🇮🇩 Indonesia or 🇲🇾 Malaysia
And what the world thinks
🇲🇾 Malaysia leads by 4 votes.
Which one, honestly
Indonesia leads on the sea. Malaysia leads on cities, food and getting around.
A normal day costs about the same in both, around $75.
Side by side
- 🇮🇩 Indonesia🇲🇾 Malaysia
- Apr to Jun, Sep to OctBest monthsJan to Mar
- $75A normal day$75
- 2h 50m to BaliNonstop from Singapore1h 5m to Kuala Lumpur
- ExceptionalBeaches and seaVery good
- Not the drawCities and cultureVery good
- Very goodFoodExceptional
- ExceptionalNature and hikingExceptional
- ExceptionalValue for moneyExceptional
- GoodEasy to get aroundVery good
- Scooters and private drivers on Bali, short flights and ferries between islandsGetting aroundCheap flights, good trains and buses, one of the easiest countries in Asia
- July and August in south Bali, when the traffic becomes the tripWhen to avoidThe east coast islands from November to February, when most of them close
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 Malaysia if
you want Thailand's food and beaches with a fraction of the crowds, and everything running slightly more smoothly.
Full Indonesia guide →Full Malaysia 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.