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.
Places written up here 339 419
UNESCO listings among them 13 17
Cost level Budget Budget
Busiest month in our write-ups March April
Currency Ringgit (MYR) Philippine peso (PHP)
Plugs and voltage G - 240 V A, B, C - 220 V
Everyday languages Malay Filipino, English
Driving side left hand side right hand side
Region South-Eastern Asia South-Eastern Asia
Capital Kuala Lumpur Manila
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
All 419 places in Philippines →
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; check anything visa-related with the relevant official source before you book.