I love to travel and have gotten pretty good at figuring my way around new cities. I prefer to stay in the same place for at least a week because I like to get a feel for what it's like to live there rather than just hit the tourist attractions and take a few pictures.
I have free time but not a lot of money right now so my next trip will probably have to be somewhere cheap. The problem is I kind of get freaked out by too much attention and it seems like the further my US dollars go, the more attention I get. The last time I went to Thailand there was a seemingly constant barrage of people trying to sell me something or get me to go into some bar. When I came and went from my guest house the woman at the desk would comment on my movements. Costa Rica wasn't as bad but I ran into much of the same, including some very persistent beggars. In New York City and Hong Kong I was almost never bothered, but places like that are a bit out of my budget right now.
So my question is - has anyone run into a good combination of cheap and anonymous? I get stressed out from dealing with people all day and I'm looking for a place I can take a break in without too much unwanted interaction. It has to be a place with shops and restaurants so complete wilderness is out. Other than that I'm pretty flexible - anything from a small beach town to a big city would work.
30 Sep 2011, 8:03 am
