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The 9 Best Budget Places to Stay in Arequipa, Peru

Known as the white city, Arequipa is Peru’s second-biggest metropolis and an absolute must on any South American itinerary. From strolling the colonial streets to hiking the nearby canyon, there’s no end to the number of great things to do and see here. So here, to help you out is my list of the actual 9 best budget places to stay in Arequipa. Perfect for those backpacking this incredible part of the world.

These spots offer a great place to rest your head close to the city center:

#1 Maycawasi:

When it comes to backpacker accommodation in Arequipa, it’s hard to look past Maycawasi, one of the newest hostels in town, which offers excellent value for those visiting this city on a shoestring. With both dorms and private rooms available, there a good range of accommodation to choose from here and all prices include a simple breakfast. There is also a kitchen available for guests to use. Located in downtown Arequipa, Maycawasi is close to many shops, cafes, restaurants and bars, making it a great choice for travellers who want to enjoy the city nightlife.

There’s no curfew and the sunny terrace is a good place to meet other visitors:

#2 Las Torres de Ugarte:

Right near the monastery of Santa Catalina Monastery in the heart of Arequipa, Las Torres de Ugarte, boasts a roof terrace complete with volcano views and includes a buffet breakfast and a very high level of comfort compared to many of the city’s other cheaper hostels. Perfect for those on a budget, Las Torres de Ugarte is known for its family atmosphere and is a quiet place, perfect for visitors seeking rest and relaxation, rather than a crazy party! With 24/7 reception, free wifi and tons of room, this place is definitely one of the best places to stay in Arequipa for those who want a central location with good amenities and a good night’s sleep!

#3 Vallecito Backpackers:

With the best banana pancakes in town, it isn’t just the great value for money that draws people to the Vallecito Backpackers! In fact , no matter why they choose to stay here in the first place, people always seem to leave this hostel happy. A well-established backpackers in Arequipa, this family-run business is super organized, with a tour agency on site and clean, spacious rooms. Staff go out of their way to help guests and even provide a laundry service for only a few soles p/kg for those that ask nicely – which is perfect after all that hiking in the countryside around Arequipa.

#4 Posada Nueva Espana:

If it’s Peruvian hospitality that’s required, then Posada Nueva Espana could be the best spot in Arequipa. Indeed the staff here really can’t do enough for guests and have plenty of good advice when it comes to exploring the city and attractions beyond such as the Colca Canyon. Posada Nueva Espana straddles the particular border well between hotel and hostel and is an excellent choice for those looking for some Arequipa accommodation that is budget-friendly, but not a backpackers.

#5 Peter’s Hostel:

Probably the cheapest bed in Arequipa, Peter’s Hostel is perfect for those travelling on a shoestring, but who don’t want to compromise on quality. Indeed this place repeatedly gets rave reviews from travellers and is really centrally located, at only 1 block from the Plaza Des Armes. There are great communal areas in this hostel, as well as free wifi. It’s small and cosy – with space for only 30 people – which is a nice point of difference from some of the larger backpackers in Arequipa.

#6 La Casa de Ana:

For those looking to stay out of the busy centre of Arequipa, in a much quieter and more peaceful setting, La Casa de Ana is a great accommodation choice to consider. Located in the beautiful suburb of Yanahuara, this budget hotel has a real family atmosphere and is truly a home away from home. A beautiful roof terrace and a fantastic guest kitchen, complete this look and the included breakfasts are rumoured to be some of the best in the city!

#7 Park Hostel:

Situated in a large colonial house, Park Hostel gives Arequipa’s heritage a modern twist. There’s personal speakers for ipods in the bedrooms for example , as well as cable TV along with a great games room. A sunny terrace, complete with loungers and loads of beautiful plants, frames the volcano views nicely and it’s the perfect place to unwind in the afternoon with a beer. More like a guesthouse than a hostel, this is definitely a top Arequipa accommodation pick.Please know more information visit our official website:-http://shorttripideas.com/

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How to Cheaply Travel From Panama to Colombia (or visa versa!)

If you’re planning a trip that encompasses both Central America and South America, you’re probably wondering about the best way you can move between the two continents. Normally this involves travel from Panama to Colombia or visa versa.

