mlbcruiser

We are are trying to decide whether to visit Peru or China. SO different, I know. Each would be interesting. The decision is driving me nuts, and both are places we want to visit. However, we can't do such a "big" trip anytime we want due to time off and finances. So I would love some input/opinions from others who have been to both places. (We have a tight window in which to decide re: China due to a price increase in a couple of days.)

For those who have visited both countries, which did you ENJOY the most and why? What did you NOT like the most and why? Which country would you rather return to?

Thanks for any input!

NoFlyZone

I was to both in 2008 and back again to China in 2009. A lot depends on how much time you have. You can enjoy Peru in 2 weeks. Two weeks in China barely scratches the surface.

shelleyk

It also depends on when you are going. If visiting Machu Picchu, I would go only from late May to mid Sept. to avoid rain. I've been to both and enjoyed both, but all things being equal, I preferred China (Beijing, Shanghai, Xian and Guillan) because of the cultural differences, photographic sites and food.

RJames

Been to both, would choose China over Peru. However, it depends on when you are travelling and which option fits the budget. China is bigger country and you will spend longer travelling around than in Peru. Peru has lots of sights and you could see it all in two to three weeks. You could see/do it all in China within the same time frame. In both countries you'd need to decide which sights appeal to you choose which part(s) of the country you'd like to visit. I would return to China I wouldn't care to return to Peru.

mlbcruiser

Thank you for taking the time to reply w/some thoughtful responses.

RJames, if you don't mind my asking, why wouldn't you want to return to Peru?

Did anyone find the crowded sites or streets, or the much talked about pollution, to be annoying in China?

We'd be going during a good seasonal time for either destination.

A little background: Some of our favorite destinations have been in Europe, esp. in Spain, Italy, France, Santorini, the mediterranean, the caribbean, Cotswolds in England, Rio de Janiero, French Polynesia, Istanbul and places w/either good snorkeling/diving or snow skiing. Our food tastes lean more towards Italian, French, Cuban/latin or gulf seafood and less so towards Asian dishes. The places in China I think we'd enjoy seeing the most? Guillin, Shanghai and the Great Wall. (Also Tibet, but there won't be time/money for that, too.) I can speak a fair amount of Spanish, Peru would mean less of a time change, flts. would be less $, I know we'd love seeing Machu Pichu & the Sacred Valley, and we might also visit Colca Canyon & Arequipa. Not sure about L. Titicaca. I wonder if Peru (except for Lima) might seem a bit "low key" (?). But we've never been there so I just don't know! Decisions, decisions!

Geez, this is TOUGH! Thanks again for your input.

RJames

Sorry, bad typo in my last respond, the sentence should read..
You can't see/do it all in China within the same time frame.

mlbcruiser, I don't mind you asking, to be honest I (and my travel companion) were underwhelmed by Peru. We'd stayed at the best hotels, and had an excellent travel company (arranged with a ta in the city we reside) the trip was well organized. On the same trip we'd been to Bolivia and Ecuador (including the Galapagos) and prefered both countries to Peru. You know what it's like when you return from a trip and reflect on your favourite part(s) of the trip, for us it certainly wasn't Peru. Had we not been to Bolivia and Ecuador as well, we may have a different opinion, who knows. Remember, this is just our opinion and obviously, there will be people who would rank Peru much more highly.

You write that you are interested in snorkeling/diving, then the Galapagos is a must. You'll be spoilt with the abundance of wildlife in the Galapagos.

Had no problems with crowds/pollution in China.

Which ever you choose both are unique destinations.

Hope this helps.

TracyB

Hey, was in Peru in 2006 and China/Lhasa in 2010!

Loved them both, but probably loved Peru more!! But it's actually not fair to compare these 2 destinations, because they are so different!

I loved the feel of Peru, the mountains, the culture, Machu Picchu was amazing! But I am a mountain lover!! We also did the jungle for 3 days which was fantastic!

China was amazing in a different way!! Loved Lhasa the most, but liked everywhere else we went! Had a great time, lots to see, lots of history, great food, no complaints!

Go with your heart!!

mlbcruiser

Thanks for your opinions. There are things in both of your posts that I think I might be saying after my trip - lol!

rhkkmk

there is way more to do and to see in china, imo....china has a very expensive visa, peru has none i believe. China takes longer to get to from most NA places... china is vast, peru is more compact...

qwovadis

Have been to both

Peru is far ccheaper to get to and far more

more naturally spectacular with Andes/Amazon

www.kuodatours.com

www.inkanatura.com

Do the Gringo Trail to www.titicacaperu.com some Amazon.

cheap flights from FLL first class to LIM spirit.com

China nice more citified more people expensive visa

Lots of interesting asian culture but I am a big fan of

Inkan culture history so I LOVE Peru.

Happy Deciding,

qwovadis

Add Galapagos whilte you are down there

if you love wildlife/nature

www.galapagosXpeditions.com

Nothing like that in China

TRULY amazing!

rkkwan

Not too familiar with Peru but are you going to hike the Inca Trail? If yes, do you know how your body respond to high altitude? What's your age and are you fit right now to hike it; if you don't go now, do you think you still have the chance to hike it next time?

mlbcruiser

rkkwan, no we will not hike the trail. Though we have skied at high altitudes numerous times (over 11,000 ft.), the ONLY time I had a problem w/alt. sickness was once - at Snowbird, Utah. It was in the form of a headache much of the time. We went down into Salt Lake City a couple of times, it went away. Also, the first morning I felt a bit odd, but our daughter (around 10 or 11 yrs. old then)felt nauseous & nearly passed out. She had to lie down a bit but was o.k. before long. She also experienced it slightly another time in Colorado a few yrs. later, although usually she had no problem.

