Should i go to south america or southeast asia for 1-2 months?

Question

Please share any personal experiences. Im wondering which is easier to travel around from country to country. What kinds of foods will i encounter in each. Nightlife, where will i be able to go have a good time everynight of the week. My plan is to not have a plan and just fly to either one and try to "bum around" just go from place to place. Will i be able to find a place to crash easily or will i have to call ahead of time for a reservation. Any information is helpful but please dont tell me to just go get a guide book. Im looking for personal opinions and reasons behind your opinion.

Thanks alot

Answer 1

South America of course... Specially Ecuador; first, living expenses are quite low, so with few bucks you'll be just good (But, have at least $1000 of budget and you'll be rich)... In Latin America you'll only find Spanish as the main language (except Brazil, which is Portuguese), so if you'll only have to take one dictionary... You'll all kind of regions over here... Cold desserts, jungle, shore... you name it, we got it...

You'll find different ancestral cultures (quichuas, shuar, tsachilas, etc...), as well as big cities, metropolis like (Buenos Aires, Santiago)...

In Ecuador, we have Galapagos (which is a beauty, by the way); it's easy to rent cars or go by bus... If you're USA citizen, I don't think you need a visa; and it's quite easy to go for one country to the other... Hotels don't need previous reservations, unless you are planing to stay in a 5 star hotel (and most of the time not even then)... People see us, Latino, as the friendly type... so, I don't think you'll have a problem meeting people to hang out...

Answer 2

A South America trip would be cheaper, mostly only one language to deal with (except Brazil and a few smaller countries/areas), easier to find ex-pats and/or English spoken, easier to find churches of different denominations, and easier to exchange dollars.