Sadly, due to dangerous guerrilla activity, lack of roads and treacherous jungle, making the journey by land across the Darien Gap, as it’s known, is pretty much out of the question. (And even I’m saying this, so it must be true! )

When I was trying to make the voyage, I carefully reviewed all the options, saving you the time, so here they are…

#1 Flying to Colombia:

You can easily travel from Panama to Colombia in the air, via almost any major city. The main airline carriers are COPA and Avianca, who are the Colombian airline I made this journey with. Avianca are normally a little cheaper and I highly recommend them. There are multiple flights throughout the day with times, distances and prices varying of course. Just to give you some idea, a flight from Panama City in order to Bogota, Colombia with Avianca will set you back around a minimum of $300 USD increasing up to $500-600 USD ($ USD being the currency you’ll probably pay in). Don’t forget to check out Skyscanner for the best flight deals – you can easily scna the whole monht adn find the cheapest day to be able to fly!

Budget Tip for Flying:

Don’t’ worry about having to book these flight too far in advance however , as things don’t seem to shift much in price until the flight is within about 10 days time. Often , in fact , you are better to wait until you are physically in the country of departure as buying a ticket from there, rather than internationally, will normally guarantee you a better price. In addition , not booking flights too far in advance gives you a flexibility that is always useful if you’re backpacking. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve booked a flight and then either not caught it or had to change the date. So for short flights, especially within Latin America, I advise you book only when you are 100% sure about the date you want to travel.

My Experience:

Personally, when I flew from Panama to Santa Marta in Colombia, I arrived into Panama City booked the flight that night and flew out the following day. Even with this short notice period, it was not that expensive, as I only paid around $450 USD. The flight was super early in the morning, but sometimes this is just what we have to do to get a good deal! Normally a keen budgeter, I would have usually booked the flight much earlier, but as I was totally unsure of my plans at the time, I didn’t want to pay for anything in advance and then have to cough up more because I wanted to change the flight date. Once I arrived in Panama City and checked the trip prices, I then actually worked out it would be better for me financially to get a quicker flight and arrive in the cheaper Caribbean coast of Colombia sooner, than it would be for me to stay in Panama City paying ridiculous rates in a below-average hostel and city.

Benefits of Flying:

The obvious benefits of flying are that it’s quick, easy and safe. The other great advantage is that it gives you a choice over your destination, getting you straight to where you want to go; if you want to check our Medellin first, for example, flying lets you do this.

#1 Flying Verdict:

Consider flying if you’re on time restraints and want to get into Colombia asap.

If you want to arrive at an inland destination, flying is also a good option. Plus, its scheduled and secure. Downsides are that flying isn’t very adventurous and leaves you with a larger carbon footprint. I felt like a bit of a fraud flying, although I’m over it now!

#2 Hitching on a Cargo Boat:

It is possible to hitch a lift on a cargo boat that will travel from Panama to Colombia.I’ve had some hard-core traveller friends who’ve crossed between the 2 continents this way and it’s certainly an adventure, not to mention cheap, mode of travel.The normal process is to hang around the ports of Carti or Puerto Lindo (a drive from Panama City), speaking to everyone you can to try and ascertain who is sailing when and if they’ll take passengers and/or crew!This can be a long process, taking anything up to a couple of weeks and you’ll definitely need commitment as well as steadfast determination, not to mention a pretty good grip of Spanish.If you succeed, however , your efforts are bound to be rewarded by a crazy journey and some great stories to tell in the future!The main reason you might like to get across to Colombia this way, apart from a few stories of course, is how little it could cost you.Normally you will pay only a minimal fee for hitching on boats (to cover the cost of food etc) and often work aboard the ship as payment for your crossing as well.In reality, however , friends I’ve known who’ve done this said it didn’t work out as cheap as they expected, not least because the journey took them over 10 days, plus the time they spent hanging around at the port.They also stated the price of food was a lot given what they ate – nothing but rice and beans!On the other hand, hitching across for you to Colombia this way did allow them to get their bikes across to help South America and this much was cheaper than having them shipped.

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Cheap Exotic Vacations for Budget Travelers

Why spend thousands upon thousands of dollars to travel abroad or visit a tourist-ridden resort city? There are plenty of cheap exotic vacation destinations in Central and South America. Plus, the flights are shorter if you only have a week off (in comparison to European vacations) and the majority of the continent speaks Spanish, making communication easy.

