First, there is a pretty good book on the amphibians and reptiles of the Philippines by Angel Alcala, published by the Philippine government, but often available from ZooBooks or Bibliomania.

Second, most of the Philippines is safe to travel. However, going alone presents a myriad of problems. In that case, it is best to stay in one of the resorts on the out islands (e.g. Polillo) and hire a local guide for forays into the jungle.

Third, Indonesia is a BIG country. I agree (as do my Javanese friends)that it is not very safe for Americans to travel around Java (0ne of 30,000 islands!). I have been to Indonesia several times. Flores with Komodo is mostly Christian, and totally peaaceful and welcoming of Americans. Bali is so friendly that it is the subject of violence by the fundamentalists who all hate peace. North Sulawesi is another good spot to see herps, where the locals keep a watch out for any trouble makers from Java.

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