Advanced, airy and elevated, Singapore is a spectacular, futuristic vision of utopian city life. A healthy population of almost six million call it home, but this is a city designed with space to breathe, and gorgeous outdoor parks, massive indoor greenhouses and beautiful recreational spaces spread between the City of Gardens’ skyscrapers and soaring structures. Once a quiet fishing village, now a glistening island city-state and an international beacon of science, education and technology. View less Singapore is almost intimidatingly clean – and the hyper-efficient public transport system whips residents and visitors across the city’s neighbourhoods in a heartbeat. Glorious fountains and audacious skyscrapers loom up – nodding to traditional feng shui beliefs – and putting on dazzling illuminated displays after dark. The lush green botanical gardens are a spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site, covering 52 hectares and decorated with impressive colourful orchids. Or breathe in more of the freshest air by heading up to wander the canopy strung bridges of MacRitchie Reservoir Park. Head for the iconic Marina Bay – a landmark of the city crowned by three interconnected towers, which watch out over island sprinkled waters. Jaunt between Little India and the atmospheric Chinatown in minutes, where beautiful temples – like the Chinese Thian Hock Keng Temple and Hindu Sri Mariamman Temple add rich cultural intrigue. Singapore’s cuisine is a mouthwatering fusion of its Indian, Chinese, Indonesian, and Malay influences, taking and enhancing the best of each. Enjoy dishes in towering restaurants, or toast the glowing skyline with the city’s eponymous gin-soaked cocktail – a Singapore Sling.

A chaotic, enchanting swirl of sensory stimulation – Ho Chi Minh City is a place of incense-infused temples, colonial architecture, warm people and delicious street food. Formerly known as Saigon, the city was affectionately-labelled the Pearl of the Orient by the French. Afternoons here drift by lazily on the gentle chaos of the River Saigon, as taxi boats and motor canoes flit up and down, and parks fill out with locals playing jianzi, kicking shuttlecocks back and forth. View less The French colonial imprint is evidenced in the Saigon Notre Dame Basilica, which stands out with its grand double bell towers and red brick hue. Just across the road, you’ll also find the celebrated Ho Chi Minh Post office, which was erroneously credited as a Gustav Eifel creation. In reality, the architect was another Frenchman, Alfred Foulhoux. The French also caffeinated this city with coffee culture, and a refreshing iced coffee, from the innumerable coffee shops, will perk you up instantly. Taste the street food to get under Ho Chi Minh City’s skin, with humble restaurants serving up rich flavours – from the Vietnamese take on the baguette, a banh mi sandwich – to the local staple of pho, a delicious noodle soup. The Tortoise pagoda is a tranquil escape and a serene place of worship for Vietnamese who practice Buddhism and Taoism, while the Vietnamese medical museum has a fascinating collection of remedies and potions – some dating back to Stone Age. Journey out to learn more of the Vietnam War at the Remnants Museum and Cu Chi tunnels. Offering a vivid glimpse of conditions, and the ingenuity and resilience of the soldiers, you’ll learn of the guerrilla war campaign raged from within this claustrophobic, 70-mile network of war tunnels.

A chaotic, enchanting swirl of sensory stimulation – Ho Chi Minh City is a place of incense-infused temples, colonial architecture, warm people and delicious street food. Formerly known as Saigon, the city was affectionately-labelled the Pearl of the Orient by the French. Afternoons here drift by lazily on the gentle chaos of the River Saigon, as taxi boats and motor canoes flit up and down, and parks fill out with locals playing jianzi, kicking shuttlecocks back and forth. View less The French colonial imprint is evidenced in the Saigon Notre Dame Basilica, which stands out with its grand double bell towers and red brick hue. Just across the road, you’ll also find the celebrated Ho Chi Minh Post office, which was erroneously credited as a Gustav Eifel creation. In reality, the architect was another Frenchman, Alfred Foulhoux. The French also caffeinated this city with coffee culture, and a refreshing iced coffee, from the innumerable coffee shops, will perk you up instantly. Taste the street food to get under Ho Chi Minh City’s skin, with humble restaurants serving up rich flavours – from the Vietnamese take on the baguette, a banh mi sandwich – to the local staple of pho, a delicious noodle soup. The Tortoise pagoda is a tranquil escape and a serene place of worship for Vietnamese who practice Buddhism and Taoism, while the Vietnamese medical museum has a fascinating collection of remedies and potions – some dating back to Stone Age. Journey out to learn more of the Vietnam War at the Remnants Museum and Cu Chi tunnels. Offering a vivid glimpse of conditions, and the ingenuity and resilience of the soldiers, you’ll learn of the guerrilla war campaign raged from within this claustrophobic, 70-mile network of war tunnels.

