trip to Indo vs. Maldives

I'm planning a trip and was hoping to get some feedback from anybody who has been to either of these places. i was initially set on going to Indo, staying in Bali, and surfing all of the usual spots. However, I know pollution has gotten pretty serious in recent years. How severe is it though? And how bad are the crowds in both places? I know there are always remote places on these islands but just in general, how crowded are they? Any additional information in regards to either spot would be awesome. thanks guys

I have been to both.

Bali is filthy. Garbage all over the beaches, pollution, etc. The locals don't really care about the beach and treat the beach like a landfill. There will always be fun waves in Bali, but in 5 or 6 years, it won't even be surfable due to these conditions. Part of the problem is public hygiene and not having an adequate trash system.

Maldives is SICK. Locals love the ocean and treat it with respect. The best part of Maldives is the amount of exploring you can do. Different islands, differnt breaks, less crowded then Bali.

Don't go through a surf company though, you can individually price things out and save a big. Make sure to stop over in Singapore if you go to Maldives.

Go to Bali for hepatitis, HIV, MRSA, staph, explosive diarrhea and underage prostitutes. Go to the Maldives if you aren't into that kind of thing.

Sad how Bali has gone so far down hill. I haven't been there since 1987 and my memories of it then where of beautiful beaches, nice people and dirt cheap resorts. Also, the monkies were mean with big teeth. Stole my bag of peanuts. Wasn't too crowded either, locals or tourists. There were a lot of Aussies, but not many Americans. Ain't it funny how time slips away. Go to the Maldives while they still are above water.