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I think Jakarta is better than Manila, the buildings is much more beautiful in terms of architecture and has a unique flavor, the only thing Manila have is its cluster of buildings but not architecturally interesting.. in terms of environment both are dirty, poverty is bad but worse in Manila (the slums area are bigger and its not safer to carry gadgets there) also Jakarta is a wealthier city than of Manila, but overall the score they're the same in terms of nightlife, traffic (same), natural beauty etc (safari park vs mountain?) as for history, you go to Manila for Spanish (Intramuros) and Jakarta for Dutch colonial histories (Kota Tua or Old Town Batavia) but the Indonesian appear to have much more interesting older history and heritage than Philippines because Ph only exist after colonial era... but language term English is well-spoken in Ph not in Indonesia you may have to learn few words there... shopping? i don't know both have gigantic glittering malls everywhere but i like the malls in Jakarta they're pretty...
Thats according to you.
I agree with this comment by your fellow Indonesian. I'll rank ASEAN cities just like his list.
I'm an Indonesian living in Singapore.
Let me tell you something.
Most people in this thread have never been to all 3 cities of Bangkok, Jakarta, and Kuala Lumpur. And even if they have visited more than 1 of these cities, it's probably only for a couple of days and restricted to certain areas in the cities only.
I've been to all 3 cities, as well as the other 2 major Southeast Asian cities: Singapore and Manila. Not only have I been to all 5 cities, I go to those cities VERY frequently, spending months upon months. So take it from me, I know these cities very well.
That said, here's what I think.
The most comfortable city in Southeast Asia to live in is undoubtedly Singapore. Why? Because everything there, both basic and tertiary, are first-class. Modern, efficient, impeccable. For expats, it also helps that probably 80% of people living in Singapore can speak fluent English.
The 2nd most comfortable city is Kuala Lumpur. In a nutshell, KL is like a slightly dirtier and slightly more chaotic Singapore. They have all the good facilities that Singapore have, albeit slightly older and more 'worn out'. But still, a comfortable city where at least 40% of the people speak good English.
The 3rd most comfortable city is Bangkok. Similarly, they have almost all the amenities & facilities like Singapore & KL, but slightly less efficient. However, since Bangkok build most of their infrastructure (great airport, BTS skytrain, MRT, etc) around 5 years after KL, their facilities look better & newer than in KL. Only 20% of the people speak English.
The 4th most comfortable city is Manila. Living standard, urban facilities etc are a notch below Bangkok, and the city is pretty chaotic. However, Manila is still better than the city on the 5th place (below) because of its more 'international' feel to it. Almost everybody speaks English (which is a big bonus), and the city is pretty much the most tolerant, relaxed city in Southeast Asia (which is why it's comfortable to live in).
The 5th most comfortable city is Jakarta. To be fair, Jakarta is almost identical to Manila in every aspect, however, Jakarta is more polluted, there's no MRT, and traffic is a perpetual gridlock. However, if we're talking about aspects OTHER than the transportation & sanitary problems, Jakarta is EASILY as good & comfortable as Singapore, KL, Bangkok, and Manila. But it IS true that Jakarta is the LEAST-endowed city among the 5 in terms of public amenities.
Now that I've made those clear, let's talk about misconceptions.
A lot of people here seem to be overly patriotic and will defend their own hometowns no matter what. And worse, people seem to think that just because a city is lacking in one or two aspects, it automatically makes the city very bad.
Despite the rank above, Jakarta is the BEST in Southeast Asia in terms of shopping malls and high-rise architecture. Malls and buildings in Jakarta are generally better-designed than all of the other cities. It is also the best in terms of nightlife.
Bangkok is the BEST in terms of cuisine, fashion, and tourist attractions.
KL is the BEST in terms of landmarks (KLIA, KLCC)
Singapore is the BEST in terms of cleanliness, public service, and transportation (Changi, SMRT / SBS transit)
Manila is the BEST in terms of skyline and building density (Makati skyline is the best in Southeast Asia)
Bangkok is the BEST in terms of hotels / accommodation (even 4-star hotels in Bangkok is better than 5-star hotels in Singapore)
...and so on and so forth.
Both cities have an almost equal standing in terms of their international reputation.
But overall I prefer Manila!
