The art scene is alive and well, the Duomo di San Cristoforo atop the town is worth the walk and the food, well, that goes without saying. A local highlight is the lunchtime tour at Podere Concori, a biodynamic winery with a passion for cultivating the purest of products. Winter season here is ideal for budget travelers; rates at the Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort & Spa are as low as €112 per night. With views of the entire valley from your balcony, you might even catch snow falling as you marvel at the watercolor-like sunsets. Located just over an hour from Florence, you get the best of both worlds when you fly into the city for a stopover before heading to the countryside for mountain biking, hiking and thermal pools, too.

TRAVELING IS NOT JUST VISITING NEW PLACES,TRAVELING IS GAINING CULTURE, TRAVEL!

Worked by:Klarisa Sota