Top 10 Cheapest Places or Countries to Travel in 2026

Top 10 Cheapest Countries to Travel 2026

 

" Free & easy travelling is like flying your colourful kite high & like a bird flying freely in the sky "

Wishing my readers a Happy New & Hopeful Year in 2026 ! Today is Thursday Jan 1 2026, the first day of 2026 & a public holiday in Malaysia ! A little celebration mood for both me & my wife welcoming the arrival of 2026 ! So both of us showed up in a new theme park mall ie Hextar World at Empire City, an urban playground which began operation in Nov 29 2025 in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. This new concept mall is very much different from other shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur. A great place for Instagram for families, friends, foodies & thrill seekers ! 

In December 2025 after my Caucasus visit (Oct 16 > Nov 8 2025), while surfing the YouTube, I came across an interesting travel blog featuring the "Top Ten Cheapest Places or Countries to Travel in 2026" ! The 10 countries nominated by the travel blogger are :

1. Laos
2. Vietnam 
3. Indonesia
4. Sri Lanka
5. Thailand
6. Georgia
7. Kazakhstan
8. Rwanda
9. Mongolia
10. Morocco

Except Rwanda, I had over the years visited all the above countries & in countries like Thailand, I had so far made over 12 visits, Indonesia (5 visits), Vietnam & Laos (3 visits) & Sri Lanka (2 visits). As for the other 4 countries, one visit each for Georgia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia & Morocco ! 

2026 is a Visit Malaysia Year, a government initiative to promote Malaysia as a global destination showcasing diverse cultures, landscapes & promoting niche areas like eco-tourism with ambitious target of attracting 47 million visitors ! In my opinion, Malaysia is considered one of the cheapest countries to visit in South East Asia as the country has proven & is on track to significantly exceed its 2025 target of 31.4 million tourists ! 

1) A Little Window Shopping in Hextar World at Empire City, Damansara Perdana, Petaling Jaya, Selangor 

2) Food Glorious Food ! Eatery stalls just opened for business in Hextar World at Empire City, Damansara Perdana, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. 

3) A Little Eating during the New Year Day 2026 in Noodle House, Hextar World at Empire City, Damansara Perdana, Petaling Jaya - first time visit & lunch with my wife savouring a plate of Hong Kong style mixed beef noodle, BBQ / fresh prawn wan tan noodle + HK style milk tea, total food bill Rm 61.35 (US$15, inclusive of taxes)

Mixed Beef Noodles Rm25.90 (US$6.30 ++)

BBQ Pork / Fresh Prawn Wan Tan Noodle
Rm20.50 (US$5 ++) 

Hong Kong Style Milk Tea 
Rm6.50 (US$1.60)

The Top Ten Cheapest Places or Countries to Travel in 2026 as nominated in the YouTube are :

1) Laos, South East Asia (2025, 2017 & 2011) - my free & easy solo visit (Vientiane & Luang Prabang) & with travel buddies (Vientiane, Vang Vieng & Luang Prabang). 

Pha That Luang, Vientiane, Laos

Vang Vieng, Laos 

 Mekong Riverside, Luang Prabang
(UNESCO), Laos

2) Vietnam, South East Asia (2023, 2014 & 2007) - my free & easy visits with my brothers (Hanoi, Halong Bay & Catba Island) & travel buddies (Ho Chi Minh, Hoi Ann, Danang, Hue, Tam Coc, Hanoi, Haiphong, SA Pa & Lao Cai) 

Imperial Citadel of Thang Long
Hanoi, Vietnam

Cat Cat Village, SA PA, Vietnam

Den Mau Temple, Lao Cai, Vietnam

General Le Chan Statute
Haiphong, Vietnam

Ninh Binh, Vietnam 

Halong Bay (UNESCO), Vietnam 

Catba Island, Vietnam (2007)

Hue Imperial City (UNESCO)
Vietnam

Ba Na Hills, Danang, Vietnam 

Hoi An (UNESCO), Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam 

3) Indonesia, South East Asia (2025, 2023, 2017, 2011 & 2009) - my free & easy visit with my travel buddies to Sumatra & Java  & my wife (Bali). 

