Phuket or Ubud?

Phuket is a beach destination and Ubud is not. Phuket's west coast is a chain of sandy bays: busy Patong, broader and calmer Kata and Karon, Nai Harn between its green headlands and the long, empty sweep of Mai Khao, with boats out to island beaches where the water is clearer. In the monsoon months rip currents make that coast dangerous, and a sheltered east-coast bay or the hotel pool is the safer swim.

Ubud sits inland among the hills, so the sea is a day out rather than part of the day. Sanur's calm water inside the reef is the nearest easy swim, the best part of an hour away by car, and the black-sand Gianyar coast is better for watching surfers than for swimming. Most visitors swim in a villa pool above the paddies. That is lovely, but it is not a beach trip.

Phuket has a slight edge, mostly because of cooking you will not find elsewhere. Phuket Town serves Hokkien and Peranakan dishes such as thick yellow noodles, peppery moo hong and dim sum in the morning, and the waterfront sells seafood by weight. The food on the beach strips is more generic.

Ubud's strength is Balinese cooking: suckling pig and slow-cooked duck at small warungs, alongside a large layer of plant-based cafés and a few serious tasting menus. In both places the best meals are away from the tourist strip. In Phuket that means a trip into town, while in Ubud a lane or two off the main road is enough.

Ubud is the stronger choice, because its culture is lived rather than visited. Offerings sit on doorsteps and processions pass through the streets. The royal palace and its lotus-pond temple stand in the centre, three museums trace the history of Balinese painting, and Goa Gajah and rock-cut shrines lie at the edge of town.

Phuket's history is concentrated in Phuket Town, with its Sino-Portuguese shophouses and tin barons' mansions, and Wat Chalong and the Big Buddha elsewhere on the island. They fill a day or two well, but they are a side trip from the beach.

Phuket wins by a distance. Bangla Road in Patong is a loud neon strip of bars and clubs that runs until dawn. Beyond it there are sunset beach clubs at Bang Tao and Kamala and easier-going bars in Kata and Rawai.

Ubud is quiet before midnight, and a night out there means dinner, a garden bar and perhaps a band. Anyone who wants clubs has a long drive to Seminyak or Canggu.

Both are excellent for the outdoors, but Phuket is a sea trip and Ubud a hill trip. Phuket's best days are on the water: kayaking among the limestone towers and hidden lagoons of Phang Nga Bay, and diving or snorkelling at the Similans in the dry season. On land there is little beyond the rainforest at Khao Phra Thaeo and the sunset viewpoints.

Ubud's landscape is one you explore on foot. You can walk rice terraces along the Campuhan Ridge and at Tegallalang, raft the Ayung, visit jungle waterfalls and climb Mount Batur in the dark for sunrise. Divers will want Phuket and walkers Ubud.

Ubud is the better base for days out, because Bali's great temples are within reach. These include the holy spring at Tirta Empul, the cliff tombs of Gunung Kawi, Besakih on the slopes of Mount Agung, Tanah Lot and the subak terraces of Jatiluwih. Every trip needs a driver, and the slow roads limit how much fits into a day.

From Phuket, a day out usually means another island or beach by boat, such as Phi Phi or the quieter Koh Yao islands, or a run to Krabi and Ao Nang. There is very little history within reach.

Phuket is easier with children, especially young ones. A resort at Kata, Karon or Nai Harn gives you gentle shallows in the dry season, kids' clubs and big pools, with water parks and short boat trips nearby. You still need taxis for every outing, though, and families should avoid the monsoon currents and Patong after dark.

Ubud is warm towards children but harder work. Pavements are missing, the roads are full of scooters, the Monkey Forest macaques grab at bags and car journeys are long. It suits older children who will enjoy rafting, dance shows and rice-field walks better than it suits toddlers.

Neither is easy, but Phuket is slightly less awkward. An airport bus runs down the west coast and links most of the main beaches, though it is infrequent and stops early in the evening. Taxis and ride-hailing fill the gaps at a cost, and the steep roads make scooter hire risky.

Ubud has no public transport worth relying on, so days are planned around a hired driver or ride-hailing. Stay central if you want to walk to dinner, because villas and sights are further apart than the map suggests.

Ubud has more that is worth taking home. Each of the craft villages on the road in has its own trade: woodcarving at Mas, silver at Celuk and painting at Batuan. In town, the Art Market and small boutiques sell linen, yoga wear and handmade jewellery.

Phuket has bigger malls with international brands, a large weekend night market and plenty of tailors, but much of what the beach towns sell is the same everywhere. Its most interesting browsing is in Phuket Town's old quarter and at the Sunday market on Thalang Road.

Ubud makes a budget go further. Homestays with breakfast, warung meals, massages and day drivers are all cheap, and only the luxury jungle resorts and tasting menus cost as much as in Europe.

Phuket is fair value but dearer than most of Thailand. Taxis are what catch people out: with no real public transport, a few rides a day add up. Room rates at the main beaches also rise sharply in peak season.

Ubud has a real performance tradition on its doorstep. Village troupes dance the Legong, the Barong and the Kecak to live gamelan every night in the palace courtyard and in temple grounds. The shows are staged for visitors, but the same dances are still performed at temple festivals.

Phuket offers ladyboy cabaret revues, packaged cultural shows and cover bands. Neither place has theatre or concert halls.

Both are strong here, but Ubud is the place where a whole trip can revolve around wellness. Dawn yoga, retreats of any length, riverside spas above the Ayung gorge, flower baths, traditional healers and the purification ritual at Tirta Empul are all part of the town's rhythm.

Phuket's version is massage, resort spas and detox retreats, plus the Muay Thai and fitness camps of Chalong for visitors who want to train hard. For a quiet stay, base yourself in Mai Khao, Nai Harn or Rawai, well away from Patong.