Jakarta or Bangkok?

You can't swim off the shore in either city, but from Jakarta it is easier to reach good water. A speedboat from the Ancol marina gets to the nearer resort islands of the Thousand Islands in under an hour, and to the clear reefs and white sand of Pari or Tidung in one to two hours.

From Bangkok the nearest sand is at Bang Saen and Pattaya, one and a half to two hours away by road, and that makes a long day at best. Swimming in Bangkok means a hotel pool, and this is where its rooftop pools come into their own.

Both cities eat on plastic stools at all hours, but Bangkok's food is the stronger reason to travel. Thai cooking runs from boat noodles and som tam at street tables to the night-time kitchen of Yaowarat Road and the produce halls of Or Tor Kor. Above that sits a deep tier of restaurants reworking regional dishes, and a serious cocktail culture.

Jakarta's strength is range across the archipelago: Padang spreads, Manadonese and Sundanese kitchens, satay and martabak carts, and Betawi dishes such as kerak telor near Kota Tua. Glodok is its best area for grazing on foot, much as Chinatown is in Bangkok, but alcohol plays only a small part in eating out.

Bangkok's sights are a reason to come in their own right. The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho's Reclining Buddha and Wat Arun across the river all stand close together on and around Rattanakosin Island. Working temples and the Thonburi canals lie beyond, so several days pass in the old centre without long journeys.

Jakarta tells the story of a Dutch port that became a capital, at Fatahillah Square in Kota Tua, at Sunda Kelapa harbour with its pinisi schooners and in the National Museum's Hindu-Buddhist statuary. Istiqlal and the Cathedral facing each other make a striking pair, but the sights are spread thinly across the city.

Bangkok's nights out are more varied and easier to move between. There are polished cocktail bars in Thonglor and Ekkamai, backpacker noise on Khao San Road, Silom's long-established gay scene and rooftop bars high above the river, though most of the city shuts around two.

Jakarta is the place to stay out later, with big clubs running until dawn and after-hours venues beyond that. Its districts, from SCBD and Senopati to Kemang and Blok M, are scattered and joined by taxi rides. Many venues quieten during Ramadan, and outside them the city goes to bed early.

Neither city has much green within it, so the difference lies in what is a few hours away. Bangkok has the better escapes in town: Lumphini Park with its monitor lizards, and the raised cycling paths of Bang Krachao through palms and orchards. Its real landscapes, Khao Yai's forests and wild elephants and the limestone river country of Kanchanaburi, are two to three hours out.

Jakarta's draw is volcanic highland: the tea hills of Puncak and the rainforest trails and summit climb of Gunung Gede Pangrango, in cool mountain air. It also has coral reefs offshore in the Thousand Islands, but traffic can double the drive south.

Bangkok has the longer list of real day outings. Ayutthaya's ruined temples, with Bang Pa-In's summer palace on the way, lie about an hour and a half north. The canal country to the southwest adds the floating markets of Amphawa and Damnoen Saduak, the Maeklong railway market and Nakhon Pathom's great stupa, and Kanchanaburi's Death Railway bridge makes a long day.

Jakarta's best options are Bogor's colonial Botanical Gardens by commuter train and highland Bandung, under an hour on the high-speed line. Banten Lama's sultanate ruins lie to the west, but Java's headline sights, Yogyakarta and Borobudur, need a flight.

Both cities make a fuss of children, and both are hard work to get around with them, so the choice comes down to what you want to do. Bangkok has Sea Life Ocean World, Safari World, Dream World and KidZania, and its Skytrain and river boats entertain children while shortening the trips between sights.

Jakarta keeps much of its fun at Ancol, with the Dunia Fantasi theme park, an aquarium and water parks, plus the leafy Ragunan Zoo and Taman Mini's miniature houses. Air quality is often poor, and families tend to rely on a driver for the day.

Bangkok's BTS Skytrain and MRT cover far more of what visitors want, linking Siam, Sukhumvit, Silom, Chatuchak and Chinatown. The Chao Phraya Express boats reach the Grand Palace and Wat Arun. The old city lies off the rail lines, but planning each day around a station or pier works well.

Jakarta's MRT follows a single north-south spine, with TransJakarta busways and commuter trains filling some gaps, so most visitors end up in app-booked cars and on motorbike taxis. In rush hour or heavy rain a short ride can take an hour, and there is less rail than in Bangkok to escape onto.

Bangkok gives a shopper more range and makes it easier to cover. The Siam and Ratchaprasong malls are strung together by Skytrain walkways, Pratunam sells wholesale clothing, and Chatuchak Weekend Market can fill a morning with ceramics, plants and vintage. Thai silk, celadon and benjarong porcelain are the things to take home.

Jakarta is a city of huge malls around the Hotel Indonesia roundabout and Senayan, with almost no shopping street to stroll along. Batik is what to look for here, from the wholesale floors beside the Tanah Abang textile market to specialist galleries, and the Jalan Surabaya flea market sells brass and curios.

Both cities are cheap for visitors, and in much the same ways: street meals cost little, rides are cheap and alcohol is the one heavily taxed indulgence. Bangkok stretches a budget a little further, with massages, tailoring and market buys adding to the sense of value. Jakarta's best deal is a big business-class hotel with a pool, though rooftop bars and international restaurants charge global rates in both cities.

Bangkok has a classical tradition a visitor can count on seeing. Khon masked dance drama plays at the Sala Chalermkrung Royal Theatre and the National Theatre, and Thai classical music and the symphony orchestra perform at the Thailand Cultural Centre. Muay Thai at the Rajadamnern and Lumpinee stadiums is worth seeing for its ritual and music as well as the fights.

Jakarta is better for touring concerts and the Java Jazz Festival than for tradition, and wayang and gamelan turn up only now and then. Taman Ismail Marzuki and the colonial Gedung Kesenian stage theatre and dance, but it pays to check what is on.

Massage is part of daily life in Bangkok in a way it is not in Jakarta. Wat Pho still teaches and treats within the temple grounds, shopfront parlours stay open late on every street, and the grand hotel spas are among Asia's most refined.

Jakarta's own pleasures are Javanese rituals such as pijat massage, the turmeric-and-rice lulur scrub and creambath, all cheap and widely offered. Haze and traffic make it a city to recover from, though, and a truly restful stay means going up to Puncak or flying on to Bali.