For economy however, one has to look beyond the world’s most famous red light district of Amsterdam, where while anything sexual goes, it comes with high sticker prices.

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For the budget minded sex tourist, the #1 Budget Red Light District is Patpong Thailand. The go-go bars, blowjob bars, and sex-show bars are reasonably priced, and also very “varied” in their entertainment styles – ping-pong balls withstanding. Patpong is a highly developed red light, even employing a tourist police station.

Another budget red light district that comes with police protection and even a health clinic is Boy’s Town in Nuevo Laredo Mexico. This #2 Budget Red Light District features “cribs” for those that don’t drink alcohol or don’t want to pay high prices for bar drinks when engaging in some nightly entertainment. There is just you, a woman (or a man), and a small clean room with budget beverages.

The #3 Budget Red Light District is one of India’s oldest and largest in all of Asia: Kamathipura. Located in Mumbia, it’s cheap, crowded, and extremely dirty in all senses of the word. Here you will find anything you can ask for, and not have to pay hardly anything at all, although the HIV infection rates of sex workers is thought to be 40% or more on the positive side.

The Sino-Portuguese architecture creates an exuberant atmosphere in amongst a great mix of cheap food stalls and markets.

The weekend market on the outskirts of the town is a hive of activity on Friday and Saturday evenings. Food stalls, cheap clothing, trinkets and a vibrant atmosphere are the vital ingredients of a value-for-money night.

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Thais love to eat and don’t receive high salaries, so dining at any small Thai restaurant will be inexpensive. These styles of eateries are dotted over the entirety of Phuket Town, so don’t worry about choice because they are plentiful.

Most surprisingly, some of the cheapest places to eat on the island are the food courts inside shopping centers. You can find delicious and nutritious meals for the price of 40bht alongside a wealth of options.

Although Patong is accepted as the most expensive destination on the island, there is a wide choice of offerings of all price ranges. The old market on Nan Nai Road is full to the brim with food stalls where you can eat for amazing value. After 2am the market is like party central with girls and guys who have just finished work, eating and laughing until the early hours of the morning. This is a wonderful place to meet new and interesting people.

For cheap daytime entertainment you could visit the lofty heights of the Big Buddha perched on a mountaintop in Chalong. Or take in the numerous viewpoints which showcase dramatic views overlooking the Andaman Sea. Some of the island’s most untapped beaches are situated on the north-west coast such as Nai Yang or Nai Thon.

Phuket seafood is the freshest I’ve ever tasted, but the restaurants on the Patong beach road are expensive. If you have a fetish for red snapper and king prawns I would suggest the beachside restaurants at Rawai and Leam Hin for a real affordable and local experience.

The bad news of David Carradine’s recent death in the capital of Thailand is, ironically, good news for Bangkok’s sex tourism industry. After all, any kind of kinky or potentially dangerous sex should always be performed with a partner, and you don’t have to look far in Bangkok to find a woman – or man – willing.

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However, sex partners for hire don’t come cheap, and with the rate of the Thai Baht well below 50 to 1 Euro, sex is more expensive than it has been in the past. Still, as long as you are willing to pay the fees, the thousands of popular massage bathhouses welcome you day and night. Here you can get a nice scrub down, Thai massage, and then anything else that you desire.

These bathhouses are actually more like cheap budget hotels, but you only get to stay in the room for an hour or so. The reception areas don’t offer free tea and coffee, but you can buy an expensive beer while you decide on your “masseuse.” They are all on display, you see, behind a large plate glass window, sitting and smiling and winking, all trying to get your attention. You just have to choose the Thai girl, boy, or ladyboy that takes your fancy.

Then you are escorted to your rented room, which is invariably equipped with a Jacuzzi of some sort, a couch, and a massage table or bed. That’s where all the fun begins.

Do not let the bill surprise you. Some of the more unscrupulous houses offer an upfront cost of, say, 1500 Baht, but once things get all wet and soapy in the whirlpool, services other than a scrub and rub could cost you another 1000 Baht or more. So expect to spend about 2500 or so for a decent bath, massage and… well, your imagination is the only limit there. The more established and reputable places will provide an all-in service for a flat rate. Don’t be shy, and be sure to ask exactly what the cover charge includes in the way of services.