Here are some of the best and cheapest discount South American vacations:

Roatan Island, Honduras

Located thirty miles off the coast of Honduras, Roatan Island is an unspoiled Caribbean paradise. With blue skies, turquoise water, sandy beaches and year-round high temperatures in the '70s and '80s, Roatan Island offers everything a Caribbean vacation should. While Roatan Island is more expensive than mainland Honduras, it's a definite deal when compared to other Caribbean vacations. Plus the island has less street crime and violence than the rest of the country, making it safer.Best cheap vacation Central America 

Rooms run anywhere from $8 budget lodging to $175 resort hotels and a gourmet meal will set you back about $15. The island is also home to the second largest barrier reef, making it a popular dive location and scuba diving is a must. It also is one of the most reasonably priced places to get certified as a scuba diver and one of the best cheap exotic vacations.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Once the most expensive country in South America, the economic collapse of Argentina has consequently created travel bargains. Argentina offers amazing scenery, exciting nightlife options, world-class dining and wine - all at budget prices. Budget travelers can easily get by on less than $50 a day. The well-known Argentinean nightlife makes it the perfect vacation destination for young budget travelers looking for adventure. Dinner typically is served around 10 p.m., followed by all-night partying. Argentina is a perfect party and discounts South America vacation spot.

Margarita Island, Venezuela

This tropical island paradise is located off the north shore of Venezuela and is home to beautiful beaches and has an average of 320 days of sun a year. Margarita's daytime activities include snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, beach-lounging, and horseback riding. For great bargains and local culture, head to El Mercado de Los Conejeros on the outskirts of Porlamar where you'll find unique souvenirs crafted by Amazon Indians and locals.

Due to the country's steep economic decline and an amazing exchange rate, hostels can be found at as low as $13.50 a night, a delicious fish meal can go for around $7 and a cold beer will only cost a dollar. There are also plenty of bars, clubs, and discos, offering an exciting nightlife.

Peru

For more family-friendly cheap travel, visit the country of Peru. Adults enjoy low prices and sightseeing options and the children love the animals and colorful country. The biggest tourist attraction is the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu, but the country also has amazing Amazon rain forests, colonial cities, whitewater rafting, and mountain trekking. Meals at local restaurants will cost from $2 to $5. Budget travelers will pay anywhere $20 to $50 a night for lodging in Peru cities like Lima or Cusco, but elsewhere the rates will be lower.

Santiago, Chile

Santiago, Chile is one of Latin America's most sophisticated metropolitan areas. Lying in a valley surrounded by the Andes Mountains, this capital city allows for a morning dip in the sea and world-renowned skiing in the afternoon. The country is cheap too. Nice hotels can be found for as low as $50 up to $150 and hostels cost from $10 to $25.

The country has unique museums and art galleries, bustling markets and unique colonial architecture. Restaurants can be found at reasonable prices, but some can be fairly expensive - so check them out before you sit down. The country also has decent wineries and wine tours are available. Chile is the perfect metropolitan discount South American vacation and a definite cheap vacation destination deal.

Please know more information visit our official website:-http://shorttripideas.com/

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Top Attractions of Central America

Central America is the southernmost portion of the North American continent that connects North America and South America. This beautiful destination has a wide range of destinations and attractions that adds charm to its elegance. One of the most visited and popular tourist attractions of the world, this wonderland has a treasure of ancient ruins, alluring landscapes, and beautiful sights. The rich cultural and historical heritage of the region has made it a must-visit destination.

