Sri Lanka

Packs beaches, tea country, ancient cities and wildlife into an island small enough to cross by train in a day. Nearly every visitor, US, UK and EU passport holders included, needs an electronic travel authorization before arrival, and the standard tourist stay is 30 days. The hill-country railway through Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Ella is one of the cheapest great train rides anywhere, rice and curry at a local eatery costs very little, and family guesthouses outnumber chain hotels. The expensive days are safaris and private drivers; local buses and trains keep the rest of the trip remarkably cheap.