If you’re looking to travel cheaply, South Africa, Brazil and Mexico might be the way to go

IF YOU want your Australian dollars to stretch further, forget New York or London. You might want to think a bit more left field, like Azerbaijan.

Sunset at Kuta Beach in Bali. Many people can be seen sitting on the beach watching the last rays of light before the sun descends for another day. Picture: iStock

IF YOU have travelled overseas recently you will have noticed that Aussie dollars aren’t worth as much as they used to be.

But while our currency may be falling against the most favoured overseas destinations, there are places around the world where you can get good value for your money. Flight Centre has crunched the numbers to find the best value destinations to visit now based on the performance of the Aussie dollar. SOUTH AFRICA The Australian dollar has remained stable against the South African rand in the past 12 months, maintaining its strong exchange rate. South Africa is a very affordable destination for Australians. Food and drinks are especially good value with cocktails costing only a few dollars and great meals very little. AZERBAIJAN For those seeking an even more exotic travel destination, you could try Azerbaijan with its mud volcanoes. The Australian dollar buys around 14 per cent more of its currency, the New Manat, than a year ago. On Azerbaijan’s eastern side lies the Caspian Sea, while the Russian Federation borders it on the north. The capital, Baku, has rapidly transformed itself into a highly developed modern city, while the surrounding villages remain a turn back in time. The country is heading for hard times because of plummeting price of oil — its major export. TURKEY Turkey offers a stunning coastline, buzzing bazaars, boat trips and history, and is a firm favourite with Australian travellers. Luckily, it is also now more affordable with the Aussie dollar up around six per cent on 12 months ago. Istanbul is also one of the cheapest airports to fly into in Europe. Other highlights of this destination include the fairy chimney landscape of Cappadocia, the calcium rock pools at Pamukkale and sailing opportunities along the Turkish Riviera. BRAZIL Time for a trip to Brazil. The past 12 months has seen the Australian dollar make huge gains against the Brazilian real, now up around 30 per cent on this time last year, according to foreign currency data sourced by Travel Money Oz for Flight Centre. The country is gearing up for the Rio Olympics next year and now is a good time to secure some holiday cash and lock in accommodation, while those scouting for a great value dollar destination would do well to consider a holiday package to Brazil. MEXICO Mexico is good value right now thanks to gains in the Australian dollar against the Mexican peso. Travellers looking to make the most of their holiday budget could extend into South America where they will still get great bang for their buck. An up and coming Mexican hotspot on Australian travellers’ radar is Tulum, a beach location complete with hip bars, ancient ruins, cool shops and bungalow living. RUSSIA Our dollar is now buying around 30 per cent more Russian roubles than this time last year. The economic gains are a win for travellers and further incentive for people to bump a trip to Russia to the top of their bucket list. FIJI Fiji is a holiday favourite and for good reason. Popular with families and couples alike, both groups enjoy the low cost of living on the island that means their dollar stretches further than other island alternatives. Aussie visitors already enjoy an advantageous exchange rate and can pick up extremely affordable accommodation with three-star hotels averaging at $57 per night. NEW ZEALAND It caused a major stir across the ditch when the New Zealand dollar approached parity with the Aussie dollar earlier this year, but the dollar has bounced back to be firmly in our favour.