Traveling in Southeast Asia can get a bit samey-samey after a while. It’s all temples, heat and tourist traps, right? Until you get to Hanoi. The Vietnamese capital is like a breath of fresh air. The city is a graceful pastiche of cultural influences from the French and Chinese, while the Vietnamese have stubbornly retained [...]

During the summer holidays, some Italians make for fashionable islands like Capri or the calm waters of Lake Garda. But those who head to the Riviera Romagnola on the Adriatic coast, have a rather less serene experience. With a mixture of pride and embarrassment – that is how locals tell you they are off on [...]

WE were supposed to visit Narail months ago. But then many moons moaned by and all our plans collapsed one after another for one reason or another. Finally when we found time, it began with a disaster. On a perfectly nice winter morning, we parked our car at the Mawa police station for two nights [...]

Whenever you see three Cambodians, remember the fourth one who was killed by the Khmer Rouge.” A friend shared this sobering thought on the eve of a special adventure I was about to embark on: a bicycling trip from Bangkok to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. While this undercurrent of sadness was a part of the [...]

China Star’s maiden voyage Billed as “the world’s only six-star, twin-hull cruise ship,” the 12-deck China Star (中华之星) will embark on her maiden voyage from Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour on March 8 at 2.30 p.m. The 131-meter-long, 295-ton vessel will carry 200 passengers and 200 crew on a two-day, one-night voyage around the South China Sea. According [...]

Granada is made up of far more than just a Moorish citadel dipped in a modern Christian coating. Legendary cultures collide in this Andalucían city, throwing out a nebulous mix of bohemians, poets, business people, artists and musicians. Here are some ideas on where to go once the main act is over. Realejo quarter Staggering [...]

Bali is not short of beaches. But with over 2.5 million tourists descending on the Island of the Gods in 2010 alone, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a quiet spot. Here are five Bali beaches that aren’t overrun with other people. 1. Balangan Beach Hang loose with Bali’s surf community at Balangan Beach. When [...]

This picturesque city looks exactly as Mozart’s hometown should, with baroque squares, majestic spires and a fairytale fortress bearing down on cobbled streets. Pilgrims flock here for another musical triumph – The Sound of Music was filmed in the city. See The gardens of Schloss Mirabell are where Julie Andrews and the von Trapps sang [...]

  Fact or fiction? Tokyo wouldn’t exist without the efforts of real-life ninja. Fact — 100 percent fact. And they’re still here today, in a manner of speaking. Don’t get us wrong. There aren’t any secret training grounds or black-clad assassins leaping from rooftop to rooftop (if only). The signs are subtler than that, but [...]

Stephane Mattei, TV producer Breakfast at Le Ceylan, tel: (33-49) 551 4240, is a must for its first-class people watching — nearly all of Ajaccio stops by. Next, take a stroll along rue Fesch, the main commercial strip, stopping at the Fesch Museum, tel: (33-49) 521 4817, which boasts one of the largest collections of [...]