Many places and spots make Central America a worth exploring destination, below is the list of its top attractions that shall be visited while being here:

1. Tikal, Guatemala: 

Situated in the rainforests of Northern Guatemala, Tikal is an ancient Mayan citadel, which is known for the scenic landscapes, pyramids, ancient peaks, and dense forests. The beautiful and peaceful ambiance of this place makes it an amazing place from where one can see the panoramic views of the city. It holds an important part of the history of Guatemala and a trip without exploring this attraction will be incomplete. 2. Panama Canal, Panama:

 A 48-mile long ship canal that connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, the Panama Canal is also one of the most stunning and important attractions in the region. This 100-year-old waterway is an architecture brilliance that has become a major link that connects 160 countries and 1700 ports are also known to be its popular tourist spot. A visit to the Panama Canal is a must while taking an excursion to Central America. 3. Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica:

 Costa Rica is an amazing tourist location and the Monteverde reserve makes it even more fantastic. The natural beauty and flawless charm of this spot make it one of the prominent tourist spots in the country and the region too. Home to several species of animals, birds, and mammals, the reserve also organizes activities such as zip lining and canopy tours. A vacation filled with fun, excitement, and enthusiasm can be witnessed here. 4. Ambergris Caye, Belize: 

The largest island of Belize, Ambergris Caye boasts a wonderful Caribbean culture that makes it one of the popular attractions of Central America. The sandy beaches, beachside resorts, lively ambiance, and relaxed atmosphere are the few more reasons that urge the visitors to vote it one of the important and renowned tourist spots. Fine dining, world-class accommodations spread around the island and it can be reached by taking a cheap flight to Belize. 5. Antigua Guatemala: 

Surrounded by volcanoes from all the sides, Antigua Guatemala is a small city known for its Spanish architectures and lovely ambiance. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city has become a must-visit destination because of its mystical elegance and rich cultural heritage. Bing one of the world's best-conserved cities, the charisma of this destination captivates the eyes of visitors and captures their heart and soul effortlessly.

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What Is SEO? A Brief Introduction

When you use Google (or any other search engine) to search for a term, have you ever wondered how the websites in the first search results page got there when there are probably thousands of other competing websites which match your search term? Well, the answer to that question is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Those first few websites had better SEO than their competitors. 

what is SEO?

 It is a marketing strategy used to increase the ranking of a website in search engines.

Some of those websites (such as Wikipedia, Facebook, and Microsoft) got to the first search results page without much help from SEO because their brand names are sufficiently famous to get them listed in the first page. The other websites rely on SEO to get them to the first or second search results page. You may wonder why SEO is so important. Well, users rarely go beyond the first few search result pages when searching for a term. When was the last time you clicked on the fifteenth search results page?

SEO can be done in many ways. The main (and effective) SEO methods are the following:

1) SEO titles, headers, and URL addresses 2) Back-linking 3) Writing SEO content 4) The use of multimedia 5) Regular updates This article will briefly touch on each of these SEO techniques. Each of these techniques will be described in detail in subsequent articles.

SEO titles, headers, and URL addresses

The title of a webpage is different from its heading. The title is displayed on the 'tab' of that webpage while the heading is displayed on the webpage itself. When you enter a search term (known as the keyword), the search engine tries to find websites whose title, heading and URL address matches the given keyword. If the title, heading or the URL address of a website matches your keyword, then that website is given a higher ranking than others. For example, if the keyword you entered is "Phoenix", a website having the URL address: "http://www.phoenix.com" is given a higher ranking than a website having the URL address: "http://www.mystical_birds.com".

Back-linking

When you visit a website, you will usually see several hyperlinks linking that website to other websites. These links are known as back-links. Wikipedia is a good example of back-links. All the reference websites are listed at the bottom of the Wikipedia article. These hyperlinks (at the bottom of an article) are back-links of the respective reference websites. Back-links help to increase the ranking of a website. Generally, the more back-links a website has, the higher its ranking.

Writing SEO content

Search engines try to match the entered keyword with the content of websites. For example, if your keyword is "golf player", the search engine will search for articles having the term "golf player". However, there will be millions of articles having the term "golf player" in them. The search engine will rank these articles according to the "keyword density" of the articles. Keyword density is calculated by dividing the number of keywords in the article by the total number of words and then multiplying the result by 100. For example, if a hundred-worded article has the keyword "golf player" repeated twice in it, the article has a keyword density of 2%. Articles having a keyword density of 0. 5-2% are generally given the highest ranking.

The use of multimedia

Everybody prefers graphical websites, compared to plain-text websites. The major search engines know this and therefore; they give websites containing multimedia (graphics, videos and flash applications) a higher ranking than other websites.

Regular updates

People have an unquenchable thirst for new information and facts. The major search engines address this need by giving the websites which are regularly updated a higher ranking than other websites.