Country Comparisons
We rated the best and worst features of the countries we visited on this trip for easy reference.

You can sort the table below by clicking on the "sort by" link underneath the header column.

For more information on the nifty icons, check out the definition of our rating scales.
Continent Country Weeks Safety Cost MnC Rating Details
sort by continent sort by country sort wks sort by safety sort by cost sort by rating
North America USA 6 Good $ $ $ $ $ * * * * more about USA
North America Alaska 3 Good $ $ $ $ $ * * * * * more about Alaska
North America Canada 1 Good $ $ * * more about Canada
Central America Mexico 2.5 So-So $ $ $ * * more about Mexico
Central America Belize 1 Good $ $ $ $ * * * more about Belize
Central America Guatemala 3.5 Good $ * * * * * more about Guatemala
Central America El Salvador 1 Good $ * more about El Salvador
Central America Honduras 0.1 So-So $ * more about Honduras
Central America Nicaragua 1 Good $ * * * more about Nicaragua
Central America Costa Rica 1 So-So $ $ * * more about Costa Rica
Central America Panama 2 So-So $ $ $ * * * * more about Panama
South America Colombia 2 So-So $ $ * * * more about Colombia
South America Ecuador 2.5 So-So $ $ $ $ * * * * * more about Ecuador
South America Peru 3 Good $ $ * * * more about Peru
South America Bolivia 1 Good $ * * * more about Bolivia
South America Chile 3 Good $ $ * * more about Chile
South America Argentina 4.5 Good $ $ * * * * more about Argentina
South America Uruguay 0.5 Good $ $ $ * more about Uruguay
South America Brazil 4 Good $ $ $ * * * * more about Brazil
Antarctica Antarctic Peninsula 2 Good $ $ $ $ $ $ * * * * * more about Antarctica
Africa South Africa 2.5 So-So $ $ $ $ * * more about S. Africa
Africa Lesotho 0.5 Good $ $ * * * more about Lesotho
Africa Botswana 1.5 Good $ $ * * * * more about Botswana
Africa Zambia 1.5 Good $ $ * * * more about Zambia
Africa Zimbabwe 0.01 Bad $ $ $ $ $ - more about Zimbabwe
Africa Malawi 1.5 Good $ * * more about Malawi
Africa Rwanda 1 Good $ $ $ $ * * * more about Rwanda
Africa D.R. Congo 0 Bad - - more about DRC
Africa Uganda 7.5 Good $ * * * more about Uganda
Africa Kenya 2 Good $ $ $ * * * more about Kenya
Africa Tanzania 3 Good $ $ $ $ * * * * more about Tanzania


Country Review: USA
Continent North America Patriotic U.S.A. Trailers!
click for larger image
Country USA
Weeks Spent 6
Safety Good
Cost $ $ $ $ $ (Budget busting backpacking)
MNC Star Rating * * * * (Amazing excursions - Must return)
Summary The sheer scale and grandeur of the U.S. only becomes clear as you drive across it. Amazing national parks.
We Liked
  • The south west for deserts and giant redwoods
  • Rafting the Grand Canyon
  • Las Vegas
We Didn't Like
  • Culturally/linguistically monolithic
  • The cost of petrol / accommodation - ouch!
Top Tip Camp or travel in a campervan to control costs.
Details Go to our highlights page for USA


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Alaska
Continent North America Hoards of Homer Halibut
click for larger image
Country Alaska
Weeks Spent 3
Safety Good
Cost $ $ $ $ $ (Budget busting backpacking)
MNC Star Rating * * * * * (Life changing! Made the trip worthwhile)
Summary Huge, wild and beautiful.
We Liked
  • Trekking through chest-deep rivers
  • Paddling past icebergs to calving glaciers
We Didn't Like
  • The prospect of being eaten by a grizzly bear
  • The cost of everything
Top Tip Save up to make the most of all the great things to do here.
Details Go to our highlights page for Alaska