One of the biggest draws for me is the natural mt.& valley beauty we would see in Peru. Although I know the Galapagos are fascinating (we only do watersports when the water is warm, wetsuits or not & we'd be in the wrong season), as is the Amazon, we aren't too into wildlife. Mostly, finances will not allow us to do it ALL. We plan to visit Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machu Pichu and Colca Canyon, & spend a day/nt. in Lima. Maybe also L. Titicaca.

I will admit, while I think the sights in China will be interesting, the main places we DO want to see are the Guillin/Li River area (being "touristy" won't matter that much because I doubt there is a major tourist area anywhere in China that isn't!), Shanghai (the modern architecture looks fascinating) & the Great Wall. While we love big cities & live in one, some reports of China I've seen mention very long lines, w/people pushing & jostling for space; constant noise & crowds; sounds of tour guides' loud speakers at major sights. I can't say that sounds "fun", yet people do seem to enjoy it despite those things.

qwovadis, I have seen some of your informative posts before and they are helpful. However, several posts I've seen caution about Spirit's reliability. Have you used them for Peru before? If so, what did you think?

Thanks for the opinions and info.!

Iowa_Redhead

I can't help on the Peru vs China question, but I noticed one thing regarding China.

>>

This really depends on when you go. I was in China in December and really didn't have this AT ALL. Other than the Metro, I can't remember a single line with more than one or two people in front of me. Even on the Metro (which was quite crowded) I think I got on the first train every time. None of the attractions were crowded in the least. There were a lot of people at the Forbidden City, but that place is so enormous that it really wasn't crowded at all.

You said that you'll go during a "good seasonal time" but that doesn't really say much. Most people wouldn't consider December a good seasonal time in China, but I thought it was absolutely fantastic and the weather really wasn't an issue. If you consider December a "good seasonal time" then don't worry about crowds in China. During the busy months, it may be another story.

I just don't want to see you pass by a fantastic country based on crowds that may or may not be an issue while you're traveling.

mlbcruiser

Thanks, Iowa_Redhead. I think it will be crowded when we go - late May through the first wk. of June. However, maybe it is just early enough in summer as not to be too bad. (Some of the photos I've seen of late summer seem SUPER crowds.

I am relying on others who liked China a lot because frankly (and I hate to say this on here) until about 2 yrs. ago I really never had any desire to go there, except to some secluded and very mountainous area of Tibet near Nepal or someplace that I saw on the Travel Channel. (There were young girls that sing this haunting "call" at night in some little village. All I can recall is when they matured a bit they wore something like bull horns & wrapped their hair around them, and also wore a plaid fabric. Most had never seen a westerner!) I love the robes and roofline styles and the lovely karsts in Guillin, though. I fear my husband, esp., is going to get bored w/too many exhibits. But I hope not! It's a very old culture and I am certain many things to be learned from it. Thanks for your input!

rkkwan

Chinese people have gotten a little better in the last years when it comes to "pushing and jostling for space". For one, trains and buses in most cities are now comfortable and run frequently, so people are losing their instinct to fight for everything. Having them to lower their voices seem to be taking longer, but still there is some progress.

Tour guide's loud speakers remain an issue at popular tourist spots - no idea why they're so slow in adopting the wireless headphones used by Japanese groups. Not getting better is the tendency to fight over the prime spot to have their pictures taken. When Chinese travel, having their picture taken in front of ___ seems to be their #1 goal. They spend a lot more time with their backs towards the site than actually looking. You can often avoid them unless YOU also have to have your portrait taken at the same spot. [Granted, that's not only an issue in China. They seem to be everywhere in Europe now.]

Travel_Bug_Cin

My husband and I were in Peru in 2007. We did some of the time on our own and used GAP Adventures for the remainder. The trip was amazing and I would highly recommend it. We did not hike the trail (only ones in our group, but that was okay), we took the train. This summer we are off to China (including Tibet and China - using Uniworld). Which ever you choose, I am sure you will enjoy. I can say that Peru was wonderful (Macchu Pichu - WOW!) and it was very economical.....Good luck with your decision....

ekscrunchy

Difficult question. I have been to each country twice, not counting trips to Hong Kong.

Will I return to China: yes, hopefully more than once.

Will I return to Peru: probably not.

I, too, found Ecuador more to my liking than Peru.

RockyRo1

hi mlb cruiser,
I love both countries i understand it's hard to decide. The richness of both is quite outstanding but i guess it all depends on what kind of tourism you do.

Peru really has it everything.Natural locations, flora fauna, , historical building, cultures, dance, music, festivals. I know many people do Peru in two weeks, they only go south to the Andes (Cusco, Arequipa), that's only the beginning!! the north is vast and rich, ancient and interesting, the orient ( Iquitos, Amazonas)which is the Amazon is a another world with variety of ecosystems. For a good tour of Peru I recommend 4 weeks at least. Or you will be missing important bits of the country. visit http://www.peru.travel for information on different routes.

China on the other hand, is sooo different from Western culture that your jaw will drop if you are taken to the right place in the right tour. The thing about China is that travelling between places includes air trips of 2 to 3 hours. As all the interesting places a far from each other North East to Western China. Please go to the real countryside, there is plenty although tourists think of modern crowded China(yes you have to experience it), the quiet green countryside is worth a visit.
I recommend Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Chengdu, Guilin and leave Tibet for another holiday.

Happy holidays. Forgot to say Peruvian food is a must, the best in the world, but they don't know it yet.
Discover the undiscovered
Rocky

colduphere

I couldn't answer this question a year ago not having been to Peru. Now we have so here goes (though I think mlbcruiser already went to China).

China. More interesting things to see. And the taxis are safer.