Chiang Rai or Vientiane?

You cannot have a beach vacation in either city, because both lie far inland. In Chiang Rai you can swim in cool pools under forest waterfalls or at a reservoir. In Vientiane the Mekong is too fast and muddy to swim in, so you are left with hotel pools or a trip to the river and lagoons around Vang Vieng.

The two are evenly matched, but they cook different things. Chiang Rai serves northern Thai food such as khao soi noodles, sai ua sausage and chilli dips, and its hillside cafés roast coffee from nearby villages. Vientiane eats Lao food: larb, pounded papaya salad and grilled river fish, along with baguette sandwiches left by the French years.

In Vientiane the best evenings are at the grill stalls on the Mekong bank, with a Beerlao. Chiang Rai's equivalent is the night bazaar food court and the weekend walking streets. In both cities the choice beyond local cooking is thin.

Chiang Rai has the more memorable sights, because its temple art is modern. The mirrored white plaster of Wat Rong Khun, the sapphire and gold of the Blue Temple and the teak halls of Baan Dam give the town a character few Thai cities have. Wat Phra Kaew and the hill-tribe museum add some older history.

Vientiane's sights are national landmarks rather than surprises: the gilded stupa of Pha That Luang, the Buddha-lined cloister of Wat Si Saket and the Patuxai arch. The COPE centre and the concrete figures of Buddha Park stay with visitors, but you can see all of it in a day or two.

Both are early-to-bed towns where the night ends around midnight. Chiang Rai's evenings centre on a short strip of reggae and acoustic bars near the clock tower and the beer tables at the night bazaar. Vientiane is more about a sunset Beerlao by the river, though it also has a few clubs where young locals dance to Lao and Thai pop.

Chiang Rai is the better choice for the outdoors, because the green hills start at the edge of town. Within an hour or so are Khun Korn waterfall, trekking routes, the tea terraces of Doi Mae Salong and the gardens of Doi Tung. Further out are the Mekong at the Golden Triangle and the cloud views from Phu Chi Fa. Plan around the smoke haze of late winter and spring.

Vientiane lies on a flat plain, and its main green space is the riverside promenade. The landscapes worth the trip are further away: the limestone karst of Vang Vieng, with caves, kayaking and balloon flights, and the forest trails of Phou Khao Khouay.

The day trips are equally good but work differently. From Chiang Rai you go by road to the walled town of Chiang Saen, the Golden Triangle viewpoint, the border market at Mae Sai and the Yunnanese tea hills of Doi Mae Salong. These are pleasant loops, but none of them is famous.

Vientiane relies on the railway. Vang Vieng is about an hour away, and Luang Prabang is two hours, close enough for a long day though it deserves a night. Across the Friendship Bridge are Nong Khai's riverfront and its sculpture garden at Sala Keoku, but the border crossing adds time.

Chiang Rai has a little more for children. Singha Park offers tea fields, lakes, grazing animals and space to cycle, and elephant sanctuaries and the colourful temples hold attention for a morning. Avoid the smoky months with young children.

In Vientiane the choice comes down to a small water park, the riverside play areas and the giant statues of Buddha Park. Heat and broken pavements make days tiring, so a hotel pool matters more here.

Getting around is much the same in both: compact centres you can walk, uneven pavements, and no proper public transport for visitors. Chiang Rai's main sights are spread across the hills, so most visitors hire a car, a scooter or a driver, or join tours. In flat, lightly trafficked Vientiane a rented bicycle covers a lot, and tuk-tuks or ride-hailing cars reach That Luang and Buddha Park.

Both are market towns rather than places for fashion, and neither has malls worth the trip. Chiang Rai's night bazaar and the Saturday walking street on Thanalai Road sell hill-tribe silver and textiles, and its best buys are Doi Mae Salong oolong and hill-grown coffee. In Vientiane the thing to buy is handwoven Lao silk and cotton from small weaving galleries, with Talat Sao and the riverside night market for everything else.

Both are among the cheapest places to visit in the region, and guesthouses, market meals and massages cost little in either. The difference is in where the money goes. In Chiang Rai the largest cost is getting to the sights outside town by driver, hire car or tour. In Vientiane imported wine and Western restaurants push up the bill, and tuk-tuk fares need agreeing before you set off.

Neither city has a theatre or concert season, so performance is a small extra at best. Chiang Rai offers Lanna dance on the night bazaar stage and khantoke dinners with traditional dancing. Vientiane puts on Lao music shows built around the khaen bamboo mouth organ, and in both cities temple festivals bring music into the streets.

Vientiane is the more restorative stay. Its Lao herbal saunas, steam rooms filled with lemongrass and tamarind vapour next to temples such as Wat Sok Pa Luang, are a custom you will not find in Chiang Rai. With cheap massages and the quiet pace of the riverside, the days run very slowly.

Chiang Rai is relaxing too, with soaking pools at the Pong Phrabat and Mae Kachan hot springs, spas by the river and in the hills, and countryside retreats. The smoke season, though, takes away much of its calm for weeks at a time.