South America vs Southeast Asia

I'd like to say hi to everyone as this is my first post on the forum. Hi!
I'm an 18 year old guy from Canada, and I can't wait to go on my first solo backpacking trip

So anyways, in about July/August I'll have the opportunity to travel for a few months. I've narrowed down my choices to south America or Southeast Asia, and while I've looked at many threads comparing the two, I can't seem to find any that really fit my situation. I made a pros and cons list about each but I still can't decide. What I'm asking for basically is just if someone can give me a push in the right direction, based off of what I'll say about myself here.

• I love nature, and I definitely love mountains, so I'd rather climb Cotopaxi (or something) than see Angkor Wat (thought that sounds amazing too)

• I'm trying to save as much money as I can for future travels, but my budget should be in the range of 2500-3000 excluding airfare.

• If I go to Asia I have a friend that I will visit, and my mom is also going to Asia at some point so I could meet up with her for a bit.

• I'm more of a cold lover than a heat lover.

• I want to do adventurous things, such as horseback riding, mountain climbing, zip lining, try my hand at surfing, etc.

• I have no problem with long bus rides.

• And lastly, I'm taking a Spanish course in college at the moment, and though I'm not fully conversational yet I think I could get by on
  my knowledge of spanish, whereas in Asia I'd have to buy/download multiple phrasebooks.

So to anyone who took the time to read this, thanks a million, and it would be great if someone who's been to both continents could help me decide which to go to.

My thanks,
MrPepper

hmm.. i haven't been to either but i have done extensive research on both, and im planing a trip to asia within the next year. in my opinion SA would be more suited to you, lots of oppertunities for the nature lover, and adventurer.

i live in new brunswick and from here it seems like i have been able to find cheeper flights to SA though it might be a little more expensive when you get there the Asia.

from SA america you may also take a boat to central america (if time and budget allows) i have spent some time there and your line "I want to do adventurous things, such as horseback riding, mountain climbing, zip lining, try my hand at surfing, etc." makes me think it would be very suited to you.

I've been to both regions quite a few times....two great destinations.I'm sure you'll enjoy it a lot whichever you choose.Anyway....

Nature....overall I'd say SA.Particularly if you like mountains...though there are plenty in SE Asia too(particularly volcanoes).

Budget......SE Asia is considerably cheaper in general...especially compared to Brazil or Argentina.If you just want to stay in the Andean countries prices are a lot lower.What currency is your budget in? US dollars?

Whether or not you want to meet your friend/your mom......you need to decide ;-)

Neither is going to be very cold-but SE Asia will be hot for sure!
SA temperature is more variable,with great differences due to elevation and the size of the continent

You can do these 'adventurous'things in either...though for surfing I'd definitely go with SE Asia.

Long bus rides are common in both as well,but in SE Asia you also have the budget flight option,which you don't really have in SA (unless your budget is big enough-yours isn't).

Language.....of course you can practice your Spanish in most of SA...but you can get by with English and a few words of the local language in SE Asia too..its a very well-travelled place and most people (at least the ones you will need to deal with-hostels,restaurants,bus stations etc.)can speak/understand basic English.

You can go to Nepal or India they speak english there.

Both great destinations and you should definitely try and visit both at some point, as you're only 18 you've got plenty of time. Given your points above (Mountains, Spanish, Cotopaxi, cold, horseriding....) the decision seems easy - S.America.

Wow thanks for the quick answers everyone. I think that I'm leaning towards South America, I think it's kind of where I wanted to go all along, but it's good to know that considering my interests it really is the obvious choice.

@Lucapal
I am planning on the Andean countries, I'm thinking Ecuador Peru and Bolivia.

And with regards to the language, it's not that I'm afraid I won't be able to get by, I just want to be able to speak to people there in their native language instead of making them speak English. Of course my Spanish isn't really conversational level yet but I think if I'm immersed I'll pick it up pretty quickly.

Look at all the down falls in SA vs India. Crime, in India you will never get robbed or attacked vs SA where you can be sure to be robbed. Cost, SA is expensive.

Aurin, first of all the options being considered were between S. America and S. E. Asia not India, secondly saying that someone is sure to be robbed in S. America is just moronic. Is there crime, yes, but it's mostly opportunistic, I spent about 4.5years in Latin America, during 2 of those years I lead tours around the continent, meaning that I lead hundreds of people around. Of the hundreds I led only a couple people got robbed, and that due to not paying attention. As it happens I also know a couple who got robbed in India.

As for costs, India is cheaper, no doubt, but Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia are pretty cheap countries.

@Aurin, thanks for trying to help out, but India isn't on my radar at the moment, so to speak. I'd love to see it some day but that's for another trip.

@Toad
Thanks for the support. As for my path, should I start in Ecuador or Bolivia? I was thinking Ecuador first because I've read that it doesn't have many "Must-see locations" as the other two countries, so I thought it would be a kind of "South America crash course" for me. I'd like to get used to the idea of actually being in South America before I go see places such as La Paz, and the salt flats. thoughts?

Yay for choosing South America! The vibe is totally different there than SE Asia, and I think much better for a first trip by an introspective person. (If you're a partier, SE Asia as young and irresponsibly as possible is practically a right-of-passage, and you will deal with many of these types in your travels there).

