Sunbirds should consider the southern hemisphere, where summer is about to begin. Australia's dollar recently hit a five-year low of about 60 cents to the U.S. dollar. What's more, airlines are offering unusually low airfares to the island: Round-trip flights from Los Angeles to Sydney have been going for less than $800. Parsons says he can't remember when traveling to Australia was a better deal: "Not only are we getting more bang for our buck when we go there, we are also getting more bang for our buck on the airfare."
South Africa has plenty to attract adventurous types, from safaris in the nation's vast national parks to some of the best surfing in the world. The country saw its currency fall more than 40% against the dollar in the past year. Last summer you would have needed about $70 to pay for a one-day "surf tour" that cost 500 rand. At current exchange rates, you could budget about $45. Getting to South Africa is still pricy, though, usually upward of $1,200 round trip from New York.
Brazil, Denmark and Argentina are among the other destinations where your dollar will stretch surprisingly far. As a rule of thumb, the countries suffering the most from the economic crisis tend to offer the best deals for travelers.
Americans won't find their dollar stretching further everywhere. The Japanese yen has strengthened considerably against the dollar, and airfare to the island remains steep. Most Caribbean currencies are closely tied to the greenback, which means travelers to the islands don't have much to gain from a stronger dollar. That said, many resorts and travel companies are slashing the prices on travel packages to avoid losing business during the economic downturn.
