When I want to treat myself a little extra, I like to visit a spa resort and Visit For Budget Spa- I love the luxury of having a massage, facial or just soaking in a hot bath and letting the water wash away my troubles.
Since spa visits are rather expensive in Europe, I like to take the opportunity to have a few spa days when I travel to cheaper countries – here are 3 places I recommend if you want to travel somewhere where they have cheap spas:
Favorite Countries To Visit For Budget Spa
Indonesia (Bali)

Bali is full of health and spa resorts where you can get all from one day treatments to a whole month intensive detox.
We tried to book a week stay at a detox resort in Amed a few years back but you had to book in advance at that place, so instead we tried out some cheap facial treatments and body massages at different spas in Ubud.
Ubud turned out to be the perfect place to reside for a few days and relax and charge the batteries for a few days before continuing traveling.
The area itself is so beautiful, and the vibe of the place is very calm and relaxed.
New Zealand
Few other countries have such an abundance of hot springs as New Zealand. No matter if you travel through the North or South island, the hot springs are never far away.

For those traveling on a budget, New Zealand has some great options to give yourself a bit of luxury.
The reason why I think New Zealand should be on the list is not the luxury, but because you can really get something on every budget.
Everyone can afford treating their skin with healing waters.
There is everything from luxury spas, water theme parks with spa pools, to baths which are something in between where you can either choose to just enjoy the day trying out the different thermal springs with healing properties or buy a package including treatments and meals.
Hanmer Springs is a place like that, and I really enjoyed spending a few days there.
There are plenty of pools with different temperatures, it’s usually not very crowded and you can add on other treatments if you like, which are not very expensive.
But the cheapest way to enjoy the healing hot springs is of course for free.
There are both free pools like ”the butcher’s pool” (don’t ask why it’s called that, I have no idea!) near Taupo and also many hidden hot springs all over New Zealand that you can find if you have a car to take you there.
Many locals know about these places, otherwise digging your own jaccuzzi pool at the Hot Beach is a fun option..!
So yeah, New Zealand is full of spas, baths and hot springs – you will be guaranteed to find something for your budget there.
Thailand
In Thailand you can live like a star, and get pure luxury for a very small price compared to Europe and in the West.
While you can get dirt cheap foot and body massages in small parlours on the street there are also many high class quality spas and health resorts where you get amazing treatment by proffessionals for a quarter of the price at home.
Thailand is also a great example for having a variety of choices.
You can stay for months, weeks, days or just a few hours at a resort and get different treatments, all from the traditional Thai massages to Swedish massage or more experimental treatments.
I liked how easy it was to book a few days at a spa in Thailand – you could always book at the last minute, and there were many last minute spa deals online and pamphlets in the cities advertising great places.
Among all the massages we also did a colon cleanse in Thailand.
It’s really expensive to do in other countries and since it’s not the most enjoyable thing to do you don’t want to spend a huge amount of cash on it, so Thailand was the perfect place to try it, and it was all very professional.
Not Traveling Anytime Soon?
If you can’t leave the country and take cheap spa breaks in any of the places mentioned above, there are still ways to get a cheaper treatment and massage in your hometown.
Look up if there is a massage/beauty school in your area, they will most likely offer treatments for a much cheaper price than in professional parlors .
The great thing about these places is that most often the students who get to practice on real customers are about to graduate from their course and are just as good if not better than professionals.
Sofia - As We Travel says
@Keren said: My mum goes to the local massage school regularly. There’s almost always students who have finished all of their course work but need to get their practical hours clocked up before they get their certificates – for a quarter of the price it’s well worth it!
Keren Cheesewright says
My mum goes to the local massage school regularly. There’s almost always students who have finished all of their course work but need to get their practical hours clocked up before they get their certificates – for a quarter of the price it’s well worth it!
Keren Cheesewright says
Not sure why Disqus logs me in to this site with my full name, is there any way to delete this comment? Thanks
Keren says
My mum goes to the local massage school regularly. There’s almost always students who have finished all of their course work but need to get their practical hours clocked up before they get their certificates – for a quarter of the price it’s well worth it!
Tj says
Wow! I just LOVE this post!
Anonymous says
Mmm those hot springs look so nice right now.
Sofia - As We Travel says
Great! I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Sofia - As We Travel says
I too have found the students great when I’ve visited massage schools, I’m surprised not more people go there instead of an expensive massage parlor.
Sofia - As We Travel says
They are so nice, we spent two full days there just relaxing 🙂
Xights says
Asia is really one of the best place to visit. You can see more natural wonders and places that was not fully develop but has a nice beauty to experience. Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines are just examples.