Singapore to Hong Kong

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. 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.

With a fascinating multicultural history, Malacca is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site with much to explore. It was a trading center with China, India, and Indonesia, and was at one time occupied by Arabs, Portuguese, Dutch, and British, resulting in an abundance of historical sites and an interesting local cuisine.

Thailand’s second-largest island invites you to sink into indulgent wellness spas and lounge on pristine beaches Or head out on enriching explorations among golden pagodas elephant sanctuaries and rushing waterfalls. With its silky-smooth sands and irresistible sapphire-coloured seas Chaweng Beach is one of the island’s most popular offering shallow turquoise water perfect for swimming. Head to an opulent resort to soak up this dream setting in style. Lamai is another white sand option where you can lie back and listen to the sounds of the waves gently folding onto the shore. Or indulge in a Thai massage before settling into waterfront bars and restaurants. Reefs nearby offer exciting snorkelling adventures spotting colourful fish life swirling below the waves. A ramp of 73 steps leads up to The Big Buddha statue sitting in a contemplative peaceful pose. Buddhist worshipers come here to give their offerings of fruit and flowers. Familiarise yourself with the locals’ religion and customs before catching the dazzling pinks and fuchsias colours of sunset - watching on as the last of the sun’s rays fall over the beautiful sea and beaches. With its many palm trees rustling in the gentle breeze it’s no surprise that Koh Samui is said to have the best coconuts in Thailand - so this is a perfect place to try the exotic refreshment of sweet coconut water or a cocktail. Seafood is also particularly revered here try tom yum a spicy soup of shrimps lemongrass and a hearty squeeze of lime juice.

A voyage of flavour and an all-out sensory assault Bangkok is one of the world's most fascinating cities and a place to plunge right in at the deep end. Immense tradition and relentless modernity combines and it's these contrasts and collisions that make Bangkok the remarkable all-encompassing experience it is. Ornate towers and places of worship blend in alongside cathedral-like shopping malls and skyscrapers while the streets hum with bartering from the markets that spill out wherever you walk. Part of Bangkok's allure is that Iife is well and truly played out on its streets. Stalls of flowers spices and silk fabrics fill bustling alleyways with colour and exotic fragrances. You can find fine dining hidden away here - including Michellin-starred restaurants - but the real Bangkok is the feast of flavours on street level - where authentic Pad Thai is cooked up alongside spicy papaya salad. To truly know Bangkok you must sail the waters of the Chao Phraya river which provides a cooling thoroughfare through the city. You'll sail through Bangkok's soul with glorious temples leaning up against the river's banks filled with intricately decorated Buddha statues. One of the country's most sacred sites - the Temple of the Emerald Buddha - rises in a river bend while the beautiful Grand Palace and the skyscraper-like tower of the colourful Wat Arun temple also watch out over the water.

A voyage of flavour and an all-out sensory assault Bangkok is one of the world's most fascinating cities and a place to plunge right in at the deep end. Immense tradition and relentless modernity combines and it's these contrasts and collisions that make Bangkok the remarkable all-encompassing experience it is. Ornate towers and places of worship blend in alongside cathedral-like shopping malls and skyscrapers while the streets hum with bartering from the markets that spill out wherever you walk. Part of Bangkok's allure is that Iife is well and truly played out on its streets. Stalls of flowers spices and silk fabrics fill bustling alleyways with colour and exotic fragrances. You can find fine dining hidden away here - including Michellin-starred restaurants - but the real Bangkok is the feast of flavours on street level - where authentic Pad Thai is cooked up alongside spicy papaya salad. To truly know Bangkok you must sail the waters of the Chao Phraya river which provides a cooling thoroughfare through the city. You'll sail through Bangkok's soul with glorious temples leaning up against the river's banks filled with intricately decorated Buddha statues. One of the country's most sacred sites - the Temple of the Emerald Buddha - rises in a river bend while the beautiful Grand Palace and the skyscraper-like tower of the colourful Wat Arun temple also watch out over the water.

Let Cambodia’s leading beach spot Sihanoukville draw you in with promises of relaxed white sand beaches and exotic island adventures. Formerly known as Kampong Som Sihanoukville bathes in the balmy waters of the Gulf of Thailand and is perfect for ventures out among the area's mangrove forests ornate temples and wild beaches. Local sands like Otres and Independence beaches offer easy access relaxation or you can head out across the bobbing waves to islands of palm trees and wooden fishing boats like Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem. Or explore from Sihanoukville and hop on a tuk-tuk to visit the Kbal Chhay Waterfall which cascades close by. Surrounded by greenery and trees the waters thunder dramatically after being awoken by fresh rainfall. The Wat Leu Buddhist temple rises over the city with an intricately painted roof and triple-headed elephant statue. It’s a beautiful peaceful site with sweeping views down from the hill but it’s the lounging monkeys who often steal the show. Elsewhere the city’s war memorial hints at the dark events of Cambodia’s past. Walk among the dense web-like roots of mangrove forests in Ream National Park as you push a kayak through waterways and discover white sand beaches and stilted wooden huts. With 37 000 acres of park to explore and more than 150 different birds flocking to the area. All of that activity is sure to build an appetite – enjoy a local flavour of Khmer cuisine and try fish served up in coconut milk with a ginger kick in the local dish amok.

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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. 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.