Busan or Kaohsiung?

Busan is the beach city of the two. Haeundae's broad arc of sand, Gwangalli under the lit bridge and the calmer surf beach at Songjeong are all reached by metro or bus, and in late summer swimming is easy. The catch is that the season is short and the main beaches are packed at its peak.

Kaohsiung has warmer water but far less swimming. Cijin's dark sand is used for kites and sunsets, and the small bay at Sizihwan opens only in season. The best water is on Xiaoliuqiu, a road-and-ferry trip away, and it is better for snorkelling with turtles than for a beach day.

The two are equally good for eating, and both lean on the sea, but they feel different. In Busan you choose live fish downstairs at Jagalchi and eat it raw upstairs, and the local staples are hearty: pork-bone soup at any hour, icy milmyeon noodles and fishcake skewers.

Kaohsiung's cooking is sweeter and built around snacking. The day starts with milkfish congee at a market stall and ends at Ruifeng with oyster omelettes and mango shaved ice. Neither city is the place for fine dining, though Kaohsiung has a bit more Japanese and modern Taiwanese cooking.

Both are port cities with little old townscape and enough sights for two or three days, but the themes differ. Busan's strongest sights are its temples, Beomeosa on the mountain and Haedong Yonggungsa on the sea rocks, along with the Korean War, told at the UN Memorial Cemetery and in the painted refugee houses of Gamcheon.

Kaohsiung tells more of a colonial and modern story. There are the pagodas around Lotus Pond, the red-brick British consulate above the harbour, the converted warehouses of Pier-2 and even a metro station decorated with a vast glass ceiling.

Busan is clearly the better place for a night out. Dinner turns into soju rounds and karaoke as a matter of course, Seomyeon stays busy into the early hours, and the student streets and Gwangalli's beachfront bars give plenty of choice.

Kaohsiung's evenings are quieter and centre on food. The local way to drink is beer and shared stir-fries late into the night. Beyond that there are a few craft bars around Pier-2, a drink by the Love River and a small club cluster that only fills at weekends.

Busan offers more and makes it easier to reach. You can walk from a metro station onto Geumjeongsan's fortress ridges or along the Igidae sea cliffs, and the Galmaetgil trail links Taejongdae and the Oryukdo islets. The Yeongnam Alps are about an hour inland.

Kaohsiung has a macaque-filled hill in Shoushan beside the harbour and odd landscapes within an hour or two, such as the mudstone badlands of Moon World and the butterfly valleys of Maolin. Its long, humid summer cuts down the hours when walking is pleasant.

Both have a historic city half an hour away by fast train, and Busan's pick is slightly richer. Gyeongju alone fills a long day with Silla tombs, Bulguksa and Seokguram. Haeinsa, the Jinhae cherry blossom and even a ferry to Tsushima in Japan add range.

From Kaohsiung, Tainan's Dutch forts and countless temples make an excellent outing. The giant Buddha at Fo Guang Shan and the umbrella-making town of Meinong are gentler options, but the Kenting peninsula is closer to a separate stay than a day out.

Busan gives children more to do. There are swimmable city beaches in summer, a large aquarium on the Haeundae seafront, a theme park and luge at Gijang, and the slow sky-capsule rail along the coast. The steps up to Gamcheon and the temples are the main strain.

Kaohsiung is just as friendly but takes more planning. The science museum, the Cijin ferry and the light rail please children. Pavements crowded with parked scooters, busy junctions and the long hot season mean midday is usually spent indoors.

The two are much alike: clean, cheap transport with English signs, one card for everything and no need for a car. Busan's metro reaches further, linking the old port, Seomyeon and Haeundae, but the city is long and hilly, so crossing it takes nearly an hour.

Kaohsiung's two metro lines and harbour light rail are calm but leave gaps. Bike-share and taxis fill them, while scooters on the pavements and the heat make walking the last stretch harder.

Busan has more to offer shoppers, and on a larger scale. The vast department stores at Centum City, Seomyeon's underground arcades and Korean skincare on every street are the draw, along with the old market lanes of Gukje and the dried seafood stalls around Jagalchi.

Kaohsiung's shopping is mostly in malls, plus youth fashion in the small streets of Xinjuegang. The things to take home are edible: tea, pineapple cakes and mullet roe.

Kaohsiung is clearly the cheaper city. Night-market meals, noodle shops and transport cost very little, and comfortable business hotels are fairly priced most of the year.

Busan is mid-range. Soup restaurants and markets are cheap and the coastal walks are free, but live seafood sold by weight and beachfront hotels in high summer push a trip's costs up quickly.

Kaohsiung has the stronger stage, almost entirely thanks to Weiwuying. Its wave-roofed complex holds an opera house, a concert hall and a playhouse, with visiting orchestras, dance and the city's own symphony. At temple festivals you may still catch glove puppetry and Taiwanese opera.

Busan has a good classical hall in Citizens' Park and musicals in Korean, but little else for theatre lovers. The film festival in autumn and the big summer rock and K-pop shows are its high points.

Here Busan is far ahead. Dongnae has been a hot-spring district for more than a thousand years, Haeundae has springs of its own, and the jjimjilbang complexes let you scrub, soak and even sleep over. Temple stays and seafront walks add quieter ways to slow down.

Kaohsiung has no thermal water within the city. What it offers is cheap, skilled foot and body massage on ordinary streets, and its nearest hot springs need an overnight trip.