Hi, I worked on both groups, but it really depends on everybody's interests for me both are absorbing :)

I think this question should answer someone whos mother tongue is neither of them. As I speak an indoeuropean language it's easier for me to grasp languages of the same family. the conjugation system is similar, the word order... But as I studied arabic many many years ago (which doesn't mean I speak it), now hebrew is not so hard for me. I know what word roots are etc. The difficulty is the change of vowels. You don't have that in indoeuropean languages. And to learn/memorize that is quite hard for me. :) So maybe someone who speaks an east/southeastasian language will answer your question, too. :)