Tokyo is the sprawling, seething, neon-hazed capital of Japan. A megacity of more than 37 million people, it’s a heady overload of ramen stalls and sizzling BBQ kitchens, manga emporiums and steel-dressed skyscrapers that sprout like a forest of trees across the midriff of Honshu Island. At least it’s a heady overload until you discover … Read more
A jewel-shaped island in the heart of the Indonesian archipelago, Bali is unquestionably the country’s biggest holiday destination. It beckons surfers with gnarly reef breaks and glassy rollers between Kuta and the Bukit Peninsula. It tempts culture vultures with mystical and ancient Hindu shrines. It calls to foodies with peanut-topped gado gado salads and tempeh … Read more
Dubai will wow you with its steel-dressed skyscrapers and soaring buildings, its dhow-dotted harbours and shimmering beaches, audacious shopping malls and bustling gold bazaars. Once a simple fishing port on the Persian Gulf, it’s taken just a few decades to transform it into one of the world’s most futuristic and fantastical metropolises. These days, it’s … Read more
Istanbul is an overload for the senses. One moment you’re dodging dangling copper lamps and silk saris in the Grand Bazaar. The next you’re gazing at the great domes of the Hagia Sophia. Then you’re lost in the historic court rooms of the Topkapi Palace, following in the footsteps of the Ottoman sultans. Then you’re … Read more
Singapore glimmers and shimmers like a jewel at the very tip of the Malay Peninsula. A breath of mechanised modernism in the midst of Southeast Asia, its heart is an uber-efficient banking and big-business hub that hits a zenith with the UFO-like skyscrapers of the Marina Bay. Swirling around that is a metropolis of epic … Read more
Mist swirls around the peaks of the Hoang Lien Son mountains. Rice paddies cascade in 10,000 shades of green to valley bottoms speckled with longhouses and farms. It can only be Sapa – Vietnam’s northern trekking mecca. Being remote and isolated is part of the fun here, but don’t worry, there are oodles of ways … Read more
Once all the delights of the Laotian city of Luang Prabang have been explored, choosing your next destination may be a difficult choice to make. The Vietnamese capital of Hanoi lies directly east of Luang Prabang and with its perfect blend of history, untouched culture, and gastronomical prowess, and is seen as one of the … Read more
There’s nothing worse than the feeling of missing out. So, if you make it all the way to El Nido in Palawan, don’t hesitate to make the extra hop, skip, and a jump to a small island that’s teeming with hidden beauty, otherwise known as Coron. It’s not the small villages and towns that bring … Read more
Manila and Coron paint two completely pictures of the Philippines – which isn’t surprising considering they’re around 450km apart. In Manila, colonial architecture sits next to modern skyscrapers, the streets are busy with people, and the traffic rules the pace of the city. Over in Coron, life is slow. Surrounded by turquoise waters and snorkeling … Read more
While Yangon is no longer the capital of Myanmar, it remains the largest city in the country, and is a popular starting point for many visitors. Also known as Rangoon, travelers flock to the city to take in its colonial architecture, which sits side by side with stunning, ancient Buddhist temples and pagodas, some of … Read more
Sitting just off the coast of Trat, Koh Kood, otherwise known as Ko Kut, is a great alternative to the overcrowded islands you’ll find off Thailand’s southern peninsula. It’s part of the Koh Chang group, a cluster of islands that are frequented more by locals than tourists. For this reason, getting to Koh Kood from … Read more
The trip from Krabi to Koh Lipe is a real odyssey. It takes you across more than 180 kilometres of the Andaman Sea, where deserted islands and jutting rocks tower over coral reefs and swathes of mangrove swamp. You’ll go from a bustling town where tuk-tuks and beach hotels gaze across the water all the … Read more
Prep the scuba gear, ready the snorkels, and dust down the bikini – Koh Tao awaits. One of the three most famous islands of the Chumphon Archipelago (a group that also includes Koh Phangan and Koh Samui), it’s known for the cotton-white isthmus beach at Ko Hang Tao, its fish-teeming dive sites, and inland hills … Read more
The trip from Phuket to Koh Phangan is a trip from Thailand’s largest island to its biggest party destination. You’ll swap the pastel-painted cottages and chili-sizzling food markets of Phuket Town for sands that pump with spinning DJs until sunup over the Thai Gulf. In a straight line, the distance between the two spots is … Read more