Sri Lanka

$40/day for temples, tea trains, and surf. Smaller than Ireland, bigger on beauty.

Train rides through tea plantations, ancient temples rising from jungle canopy, and surf breaks that rival Bali's — all for $40 a day. Sri Lanka packs an absurd amount of diversity into an island smaller than Ireland: beaches, mountains, wildlife safaris, and a cuisine built on coconut and spice that will ruin you for food back home.