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Canada
Continent North America Nice Rack!
click for larger image
Country Canada
Weeks Spent 1
Safety Good
Cost $ $ (Right on our budget)
MNC Star Rating * * (Good fun but missing the "Wow")
Summary Sleepy, rural and friendly, with magnificent Rocky mountains.
We Liked
  • Seeing family
  • Friendly Canadians
We Didn't Like
  • Our campervan breaking down
Top Tip Come in summer - it can hit -50 degrees in winter!
Details Go to our highlights page for Canada


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Mexico
Continent Central America Curse Of The Evil Rabbit
click for larger image
Country Mexico
Weeks Spent 2.5
Safety So-So
Cost $ $ $ (Mid-range travel)
MNC Star Rating * * (Good fun but missing the "Wow")
Summary Surprisingly developed and modern, a bridge to the wilder countries to the south.
We Liked
  • The street food
  • Drinking mezcal and cheesy music
  • Aztec ruins
We Didn't Like
  • Costly travel
  • Violent street demonstrations
  • Unwelcoming Mayans
Top Tip Dive with whale sharks on the Yucatan in November.
Details Go to our highlights page for Mexico


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Belize
Continent Central America Tonight, You Swim With The Fishes!
click for larger image
Country Belize
Weeks Spent 1
Safety Good
Cost $ $ $ $ (Top-end for travelers)
MNC Star Rating * * * (Unique cultural and adventure experiences)
Summary A tiny country with great beaches, world class diving and Mayan history.
We Liked
  • Diving the Blue Hole
  • Spelunking deep into a cave to see the remains of human sacrifices
We Didn't Like
  • Sunscreen that didn't work
  • Rude locals
Top Tip Take a two week break, trek through jungle to ruins, then head to the beach and dive with sharks at the famous Blue Hole.
Details Go to our highlights page for Belize


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Guatemala
Continent Central America Ad: Guatemalan Church Seeks Colour-Blind Architect
click for larger image
Country Guatemala
Weeks Spent 3.5
Safety Good
Cost $ (Fun on the cheap!)
MNC Star Rating * * * * * (Life changing! Made the trip worthwhile)
Summary Thriving indigenous culture, active volcanoes and close up turtle encounters.
We Liked
  • Learning Spanish while staying with a local family
  • Protecting endangered turtles
  • Climbing a lava-spewing volcano
We Didn't Like
  • The government's disregard for the environment
  • Very touristy Antigua
Top Tip Go there! With the Mayan ruins from the Rebel Base in Star Wars, why wouldn't you?! One of our favourites.
Details Go to our highlights page for Guatemala


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: El Salvador
Continent Central America El Salvador: Where Men Carry Machetes
click for larger image
Country El Salvador
Weeks Spent 1
Safety Good
Cost $ (Fun on the cheap!)
MNC Star Rating * (Ho Hum)
Summary Barely touristed quiet backwater, slowly recovering from a horrid civil war.
We Liked
  • Being the only tourists there
We Didn't Like
  • Lack of things to do!
  • Terrible, grease-laden food
Top Tip If you're a surfer, El Salvador has some of the best breaks in the world.
Details Go to our highlights page for El Salvador


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Honduras
Continent Central America A Hasty Hustle Across Honduras
click for larger image
Country Honduras
Weeks Spent 0.1
Safety So-So
Cost $ (Fun on the cheap!)
MNC Star Rating * (Ho Hum)
Summary Who knows - we passed through in 2 hours!
We Liked
  • Efficient border posts
We Didn't Like
  • Thieves and touts swarming us like flies at the border
Top Tip Honduras has the cheapest scuba diving certification courses anywhere.
Details Go to our highlights page for Honduras