I just love the city's unique fusion of Asian, Spanish and American influences which I find fascinating. I also like its vibrant and festive atmosphere with its its colourful jeepneys and fiestas. Plus the people are incredibly friendly and welcoming, and almost everyone speaks English. It also seems a lot more liberal and tolerant as a place than Jakarta.
yes Manila is indeed pretty cool with the vibes and friendly people, but Indonesian are also as friendly (well we're both are from the same background so...) well to say Filipinos as liberal is not so correct as most of them are very very devouted Catholics... but they're quiet open and tolerant towards other people
You can't really comment how people in Jakarta not being liberal and tollerant if you haven't been there you know but i'll shut up if you do, most Indonesians are very liberal moderate Muslims (and many other religious minorities), who couldn't give a sh*t about being not allowed to drink alcohol and gamble (well they just avoid pork)
however there are few extremist groups in the country called FPI (Front Islamic Defender in English) which are againts secularism, and cause terror to the people.... most of them are those full of bul****e unemployed people who doesn't have anyhint better to do, and are hated by the general population... they're also the one who protested the miss world contest... trust me most of the people would wanted it to take place in Indonesia
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ardee
Sorry to burst your bubble but that survey/study was conducted way back 2011 specifically February 2011. Hello, were in mid-2013 now!
yes those survey and studies are made in the 2011, however i think things does not differ that much after 2 years, unless there are radical changes that really happened to the economy of both country in the last 2 years right? in accordance to the data of GDP etc Jakarta(GDP 223 Billions) is richer than Metro Manila (GDP 158 Billions), well i didn't mean to be rude but Indonesian's GDP per capita per people are slightly higher on average than of Filipinos, so if Jakarta is indeed richer you shouldn't be surprised
beside some of the information did come from 2012 and 2013 like, Jakarta is ranked Alpha city since last year not 2011 so its kinda new stuff for us, competitiveness index and GDP... i already try to be as updated as i can and that is all i got
if you can provide me with a more updated information then please bring it forth
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ardee
Thats according to you.
I agree with this comment by your fellow Indonesian. I'll rank ASEAN cities just like his list.
well i've seen that post so many times.. many Indonesians can be pretty sceptiical about how the country progresses, but things are changing rapidly since he last wrote that post, we have a new governor as of 2012, Jokowi Widodo with his partner Basuki Cahaya Purnama, 2 man who dedicated themself on bringing the city into new pace of its existence and are probably the most corrupt free leader that Jakarta could ever have! ever since he took office he has been doing nothing but cleaning the mess that corrupter had caused to the city such as cleaning the piles of rubbish in the rivers, reservoirs, demolishing slums and converting it into more and more public green spaces, building and improving dwellings for the poor so they don't have to live in slums anymore, etc etc and many more! they also improved public transportation facilities, repair infrastructures, giving the poor more opportunites and jobs, perform event for traditional culture, heritage and expos to preserve city's tradition...
public transportation wise, we used to have Indian style roof climbing style trains, now its free from them and all the ****ty trains have been replaced with 2nd hand Japanese trains and he also added more busses for the BRT system, though there are no active MRT (which today have been finally confirmed, gosh... took ages for us...) the current public transportation is the one of most superior coverage terms throughout Southeast Asia, probably 3rd after KL and Singapore
He also currently plans on removing gated office buildings at the CBD in order to dismantle privatization and increase the size of the sidewalks and also to plant more trees and greeneries on the sidewalks
personally i would've ranked Jakarta that way too if this new Governor did not safe the city from its utter destruction so you don't have to be so rude to me lol being a Filipino yourself you can be proud of it too! and if Manila is indeed better for you than so be it! But as of today nothing will change my mindset
ohhh so Manila's called ocean park, that would be Sea World Jakarta's counterpart we are said to have the longest aquarium? not sure but they say Bangkok's biggest, in these days people fought for the title :P
the sea world is allocated in the entertainment area of North Jakarta, called Ancol... its basically one huge complex with hotels, theme parks, ocean parks, cultural centres, golf courses, beach with paved walks blahblah
however for me Jakarta is still better for various reasons (mostly thanks to new Governor), i've visited Manila once enough to judge the city but basically if you are Filipino then you probably think Manila as better, you probably understand its charm more than i do....
Almost similar in many aspects, but I quite prefer Manila more than Jakarta. I think it has more to offer within its city boundaries and there is more diversity in your choices. There is also this more familiar atmosphere in Manila maybe due to its more westernised culture with the wide use of English.
Ah Jakarta, the Big Durian....you either like it or you don't. I'm personally not a fan of Jakarta, the traffic and humidity gets to me every time I visit. For cities in Indonesia, I vastly prefer Bandung...I will say this about Jakarta, it has the best street food I've ever tasted.
Can't say anything Manilla, how's the traffic?
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but i'll shut up if you do, most Indonesians are very liberal moderate Muslims (and many other religious minorities), who couldn't give a sh*t about being not allowed to drink alcohol and gamble 
