Bangkok or Ubud?

Neither city is a beach destination, but Ubud is closer to the real thing. The coast nearest Bangkok is mudflat and mangrove, so swimming means a hotel or rooftop pool, and Bang Saen or Pattaya make a long day out at best.

From Ubud, the calm, reef-sheltered water at Sanur is about an hour away. The black-sand beaches to the south-east are nearer, though the surf makes them better for watching than for swimming. Many visitors simply add a few nights on the coast.

Bangkok is one of the world's great food cities, and the gap here is wide. Thai cooking is on offer all day and late into the night: boat noodles at plastic tables, Yaowarat's open-air kitchens, the Or Tor Kor produce halls and a deep tier of ambitious regional Thai restaurants. Strong Japanese and Chinese cooking runs alongside.

Ubud eats well for its size, with babi guling, crisp fried duck overlooking the rice fields and nasi campur in family warungs. Its other strength is plant-based cafés and Balinese coffee for the long-stay crowd, but its range and depth are far narrower.

Bangkok's sights are built to impress: the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, the Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho and Wat Arun across the river, along with the National Museum and the Thonburi canals. They cluster in the old city and fill several full days.

Ubud's culture is smaller and more personal. The royal palace, carved family gateways and the fresh offerings on the pavements each morning set the tone. The Puri Lukisan, Neka and ARMA museums trace Balinese painting through its schools. Nothing is on a monumental scale, so it suits slow browsing over unhurried days.

This is where the two differ most sharply. Bangkok has polished cocktail bars in Thonglor and Ekkamai, loud backpacker bars on Khao San Road, the Silom gay scene and rooftop bars above the river, and nights run until around two.

Ubud has a few terrace bars and cover-band nights, but no clubs, and by eleven the town is dark. Anyone who wants a proper night out heads down to the coast.

Ubud is surrounded by the kind of landscape Bangkok lacks. The rice terraces at Tegallalang and Jatiluwih, the Campuhan Ridge, the Monkey Forest, waterfalls, rafting on the Ayung and the dawn climb of Mount Batur are all within easy reach, and they are best in the dry months.

Bangkok's green spaces are Lumphini Park, Benjakitti and the raised cycle paths of Bang Krachao. Khao Yai and Kanchanaburi have real forest and limestone country, but they work better as overnight trips, and the heat makes activity in the middle of the day hard work.

Both make good bases, and the difference lies in what you go out to see and how you get there. From Bangkok the highlight is the ruined old capital at Ayutthaya, which you can reach by train. Further out are the floating markets, the Maeklong railway market and the Death Railway history at Kanchanaburi.

Ubud's outings are a tour of living Balinese religion: the bathing pools at Tirta Empul, the rock-cut tombs of Gunung Kawi, Besakih on the slopes of Mount Agung and Tanah Lot by the sea. With no trains on the island, every one of them depends on a hired driver and the traffic.

Bangkok has a little more for children. It has an aquarium, a safari park, an amusement park, discovery museums and big indoor play areas in the malls that save hot afternoons, and the Skytrain and river boats are fun in themselves. The price is heat, crowded pavements and slow traffic.

Ubud offers pool villas among the rice fields, gentle rafting, a safari park and dance shows that older children enjoy. The narrow streets, scooters, food-snatching macaques and need for a driver make it harder work with small children.

Bangkok is far easier to get around. The BTS Skytrain and MRT are clean and air-conditioned, the express boats run along the river to the Grand Palace, and ride-hailing fills the gaps. The old city and the walks between stations are still hard going.

Ubud has no public transport worth using. You can walk between the palace, the market and the Monkey Forest, but everything else means a driver, a villa shuttle or a scooter, which is risky without real experience.

Bangkok is worth visiting for its shopping alone. The malls of Siam and Ratchaprasong are linked by Skytrain walkways, Pratunam sells clothing wholesale, and Chatuchak Weekend Market can take up a whole morning. Thai silk, celadon and benjarong porcelain are the things to take home.

Ubud's strength is craft rather than choice. You bargain at the art market by the palace, buy silver in Celuk, woodcarving in Mas and paintings from Batuan or the town's galleries, and find linen and yoga wear in the boutiques. There are no malls or luxury brands.

Both cities make a budget go a long way, so the difference is in where the money goes. In Bangkok it is imported drinks, rooftop bars and international restaurants, while street food, transport and comfortable hotels stay cheap.

In Ubud, guesthouses, warung meals, massages and temple fees cost little. Pool villas, polished cafés and a driver every day add up, though, because there is no cheap public transport to fall back on.

Each has one tradition worth planning an evening around. In Bangkok it is khon, the masked Ramakien drama staged at the Sala Chalermkrung Royal Theatre and the National Theatre. The city also has a symphony orchestra, jazz bars and the ritual music of Muay Thai at Rajadamnern.

Ubud stages Balinese dance every night: Legong, Barong and the firelit Kecak, with live gamelan in palace courtyards and temple forecourts. The same dances are still part of real temple ceremonies. Beyond that, live music in both places is mostly bar bands.

Ubud is the stronger choice for slowing down. Yoga studios, retreats, meditation classes and spas, from simple massage rooms to pavilions above the river, sit among misty rice fields. Purification bathing at the water temples adds a ritual side.

Bangkok has superb massage, from the school at Wat Pho to shopfront parlours and grand hotel spas, but little real calm. Relaxation comes in short breaks from the heat and traffic.