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Nicaragua
Continent Central America Gorgeous, Green And Going-Extinct
click for larger image
Country Nicaragua
Weeks Spent 1
Safety Good
Cost $ (Fun on the cheap!)
MNC Star Rating * * * (Unique cultural and adventure experiences)
Summary Poor, proud and pretty, traveling here was hard work but rewarding.
We Liked
  • Camping in a cloud forest on top of an active volcano
  • Meeting an endangered red-eyed tree frog
We Didn't Like
  • Some pretty serious poverty with visibly malnourished locals
  • No decent coffee as all the good stuff is exported!
Top Tip Read up on the country's turbulent history before coming, to understand the situation today.
Details Go to our highlights page for Nicaragua


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Costa Rica
Continent Central America Smokin'
click for larger image
Country Costa Rica
Weeks Spent 1
Safety So-So
Cost $ $ (Right on our budget)
MNC Star Rating * * (Good fun but missing the "Wow")
Summary An ecological paradise, well developed for tourism but noted for petty theft.
We Liked
  • The country is benefiting from a commitment to environmental protection
We Didn't Like
  • Someone stealing Magnus' trousers from a hostel
  • Felt a little bit too touristy
Top Tip A perfect location for a family trip with good facilities and great trips, treks and wildlife viewing.
Details Go to our highlights page for Costa Rica


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Panama
Continent Central America The Cheek Of It...!
click for larger image
Country Panama
Weeks Spent 2
Safety So-So
Cost $ $ $ (Mid-range travel)
MNC Star Rating * * * * (Amazing excursions - Must return)
Summary A diverse land of Caribbean beaches, rainforest jungle hosting remote tribes, and thriving cities.
We Liked
  • Panama City, we found it hard to leave
  • The remote Darien jungle where we hung out with thong-wearing tribesmen
We Didn't Like
  • Evil bed-bugs terribly savaging Cheryl
  • The threat of guerrilla attack
Top Tip If heading to Columbia, find a captain to sail you to Cartegena across the Caribbean. It's a fantastic trip.
Details Go to our highlights page for Panama


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Colombia
Continent South America Peace At The Point Of A Gun
click for larger image
Country Colombia
Weeks Spent 2
Safety So-So
Cost $ $ (Right on our budget)
MNC Star Rating * * * (Unique cultural and adventure experiences)
Summary By and large safe, with salsa in its veins and cultures reaching back 5000 years.
We Liked
  • Finding it remarkably safe and beautiful
  • Swimming in a mud volcano
We Didn't Like
  • A parasailing crash landing for Cheryl
  • The continuing military tension in the air
Top Tip The south of the country is beautiful and full of great people and history.
Details Go to our highlights page for Colombia


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Ecuador
Continent South America Crazy Coloured Crab
click for larger image
Country Ecuador
Weeks Spent 2.5
Safety So-So
Cost $ $ $ $ (Top-end for travelers)
MNC Star Rating * * * * * (Life changing! Made the trip worthwhile)
Summary Small but has it all: Amazon, Andes, beaches, tribes and the incomparable Galapagos Islands.
We Liked
  • Crossing the Equator
  • Swimming with sea lions during a Galapagos liveaboard
  • Climbing a 20,000ft active volcano!
We Didn't Like
  • Coming within a hair of having our laptop stolen in crime-ridden Quito
Top Tip Get to the Galapagos, whatever it takes! If climbing Cotopaxi - acclimatize for 8 days first.
Details Go to our highlights page for Ecuador


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Peru
Continent South America Misty Machu Picchu
click for larger image
Country Peru
Weeks Spent 3
Safety Good
Cost $ $ (Right on our budget)
MNC Star Rating * * * (Unique cultural and adventure experiences)
Summary The land of the Incas lives up to its reputation for gorgeous mountains and ancient cultures.
We Liked
  • Staying at a local village then trekking to legendary lost city, Machu Picchu
We Didn't Like
  • The taste of the national dish - grilled guinea pig
  • The taste of the local beer fermented with human spit...
Top Tip There is tonnes to see here - Peru easily merits a 6 week visit.
Details Go to our highlights page for Peru


