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When I go again to SouthEast Asia should I go to Jakarta or Manila? I like big cities for all their attractions but both of these cities get something of a bad rap. Only want to go to one or the other and maybe explore other sites nearby.
by the data amount of tourist come to both country. INDO 12Million, PH 6Million. i think jakarta as the capital city of indonesia more interesting than Manila, jakarta area is reachable. their old town good enough to attract tourist,the nightlife is good and the culinary is delicious.
^^Half of that 12 million of course goes to Bali. Good for you, you have Bali. But I should say it's not Jakarta at all who makes the chunk of your tourist so it's a questionable indicator to factor out.
I'm from the Phils so it's normal for me to choose Manila. But I think to be more subjective here's my take. If you are looking for attractions, both has much to offer. For shopping, luxury item go for Jakarta but overall shopping vibrancy and experience go for Manila. For overall landscape, I think overall both cities are bad at traffic. Jakarta seems to be not a walkable city from what I usually hear, Manila in general isn't walkable and are as car-centric as Jakarta but has walkable and pedestrian friendly places in its more than 5 CBDs. They tend to be similar, but for now I rate Manila better.
When I go again to SouthEast Asia should I go to Jakarta or Manila? I like big cities for all their attractions but both of these cities get something of a bad rap. Only want to go to one or the other and maybe explore other sites nearby.
Depends on what you want to do. Party? Have fun? Enjoy the nightlife? Either is fun.
Go to a lot of shopping malls? Both are fantastic.
Neither city is very enjoyable for strolling around the city streets. Both are not very walkable, and you have a lot of negatives for walking around, which usually pushes more into the 'safe' and 'air-conditioned' places of shopping malls, movie theaters, and clubbing/bars and such.
Both cities have pretty much the same positives and negatives overall. Any positive of one over another, would only be marginal, in general.
^^^
Agree with most except for the walkable thing. Clearly you have not been able to stroll most of Manila. Manila is walkable in most places except for the chaotic neihgborhoods which you can still stroll but may not be ideal to do not because it is not walkable but due to the perception that they are not safe(but not for me maybe because I am a local). Makati, BGC, Ortigas, Alabang, and parts of Quezon, Pasay, ParaƱaque and Manila Cities has pretty much world class areas that can compare even with Singapore and first-world cities in walkability and infrastructure which you wont see much in neighboring ASEAN cities except Singapura.
I vote for Jakarta...as someone living in Chiang Mai. Good beer and cigars in the Phil's, just a bit too much Catholicism, which equates to too many kids and poverty. Friends in Hong Kong swear by the Indo ladies. Bali seems to be a tourist trap filled with drunken Australians...no thanks.
Jakarta and Manila have many advantages and disadvantages, but so far Jakarta is growing very fast, there is a discourse for the removal of the capital city because Jakarta may be prepared as a business city center, economy and trade, later the central government will not be in Jakarta maybe move to Kalimantan/Borneo or West Java.
^^^
Agree with most except for the walkable thing. Clearly you have not been able to stroll most of Manila. Manila is walkable in most places except for the chaotic neihgborhoods which you can still stroll but may not be ideal to do not because it is not walkable but due to the perception that they are not safe(but not for me maybe because I am a local). Makati, BGC, Ortigas, Alabang, and parts of Quezon, Pasay, ParaƱaque and Manila Cities has pretty much world class areas that can compare even with Singapore and first-world cities in walkability and infrastructure which you wont see much in neighboring ASEAN cities except Singapura.
Can't speak much of Jakarta though.
You are talking about Infrastructure , Jakarta also has the high class Infrastructure, example in the area "SCBD Jakarta", "Kuningan City" etc (see on Youtube), Jakarta is City Most Owns SkyscraperCity . that's why a lot of investment come from developed country countries like UK, USA, Japan etc,they are more interested to Jakarta than any other city in southeast asia except singapore. ! this talks about reality.
You are talking about Infrastructure , Jakarta also has the high class Infrastructure, example in the area "SCBD Jakarta", "Kuningan City" etc (see on Youtube), Jakarta is City Most Owns SkyscraperCity . that's why a lot of investment come from developed country countries like UK, USA, Japan etc,they are more interested to Jakarta than any other city in southeast asia except singapore. ! this talks about reality.
How come they are most interested in Jakarta when for example Apple store after Singapore they will put up a store in Bangkok next? For BPOs they put it up in Manila instead of yours? Many other stores including H & M, Forever 21 or Uniqlo, Jakarta has the lowest branches as of yet among the 5 powehouse cities in Southeast Asia?
Also among the ASEAN 5 referring to their key cities, Jakarta has the least skyscrapers in the region and even the skyline. This is the ranking of the cities skyscrapers/highrise/skyline in SEA:
1. Bangkok
2. M. Manila
3. Singapore
4. Kuala Lumpur
5. Jakarta
As of 2016 world skyline ranking Bangkok is 8th, Manila 10th, SG 11th, KL is 14th and Jakarta is at 16th.
Just be thankful of the recent devts you are getting, as I am seeing growing pride to the point of ridiculing their neighbors on Facebook, Youtube and Reddit among Indonesian keyboard warriors, you still have long long shot to go and you still lag in so many key aspects among your peers in Southeast Asia.
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