Asia vs South America

gary the great

There is a few of u from college planning on backpacking one of these continents. We cant decided which continent to do so i need some advice/suggestions on each one.

We are planning to go late July/August and stay for about 3months. I would like to here for somebody that has been to both continents, whats the cheapest, safest, and which was your favourite?
For South America we were thinking Rio, Buneos Aires, CHile and Peru and Asia we were thinking Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam although these suggestions are based on no proper research yet. I have read the various threads on boards and i cant decided which i would prefer.

Thanks

Ag marbh

Im going on my third trip to S.E Asia(Thailand/Laos/Cambodia/Vietnam/Malaysia) this year and I must say it's something that doesn't get old. The place is absolutely fantastic and I never felt unsafe in anywhere I travelled in S.E Asia. You could make 1,000 stretch 2 months if you wanted, it really is dirt cheap. Instead of going to Vietnam i'd put Laos in there.

By the sounds of the places you want to travel in South America I think Asia is alot safer!

PunyHuman

I'd agree with Ag marbh. I've travelled in all the countries you mention (except Peru) and I have to say I enjoyed Southeast Asia more than South America, which is not to say that South America wasn't great.

It really depends on what you're looking for. If you want something exotic and totally different, if you want ancient temples and steaming heat, strange food and cheap drinks, dust and dirt and sweat and bumpy roads, friendly locals and laughing kids, go to Asia. If you want something more comfortable and westernised, with fine wines and steaks, leafy boulevards and military statues, huge mountains and wide prairies, if you want salsa, samba and tango, go to America.

Your money will definitely go a lot further in Asia; everything is very cheap even compared to South America, and ludicrously cheap compared to here. Chile and Brazil are actually quite expensive (depending on your budget).

You should also think about the time of year you'll be travelling. July/August/September means winter in South America, so it will be fairly cold in some places. And those same months in Asia are leading into monsoon season, so it will probably be either incredibly hot and humid, or just very hot and humid and also lashing rain constantly.

Edit: you might also consider whether or not anyone in your party can speak Spanish. I couldn't, and I wished I could. Without it you're kind of lost in South America, whereas in Asia everyone wants to practise their English on you.

As regards safety, I also never felt any danger in Asia, or anywhere I went. I was mugged in Rio, though, but that's almost part of the experience. You won't have any problems anywhere if you keep your wits about you.

And I second the idea of Laos - it and Cambodia were much more fun for me than Thailand or Vietnam. Which isn't to say that those countries aren't great, either.

PM if you want any more info on any of the places.

Ag marbh

PunyHuman wrote:

. And those same months in Asia are leading into monsoon season, so it will probably be either incredibly hot and humid, or just very hot and humid and also lashing rain constantly.

Just a mention about monsoon season. Don't be put off by it as you will really only get some showers in the afternoon that dry up just as quick and most days you will get no rain. The sun still shines very brightly and getting a sun tan won't be a problem during monsoon season.

I prefer to travel during monsoon season because accomodation is alot easier to find and at cheaper rates. There are still plenty of people around to party with but it's not horribly over crowded like high season. Alot of people I come across prefer monsoon for the reasons above.

Mark

arac

I am getting all excited about my Se Asia trip in June now reading these posts!!

bringitdown

I have be to SA and SAE and can't compare the two.

I found the South American trip such great fun with lots of physical activities, hiking etc. I speak Spanish which helped a lot. Scenery is unreal ... Andes, Altiplano, Amazon etc.

South East Asia was more relaxing the exception being that I did a lot of diving in Koh Tao which is an unbeatable experience in my book. If you like diving / beaches / water at all, Thailand etc is where I'd lean toward ... otherwise toss a coin both places are hard not to recommend.

/edit BOTH DO BOTH!!

gary the great

hey thanks for the advice it looks like its going to be Asia due to it being a bit cheaper and people are still worried about safety in South AMerica.

Keep the advice coming though people!

WOuld anybody recommend a route including Thailand, Loas, cambodia and Malaysia?

MrJones

Has anyone travelled South America alone?
Im thinking of doing it? thoughts,comments appreciated.

PunyHuman

@ mrjones

I was alone for much of the time I spent there (Chile - Argentina - Uruguay - Paraguay - Brazil). If you stay in hostels you'll meet a load of folks from all over the world, but on the other hand you won't get much sleep. In my opinion the dangers of travelling in South America are overrated. As I've mentioned elsewhere, the ability to speak conversational Spanish would be a great advantage.


@ gary the great

Maybe travel from Bangkok to Trat in the southeast and then up to Battambang in Cambodia and then on to Siem Reap and Angkor from there. That's what I did, and avoided the nasty border crossing at Aranyaprathet. Koh Chang is near Trat too, and that's a nice island. Then travel Siem Reap - Phnom Penh and follow the Mekong north into Laos. Hit Vientiane and Luang Prabang, then go west to Chiang Mai, and then southwards to Malaysia.

Just one of many paths you might take.

MrJones

PunyHuman
ya i know what you mean. I wouldnt be too worried about the dangers of travelling through south america although i would have my wits about me at all times.
mainly i was wondering would it actually be a good buzz to travel through SA alone? I dont really want to go with anyone because i find it too restrictive.
i have done some travel in europe from hostel to hostel and that was great.
Is it similar in south america?