Where to start - let price be your guide! It doesn't matter all that much as far as pros and cons of one place versus another and what it's like to be there for the first time. Don't overthink it. I'm guessing Buenos Aires or Santiago will be cheapest to fly into. Maybe Lima.

If you are planning only the Andean countries,and you have enough time (like 3 months)then I'd probably fly into Quito and work my way down....fly out of Bolivia.If you want to go to the Salar in Bolivia that means you'll have to do a loop there,heading south and then back to La Paz or Santa Cruz.

Alternative would be go on to Santiago or BA,but you really need more time for that....or else start in Lima and leave out Ecuador(but the best mountains are in Ecuador/northern Peru).

I think Ecuador is probably a good place to start, it's a smoother landing than starting in La Paz and though you'll be zig-zagging up and down the Andes it's also lower than La Paz so altitude won't be as severe. THough if you're going to climb Cotopaxi give yourself some time to get used to altitude. In terms of flying out, you could actually consider getting your return flight from Santiago de Chile. That way you can visit Bolivia ending with Uyuni, cross over to San Pedro de Atacama and then just bus from there to Santiago (it's about 24hrs bus ride but a comfortable bus) or if you have time you can break the journey. Quito/Santiago is likely to be cheaper than Quito/La Paz.

@backpackbogger
Yeah I don't think partying is my main concern at the moment, you're right. If I'm to meet people I'd rather be there for the place and people rather than just to party. I think I'll fly into Lima because I'd like to start in Ecuador.
@Lucapal
I could extend the trip a bit, I just set 2 months because I don't know what to expect in terms of homesickness, since this will be the longest I've gone from home. But would just popping into Chile to grab a flight home really extend my trip by much?
@ToadofToadHall
I thought that made lots of sense but it turns out that flying back from la Paz is actually 200$ cheaper! Of course I'm not booking the ticket right this minute so that could change. Yeah I've read about possible altitude sickness, I've got a Rough Guides travel guide so I've been reading through that.
Could you explain to me why I'd be zigzagging? Do the Andes run kinda parallel to my trip?

If it's cheaper to fly back from La Paz then you can loop back from Uyuni, it's shorter.

By zig-zaging what I mean is that though you'll be following the Andes and will spent most of your time in the mountains chances are that in Northern Peru you'll find yourself on the coast (Lima is by the sea), you may also chose to do a side trip into the Amazon in Ecuador, Peru or Bolivia.

Op...if you want to start in Ecuador,better to fly into Quito not Lima....

As Toad suggests,definitely worth doing a side trip into the Amazon...if you are concerned about budget,I'd do that in Bolivia.

And if you don't want to rush too much I'd really try to push it up to 3 months...there's a lot to see and do and travel is slow-particularly in the mountains.

@Toad
Yeah I definitely will be zigzagging in that case, I'd like to see the the coasts, mountains and plateaus, and rainforests are also definitely on my list.
@Lucapal
Hahaha total brain fart on my part.
As for 3 months, aside from the budget aspect, I have no idea how I'll react to being in South America. I'd like to think that I'll be gung ho and ready to take on three months once I get there, but the truth is by the end of even a month I might be homesick and tired of being in South America. If my budget allows I'll see if I can push it to 2.5-3 months, and hope for the best. How'd you feel during your first solo trip?

My first long solo trip was in Europe,many years ago ;-)

One whole summer on a tiny budget......cheapest possible hostel beds,sleeping on benches and in parks type trip.It was great!

Haven't been to South America but Southeast Asia is awesome.

It has everything really. Amazing food, interesting cultures, places with great nightlife (and on the flip side places that are incredibly tranquil), some great sites, hiking, diving. As I said.. just about everything.

Another vote for South America. I am a bit concerned about your budget and stated interests though. Doing some things like zip-lining etc. can eat into it fairly quickly. Here is a decent site for some basic info.
http://travelindependent.info/america-south.htm

@motameus
I know, I've read about that, which is why I had such a hard time making my choice. I think what really decided it was the fact that I don't want to check out southeast Asia during monsoon season, I'd rather go when it's at it's best.

@Travelinstyle
Yeah I didn't really consider that, but I'm not planning on doing those exclusively, just when it's really worth it. I guess I'll just play it by ear as I go along, and cut back expenses on other days to make up for it. perhaps I'll only do a few of the things I mentioned. And yeah, I love travelindependent, I've spent many hours reading through it. I'm glad so many people are pushing for SA.

and also, thanks a lot to everyone who answered, all your opinions have been very helpful!

You were also wondering how you would feel after a few weeks travelling by yourself.. well, in my case, when I travel by myself I feel tired after 3 weeks or so. Not homesick or anything, but I think I need time to assimilate what I saw or did, or maybe I just miss sharing my experiences with someone else. I do not have this problem when I travel with someone else. But hey, this is just me... lots of people here in TT spend months/years by themselves on the road and theyÇre pretty happy about it. So yeah, hit the road with an open mind, maybe you love it, maybe you want to get back after a month or so.

It's strangely comforting to know that someone else would be weary of it after a while. Everyone who I've really talked to about it tells me there won't be any of that kind of feeling but I remain convinced that I will get homesick, or tired. Hopefully I will be able to go 2 months without any adverse effects, but I guess I'll find out right?
Thanks for your reply, all input is welcome!