Culture/history long haul -suggestions?

[Dinglesdong]

I’m looking for a long haul (outwith Europe but not Australia/NZ) for 2/3 weeks next year, with young adult DD.
She is very into history, culture etc so not looking for safari/trekking type holidays.
Japan? china? Somewhere off the beaten track? I like a bit of nice scenery as well so preferably touring around, not just cities. Decent budget, happy to rough it a little (ie not looking for 5* hotels or AI).
Ive not been to Asia so looking to narrow it down so please hit me with your suggestions, particularly specific countries etc.
Or maybe not just Asia -South American perhaps? Open to anything.
Thank you!

Vietnam has a lot of history related to the war in the big cities as well as great scenic things (halong bay, Mekong delta. It’s easy to get around.

Hong Kong will offer lots of history as well as scenery whilst staying in one place.

Peru would be another good option with loads of history plus scenery. Could also combine it with either Bolivia or Ecuador quite easily.

China and Japan are VERY different places, different cultures. Does one appeal more than the other?

cambodia is another recommendation for history, culture and fantastic scenery.

argentina, brasil, Mexico would also fit the bill. Mexico probably my favourite, and very easy to do a bit of everything on one trip.

Could you spend a few weeks reading up on the history of a few different places and see what interests you most? Off the top of my head, I'd consider:

Peru, Mexico, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, Turkey (underrated imho when it comes to history).

Depends on the type of history she’s into. What sorts of time periods does she like reading about?

I adore Japan and India could also work, if you’re up for something adventurous. Sri Lanka could be a good in between option

Cambodia would be great, or Thailand.

Taiwan!

It’s beautiful and has some really interesting history and culture.

It depends on your and her interests.

I know plenty of people love Japan but it's one country where I really have no interest in. But send me to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam and I am happy to go.

China is totally different again.

South America has another very different vibe.

Also think about how you want to travel, all organised on your own, organised by a travel company or a group trip.

I went to Siam Reap in Cambodia and then cruised on the Mekong river to Vietnam and stayed there for a few days. The tiny ship stopped nearly each morning and afternoon and we’d get off and look
at palaces, monasteries, visit schools, farms, a brewery and things like lotus farm and silversmith places.
. In the evenings local schools and drama groups came on board and performed dances.
I went to the Killing Fields and in Vietnam the war museum and met a former prisoner who had been captive at the prison.

That holiday was a nice mix of culture, scenery and history. One thing I enjoyed was travelling on many different modes of transport and seeing such a different way of life.

Thanks everybody.
I think I’m narrowing it down to Cambodia/Vietnam or Peru. Only thing is the weather as we will probably be going in June and that seems to be the wetter season in C/V. Saying that, we’ve done quite a few jungle/rainforest holidays so are well used to getting soaked and it never ruins the day.

I went to Vietnam in June /july for 3 weeks and it only rained once on the very last day (it was however very heavy rain) but wouldn’t let it put you off

Cuba

Central Vietnam will be dry then. I have also been to Hanoi in the summer months and had some rain, but there are plenty of museums etc to visit so a couple of rainy days will not spoil the trip.
we queued to see uncle Ho’s body at the mausoleum in Hanoi in the rain. Watching the Vietnamese people file past in respectful silence was quite an experience.

Start in Cambodia and then head into Vietnam if you can. Cambodia is great and amazing for history (siem reap etc) but I found it underwhelming (the food, vibe), Vietnam would make up for that.

I did a month long China tour which satisfied my cravings for history/culture. Yangshuo, Beijing, Xi'an, Fujian, Hong Kong and Macau.

Indonesia if you want a bit of trekking - start in Yogyakarta and get to Mount Bromo/Mount Ijen, Komodo Island boat trip, Bali, Gilli Islands.

Peru is wonderful too (If you're willing to explore and travel then it beats Cambodia and Vietnam imo), you can't miss out Lake Titicaca then get to Ollantaytambo and take the train to Macchu Picchu. I would start in La Paz in Bolivia and it's not too tricky to get to Isla del Sol on Lake Titicaca (Do a homestay on a floating Island) and head to the Peruvian side to get up to Ollantaytambo/Macchu Picchu/Cusco and make your way up to Lima for the flight home. (Message me if you want my itinerary and travel details for this)

Yes please re your itinerary I'd love to do this trip.

Here is a breakdown - I can't find my more detailed itinerary.
South America - Itinerary Summary

Fly into La Paz (2 nights)

La Paz - Overnight bus to Lake Titicaca, Copacabana and Isla Del Sol, Bolivian side (3 nights)

Bus to Puno (Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca) from Copacabana (Bolivia) - homestay on the Uros Is. and return to Puno for the night. (2 nights Puno, 1 night homestay)

Puno to Cuzco to Ollantaytambo, overnight bus to Cuzco (train longer and more expensive) and shared minibus to Ollantaytambo for Macchu Picchu - pre-book train/bus tickets. (3 nights)

Ollantaytambo to Cuzco: Back to Cuzco (4 nights)

Flight out of Cusco to Lima (3 nights)

Initially we were going to go for a few months in S. America but life got in the way so we shortened it to Peru and Bolivia. I would have had an extra day in Ollantaytambo to relax and an extra day on Isla Del Sol. Didn't feel like I needed longer in Lima but it depends if you wanted more busy city vibes!

Thankyou so much

Peru is an amazing country to travel in, great food, comfortable long distance buses, good vibe. a lot of history .

I love Japan, super easy to travel round, food is cheap and great, very safe and everything is interesting, especially out in the countryside.

turkey, balloon rides, history, snorkelling, hiking, great food.

cambodia…I too found it a little underwhelming, it’s recent history overshadowing everything.

Last March, my family and I went to Beijing, China. Because there were so many factors to consider, I found a travel agency. They helped us plan the itinerary and what to bring, book hotels, and also provided a bilingual tour guide who knew a lot about Beijing's history and relics. My son was very interested and reluctant to leave. After returning home, he asked me if I could guide him again. If you need it, you can try it. https://chinatourdmc.com/

Peru every time. Absolutely amazing place. I've been all over and Peru is still one of my top destinations.

China was also a good call but I think you'd need a tour. We were happy in Beijing but outside was much harder and without a guide we would have been lost