Masjid Raya Baithurrahman
Acheh, North Sumatra 

Istana Maimun, Medan, Sumatra

Lake Toba, Sumatra

Dumai Islamic Center
Riau, Sumatra

Masjid Agung An-Nur
Pekanbaru, Sumatra

Jabatan Limpapaeh
Bukittinggi, Sumatra

Ocean Front, Padang, Sumatra

Nagoya Hill Shopping Centre,
Batam Island, Riau, Indonesia

Masjid Muhamad Cheng Hoo
Surabaya, Java

Historic Building Lawang Sewu
Kota Semarang, Central Java

Istana Air (Water Castle) Taman Sari
Kraton, Yogyakarta, Java

Tugu Monument, Kota Malang, Java

Coban Rando Waterfall
Batu, East Java

Proboliinggo, Java

Jakarta, Java

Royal Botanical Garden,
Bogor, Java

Bandung Train Station, Java

Bali, Indonesia

Borobudur Temple, Java

Pasar Klewer, Solo, Java

Arjuna Temple, Dieng Plateau, Java

Prambanan Termple, Yogyakarta, Java

4) Sri Lanka, South Asia (2024 & 2013) - my free & easy solo (by air from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia > Colombo, Sri Lanka) & another free & easy with a travel buddy (by air from Kochi, India > Colombo, Sri Lanka)  

Galle Face Green, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Galle Fort (UNESCO)
Sri Lanka

Sigiriya UNESCO), Sri Lanka

Kandy (UNESCO), Sri Lanka

5) Thailand, South East Asia (2025, 2023, 2022, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013, 2011, 2010, 2007) - my free & easy solo & with travel buddies via by air, self drive & overland border crossing (by trains) from Padang Besar, Malaysia > Hat Yai, Thailand & beyond (Betong, Golok, Krabi, The Pi Pi Island, Phuket, Koh Samui, Hua Hin, Songkhla, Bangkok, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Sukhothai, Ayutthaya, Kanchanaburi, Koh Chang, Pattaya, Chiangmai, Chiangrai, Mae Sai, Golden Triangle, Udon Thani, Ban Chiang & Nong Khai) 

Hat Yai, Thailand

Golden Mermaid, Songkhla

Sud Siam Park, Betong, Thailand

The Pi Pi Island, Thailand

Krabi, Thailand

Koh Samui, Thailand

Phuket, Thailand

Hua Hin Beach, Thailand

Yaowarat Raod (Chinatown)
Bangkok, Thailand

The Bridge on The River Kwai,
Kanchanaburi, Thailand

Pattaya, Thailand

Koh Chang Island, Thailand

Chanthaburi, Thailand

Ayutthaya (UNESCO), Thailand

Sukhothai (UNESCO), Thailand

Chedi Luang Stupa, Chiang Mai

White Temple, Chiang Rai

Mae Sai, Thailand

Golden Triangle, Thailand

Ban Chiang National Museum
(UNESCO) Thailand

Udon Thani City Museum, Thailand

Nong Khai, Thailand

6) Georgia, Caucasus (2025) - my free & easy visit with 3 of my travel buddies via overland border crossing from 

Sighnaghi, Georgia 

Liberty Square, Tbilisi, Georgia

Russian-Georgian Friendship Monument
The Georgian Military Highway

State Museum of Joseph Stalin
Gori, Georgia

Chiatura, Georgia

Akhaltsikhe Castle, Georgia

\

Gergeti Trinity Church
Stepantsminda, Georgia 

The Scenic Snowy Mountain
Mestia, Georgia

7) Kazakhstan, Central  Asia (2015) - my free & easy, solo visit via overland border crossing from Korgos, Xinjiang > Almaty, Kazakhstan 

Astana Square, Almaty, Kazakhstan

8) Rwanda, East Africa (Yet to Visit) - KM, keep dreaming ! 

9) Mongolia, East Asia (2009) - my free & easy, solo visit via border crossing by train from Irkutsk, Russia > Ulan Bataar, Mongolia. 

Sukhbaatar Square, Ulan Bataar, Mongolia

10) Morocco, North Africa (2012) - my free & easy solo visit via ferry crossing from Tarifa Port, Spain > Tanger Med Port, Morocco > Fez, Morocco (by train)

Fez (UNESCO), Morocco