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2 months. Indonesia or Philippines????

I've bacpacked around mainland SEA and will have mid- March till mid-May to spend in one of these island nations. Philippines would be Luzon, Mindoro, and maybe Palawan Indonesia would be Java, Bali, and maybe Lombok. Looking for opinions, suggestions, and advice. Food, culture, people, cities, costs, travel, sights, festivals, etc. Pros and cons. Thanks and Happy New Year!

Public Comments

1. dont know much abt the qns u asked..but heard Indonesia ppl are very good
2. philippines..hehe hmm..filipinos are hospitable..they like to smile..although some are poor they can still enjoy life.. food..sinigang, u should try that soup, its my favorite, made from tamarind so its sour.but i like it..lechon, roasted pig, delicious with gravy, but dont eat too much, it has many fats haha..others are adobo, ginatan, kaldereta and many more.. culture...mixed, spanish culture can be seen on catholic churches, fiestas, and some old houses..american in some food and sports and the english language.. cities...manila of course..although there are squatters.. buut try going to manila bay in the sunset..or rizal park..vigan in ilocos has spanish era houses...baguio summer capital of the philippines because the temperature is much colder..i think 15-22degrees celsius costs...1 dollar+41pesos...hehe sights..mayon volcano in albay, almost perfect cone...taal volcano, smallest volcano in the world..in tagaytay..hundred islands in pangasinan..banaue rice terraces somewhere near baguio festivals..black nazarene in quiapo manila..january 9.. but too many people, u might get hurt..ask other people, thats the only one i can think of.. temperature in manila this month is not too hot.. travel...palawan..white sand beaches..mindoro--puerto galera batangas too has many beaches..subic..
3. My choice will be the Philippines why? 1. no clothing restrictions (except if you run nude on the streets) 2. cheaper than its Asian counterparts (just do not go to Makati and posh areas) 3. English is widely spoken- you will have no problem with the English language you can also visit wow philippines website from the Department of Tourism. I hope you have the book lonely planet it will really be helpful.
4. Philippines! These are my favorite places in my country, hope you like it! Bohol is one of my favorites! Try this link: http://www.bohol.ph/ http://www.palawan-resort.com/ http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0oGkxyerIBHtdwAY1lXNyoA?ei=UTF-8&p=cebu&fr2=tab-web&fr=yfp-t-330 http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A9G_bF_erIBH0tEAQRSJzbkF?p=davao&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-330&x=wrt&js=1&ni=21 http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A9G_bHMBrYBH63QASG6JzbkF?p=mindoro&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-330&x=wrt&js=1&ni=21 http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=el+nido+palawan&rs=0&ei=UTF-8&js=1&ni=21&fr=yfp-t-330&vf= http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A9G_bHK.rYBH9NoAtjmJzbkF?p=philippines+church&y=Search&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-330&x=wrt&js=1&ni=21 http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A9G_bF_NrYBHEtMAoyqJzbkF?p=davao+city&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-330&x=wrt&js=1&ni=21 http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=banaue+rice+terraces&rs=0&ei=UTF-8&js=1&ni=21&fr=yfp-t-330&vf= http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A9G_bF.oroBHo9MAmSCJzbkF?p=bohol&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-330&x=wrt&js=1&ni=21 http://www.flickr.com/photos/koolitz/409774648/ http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0oGkxCGr4BHPLIAGhdXNyoA?ei=UTF-8&p=sinulog%20festival&fr2=tab-web&fr=yfp-t-330 http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A9G_bF78r4BHtIwAVjaJzbkF?p=ilocos&y=Search&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-330&x=wrt&js=1&ni=21 http://www.tourism.gov.ph/explore_phil/explore_main.asp
5. I would say Indonesia, they are more down to earth, willing to help, very very friendly. The scenery is great, sometimes the weather can get too hot but sometimes in the evenings it's really cooling. You can get all types of food there, be it Indonesian, Western, Chinese, Japanese and so on. Shopping is fun in Indonesia as they are really really cheap. The pop culture is great, I love it. The quality of their music is really good. Try to check out some of the popular local bands. The Javanese dance is beautiful, although it can be abit creepy for a girl like me, but no doubt it will make you pay attention to the detail and body movements. You can travel by taxi, as it is quite cheap. But you can walk too, if you like. Bali has alot of tourists, especially from Australia as they love the beaches there. Just be careful of pickpockets, you have to beware of them anywhere in the world anyway. Don't show off that you have alot of money for they will take advantage of you; such as overcharge you for rides/items. It would also help if you can speak abit of their language, any person would be happy to know that a tourist has picked up abit of their culture. Have a great trip!
6. March until Mid-May huh? Well, that's the best time to be a tourist in the Philippines! If you're out on a culture trip, you'll enjoy March until early April because that's "Semana Santa" (Holy Week). It's not exclusively a Catholic holiday, it's celebrated by Filipinos in a variety of ways. April, that's summer break and you know we have world class beaches. Try Davao, Boracay, Puerto Galera, Pagudpod (in Northern Luzon), oh you mentioned Palawan - you'll enjoy the beaches there! May, that's flowers' month - we have "Flores de Mayo" (Flowers of May)... "Santacruzan" festival... Pahiyas festival in Quezon (A few hours south of Manila) and of course the town fiestas! Filipino hospitality is world-renowed (a lot of us won't admit it, but I think it's because of more than 300 years under colonization. LOL!) Pinoys are always laughing, always smiling... Things here are inexpensive, your money goes a long way... Cities - Metro Manila (at the heart of Luzon), Davao, Cebu. Culture is very diverse. You'll see Catholic churches built during the Spanish Period, standing next to Chinese restaurants (this is in Binondo, Manila). Mabuhay! See ya soon! Oh, a few phrases to start you off: Mabuhay! - (it's a greeting, and a universal "congratulations" phrase) Kumusta - How are you (from the Spanish Como Esta?) Ah what the heck, although not everybody can speak English very well, English is a language that's generally understood. Don't be offended if people don't look you in the eye when you talk to them. Looking people in the eye can be considered rude, especially among strangers. I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself. Have fun!