Travelling can sometimes be painful on the pocket, but there are a few destinations around the world, that are kind to one’s budget.
Ilha Grande, Brazil
Ilha Grande, Brazil. Picture: Supplied The island’s Lopes Mendes Beach is considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil. To get to the island, one has to take a bus from Rio de Janeiro to Angra dos Reis, where you can catch a ferry to the island.
Accommodation on the Lopes Mendes beach starts from R560 and go as high as R2 200 per night for two people sharing, and ranges from backpackers' lodges, to resorts on the fairly secluded beach.
Off-peak flights start at R18 000, while peak season flights go for R21 000.
Sri Lanka
The coast of Sri Lanka. Picture: Supplied
Sri Lanka is a rich and textured country teeming with wild animals, hill-top temples and arguably the best food in the world – with very inexpensive prices for those who are budget-friendly.
A return ticket costs around R8300 from Johannesburg.
Naples, Italy
The bay of Naples, Italy. Picture: Supplied
One of the oldest cities on the European continent, Naples is one of the top spots to check out on the Southern coast of Italy.
Known for being the birthplace of pizza, Naples features a number of historical and cultural sites, as well as seaside castles, underground catacombs and a free trip to Mount Vesuvius.
A return ticket from Johannesburg costs R10 800 during the off-peak season, and R14 000 during peak season.
Zanzibar
Chalets in Zanzibar. Picture: Supplied
By selecting regular flights to travel to Zanzibar around the price of R6500, you’ll find travelling to Zanzibar being sweet and simple.
Zanzibar's accommodation is varied and offers quite a lot of options for the lone traveller, couples, families and large groups. Some of the island's chalets and bungalows are beauties to marvel at and rest inside.
A return flight from Johannesburg costs R5 000 off-peak, and R8500 during peak season.
The Cook Islands
The Cook Islands. Picture: Supplied
The Cook Islands are everything you’d hope to find in the South Pacific — lush tropical beauty, vibrant reefs and a Polynesian vibe that is both traditional and modern.
Its rich Maori culture is still very much intact and hospitality exudes through the friendly locals.
Return flights from Johannesburg go at R5000 on off-peak, and R8000 during peak season.
Karpathos, Greece
Sea turtles in Karpathos, Greece. Picture: Trip advisor
Apart from lounging on white-sand beaches, active travellers can choose from a selection of sports: fishing, windsurfing, snorkeling, scuba diving and sailing.
Other activities include rescuing turtles, followed by a hearty, reasonably-priced Greek meal.
Return flights from Johannesburg cost R10 000 off-peak, and R14 000 during the peak season.
Dublin, Ireland
The city of Dublin in Ireland. Picture: Supplied
Being one of the boon countries to South Africa, it makes sense to have the capital city of Ireland have its own spot on this list, with good reasoning.
In Dublin, you can get up to from free yoga in the park to exploring Trinity College grounds and hiking in the wilderness nearby.
The only thing that might hurt your wallet is the cost of flying to Dublin and returning to Johannesburg, with return flights starting from R7000 off-peak and R12000 during the peak season, because the economy is rough.
Komodo Island, Bali
Komodo Dragons on Komodo Island, Indonesia. Picture: Supplied
Most of the islands in Indonesia are incredibly undermined because of how popular Bali is, but Komodo and its surrounding islands are definitely worth a visit.
As the name implies, Komodo is the native home of the terrifying mini-Godzillas known as Komodo Dragons. To see them, you go on an incredible boat tour that takes you to a tri-color beach island and swimming with wild manta rays.
Return flights from Johannesburg to Bali, then to Labuan Bajo cost R7000, to R10 000 during peak season.
Eastern Cape, South Africa
The Hole in the Wall, Eastern Cape. Picture: Supplied
The Eastern coast is a great haven for surfers, tourists and others who come to visit the East coast and partake in surfing, bungee jumping or strolling down the beach.
Return flights are fairly reasonable from Johannesburg at R760, and the weather in the Eastern Cape is quite beautiful, except for the winter and autumn winds, but other than that - the Eastern Cape is definitely a destination to explore that is friendly to your wallet.
Namibia
Namibia. Picture: Supplied
The Skeleton coast is one of the most haunting natural phenomena to check out in the world.
Flights to Windhoek from Cape Town can be found for as low as R3500 return, depending on the special.
Visit the beach in Swakopmund, or explore the sand dunes in Sossusvlei before having dinner at a coastal restaurant that won’t hurt your wallet in the end.