🇮🇩 Indonesia or 🇯🇵 Japan
And what the world thinks
🇮🇩 Indonesia leads by 1 vote.
Which one, honestly
Indonesia leads on the sea and value for money. Japan leads on cities, getting around and food.
A normal day costs about $75 in Indonesia and $170 in Japan.
Side by side
- 🇮🇩 Indonesia🇯🇵 Japan
- Apr to Jun, Sep to OctBest monthsMar to May, Oct to Nov
- $75A normal day$170
- 9h 15m to BaliNonstop from Dubai9h 45m to Tokyo
- ExceptionalBeaches and seaNot the draw
- Not the drawCities and cultureExceptional
- Very goodFoodExceptional
- ExceptionalNature and hikingExceptional
- ExceptionalValue for moneyGood
- GoodEasy to get aroundExceptional
- Scooters and private drivers on Bali, short flights and ferries between islandsGetting aroundThe best rail network in the world, buy the pass before you arrive
- July and August in south Bali, when the traffic becomes the tripWhen to avoidGolden Week in early May, when the whole country travels at once
Pick by what you want
🇮🇩 Choose Indonesia if
you want volcanoes, reefs and rice terraces for very little money, and you are willing to leave the busy south to find them.
🇯🇵 Choose Japan if
you want somewhere that feels genuinely different, you like cities and food, and you want everything to work perfectly.
Full Indonesia guide →Full Japan guide →
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.