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Bolivia
Continent South America Hello, From A Boat Made Of Hay!
click for larger image
Country Bolivia
Weeks Spent 1
Safety Good
Cost $ (Fun on the cheap!)
MNC Star Rating * * * (Unique cultural and adventure experiences)
Summary A poor country sitting on top of the world, Bolivia has a hypnotically atmospheric feel.
We Liked
  • A wonderful jeep trip across the world's greatest salt flats
We Didn't Like
  • Being denied a chance to play a round at the world's highest golf course in La Paz since it was Employee Day only
Top Tip Check out trips to the Bolivian Amazon and Pantanal regions - much more accessible and cheaper than in neighbouring Brazil.
Details Go to our highlights page for Bolivia


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Chile
Continent South America Patagonian Punishment
click for larger image
Country Chile
Weeks Spent 3
Safety Good
Cost $ $ (Right on our budget)
MNC Star Rating * * (Good fun but missing the "Wow")
Summary Could almost be in Europe, yet is subtly different. A wonderful family holiday destination.
We Liked
  • A monster 6-day trek in Torres Del Paine over Christmas - just gorgeous
We Didn't Like
  • Our broken legs after the trek
  • The long, pricey bus journeys heading south
Top Tip Don't try to cross the whole country by bus if you only have 3 weeks!
Details Go to our highlights page for Chile


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Argentina
Continent South America Tasty Tango
click for larger image
Country Argentina
Weeks Spent 4.5
Safety Good
Cost $ $ (Right on our budget)
MNC Star Rating * * * * (Amazing excursions - Must return)
Summary Argentina has everything you could possibly want in a holiday - it's just so huge it takes a long time to get between destinations.
We Liked
  • Almost everything: glaciers, waterfalls, ancient history, dinosaurs, Welsh tea houses...
  • the list goes on but can't end without wonderful steak, wine and the friendliest people we met ANYWHERE!
We Didn't Like
  • Yerba mate; the national drink is a bitter brew that must be drunk when passed to you to avoid causing offence (it's nasty!)
Top Tip Visit Peninsula Valdez in mid-February: if you're lucky you will see Killer Whales deliberately beaching themselves to catch unwary seal pups - wow!
Details Go to our highlights page for Argentina


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Uruguay
Continent South America U R Not-That-Great-Actually
click for larger image
Country Uruguay
Weeks Spent 0.5
Safety Good
Cost $ $ $ (Mid-range travel)
MNC Star Rating * (Ho Hum)
Summary Like Argentina but smaller, more expensive and without most of the good stuff.
We Liked
  • Err...
We Didn't Like
  • There wasn't much to do other than eat and drink, or visit a farm
Top Tip Give it a miss and spend more time in Buenos Aires.
Details Go to our highlights page for Uruguay


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Brazil
Continent South America Conspicuous Carnival Costumes
click for larger image
Country Brazil
Weeks Spent 4
Safety Good
Cost $ $ $ (Mid-range travel)
MNC Star Rating * * * * (Amazing excursions - Must return)
Summary A huge nation with samba running through its veins and beaches and jungles to die for.
We Liked
  • Crazy Carnival-time with the Tourneys
  • An Amazon adventure with Cheist
We Didn't Like
  • Rampant destruction of the rainforest
Top Tip More expensive than most other South American countries, particularly with the huge distances involved. Take more time or use hopper flights and offset the carbon.
Details Go to our highlights page for Brazil


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Antarctic Peninsula
Continent Antarctica Penguin Parade
click for larger image
Country Antarctic Peninsula
Weeks Spent 2
Safety Good
Cost $ $ $ $ $ $ (Oh, oh, we're broke!)
MNC Star Rating * * * * * (Life changing! Made the trip worthwhile)
Summary The last great wilderness, all freezing winds, endless ice and cute penguins.
We Liked
  • Mind-bending stark beauty
  • Sitting on a beach beside thousands of inquisitive penguins
  • Meeting Gary & Kirstin in Antarctica
We Didn't Like
  • Rough, rough seas on the way home
  • The price of the trip!
Top Tip An absolute must do trip - off the scale on our cashometer, so save HARD before doing this. If possible take a 2+ week trip to get the most from this once-in-a-lifetime expedition (we're going to do it again!).
Details Go to our highlights page for Antarctica


