Exotic but not expensive ... where?

November 09, 2008|Tim Leffel, Globe Correspondent

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IcelandThis is a wild card, and it may not last. If there's a "go now" country on this list, Iceland is it. A year ago this was a very expensive destination. A few months ago the currency started sliding, then the country went into meltdown mode. Hotels and restaurants are literally one-third the price they were this summer. With direct flights on Iceland Air also on sale, this is the time to soak in the hot springs and pools, see the geysers, and hike the volcanic wilderness on the cheap.

Sample deals: deluxe double with breakfast at the four-star Reykjavík Hotel Centrum (www.reykjavikhotels.is/reykjavikhotels/centrum, Adalstraeti 16, 011-354-514-6000) for $127; an all-day soak at the geothermal Blue Lagoon (www.bluelagoon.com, 240 Grindavík, 011-354-420-8800) for $22; a 48-hour welcome card (www.visitreykjavik.is/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-10/12_view-85/, Adalstraeti 2, 011-354-590-1550) for $13 that provides free admission to attractions and public transportation.

Tim Leffel, author of "The World's Cheapest Destinations" (Booklocker.com, 2006) and co-author of "Traveler's Tool Kit: Mexico and Central America" (Menasha Ridge Press, 2008), can be reached at leffel1@comcast.net.