Areas such as Patong are the most expensive and you can find yourself waking up in the morning wondering where $200 went! The biggest money traps are the girlie bars because you find yourself buying the girls drinks all night and not realizing the separate prices. A “girlie drink” can cost up to three times as much as your exact same drink. Beware of that one.

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Patong is indeed expensive for a night out and if you realize you are paying more than 100bht for a bottle of beer, you are being overcharged.

Karon, Kata, Chalong, Rawai and Kamala have much more reasonable bars, charging anywhere from 70bht to 90bht per beer. This is the going rate.

Nightclubs on Bangla Road, Patong will charge you 200bht for a bottle of beer and even more for spirits. So if you are on a tight budget its better to stay away from these places.

Karon and Kata have hundreds of girlie bars and normal drinking establishments with fairly priced drinks and friendly atmospheres. You will meet a wide variety of people from different countries and will soon make friends within the hedonistic holiday atmosphere.

One of the cheapest places for a night out is Chalong. Here you will find bars of all types and enjoying listening to the stories from the local expats who have resided in Phuket for years.

In the predominantly Thai Phuket Town, you can enjoy a great night out at discotheques such as Jammin’ and Timberhut. Although most of the party people will be Thai, there will be a fair few westerners dancing the night away to a mixture of DJs and live bands.

The cheapest aspect about Phuket Town is you can buy a bottle of Whiskey from the convenience store, take it inside Jammin’ and pay a small “corkage” charge. You are welcome to sit there all night sipping away on your whiskey and only paying out for mixers such as coke and tonic water.

Three of the most preserved and photographed are the pyramids of Giza, situated just outside of the Egyptian capital of Cairo. These structures were built around 2500 B.C. and are immense. Commonly known as pyramids built during the Old Kingdom, the other newer pyramids, but still thousands of years old, were known as the Middle Kingdom Pyramids.

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Over time, the pyramids became smaller, as centralized power was reduced and the cost and time to build them became less important. As time went by, the pyramids were shoddily and hastily built.

But they still remain for you to enjoy. And easily accessible by road or via the Nile river, as all pyramids are on the banks of this majestic river.

There are approximately 80 pyramids discovered. Some are in quite an advanced state of disrepair while others are standing up well under the current meteorological conditions and time. Due to the shifting sands of the Egyptian desert, experts believe there may be more under the sand and yet to be discovered.

Luckily, the newest pyramid to be discovered was in November 2008, that of Queen Sesheshet, located at Saqqara.

Along with the beauty of these structures, the hieroglyphics written in and around them and the sheer manpower needed to build them, makes the pyramids of Egypt a worthwhile holiday location for the entire family.

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By going to the local supermarket and buying your groceries, which does mean cooking all the food yourself, something most of us like to get away from. You do get the option of eating when you want to, not everyone gets hungry at the same time every day, some people like to snack during the day and have a full meal later in the evening. With full board you are set to a sometimes very strict timetable and if you don’t feel hungry when the restaurant is open, you have wasted money. It really does depend on the individuals, some like the fact that they can eat at different restaurants every night and depending on where you are, you can eat quite cheaply and enjoy good local food. For people who are on a budget and they get a really good deal on their self catering holiday, it could work out much cheaper all round.

Patong is the king for getaway package beach holidays and is the number one tourist destination on the island. The beach is fairly clean and provides a mass of water sports and convenient restaurants and bars within a short walking distance.

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While it is an exciting and enjoyable beach location, it does not provide much seclusion or tranquility. The overriding factor in Patong’s success is the diverse nature of the price ranges and things to do. You can enjoy a real low-cost holiday in Patong, but there are better value-for-money options on the island.

Karon and Kata are two smaller beachside resorts on the south-western coast within a ten minute drive of Patong. Karon is a very friendly area with an affable expatriate community with very fair priced accommodation.

Karon is more of a family destination than Patong and owns a much cleaner and uncluttered beach. The quality of life is much slower and pleasant than the pulsating heart of Patong.

