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Ten best budget travel destinations of 2016

If travelling is one of your new year resolutions, it's time you get your act together and start to budget for them.

Travelling on a shoestring budget doesn't mean missing out, especially if you're willing to think outside of the box. There are parts of the world where Dh100 can buy you a meal and bed, not to mention excursions like cliff jumping or scuba diving.
Here's a compendium of all the best budget travel destinations from some of my favorite travel sites on the web, including budget travel, expedia and lonely planet, to name a few.
Note that the list does not take into account the cost of actually getting there or the cost of a tourist visa- that depends on your nationality and where you stay.
Not sure which of these 10 amazing destinations is right for you? Take this QUIZ to find out!
1. Northern Italy
Best for: Big-city culture and natural beauty
What to do:
Check out the streets of Milan's historic city center and visit the Duomo, one of Italy's most spectacular churches.
Don't miss Lake Como, a beautiful natural haven home to George Clooney and hundreds of tiny picturesque towns like Gravedona, Bellagio, Brunate, and Como.
Try Portofino, a beautiful seaside resort town just a two-hour drive from Milan.
2. Bali
Best for: Dreamy beaches and romance
 
What to do:
Get on your beach slippers and relax on a distinctive black-sand beach.
Explore the island's jungle interior with its volcanoes and 10,000 temples.
Ubud will delight you with its stunning royal palace and traditional market. Entertain yourself with the island's unique gamelan music, played primarily on traditional percussion instruments.
3. Nashville
Best for: Music and hip neighborhoods
What to do:
Wherever you are, you'll hear gorgeous live music soothe your ears. The music is so popular that there's an app for finding it: the Nashville Live Music Guide (free on iTunes, Google Play).
Food-wise, fuel up with Nashville's signature hot chicken, cayenne-slathered fried bird offered by several joints in town.
4. Great Barrier Reef
Best for: Diving with beautiful coral and tropical fish
What to do:
Enjoy the planet's biggest coral reef system, including more than 1,000 varieties of tropical fish, plus dolphins, reef sharks, sea turtles, and more.
The place offers more than 1,400 miles of snorkeling and scuba diving.
The nearby Whitsunday Islands offer sugary beaches with breath taking underwater spectacles.
5. Istanbul
Best for: High style and world-class shopping
What to do:
Enjoy the best out of the ancient streets and shops at Istanbul's Grand Bazaar.
Check out the Hagia Sophia, a cathedral-turned-mosque that's now a UNESCO World Heritage site; the iconic minarets of the Blue Mosque; and gorgeous Greek and Roman ruins.
Food-wise, try Asian fusion and Italian-but try to savor Turkish food like a local.
Don't forget to check the Turkish Riviera on the country's southwestern Mediterranean coast, and the wild, otherworldly mountains of Cappadocia.
6. Barcelona
Best for: Food and art
What to do:
Visit La Sagrada Família, Park Guell, and La Pedrera at Casa Mila. Stroll La Rambla, get your fill of tapas, visit La Boqueria market, relax on the beach at Barceloneta.
Watch the free Magic Fountains of Montjuic light, music, and fountains show, or see a flamenco show at Tablao de Carmen.
7. Cambodia
Best for: Exotic, spiritual sites like nowhere else
What to do:
First things first. - Visit Angkor Wat, in northern Cambodia, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the largest religious monument in the world, covering nearly 500,000 acres.
You can take an elephant ride around some of the structures.
Spend a few days in Phnom Penh for the sights and tastes of the big city, or visit Koh Rong, or "Monkey Island," said to be the site of a real-life King Kong and home to beautiful white-sand beaches in the world.
8. Denver
Best for: Kicking it "Amsterdam style"

What to do:
If you are an art lover, don't miss the contemporary masterpieces by Matisse, Picasso, and O'Keeffe at the Denver Art Museum free of charge the first Saturday of the month.
Be on the lap of nature at Denver Botanic Gardens, a beautiful place to visit in every season-be on the lookout for intricate displays by visiting artists like Dale Chihuly. Kids will love the Denver Zoo.
9. Colombia
Best for: Adventure and colorful festivals
What to do:
Check out Colombia's mining tradition via pre-Hispanic artifacts at the Gold Museum in Bogota before snapping a panoramic shot of the metropolis from Mount Monserrate's summit.
August's Medellín Flower Fair celebrates the "city of eternal spring" with a silleteros parade-participants carry blooms on their backs.
Must visit: Colombia's Coffee Triangle, in the rural Paisa region, has UNESCO World Heritage status.
10. Egypt 
Best for: History and brag-worthy sights
What to do:
Float along the Nile in a traditional sailboat called a felucca for a few hours-or a few days.
Bargain with vendors at Cairo's Khan Al-Khalili market.
Marveling at the Great Pyramids of Giza is a must but indoor exhibits deliver too.
Lonely Planet just released its 11th annual Best in Travel rankings, forecasting the top travel destinations for 2016. All of the must-dosare published in the newest edition of the bestselling paperback Best in Travel guide from Lonely Planet.
Here's a glimpse: