Indonesia or Malaysia?
The practical differences, drawn from our own write-ups rather than from a brochure. We are not going to tell you which is better - they are different trips. What follows is what actually changes between them.
Indonesia
Seventeen thousand islands and hundreds of cultures; Bali's Hindu rhythm is one island's story.
What we have written up
- Agats town
- Al-Quran Al-Akbar museum
- Alas Purwo National Park national park
- Alor Archipelago island
- Ambarawa Railway Museum museum
- Amed beach
Worth knowing before you go
- Cash for warungs and villages, cards in resorts and malls
- Tipping is not traditional; 5-10% appears on tourist-area bills
- Ramadan changes rhythms in Muslim regions - eat discreetly by day
Malaysia
Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures share the table; food courts are the national parliament.
What we have written up
- A Famosa and St Paul's Hill fortress
- Agnes Keith House house museum
- Agop Batu Tulug archaeological site
- Annah Rais Longhouse longhouse
- Aquaria KLCC aquarium
- Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple temple
Worth knowing before you go
- Cash for hawkers, cards in malls; Grab rules transport
- Tipping is not expected
- The ringgit stretches far - Malaysia undercuts Thailand on many costs
Counts describe this site, not the countries: "places written up here" means how many pages we have finished, and it keeps growing. Currency, plugs and languages are practical facts and change rarely (plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026); check anything visa-related with the relevant official source before you book.