Kata is very similar to Karon, with its family atmosphere and slower pace. The beach is much smaller, but very picturesque and a favorite with locals due to the surrounding palm trees that provide welcome shade. The accommodation is also very reasonable, not as cheap as the low end of the Patong scale, but much better value overall.

Nai Harn Beach is reputedly the finest in Phuket, and I wouldn’t dispute that! But the area is generally more expensive and home to high-end resorts and hotels, pricing itself out of the value-for-money stakes.

The same can be said of the north-western beach resorts of Surin, Kamala and Bangtao. All three are beautiful beaches in their own right, but are generally dominated by five-star resorts and slightly expensive pricing.

I would personally recommend Karon or Kata for a value beachside holiday with good standard beaches, restaurants and overall atmosphere.

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Some countries have excellent food markets which stay open very late and the food is cooked right in front of you, these are also excellent value for money. Checking the menus which are outside some restaurants and offer a set menu at a discounted price is a good option. Or if you have cooking facilities in your accommodation, a trip to the local supermarket can be worthwhile as you can select the food you like from the vast range they have. You could always ask the locals if there are any good places and I am sure they will be more than happy to help. There really are so many ways to save money while on holiday, it just means taking the time to venture out, maybe a little off the beaten track, but there are some excellent bargains to be had.

Santa Maria Maior de Lisboa or the Cathedral of Lisbon is the oldest church in the city, originally constructed in 1147, but has undergone some renovation over the years, due to earthquakes in past years. There is no admission fee and visitors are able to walk around and take in its absolute splendour. While the main entrance to the cathedral looks like a fortress with its two towers either side, the interior is absolutely stunning and will have you gazing in awe at its pure beauty. With its grand columns and magnificent sculptures, it really is a sight to behold. Any visitor to Portugal should most definitely have a visit here high on their itinerary. There are a lot of photographic opportunities to be had, not only from the inside but the outside also. A day spent walking around here is a day well spent.

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Castle of St George

While in Lisbon a visit to the Castle of St George should be high on your to see list, not only is it free but it also holds a lot of Portuguese history within its great walls .Legend has it that the siege of Lisbon which took place in 1147, owes part of its success to knight Martim Moniz who noticed that one of the great castle doors was open and thrust his body down to the floor to ensure that they could not close it, sacrificing his life to do so. After several earthquakes and much neglect, the 1940’s saw a change and after renovation work took place, it became a very popular tourist attraction. The castle grounds are quite large and the views it offers from the towers of the surrounding area are quite something. Anyone visiting the area should most definitely pay a visit here.

The cheapest form of travel from Bangkok to Phuket (or from every other destination) is via the excellent Thailand bus service. Although the journey from Bangkok can take up to 12 hours, this is the cheapest and most scenic route by far.

Although Patong is the island’s number one tourist destination, the sheer amount of hotels and restaurants will guarantee a competitive choice of price ranges to suit the individual needs of everybody.

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The Nan Nai Road stretch of Patong is roughly situated a kilometer away from the beach and the famous Bangla Road area. Nan Nai is home to a large expatriate community, inexpensive guesthouses, restaurants and a wide range of bars where the prices are substantially cheaper than Patong’s main Bangla Road stretch.

Ironically, getting around the island can be the most expensive aspect of your vacation due to the stranglehold the tuk-tuk drivers have over the local authorities. The cheapest form of transport is the Song Taew bus. The open back buses charge anywhere from 10bht to 40bht depending how far you travel. Be aware that the Song Taew only operates from early morning to 6pm.

Rawai Beach is situated at the southernmost tip of Phuket and the cheapest and most beautiful place to eat fresh seafood straight off the fishing boats. There are a number of restaurants situated directly on the beach. Rawai is the perfect place to eat top-quality seafood at bargain basement prices with immense views.

Chalong bay is situated on the south-east coast and one of the best value-for-money places in Phuket. This is where the majority of the island’s English teachers and journalists live and hang out. In Chalong you will find very affordable accommodation and restaurants while meeting the colorful and intriguing expat community.