A chaotic, enchanting swirl of sensory stimulation – Ho Chi Minh City is a place of incense-infused temples, colonial architecture, warm people and delicious street food. Formerly known as Saigon, the city was affectionately-labelled the Pearl of the Orient by the French. Afternoons here drift by lazily on the gentle chaos of the River Saigon, as taxi boats and motor canoes flit up and down, and parks fill out with locals playing jianzi, kicking shuttlecocks back and forth. View less The French colonial imprint is evidenced in the Saigon Notre Dame Basilica, which stands out with its grand double bell towers and red brick hue. Just across the road, you’ll also find the celebrated Ho Chi Minh Post office, which was erroneously credited as a Gustav Eifel creation. In reality, the architect was another Frenchman, Alfred Foulhoux. The French also caffeinated this city with coffee culture, and a refreshing iced coffee, from the innumerable coffee shops, will perk you up instantly. Taste the street food to get under Ho Chi Minh City’s skin, with humble restaurants serving up rich flavours – from the Vietnamese take on the baguette, a banh mi sandwich – to the local staple of pho, a delicious noodle soup. The Tortoise pagoda is a tranquil escape and a serene place of worship for Vietnamese who practice Buddhism and Taoism, while the Vietnamese medical museum has a fascinating collection of remedies and potions – some dating back to Stone Age. Journey out to learn more of the Vietnam War at the Remnants Museum and Cu Chi tunnels. Offering a vivid glimpse of conditions, and the ingenuity and resilience of the soldiers, you’ll learn of the guerrilla war campaign raged from within this claustrophobic, 70-mile network of war tunnels.

The two-tiered city of Nha Trang offers both a sleepy seaside community and a bustling city center with buildings dating from the French colonial time to post-1975 Vietnam. The palm-lined seafront is dotted with cafés and food stalls and a scenic landscape is dotted with the characteristic Cham Towers. Nha Trang and its beaches have every potential of one day being developed into a major seaside tourist destination, but for now you can still enjoy a relaxed resort town with a lively market, wide streets and uncrowded beaches.

Halfway between Ho Chi Minh City and Hoi An, Da Nang often gets overlooked on the traveller trail. However, as the third largest city in Vietnam (with a population of 1 million), Da Nang packs a punch that other puts other Vietnamese cities in the shade. Naturally, Da Nang is a savvy choice. The beaches are simply stunning – white sand that runs on for miles, lapped by sapphire seas and punctuated by tall coconut trees. The mountains are stunning – vast swathes of emerald green poking out of the top of the few skyscrapers the city has. And the temples are vast and plentiful. From Lady Buddha – an 18th century shrine and statue that guards over the fishermen – to the Marble Mountains, Da Nang is a sublime mixture of secret lagoons, spiritual sites and Vietnamese energy. The aforementioned Marble Mountains are undeniably the city’s main attraction, although the Golden Hands Bridge (40 kilometres from the city centre) is fast overtaking the Mountains for top spot. Both are sublime in their beauty – one a spiritual pilgrimage site sculpted by (and named after) the elements, the other, a man-made structure of two giant concrete hands that stretch towards the sky. Add to that the busy markets selling everything from Vietnamese silk to street food and the My Son temple ruins (Vietnam’s answer to Angkor Wat) and you have a destination that offers travellers far more than tourist trinkets. If you are looking for a Vietnamese city that offers both connection and authenticity, you have found it in Da Nang.

