Bali or Whitsundays?

Both have warm water and fine sand, but of different kinds. Bali's beaches line the main island and come in several moods: surf and sunsets on the west coast from Kuta to Canggu, calm reef lagoons at Sanur and Nusa Dua, and coves below the cliffs on the Bukit. Most are close to where you sleep.

The Whitsundays have the single more spectacular beach in Whitehaven, along with empty coves across the national park islands. You reach them by boat, though, because the mainland shore at Airlie is shallow and muddy. You also need a stinger suit for about half the year, a precaution Bali does not ask of you.

Bali has a real cuisine to explore. The Hindu kitchen gives you spit-roast babi guling, bebek betutu and lawar, eaten at warungs and in Denpasar's morning markets, and Canggu, Seminyak and Ubud add a serious café and tasting-menu scene.

The Whitsundays serve good prawns, reef fish and tropical fruit in Airlie's casual bistros and at the island resorts. There is no regional cooking to seek out, though, and after a week the menus start to repeat. Food can be a reason to choose Bali. Here it simply goes along with the sea.

This is where the two differ most. In Bali culture is part of daily life: offerings on the pavements, village temples and processions. The great sites run from Tanah Lot and Uluwatu to Besakih and the Jatiluwih rice terraces, and Ubud keeps its palace and painting museums close together.

The Whitsundays have almost nothing to set against this. The Ngaro Sea Trail passes a few rock art and cultural sites left by the islands' first people, and Proserpine and Bowen have small heritage displays. Sightseeing is not what the region is for.

Bali has much the bigger night out, and it is all in the southwest. Beach clubs in Seminyak, Canggu and on the Uluwatu cliffs run from sunset into the night, Seminyak has polished cocktail bars, and Kuta and Legian have the loud club strip. Elsewhere on the island evenings are quiet.

In the Whitsundays, going out means one short main street of backpacker pubs and open decks in Airlie Beach. It is lively for a few nights once the sailing trips are back. On the islands you get a resort bar and an early night before the boats leave.

Both are outstanding, but in different settings. Bali's strength is on land and in the surf: the pre-dawn climb of Mount Batur, the crater lakes and waterfalls around Munduk, rice-field walks near Ubud and Sidemen, famous reef breaks on the Bukit, and dives at Tulamben or with the manta rays off Nusa Penida.

The Whitsundays are all about the sea. Seventy-four islands, most of them national park, give sheltered sailing inside the Great Barrier Reef, with kayaking, snorkelling, seaplane flights over Heart Reef and humpback whales in winter. The walks are shorter, the Ngaro Track and the rainforest of Conway rather than volcano summits.

Neither is a place for many separate outings, but Bali has more of them. The old Bali Aga villages of Tenganan and Penglipuran, the Sidemen valley, the fishing villages of Amed and a fast boat to Nusa Lembongan each make a different day out, though traffic means most visitors manage only one or two.

In the Whitsundays nearly every excursion is a boat trip to reefs and beaches. As places to visit, there are only the marina village on Hamilton Island, Daydream Island and the small town of Bowen an hour to the north.

Bali works a little better with children if you stay in Sanur or Nusa Dua, with their calm lagoons and kids' clubs. The water park, the safari park and Ubud's Monkey Forest add outings, and the Balinese are warm with children. The drawbacks are traffic, missing pavements, stomach upsets and long drives.

The Whitsundays are simpler but offer less. Children love the golf buggies, koalas and kids' clubs on Hamilton Island and the coral lagoon on Daydream. Stinger suits, crocodiles in the mainland creeks and hours on a boat to Whitehaven, however, suit older children better than toddlers.

The Whitsundays are easier to get around, on their own terms. Airlie Beach is walkable, ferries run to Hamilton and Daydream, and Hamilton has its own airport and buggies. Everything else is a booked boat, so your days follow departure times and the weather.

Bali has no public transport worth using and heavy traffic across the south. You rely on a car with a driver, ride-hailing apps or a scooter, and only experienced riders should try the scooter. Short distances on the map become long drives.

Bali is by far the better place to shop, for crafts rather than brands. There is silver in Celuk, woodcarving in Mas, Ubud's painting studios and art market, ikat and endek weaving from East Bali, and designer boutiques in Seminyak and Canggu for linen, ceramics and furniture.

In the Whitsundays shopping goes no further than swimwear, surf gear and souvenirs in Airlie and at the Hamilton marina, plus a weekend craft market on the foreshore.

Bali gives much more for your money. Villas with private pools, warung meals, massages and drivers cost little, and Ubud and the quieter coasts are cheaper still. Seminyak's beach clubs and the cliff-top resorts, though, charge close to Western prices.

The Whitsundays charge Australian prices, plus extra on the islands. Hostels and campgrounds in Airlie keep a basic stay possible, but the sailing trips, reef days and scenic flights that are the reason to come soon add up.

Bali has a living stage that is easy to catch. Legong, Barong and shadow puppetry are performed with gamelan in Ubud's palace courtyards almost every night, the Kecak is danced at sunset at Uluwatu, and village temple festivals add more dance.

The Whitsundays offer cover bands and acoustic sets in Airlie's pubs and resort bars, plus an annual music festival on the foreshore, but nothing to plan a trip around.

Bali is one of the world's great places to slow down. Ubud and its valleys are full of yoga studios, meditation retreats and spas among the rice fields, and Balinese massage is offered everywhere. There are hot springs at Banjar and on Lake Batur, and real calm in Sidemen and Amed.

The Whitsundays help you rest in a different way, with a quiet island or a yacht at anchor, and there are serious spas at the Hamilton and Hayman resorts. They have no wellness tradition to match Ubud's, and noisy Airlie is the place to avoid if you want rest.