Kuching or Singapore?

Neither city is a beach destination, and in both most of the swimming happens in hotel pools. The beaches themselves are different in kind. Kuching's sand at Damai and Santubong is natural and backed by jungle and the peak of Mount Santubong, but it is forty minutes away by car, the water is cloudy with silt and the sea is rough in the monsoon.

Singapore's Sentosa beaches are made from imported sand and sit behind breakwaters. They are calm, safe and easy to reach, though tankers line the horizon. For something quieter, a ferry runs to the lagoons of St John's and Lazarus.

Singapore has the broader and deeper food scene. Hawker centres such as Maxwell and Old Airport Road serve Chinese, Malay, Indian and Peranakan cooking side by side, Little India and Kampong Glam stay open late, and there is a serious fine-dining tier above the stalls.

Kuching is worth eating in for its own reasons. Sarawak laksa, kolo mee and Dayak dishes such as midin and chicken cooked in bamboo are hard to find outside Sarawak. The choice is narrower, though, and there is little at the top end.

Singapore has more to see and more weight behind it. The National Gallery's Southeast Asian collection, the Asian Civilisations and Peranakan museums, and the separate characters of Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam are matched by modern landmarks such as Gardens by the Bay.

Kuching's heritage is smaller but unusual. The White Rajahs left Fort Margherita and the Astana facing the Old Court House across the river, and the Borneo Cultures Museum is the place to learn about the island's peoples. Two days are enough to see it all.

Singapore gives you a real night out, if a costly and orderly one. There are rooftop bars above Marina Bay, cocktail bars in the shophouses of Keong Saik and Telok Ayer, and the main clubs are at Clarke Quay. Kuching's evenings are mostly dinner and a walk along the lit waterfront, with a few pubs and live-band lounges around Jalan Padungan. Alcohol is heavily taxed in both cities.

This is where Kuching is far ahead. Within easy reach are orangutans coming in to feed at Semenggoh, proboscis monkeys and pitcher plants at Bako, night hikes at Kubah, and boat trips on the estuary to look for Irrawaddy dolphins and fireflies. Further out are rafflesia flowers at Gunung Gading and the caves at Bau.

Singapore does well for a city-state. Bukit Timah, the treetop walk at MacRitchie, the wetlands at Sungei Buloh and the bicycle tracks on Pulau Ubin are all real nature. But the island is small and flat, and a few mornings cover it.

Kuching has slightly more to offer, and its outings show more of local life. You can visit the longhouses of the Sarawak Cultural Village, the Bidayuh community at Annah Rais, the wooden shophouses of Siniawan and the border market at Serikin.

From Singapore the options are thin. Johor Bahru is just across the causeway but the border queues can be slow, Bintan and Batam are resort islands rather than towns to explore, and Malacca really needs an overnight stay.

Singapore is one of the easiest cities in Asia for children. The Mandai parks include the zoo, the Night Safari, the bird park and the giant pandas, Sentosa adds Universal Studios and the aquarium, and there are splash pads, lifts and air conditioning all over the city.

Kuching is safe and relaxed, and seeing orangutans up close can be the highlight of a child's trip. Beyond that there are the cultural village dances and the cat museum, but nothing like a theme park, and the boat ride and rough trails at Bako suit older children better.

Singapore is about as simple as cities get. The air-conditioned MRT runs from the airport to Chinatown, Orchard Road and the rainforest reserves, a contactless card works at the gates, and nobody needs a car. Kuching's old centre is easy to walk, and sampans cross the river in a few moments, but buses are hard for visitors to use. Ride-hailing covers the town, and the parks and beaches need a driver or a tour.

Singapore is the place for shopping in earnest. Orchard Road and the malls under Marina Bay Sands carry every major brand, while Haji Lane and Tiong Bahru have independent boutiques and design shops.

Kuching has no designer shopping, but its offer is more local. Main Bazaar sells pua kumbu weaving, beadwork and rattan, Sarawak pepper and kek lapis make good gifts, and the weekend market at Satok has the character that Singapore's malls lack.

Kuching is much the cheaper city. Hawker meals, comfortable hotels with pools and rides across town all cost little, so the main expenses are boats to Bako, private drivers and alcohol.

In Singapore the hotel room dominates the bill, and the wildlife parks and Sentosa charge high entry fees. Eating at hawker stalls, riding the MRT and spending time in the free gardens keep the rest of the day affordable.

Singapore has a real season of performances. The Esplanade has a concert hall, a theatre and free outdoor shows by the bay, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra plays regularly, and touring musicals come to Marina Bay Sands. Kuching's big draw is the annual Rainforest World Music Festival at the Sarawak Cultural Village. The rest of the year there is little beyond dance shows, the occasional sape player and cover bands.

Neither city has a bathing tradition, and in both, unwinding means massage and a slower pace. In Kuching the reflexology and massage shops in the centre are inexpensive, and the resort spas at Damai and Santubong offer fuller treatments with jungle on one side and sea on the other. Much of the rest comes from the town itself, which is slow and quiet by the river.

Singapore offers more variety but has a busier, work-focused pace. Hotel spas are polished, often with pools above the skyline, and there are reflexology parlours and traditional Chinese medicine clinics in Chinatown and Ayurvedic treatments in Little India. The quietest moments there are early mornings in the Botanic Gardens.