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.
Places written up here 335 339
UNESCO listings among them 30 13
Cost level Budget Budget
Busiest month in our write-ups September March
Currency Rupiah (IDR) Ringgit (MYR)
Plugs and voltage C, F - 230 V G - 240 V
Everyday languages Indonesian Malay
Driving side left hand side left hand side
Region South-Eastern Asia South-Eastern Asia
Capital Jakarta Kuala Lumpur
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; check anything visa-related with the relevant official source before you book.