Malaysia or Philippines?
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.
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
Philippines
The friendliest crowds in Asia; singing is universal and shyness is optional.
What we have written up
- Abel Iloco Weaving living tradition
- Adobo dish
- Agusan Marsh wildlife sanctuary
- Aliwagwag Falls waterfall
- Aliwan Fiesta festival
- Alona Beach beach
Worth knowing before you go
- Cash rules outside cities - stock pesos before remote islands
- Tipping is appreciated - 10% or rounding up
- English is everywhere - the third most spoken language nationally
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.