A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Yaeyama Islands vs. Benxi for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Yaeyama Islands or Benxi?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Yaeyama Islands and Benxi. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Yaeyama Islands or Benxi?

Yaeyama Islands

The Yaeyama Islands is a cluster of islands located in the southwestern part of Japan, close to Taiwan. There are nine different islands, varying from small islets to large holiday resort islands. The Yaeyama Islands are one of the most popular destination in Japan due to their beautiful beaches and underwater ruins. Yaeyama is also known for having their own language and writing system. For the most part, everyone on the Islands speak Japanese, but you'll often find the Yaeyama writing on T-shirts in souvenir shops or scattered around Yaeyama.

Benxi

Benxi, China is a city in the south east of the Liaoning Province in northeast China. The city itself is a major industrial hub, but is best known for the Benxi Shuidong National Park where you'll find the famous five million year old water cave. Benxi experiences cold winters, with weather being less enjoyable for touring from November through March. May through August see much warmer weather, getting up to the high 80's Fahrenheit in late summer. September and October are also good times to visit as temperatures cool to 60-70 degrees.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Tokyo, The Best 10-Day Tours from Tokyo, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in China.

When comparing the travel costs between Yaeyama Islands and Benxi, we can see that Benxi is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Asia, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Yaeyama Islands Expensive? and Is Benxi Expensive?.

When is the best time to visit Yaeyama Islands or Benxi?

Both destinations experience a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. And since both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.

Should I visit Yaeyama Islands or Benxi in the Summer?

Both Benxi and Yaeyama Islands are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities. Most visitors come to Yaeyama Islands for the beaches, snorkeling, the hiking, and the family-friendly experiences during these months.

In the summer, Yaeyama Islands is a little warmer than Benxi. Typically, the summer temperatures in Yaeyama Islands in July average around 29°C (85°F), and Benxi averages at about 25°C (78°F).

It's quite sunny in Benxi. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Yaeyama Islands. Yaeyama Islands usually receives more sunshine than Benxi during summer. Yaeyama Islands gets 279 hours of sunny skies, while Benxi receives 214 hours of full sun in the summer.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Benxi. It's quite rainy in Yaeyama Islands. In July, Yaeyama Islands usually receives less rain than Benxi. Yaeyama Islands gets 179 mm (7 in) of rain, while Benxi receives 211 mm (8.3 in) of rain each month for the summer.

Should I visit Yaeyama Islands or Benxi in the Autumn?

Both Benxi and Yaeyama Islands during the autumn are popular places to visit. The autumn months attract visitors to Yaeyama Islands because of the hiking trails and the natural beauty of the area.

In October, Yaeyama Islands is generally much warmer than Benxi. Daily temperatures in Yaeyama Islands average around 26°C (78°F), and Benxi fluctuates around 11°C (52°F).

In Benxi, it's very sunny this time of the year. In the autumn, Yaeyama Islands often gets less sunshine than Benxi. Yaeyama Islands gets 177 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Benxi receives 216 hours of full sun.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Yaeyama Islands. Yaeyama Islands usually gets more rain in October than Benxi. Yaeyama Islands gets 173 mm (6.8 in) of rain, while Benxi receives 51 mm (2 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Yaeyama Islands or Benxi in the Winter?

The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both Yaeyama Islands and Benxi. The museums and the cuisine are the main draw to Yaeyama Islands this time of year.

Be prepared for some very cold days in Benxi. Yaeyama Islands is much warmer than Benxi in the winter. The daily temperature in Yaeyama Islands averages around 18°C (64°F) in January, and Benxi fluctuates around -10°C (14°F).

Yaeyama Islands usually receives less sunshine than Benxi during winter. Yaeyama Islands gets 97 hours of sunny skies, while Benxi receives 167 hours of full sun in the winter.

Yaeyama Islands gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In January, Yaeyama Islands usually receives more rain than Benxi. Yaeyama Islands gets 120 mm (4.7 in) of rain, while Benxi receives 9 mm (0.4 in) of rain each month for the winter.

Should I visit Yaeyama Islands or Benxi in the Spring?

The spring brings many poeple to Yaeyama Islands as well as Benxi. Many travelers come to Yaeyama Islands for the beaches and the natural beauty.

In the spring, Yaeyama Islands is much warmer than Benxi. Typically, the spring temperatures in Yaeyama Islands in April average around 23°C (74°F), and Benxi averages at about 11°C (51°F).

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Benxi. In the spring, Yaeyama Islands often gets less sunshine than Benxi. Yaeyama Islands gets 154 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Benxi receives 241 hours of full sun.

Yaeyama Islands receives a lot of rain in the spring. Yaeyama Islands usually gets more rain in April than Benxi. Yaeyama Islands gets 147 mm (5.8 in) of rain, while Benxi receives 46 mm (1.8 in) of rain this time of the year. May to June in Yaeyama Islands is the rainy season.

Typical Weather for Benxi and Yaeyama Islands