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: South Africa
Continent Africa Petrifying Pachyderms
click for larger image
Country South Africa
Weeks Spent 2.5
Safety So-So
Cost $ $ $ $ (Top-end for travelers)
MNC Star Rating * * (Good fun but missing the "Wow")
Summary Tension in the air as the country works through its racial issues. Very westernized but some wonderful things to see.
We Liked
  • Watching a leopard eat an impala in a tree
  • Seeing our first elephant in the wild
  • Great roads
We Didn't Like
  • A barely submerged racial tension that persists
  • A lack of an "African" buzz
  • Security-mania in Jo'burg
Top Tip Include a trip to landlocked Lesotho in any itinerary and a trip to the Soweto township (safe).
Details Go to our highlights page for South Africa


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Lesotho
Continent Africa The Land That Time Forgot
click for larger image
Country Lesotho
Weeks Spent 0.5
Safety Good
Cost $ $ (Right on our budget)
MNC Star Rating * * * (Unique cultural and adventure experiences)
Summary Tiny, mountain nation seems like a land lost in time.
We Liked
  • Pony trekking through remote mountain-top villages
We Didn't Like
  • Children trained to beg for sweets or money
Top Tip Take an overnight (or longer) pony trek from Malealea.
Details Go to our highlights page for Lesotho


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Botswana
Continent Africa Undulating Okavango
click for larger image
Country Botswana
Weeks Spent 1.5
Safety Good
Cost $ $ (Right on our budget)
MNC Star Rating * * * * (Amazing excursions - Must return)
Summary A rare well-run country with good infrastructure, amazing natural resources. Not easy to travel independently through.
We Liked
  • Amazing national parks
  • The Okavango Delta
  • Lovely people helping us out wherever we travelled
We Didn't Like
  • The hassles of traveling without your own transportation - much more work than in other countries
  • The famous Kalahari bushmen no longer having their own land
Top Tip Rent a 4*4 to reach the more remote destinations (expensive) or just rely on the kindness of strangers as we did.
Details Go to our highlights page for Botswana


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Zambia
Continent Africa How's Me Hat?!
click for larger image
Country Zambia
Weeks Spent 1.5
Safety Good
Cost $ $ (Right on our budget)
MNC Star Rating * * * (Unique cultural and adventure experiences)
Summary A small agricultural country, with a few major tourist attractions.
We Liked
  • Getting off the beaten track and staying with welcoming villagers
We Didn't Like
  • The numbers of tourists at the major attractions
Top Tip Get away from Vic Falls and the Zambezi and meet up with some of the locals.
Details Go to our highlights page for Zambia


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Zimbabwe
Continent Africa Hmm, Maybe Not!
click for larger image
Country Zimbabwe
Weeks Spent 0.01
Safety Bad
Cost $ $ $ $ $ (Budget busting backpacking)
MNC Star Rating -
Summary A top tourist destination now falling apart due to terrible government.
We Liked
  • Our decision not to travel there due to recent turmoil
We Didn't Like
  • The prospect of getting constantly ripped off by the government's ridiculous exchange rate
Top Tip As soon as Mugabe is out - get in there!
Details Go to our highlights page for Zimbabwe


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Malawi
Continent Africa So Far, So Good...Splash!
click for larger image
Country Malawi
Weeks Spent 1.5
Safety Good
Cost $ (Fun on the cheap!)
MNC Star Rating * * (Good fun but missing the "Wow")
Summary A quiet little country, with nice people and a sleepy atmosphere.
We Liked
  • Paddling from village to fishing village on Lake Malawi
We Didn't Like
  • Trying to teach computer skills and finding our students didn't turn up!
Top Tip Malawi is cheap, friendly and has lovely beaches if that type of holiday appeals.
Details Go to our highlights page for Malawi


