Top Budget Travel Destinations for 2009

These countries are hardly undiscovered, but it's not too late to enjoy them either. Plan a trip in 2009, so you can say you knew these places before they were overrun.

CAMBODIA

PEER INTO OUR CRYSTAL BALL… …and you'll see 10 spots that travelers will be buzzing about this year. • Launch the slide show 10 TO WATCH • Austin • Berlin • Budapest • Cambodia • Hawaii • Mexico • Panama • Reykjavík • Vancouver • Washington, D.C.

Why in 2009: It's no longer a backpacker's secret. In 2008, the country drew about 2 million visitors, more than 10 times the number it drew a decade ago. Cambodia's still off the radar for most Americans, but it's poised to take the same path as its better-known neighbor Vietnam, which saw a similar number of visitors nine years ago and now draws roughly 4 million visitors annually. Look for independently owned guesthouses because the major resort chains haven't built much here yet; and by all means, go before the crowds get too thick.

Main events: The sprawling Angkor complex and its magnificent Hindu and Buddhist temples between the 9th and 15th centuries will always be the star attractions here. Expect to spend at least two days exploring. In nearby Siem Reap, shop at the Artisans d'Angkor collective, where those making traditional handicrafts gain a guaranteed percentage of the profit (011-855/63-963-330, artisansdangkor.com).

Memorable moment: Rent bicycles in and around Siem Reap for less than $2 a day. Although the somewhat creaky models and frequently unpaved roads can make for a bumpy ride, it's a low-key way to explore the temples at your own pace—and to see the Cambodian people and landscape more intimately.

Price check: For recommendations for independently owned guesthouses, turn to Asiarooms.com, which recently listed rooms at Monoreach Angkor Hotel in Siem Reap at a starting rate of $33 per night. If you'd prefer an expert's guiding hand, consider Intrepid Travel's Heart of Cambodia tour. A guide will escort you around Phnom Penh, arrange a sunset viewing over Angkor Wat, and walk you through the depths of the Phnom Chhnork caves. The 15-day tour costs $1,400 per person (whether traveling single or as part of a couple), covering lodgings but not airfare—less than $100 a day (intrepidtravel.com).

PANAMA

Why in 2009: Panama has led tourism growth in Central and South American countries for two years running, posting back-to-back 20 and 30 percent gains in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Last year, the country surpassed the one-million-visitors mark, welcoming 1.2 million leisure travelers. That's about how popular Costa Rica was in 1999—before it emerged as a solidly mainstream destination. Compared with Costa Rica, Panama has more animal species and a larger amount of preserved terrain filled with colorful macaws, monkeys, and endangered shore birds.

Main events: The Panama Jazz Festival, held January 1–17, will feature saxophonist Wayne Shorter's quartet (panamajazzfestival.com, from $10). Panama's Carnival celebrations, running February 2–24, are some of the largest pre-Lenten parties in the world. The bulk of the parades and revelry will take place in Panama City and Las Tablas (visitpanama.com).

Memorable moment: Climb Cerro Jefe (Boss Mountain) in Chagres National Park, whose summit stands nearly 3,000 feet above sea level. When the weather cooperates, you can see the Panama Canal and both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans (visitpanama.com). Back in the capital, thread your way through the cobbled streets lined with Spanish mansions in the colonial-era district of Casco Viejo, used as a stand-in for Haiti in many scenes in Quantum of Solace.

Price check: American Airlines Vacations has a three-night winter stay at the Veneto Hotel & Casino from $87 per person per night (aavacations.com). Keep a lid on costs by booking at locally owned inns. Among TripAdvisor's top rated B&Bs in Panama is La Estancia (011-507/314-1581, bedandbreakfastpanama.com, from $75 for singles and doubles). It's on a hill next to a nature reserve.