LITTLE ROCK — Where dollar does well
Q. Are there any countries where the dollar is doing well and travel is still a good value?
A. Despite the dollar's loss in value, especially against the euro and the British pound, there are a few places where our currency still has muscle. Experts at Hotwire.com and Orbitz.com agree on these two destinations, where exchange rates are favorable and prices are low: Thailand and Argentina.
Barbara Messing, Hotwire's travel expert, says you can still get a $12 steak dinner and an $8 bottle of wine in Buenos Aires, a cosmopolitan city that often reminds visitors of Paris - long boulevards, scenic parks and great shopping. John Cohn, spokesman for Orbitz, notes that you can find three- and four-star hotels in Phuket, Thailand, for under $120a night.
Other suggestions: Chile, Turkey, Vietnam and Mexico. In Santiago, for example, Cohn says the cost of a good meal is about $12, and you can find hotels for around $110.
Travel, Pages 89 on 10/07/2007