A spectacular, serrated skyline of soaring towers and neon lights, Hong Kong is a vibrant, immersive metropolis and cultural hub. Dramatic harbour-front light shows transform the waterfront’s gleaming buildings into a colourful canvas – best seen from the Star Ferry, when the Symphony of Lights blares into life each evening. A city where future and tradition collides – perhaps best illustrated by the skyscrapers that feature gaping holes, designed to allow spirit dragons to soar from the hills to the waterfront unimpeded. View less Wander flowing shopping streets, wade through sprawling markets and soak up the neon glory of this one-of-a-kind city – which continues to reach for the sky. Hong Kong’s dense jumble of activity is one of its main appeals, but once you’ve felt the thrill of rising to towering observation decks, to see the soaring city from above, it’s surprisingly easy to find peace among Hong Kong’s intense urban wonders. Victoria Peak is the highest point and it offers staggering views down over the city and harbour. The Peak Tram funicular can ferry you to the top, to the vantage point which was historically adored by the rich for the cooler air found here, away from the busy bustle of the city streets. Many elaborate temples add a tranquil element to Hong Kong’s whirr, and Tin Hau temple has a surprisingly urban location, considering its dedication to the Goddess of the Sea. It did once occupy the shorefront, but the city’s growth saw land reclaimed from the sea around it, leaving the temple marooned inland. Having been leased to the British for 99 years, milky tea is a revered tradition here – enjoy your cup with a serving of local dim sum.While it’s easy to think all the bright lights are the sum of today’s Hong Kong, you need only walk or board a tram for the short jaunt west into Western to discover a side of Hong Kong that is more traditionally Chinese but no less high-energy. You’ll discover the real Hong Kong to the east of Central, too, in Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, and beyond. Amid the residential towers are restaurants, shopping malls, bars, convention centers, a nice smattering of museums, and—depending on fate and the horse you wager on—one of Hong Kong’s luckiest or unluckiest spots, the Happy Valley Racecourse. Kowloon sprawls across a generous swath of the Chinese mainland across Victoria Harbour from Central. Tsim Sha Tsui, at the tip of Kowloon peninsula, is packed with glitzy shops, first-rate museums, and eye-popping views of the skyline across the water. Just to the north are the teeming market streets of Mong Kok and in the dense residential neighborhoods beyond, two of Hong Kong’s most enchanting spiritual sights, Wong Tai Sin Temple and Chi Lin Nunnery. As you navigate this huge metropolis (easy to do on the excellent transportation network), keep in mind that streets are usually numbered odd on one side, even on the other. There’s no baseline for street numbers and no block-based numbering system, but street signs indicate building numbers for any given block.

A spectacular, serrated skyline of soaring towers and neon lights, Hong Kong is a vibrant, immersive metropolis and cultural hub. Dramatic harbour-front light shows transform the waterfront’s gleaming buildings into a colourful canvas – best seen from the Star Ferry, when the Symphony of Lights blares into life each evening. A city where future and tradition collides – perhaps best illustrated by the skyscrapers that feature gaping holes, designed to allow spirit dragons to soar from the hills to the waterfront unimpeded. View less Wander flowing shopping streets, wade through sprawling markets and soak up the neon glory of this one-of-a-kind city – which continues to reach for the sky. Hong Kong’s dense jumble of activity is one of its main appeals, but once you’ve felt the thrill of rising to towering observation decks, to see the soaring city from above, it’s surprisingly easy to find peace among Hong Kong’s intense urban wonders. Victoria Peak is the highest point and it offers staggering views down over the city and harbour. The Peak Tram funicular can ferry you to the top, to the vantage point which was historically adored by the rich for the cooler air found here, away from the busy bustle of the city streets. Many elaborate temples add a tranquil element to Hong Kong’s whirr, and Tin Hau temple has a surprisingly urban location, considering its dedication to the Goddess of the Sea. It did once occupy the shorefront, but the city’s growth saw land reclaimed from the sea around it, leaving the temple marooned inland. Having been leased to the British for 99 years, milky tea is a revered tradition here – enjoy your cup with a serving of local dim sum.While it’s easy to think all the bright lights are the sum of today’s Hong Kong, you need only walk or board a tram for the short jaunt west into Western to discover a side of Hong Kong that is more traditionally Chinese but no less high-energy. You’ll discover the real Hong Kong to the east of Central, too, in Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, and beyond. Amid the residential towers are restaurants, shopping malls, bars, convention centers, a nice smattering of museums, and—depending on fate and the horse you wager on—one of Hong Kong’s luckiest or unluckiest spots, the Happy Valley Racecourse. Kowloon sprawls across a generous swath of the Chinese mainland across Victoria Harbour from Central. Tsim Sha Tsui, at the tip of Kowloon peninsula, is packed with glitzy shops, first-rate museums, and eye-popping views of the skyline across the water. Just to the north are the teeming market streets of Mong Kok and in the dense residential neighborhoods beyond, two of Hong Kong’s most enchanting spiritual sights, Wong Tai Sin Temple and Chi Lin Nunnery. As you navigate this huge metropolis (easy to do on the excellent transportation network), keep in mind that streets are usually numbered odd on one side, even on the other. There’s no baseline for street numbers and no block-based numbering system, but street signs indicate building numbers for any given block.

