City Guides - Asia
Bangkok, Thailand Featured
Bangkok’s reputation for excess precedes it. Sleazy, energetic, and the gateway to what many see as the world’s greatest backpackers’ paradise, it’s a city that on the surface seems like it’s all play: toxic buckets of alcohol on the streets, fried insects to test your stomach further, and a dubious assortment of clubs where anything goes.
It’s hard to escape news of China’s progress these days, and Shanghai is the city right at the heart of it. As the ever-changing face of a fast-growing world power’s modernity, you’ll find iconic skylines, international cuisines and something of a rat-race feel, but in a trendy, make the most of life way. You might be surrounded by suited businessmen, but the noveau rich of Shanghai certainly know how to party all night.
Located on the sun-soaked Persian Gulf coast, Dubai is described as a glitzy and glamorous city. With myriad shopping malls, flamboyant hotels, a dizzying array of hip clubs and bars, it’s certainly a city to spoil yourself in.
Tokyo, Japan Featured
The land of the rising sun has always held a certain mystique for many. With the ultra-modern, neon-glowing streets intermingled with aging temples and a culture that still leans heavily on ancient Confucian values, it’s a vibrant, blended society that has something to offer every type of traveler. As long as you have ample supplies of cash to burn, that is.
You only have to hear the word Bali, and the mind itself wanders into a dreamlike place where worries are cast adrift and the sun and sand are life’s only concerns. It’s an iconic island, an alien yet relaxing part of Indonesia that’s home to fascinating cultures and perfect desert-island days. Rice is Bali's main crop. The elaborate irrigation systems encourage a cooperative way of life between the rice growers.
Sensual Kuala Lumpur (known as KL), Malaysia’s modern and eclectic capital, can be summed up in its smells, a side-effect of the captivating culture blend. The modern, skyscraper clad districts are perforated by the headache-inducing scents of petrol rising from the endless queues of taxis. Temples seem to drip with the poignant smoke of countless sticks of incense, while the markets suffer under the sickly sweet stench of the ever-present and ever-toxic durian fruit.