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Rwanda
Continent Africa Big Daddy
click for larger image
Country Rwanda
Weeks Spent 1
Safety Good
Cost $ $ $ $ (Top-end for travelers)
MNC Star Rating * * * (Unique cultural and adventure experiences)
Summary Small, with great facilities and beautiful nature, the main reasons to visit are the last remaining mountain gorillas.
We Liked
  • Seeing the country rebuild
  • Getting up-close and personal with 800lb mountain gorillas!
We Didn't Like
  • Horrifying memorials to the genocide
Top Tip Rwanda has a great infrastructure so is easy to get around. The main sites can be viewed in as little as a week.
Details Go to our highlights page for Rwanda


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: D.R. Congo
Continent Africa Can't Go To Congo
click for larger image
Country D.R. Congo
Weeks Spent 0
Safety Bad
Cost -
MNC Star Rating -
Summary One of the great, mysterious destinations. With Civil War flaring again, it was not safe to visit here.
We Liked
  • We got to the border with Congo and saw across a lake to its beckoning shoreline
We Didn't Like
  • Recent murders across the border dissuaded us from popping in
Top Tip When safe, gorilla trekking is much cheaper in DRC.
Details Go to our highlights page for D.R. Congo


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Uganda
Continent Africa Saving The World, One Stove At A Time!
click for larger image
Country Uganda
Weeks Spent 7.5
Safety Good
Cost $ (Fun on the cheap!)
MNC Star Rating * * * (Unique cultural and adventure experiences)
Summary A fertile country with wonderful scenery, pygmy tribes and a war-torn north.
We Liked
  • Lending our business skills to an environmental health project
  • Visiting a pygmy tribe
  • Cooking food at our apartment after a year of eating out
  • Visiting a refugee camp
We Didn't Like
  • Terrible pollution in Kampala - the worst we've seen anywhere
Top Tip The source of the Nile has amazing white water rafting. A new dam will soon ruin this forever, so get down there adrenaline-fiends!
Details Go to our highlights page for Uganda


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Kenya
Continent Africa Beware Of The Horn
click for larger image
Country Kenya
Weeks Spent 2
Safety Good
Cost $ $ $ (Mid-range travel)
MNC Star Rating * * * (Unique cultural and adventure experiences)
Summary Large, with diverse and colourful tribes and ecosystems, Kenya is the perfect introduction to East Africa.
We Liked
  • Wonderful people wherever we went
  • Meeting a cheetah
We Didn't Like
  • The threat of bandit attack on northern desert roads
  • The risk of robbery in Nairobi (a.k.a. Nairobbery)
Top Tip If timed correctly, trips to catch the wildebeest migration in the Maasai Mara are cheaper than Serengeti trips in neighbouring Tanzania.
Details Go to our highlights page for Kenya


<< back to Comparison Chart


Country Review: Tanzania
Continent Africa Sunset Across The Serengeti
click for larger image
Country Tanzania
Weeks Spent 3
Safety Good
Cost $ $ $ $ (Top-end for travelers)
MNC Star Rating * * * * (Amazing excursions - Must return)
Summary A peace-loving country that has successfully integrated Muslim and Christian cultures, Tanzania has the world famous Serengeti, lovely beaches and an Arabic-influenced coastline.
We Liked
  • Wonderful Muslim hospitality
  • Watching big cats in the Serengeti with our friends, Robert and Angie
We Didn't Like
  • Bone-crushing bus rides in the west of the country - only for the hardiest travellers
Top Tip Get off the Serengeti / Zanzibar tourist route at the Ushambara mountains and trek to a homestay to experience local culture.
Details Go to our highlights page for Tanzania