🇲🇾 Malaysia or 🇯🇵 Japan
Which one, honestly
Malaysia leads on value for money and the sea. Japan leads on cities and getting around.
A normal day costs about $75 in Malaysia and $165 in Japan.
Side by side
- 🇲🇾 Malaysia🇯🇵 Japan
- Jan, Feb, MarBest monthsMar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov
- $75A normal day$165
- 13h to Kuala LumpurNonstop from London14h to Tokyo
- Very goodBeaches and seaNot the draw
- Very goodCities and cultureExceptional
- ExceptionalFoodExceptional
- ExceptionalNature and hikingExceptional
- ExceptionalValue for moneyGood
- Very goodEasy to get aroundExceptional
- Cheap flights, good trains and buses, one of the easiest countries in AsiaGetting aroundThe best rail network in the world, buy the pass before you arrive
- The east coast islands from November to February, when most of them closeWhen to avoidGolden Week in early May, when the whole country travels at once
Pick by what you want
🇲🇾 Choose Malaysia if
you want Thailand's food and beaches with a fraction of the crowds, and everything running slightly more smoothly.
🇯🇵 Choose Japan if
you want somewhere that feels genuinely different, you like cities and food, and you want everything to work perfectly.
Full Malaysia guide →Full Japan guide →
And what the world thinks
Dead even. The next vote breaks the tie.
Compare something else
Written and checked by hand. Nothing here about visas or entry rules: those change often and depend on your passport, so check an official source.