Luang Prabang or Thimphu?

Neither city is a place to swim, but Luang Prabang at least gives you somewhere to get into the water. The turquoise pools below Kuang Si and the smaller Tad Sae falls make a memorable half-day swim in the forest.

Thimphu has nothing like them. The Wang Chhu is a cold, fast mountain river, and even hotel pools are scarce. Anyone who wants time in the water on a Bhutan trip should plan it somewhere else on the route.

Luang Prabang eats better, mainly because its food has more layers. Lao dishes such as or lam and jeow bong, the morning market and the cheap buffet lane sit alongside baguettes, bakeries and strong coffee from the French era, and the riverside terraces turn dinner into an occasion.

Thimphu's cooking is fierier and more of its own, built on ema datshi, red rice and momos. Tourist buffets tone it down, though, and there are few restaurants to choose from. The town's best food experience is the weekend Centenary Farmers' Market rather than any meal.

Luang Prabang's old town is the stronger place for sightseeing. The entire peninsula is under UNESCO protection, with more than thirty monasteries, the sweeping roofs of Wat Xieng Thong and the Royal Palace museum all a short walk apart, and the dawn alms round passes through its streets.

Thimphu's heritage is just as much in daily use, but it is more spread out. Tashichho Dzong, the Memorial Chorten and Buddha Dordenma are the highlights, backed by small museums and the school of the thirteen traditional arts. That is a list for two or three days, not a townscape you live inside.

Both are early-night places, but Thimphu has a little more to do after dark. Karaoke rooms, a couple of weekend dance clubs and the drayangs, where singers take requests for folk and pop songs, give its evenings a local flavour. In Luang Prabang an evening out means a drink in a garden bar or on a riverside terrace, and then a curfew around midnight leaves the streets silent.

Thimphu has the bigger landscape. The city fills a pine-covered valley at about 2,300m, hikes climb straight from it to Tango, Cheri and Phajoding monasteries, the Dochula pass looks out to the eastern Himalaya, and guided treks such as the Druk Path start close by.

Luang Prabang's scenery is lower and greener: wooded hills around the two rivers, the Kuang Si falls, slow boats past limestone cliffs, kayaking on the Nam Khan and treks to hill villages. It is lovely and easy to reach, but softer, and late in the dry season smoke from field burning can haze the views.

Thimphu has one outing that outclasses anything near Luang Prabang. Paro has its dzong, the ancient Kyichu Lhakhang and the steep morning climb to the Tiger's Nest. Dochula fits into half a day, while Punakha is better as an overnight stop than a long drive there and back.

From Luang Prabang the classic outing is the boat up the Mekong to the Pak Ou caves and their Buddha images, with the weaving villages close by. The train puts the karst scenery of Vang Vieng and the temples of Vientiane within a day's reach.

Luang Prabang is the slightly easier choice for families. Its trump card is Kuang Si, where children get the bears and the swimming pools in one outing, and there are boat rides and flat streets to cycle together. Thimphu has the takin preserve, the prayer wheels and short forest walks, but the long, winding drives and the first days at altitude weigh on small children, and in both towns older children get far more out of the trip than toddlers.

Luang Prabang is the easier town to explore on your own. The old town is flat, compact and quiet enough to cross on foot or by bicycle, and tuk-tuks and boats cover the waterfalls and caves.

Thimphu's centre around Norzin Lam is pleasant to walk, with a white-gloved policeman directing traffic instead of lights. Beyond it the city climbs steep hillsides, though, and the main sights are uphill and far apart. Most visitors depend on their car and driver, which is comfortable but leaves less freedom to wander.

Both are towns for crafts rather than fashion, and Luang Prabang has the edge on choice and ease. Its nightly market of red-roofed stalls runs the length of the main street, and in the weaving studios in town and in nearby villages you can watch natural dyeing before you buy.

Thimphu's prize is handwoven kira fabric and yak wool, along with thangkas and wooden masks. These are found mainly in the government emporium, the craft bazaar and the shops along Norzin Lam.

This is where the two differ most sharply. Luang Prabang is cheap for most visitors, with inexpensive guesthouses, market food and massages, though the boutique hotels and riverside dining can push the bill up.

Thimphu's local cafés and taxis cost little. The cost comes from Bhutan's daily fee for foreign visitors, together with the usual guide, driver and hotels of tourist standard, which make any stay expensive. Keeping the trip short is the only real saving.

Thimphu has the bigger occasion. During the autumn Tshechu, masked cham dances fill the courtyard of Tashichho Dzong for several days, and it is worth timing a trip around. The Royal Academy of Performing Arts and the drayangs keep music going the rest of the year. Luang Prabang's main show is the masked Phralak Phralam, the Lao Ramayana, at the Royal Palace theatre, with a few folk evenings besides.

Both are calm, slow places, so the difference lies in their rituals. In Luang Prabang, gentle Lao massage is on offer along every main street, the herbal saunas are scented with lemongrass, and boutique hotels hold yoga by the river. The days are paced by the monks' alms round and the sunset over the Mekong.

Thimphu's speciality is the dotsho, a wooden tub of river water heated with hot stones and infused with artemisia, and it is ideal after a hike. Meditation sessions at monasteries and the spas in upmarket lodges complete the picture.