Jakarta or Singapore?

Neither city is a beach destination, but Singapore lets you swim without leaving town. Sentosa's imported-sand beaches have calm water behind breakwaters, though the view is of anchored tankers. Ferries to St John's and Lazarus reach quieter lagoons.

Jakarta's own shore at Ancol is for strolling and eating seafood, not swimming. The good water is out in the Thousand Islands, where Pari and Tidung have white sand and reefs for snorkelling. Getting there means one to two hours by speedboat, and often a night away.

Both cities are excellent places to eat, and both eat at all hours. Singapore comes out ahead because its best cooking is so easy to find and so consistently good. Hawker centres such as Maxwell, Chinatown Complex and Old Airport Road put chicken rice, laksa, chilli crab and murtabak under one roof, with stalls that each perfect one or two dishes.

Jakarta offers more variety from across Indonesia: Padang spreads, Manadonese and Sundanese kitchens, and Betawi soto and kerak telor. It is less organised, though. You need to know your way around Glodok, Sabang or the Blok M night markets, and much of the eating happens on plastic stools at roadside carts.

Singapore is the better city for sightseeing because its highlights are close together. The National Gallery, Asian Civilisations Museum and Peranakan Museum all sit in the Civic District. Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam are short walks or rides apart, and Gardens by the Bay and the Botanic Gardens add modern landmarks.

Jakarta's history goes deeper, from Dutch Batavia at Fatahillah Square to the pinisi schooners at Sunda Kelapa. The National Museum's Hindu-Buddhist statuary is first-rate. But the sights are far apart, and Istiqlal, Monas and Taman Mini each need their own trip across the city.

Jakarta is the place for a big night out. Clubs with visiting DJs run until dawn and some after-hours venues go on later still. The city also has more range, from rooftop bars in SCBD and Senopati to Kemang's expat strip and the cheap, rowdy bars of Blok M. You need taxis between them, and things go quiet during Ramadan.

Singapore's strength is its bars rather than its clubs. Expect skilled cocktail bars in the Keong Saik and Telok Ayer shophouses, rooftop terraces over Marina Bay and riverside drinking at Clarke Quay. Drinks are heavily taxed and the mood is orderly, so nights here are more for a good drink with a view than for staying out until morning.

Singapore has more nature you can actually reach on an ordinary day. Rainforest trails at Bukit Timah and MacRitchie, where macaques and monitor lizards are common, the raised walkways of the Southern Ridges, and Sungei Buloh's wetlands are all a short ride from the centre. A bumboat takes you to Pulau Ubin for cycling through mangroves.

Jakarta itself is flat and built up. Its scenery is much grander, though: tea estates at Puncak and volcanic rainforest in Gede Pangrango National Park, with waterfalls and a summit climb. It is at least two hours away by road and often longer, so it works as a weekend trip rather than an afternoon out.

Jakarta has more real day trips. The commuter train reaches Bogor's colonial-era Botanical Gardens and presidential palace in about an hour. The high-speed railway gets you to Bandung's Art Deco streets and cool highland air in under an hour, and the sultanate ruins of Banten Lama lie to the west.

Singapore's choices are limited by being an island state. Johor Bahru is just across the causeway, but border queues can take up much of the day. The ferries to Bintan and Batam lead mostly to resorts, and Malacca really needs a night.

Singapore is far easier with children. The Mandai wildlife parks, including the Night Safari and the river park with its giant pandas, and Sentosa's Universal Studios and aquarium are top-class. Getting to them is easy in a safe, clean city where everything has lifts and air conditioning.

Jakarta's people are very warm towards children, and Dunia Fantasi, Ragunan Zoo and Taman Mini give children plenty to enjoy. The hard part is getting there through traffic and heat, often with poor air and missing pavements. A hotel pool and a hired driver make a real difference.

There is a big gap here. Singapore's MRT runs from the airport to Marina Bay, Orchard Road and the edge of the rainforest reserves. You just tap a bank card, and covered walkways shelter you from sun and rain, so nobody needs a car.

Jakarta's MRT and TransJakarta busways help along the main Sudirman-Thamrin corridor but leave large areas a long transfer away. Most visitors end up in app-booked cars and motorbike taxis. In the rush hour or heavy rain a short trip can take an hour, so it pays to plan each day around one area.

Singapore is the stronger shopping city overall, though Jakarta has the more distinctive things to take home. Batik is the prize there, from cheap printed cloth to hand-drawn pieces. Tanah Abang sells fabric by the metre, and the flea market on Jalan Surabaya is full of antiques and brass. Getting to them is the hard part, though.

Jakarta's markets and big malls are spread across the city, and there is hardly a street made for browsing.\n\nIn Singapore, shopping is simply easier and more enjoyable. Orchard Road and the shops under Marina Bay Sands carry every international brand, a short ride from each other. Haji Lane, Arab Street and the Art Deco blocks of Tiong Bahru add independent boutiques and bookshops you can walk between, and Peranakan beadwork and porcelain give it a local craft of its own.

This is where the two cities differ most. In Jakarta, a business hotel with a pool, street meals and app-booked rides all cost very little. The only real expenses are cocktails and the smart restaurants of the business districts.

In Singapore, the hotel room takes the biggest share of your budget, and the wildlife parks and Sentosa charge high entry fees. Hawker meals, cheap trains and free gardens help keep daily spending down, but even then the trip costs much more than the same days in Jakarta.

Singapore has more to see in an ordinary week. The Esplanade has a concert hall and free performances by the bay, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra plays a regular season, and touring musicals stop at Marina Bay Sands. Chinese opera and Indian dance appear around temple festivals.

Jakarta's high point is a single event, the Java Jazz Festival. The rest of the year depends on what is on at Taman Ismail Marzuki and the colonial Gedung Kesenian. Wayang and gamelan show up only now and then, despite this being Java.

Neither city is a place to unwind, and Jakarta has a slight edge only because its spa traditions are its own and cost little. Pijat massage, the turmeric lulur scrub and creambath are offered everywhere from neighbourhood salons to grand hotel spas. Real rest, though, means going up to the cool air of Puncak.

Singapore offers a different mix: traditional Chinese medicine clinics and reflexology in Chinatown, Ayurveda in Little India, and hotel spas with skyline pools. The city is calmer underfoot, and the Botanic Gardens at dawn are its most restful hour.