Agree with Mike...you have a very good budget for SE Asia....you could do more or less what you want there on that money,and have a great time.
I'd get a LP SE Asia and see what appeals to you most in there..you haven't got time to do more than one or max. 2 countries.....
im not sure what flight are like out of Australia to central america. but i recently took a trip to Costa Rica and it was pretty cheap, some nice hikes, and nature, and the Inca history and Spanish culture are very interesting, and since the counties are relatively small you should have no trouble getting 2, maybe even 3 depending on which countries you do and how you plan it out. best of luck, enjoy it.
Central America would be amazing. Is it safe to travel alone there? Or would you recommend going with a tour?
i only got a chance to costa rica and i did that alone and met many others doing the same thing. my biggest concern would be pic pocketers in san jose (that said i spent very little time in san jose but i had no problems during my entire trip nor did i feel cornered for my safety. every body i met seemed very hospitable and the people were great.
in my opinion the rest of central america is probably about the same. stay away in big cities and crowded areas and you should be fine to go alone.
CA is a great area to travel in..and January is a good time to be there.
No need for tours..its easy to travel around alone or meet other people.
Certainly the airfare from Oz will be five times more than getting to SE Asia.........and Costa Rica is considerably more expensive than anywhere in that region (except Singapore)....Guatemala or Nicaragua can be much more economical.
when i was in costa rica i met alot of people who traveled through nicaragua and they had nothing but good things to say about it. when doing research for my trip to CR everything i read said that CR was the most expensive of the central america's, that said it was much more affordable then i though i got by on about 300-400 CAD for 2 weeks that was for my bus, hostels, meals and activities (i stayed out of the major tourist traps like arenal and monteverde which seemed to be quite a bit more expensive then the areas i hung out in like liberia and san garadro.)
Sorry to nit-pick vtrioreau90 but what Inca culture are you referring to in Costa Rica? I only ask because the Incas were based in Peru and the furthest north they got to was southern Colombia.
As for Central America it is indeed a great part of the world.