Phuket or Singapore?

Phuket is the beach destination of the two by a long way. Its west coast is a series of real sandy bays: crowded Patong, the broader sands of Kata and Karon, Nai Harn between green headlands and the empty length of Mai Khao. Boats run out to island beaches with clearer water. The catch is the monsoon, when rip currents make the west coast dangerous.

Singapore's main beaches are on Sentosa and are made of imported sand. They are calm and safe behind breakwaters, but the water is rarely clear and tankers line the horizon. The lagoons on the Southern Islands are more pleasant, yet most visitors here do their swimming in the hotel pool.

Phuket eats well if you go looking, but Singapore is clearly the better place to travel for food. Phuket's own cooking is Hokkien and Peranakan, and you find it mostly in Phuket Town: thick yellow noodles, moo hong braised dark with black pepper, morning dim sum with strong coffee, and fiery southern curries heavy on turmeric. Crab and prawns are sold by weight along the waterfront, while menus in the beach towns lean on pad thai and pizza.

Singapore has the same Peranakan thread, but here it sits beside Malay, Indian and Hainanese cooking, often under one roof. At Maxwell, Old Airport Road or Tekka, each stall does one or two dishes very well, from chicken rice and laksa to chilli crab and roti prata, and Kampong Glam serves murtabak late into the evening. Above the stalls is a serious tier of fine dining, so a day can run from kaya toast at breakfast to a tasting menu at night.

Singapore has far more to see. The Civic District brings together the National Gallery and its Southeast Asian art, the Asian Civilisations Museum and the Peranakan Museum. Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam each have their own temples and street character, and the modern skyline and the UNESCO-listed Botanic Gardens are sights in their own right.

Phuket's heritage fits into a day or two. Phuket Town's old streets are lined with Sino-Portuguese shophouses from the tin-mining era, and Wat Chalong and the Big Buddha above the south coast complete the list. It makes a pleasant break from the beach rather than a reason to go.

For a big night out, Phuket wins. Bangla Road in Patong becomes a neon strip of beer bars, go-go bars and clubs that stay open until dawn, while Bang Tao and Kamala have beach clubs with sunset sessions. It is loud and rough around the edges, with little subtlety.

Singapore goes out more quietly and spends more doing it. Its strengths are the rooftop bars above Marina Bay and a skilled cocktail scene in the shophouses of Chinatown and Keong Saik. There are only a few clubs, mostly around Clarke Quay, and nights tend to end early.

Phuket offers much more outdoors, and most of it is on the water. You can kayak among the limestone towers of Phang Nga Bay, take boats to Phi Phi and the Racha islands, and dive at the Similans in the dry season. On land, Khao Phra Thaeo has short rainforest trails and a gibbon project.

Singapore has a surprising amount of rainforest for a city, at Bukit Timah and MacRitchie, as well as the Sungei Buloh wetlands and bike rides around Pulau Ubin. These make good mornings out, but the island is small and flat, and you soon run out of new places to go.

Neither city is a great base for day trips, but Phuket has more choice, almost all of it by boat. Phi Phi is about two hours away, the Koh Yao islands are quieter, and Krabi and Khao Lak are on the mainland. Expect more islands and beach towns rather than heritage.

From Singapore, the options are Johor Bahru across the causeway, where border queues can take up much of the day, or the resort islands of Bintan and Batam by ferry. Malacca really needs an overnight stay.

Singapore is the easier family destination. The highlight is the Mandai wildlife parks, with the zoo, the Night Safari, a bird park and giant pandas, and Sentosa adds Universal Studios and an aquarium. With a simple metro, lifts everywhere and air conditioning, every outing is easy in a safe, clean city.

Phuket suits families who stay in one resort in Kata, Karon or Nai Harn, with a kids' club and a big pool. Water parks and boat trips around Phang Nga Bay make good days out. Every outing needs a taxi, though, the west-coast sea is unsafe for children during the monsoon, and Patong is best avoided after dark.

This is where the two cities differ most. Singapore's MRT is clean and step-free and reaches nearly everywhere a visitor goes, from the airport to Orchard Road and the rainforest reserves. You can pay with a contactless card, and taxis are cheap. The only real limit on walking is the midday heat.

Phuket is a large, hilly island. One bus runs infrequently from the airport down the west coast, and the songthaews do not link one beach to the next. Most people end up paying for taxis, and riding a scooter on its steep roads is a real risk.

Singapore is a serious place to shop. Orchard Road is a long line of malls, and there are designer flagships beneath Marina Bay Sands. Haji Lane and Tiong Bahru's Art Deco blocks have independent boutiques, and Little India sells spices, gold and saris.

Phuket's malls and beach-town stalls repeat the same goods, and tailors and pearl shops are the main extras. The best browsing is in Phuket Town's old quarter, with its small galleries and batik shops and the Sunday walking-street market on Thalang Road.

Phuket is clearly the cheaper trip. Street food, massages and guesthouses cost little, especially in Phuket Town. Beachfront resorts and taxis push the bill up, and room rates rise sharply in peak season, but the monsoon months bring big discounts.

Singapore's hotel rooms are among the most expensive in Asia, drinks are heavily taxed and the big attractions charge high entry fees. Hawker meals and the MRT are cheap, so you can keep daily spending down, but the room stays expensive.

Singapore has a modest but real stage life. The Esplanade on the bay has a concert hall and free outdoor performances, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra plays a regular season, the Victoria Theatre hosts chamber and local productions, and touring musicals come to Marina Bay Sands. Chinese opera and Indian classical dance also appear at temple festivals.

Phuket has none of this. Its evening entertainment is cabaret revues, staged cultural shows for tour groups and cover bands in beach bars.

Phuket is built for slowing down. Thai massage is everywhere, from shopfronts on the beach roads to spa pavilions in the jungle. Retreats offer yoga, detox and meditation stays, and the Muay Thai camps in Chalong draw people who come to train for weeks. The quiet bays of Nai Harn, Rawai and Mai Khao keep the pace gentle.

Singapore has polished hotel spas, foot reflexology and Chinese medicine in Chinatown, and Ayurvedic treatments in Little India. The city moves fast, though, and an early walk in the Botanic Gardens is about as calm as it gets.