Photo of the Day - Iguazu Falls, Argentina

Iguazu Falls, Argentinian side, as taken in the dry season in April/May

Eleanor Roosevelt is alleged to have uttered the words “Poor Niagara!” upon seeing the Iguazú Falls for the first time, and it's not hard to see why. These vast and powerful falls are tucked up in the far north-east of the country, bordering both Paraguay and Brazil and are a breathtakingly spectacular sight. Spend a few days exploring the falls by both foot and boat (to get up close and personal) and we promise you'll not tire of their grandeur and majesty. There are some great nature trails in the national park, and Puerto Iguazú makes a pleasant stopping off point on your way to or from Brazil or Paraguay – relax for a few days and enjoy the tropical warmth.

Click here for a free guide to backpacking in Argentina.

Photo of the Day: Isla del Pescado, Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

Whether you chose to explore the area from Uynui or Tupiza, you will see more incredible landscapes on your trip to south west Bolivia than you could ever imagine. Stunningly beautiful in a very barren and rugged way; expect to see volcanoes, flamingos, geysers, hot springs, and of course the world famous salt plains (the Salar) themselves. Most backpackers touring the area choose to take a trip in 4X4 complete with local driver/guide and cook – prepare yourself for a few days where you will be constantly wowed by the scenery and also by just how brain-numbingly cold it can get at 5000m above see level!


Click here for our free guide to Bolivia.

funtotravel.info TIPS: How much money do I need to go travelling?

An answer to this question is a real moving feast! It depends on a few different factors (not an exhaustive list):

 · Where you choose to travel to.

· What kind of accommodation you require.

· Whether you intend to go out and party a lot.

The best advice we can give you is to look at the funtotravel.info Country guides for each place you plan on visiting on your trip for an idea of a daily budget. If you want to stay in a basic private room, eat out once a day in a cheapish restaurant and have a few drinks in the evening, we would give these figures as a very, very rough guide:


· If you plan to travel in South East Asia, India, Nepal, Bolivia, most of East and West Africa or most of Central America, then a realistic daily budget is US$50 a day.

· If you are going to travel in Western Europe, the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand or Brazil, the expect to get through up to US$100 a day and quite possibly beyond.

· For other countries and regions expect that figure to be somewhere between the two.


At the bottom end of the scale, if you really wanted to live on a shoestring budget then you could probably halve all of the figures listed above. This would mean sleeping in a dorm room in a hostel or camping, self-catering and either walking or travelling by public transport. You would also struggle to get out in the evening for a few beers in a bar on this limited budget.


Of course every day is different – with these figures we have tried to take into account those budget-busting one-off fees, like a skydive in Australia, a trek in Nepal, a trip to Machu Picchu in Peru or a visit to the Taj Mahal in India. Remember to account for these one off expenses when you are budgeting – they tend to be the things you remember forever.


To balance these big expenses out there are bound to be days when you end up doing very little: days sat on the beach, days nursing a hangover, days spent in transit etc. What we’re trying to say is that every day will be different, but make sure you have enough cash available to ensure that you don’t miss out on the things that make your trip so special.

Photo of the Day - Flinders Street, Melbourne

Under the clocks, Flinders Street Station:  A Melbourne icon (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Melbourne: scene of England's recent Ashes triumph and probably the most liveable city in the world. Go to marvellous Melbourne for fantastic food, pumping nightlife, world-class sporting events by the bucket load, some great beaches within easy reach and Australia's best cultural scene. OK the weather's not the easiest to predict (prepare yourself for the infamous 'four seasons in one day'), but the longer you stay the harder it is to leave this buzzing, fun city.


Click here to read our free guide to travelling in Oz!

Photo of the Day - Old Quarter, Hanoi

Amazing Bia Hoi ("fresh beer") corner in the Old Quarter, Hanoi, Vietnam (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Hanoi
Vietnam's French and Chinese influences are both heavily felt in the nation's slightly more conservative capital city. With some beautiful sights (including the peaceful Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum, and the hustle and bustle of the Old Quarter), the relative tranquillity of a wander around Hoan Kiem lake and 'Bia Hoi' (fresh beer – trust us it's wonderful and cheap) on every corner, Hanoi is a great place to visit. A brilliant mix of the old and new, Hanoi is developing a vibrant nightlife and the speciality shopping streets will keep you coming back for more.


Click here for our FREE guide to travelling in Vietnam.

Photo of the Day - Central Hong Kong

Street scene, Central, Hong Kong Island (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Hong Kong

First, the bad news: Hong Kong is as overcrowded, polluted, expensive and (at times) stifling humid as they say. But the good news is that it's fun, raucous, brash and exciting. Although it's part of China, Hong Kong is a 'Special Administrative Region' meaning that it enjoys free trade, freedom of expression and a great deal of autonomy from the mainland.

There are many classic 'must-do's in Hong Kong, and all of them live up expectation, whether staring down from atop Victoria Peak at the forest of skyscrapers below, taking the Star Ferry across the harbour or watching the incredible nightly light show from across the water in Kowloon. 'Honkers' offers a buzzing bar scene in Wan Chai, SoHo and Lan Kwai Fong, world-class eating in the dim-sum heaven that is Central and some brilliant shopping as you'd expect. Money matters here in Hong Kong – this is a place to see and be seen, and prices everywhere reflect how many big businesses are crammed onto this tiny densely-populated area. But away from the glitz and glamour you'll find a number of unexpected pleasures like fantastic (free!) hiking and some great rock climbing.

Bring some serious cash, a big appetite and get ready to party – Hong Kong is a hell of a lot of fun.

Click here for our FREE guide to Hong Kong.

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