The Insider's Guide to Budget Travel

Fancy a little pampering on holiday, but can’t fork out for a luxury spa retreat? We all need a little indulgence now and then, but aligning your chakras and unwinding in a spa often comes with a hefty price tag…

Hostels are probably the last places you’d think of for a spa retreat, but there are actually loads of properties out there offering everything from yoga to Thai massages on the cheap!

Perfect for both pros and beginners who can’t tell their ashtanga from your ayurvdic treatments, these hostels offer a luxurious and relaxing break with prices that will send you into a state of zen-like calm.

Febri’s Hotel and Spa, Bali, Indonesia.

The unspoilt island of Bali has long been a boutique bolt-hole, packed with super-luxe hotels and spas. The Febri’s Hotel and Spa aims to offer the Bali experience on a budget, with rooms from only €14.33 a night. Close to the quiet golden sands of South Kuta beach, and surrounded by a garden of Frangipangi flowers, the hotel is perfect for a romantic getaway.

There’s a large swimming pool, but the main draw here is one of the best value spas on the island, with a free jacuzzi and steam room, and basic treatments in an air-conditioned studio (complete with a waterfall in the background). Head to the private spa cottages for a range of fancier treatments, using delectable natural ingredients like chocolate. Each cottage has its own private garden, shower and bath, and 4-person private cottages are available – perfect for a girly pampering session!

Looking for a cheap flight to match? Check out our guide to getting to Southeast Asia on a budget!

Banpuresort and Spa, Trat, Thailand.

Thai massages are renowned the world over for being the ultimate way to relax, but this the real deal. Banpuresort and Spa is a lush oasis in East Thailand, with wooden cabins perched over a lake and surrounded by Mangrove forests. With exotic wildlife, glorious sunsets and fisherman in long-shaft boats the view from your window, its easy to unwind before you even hit the spa.

Treatments range from the traditional massage to aromatherapy and herbal steam baths, and there’s also a large pool for cooling off afterwards. Forget flavourless ‘health’ food only fit for a detox, the Suanpu Restaurant is popular with locals and travelers for the fresh seafood at bargain prices. Prices start from a soothing €10.73 a night.

Surya Thejus Advaita Yoga Centre, Kalady, India.

Forget fashionable yoga retreats, the Surya Thejus Advaitha Yoga Centre is both affordable and authentic! In the heart of Kalady, a shrine to Adi Sankara (one of India’s foremost philosophers), the Yoga classes are taught by expert teachers. There are only 3 rooms, each clean and comfortable, tucked away in a serene green corner of Kerala, with forests and the peaceful river Poorna to inspire your inner guru. Healthy and delicious food served up in the Kerala Vegetarian Canteen, and rooms start at only €26.56 a night.

Samai Center Hotel-Spa, Montanita, Ecuador.

Ecaudor may not be on the spa break ‘map’ in the same way as Southeast Asia or the Caribbean, but the Samai Center offers the ultimate therapeutic and ‘healing’ retreat for €13.43 a night. This is a hippie paradise, with eco-friendly and ‘energetically balanced’ wooden lodges made with all-natural materials, and boasting views of the mountains and the sea. This resort ticks all the boxes for the budding eco-warrior, with an organic vegetable garden, and locally-sourced vegetables and seafood served in the restaurant.

Teaching a mix of Feng Shui, Andean and Amazonian philosophies, the centre offers Shamanic Healing and workshops, aromatherapy and massage, meditation classes, Dietary Counseling, Acupuncture and Feng Shui Classes. If that all sounds a bit too spiritual, embrace the great outdoors by mountain biking, surfing or horse-back riding, take a boat trip to the ‘Little Galapagos’ island, or head out on the guided tours of a local anthropological dig.

Spa Hostel Khaosan Beppu, Beppu City, Japan.

Experience the traditional Japanese bath culture in Beppu, a city famous for its eight different varieties of natural hot springs. This hostel is renowned for its friendly staff and is only a ten minute walk from the beach and its sand baths. With a choice of modern and minimalist dormitories or private rooms, the hostel even has its own natural hot spring bath, which guests can use for free. Although it’s in pricey Japan, the room rates start at a very calming €17.43 a night.

Images – Thanks to EverJean

LJS – Do you know any budget destinations perfect for a little R’n'R, or have you got any tips for a bit of pampering when on the road? Share your advice with other travelers here…