Philippines or Indonesia?
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 419 335
UNESCO listings among them 17 30
Cost level Budget Budget
Busiest month in our write-ups April September
Currency Philippine peso (PHP) Rupiah (IDR)
Plugs and voltage A, B, C - 220 V C, F - 230 V
Everyday languages Filipino, English Indonesian
Driving side right hand side left hand side
Region South-Eastern Asia South-Eastern Asia
Capital Manila Jakarta
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
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
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.