One of Japan’s most southerly major cities, Kagoshima is dominated by the imposing Sakurajima volcano’s cone – a legendary active volcano that broods, churns and puffs out ash nearby. A pretty old-time ferry chugs across the still waters to the gently sloping foothills of the volcano’s cone, and it’s easy to imagine where the comparisons with its sister city Naples materialised, as you sail the glorious sweeping Kinko Bay, below beaming sunshine, towards the immense volcanic spectacle. View less This is certainly no historic relic, and the volcano remains revered and feared, with the most dramatic recent eruption taking place in 1914, and spewing out a new bridge of land into the sea. Make the most of the geothermal activity in the area by indulging in a stress-simmering black sand bath. Incredibly relaxing, you’ll be submerged in the warm sand, as you feel your muscles relaxing in the heat, and rejuvenating blood pumping around your body. Enjoy a privileged view of the iconic volcano’s loom from the terraced garden of Senganen Garden. Built in 1658, this elegant, traditional garden has belonged to the Shimadzu family for 350 years. Wander the gardens – which bloom with Japan’s renowned cherry tree blossoms and feature tiny bridges looping over ponds and rock pools – before sitting back and sipping a wholesome green matcha latte. Elsewhere, museums offer Feudal Era and Satsuma Province history, as well as insights into the Kamikaze squadrons of World War II. Lake Ikeda is also close by, so be sure to keep an eye out for the legendary Issie monster.

Japan’s third-biggest city has thrown off its shackles and stepped out of the shadows to light up the sky with glaring neon signs and a larger than life outlook. Giant octopuses cling to buildings and bustling restaurants pack in the crowds in this great and garish place, which is Japan at its most friendly, extroverted and flavourful. So dive in headfirst to experience an all-out sensory assault of delicious food, shopping cathedrals and glittering temples. View less Dotombori Bridge bathes in the multicoloured, jewel-like lights of signage-plastered buildings, and the neon lights dance on the canal’s waters below. Osaka is known as the nation’s kitchen, and the Kuromon Ichiba Market has served as the city’s spot to tuck in for almost 200 years. Full of street food stalls – try pufferfish, savoury Okonomiyaki pancakes, or ginger and onion flavoured octopus, among the endless feast of exotic flavours. Osaka Castle is another of the city’s landmarks, built in the 16th century by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. A modern museum now waits inside, where you can learn about the country’s history, and why this castle is a symbol of Japanese unity. Be sure to take the elevator up to the observation deck for a panoramic view of Osaka’s spread. A colourful park encloses the castle and blooms with an ocean of pale pink cherry blossom during the season – the elegant black tiers rising from the pink haze below is one of Osaka’s most alluring visions. Kyoto’s peaceful cultural treasures and temples are also just a short jaunt away on Japan’s sleek trains, should you wish to explore further afield.