URBAN ESCAPES

Cosmopolitan environment. Exciting ambience. Quirky backstreets. Glowing skyscrapers. Culinary encounters. Shopping Spree. Culture and history. Futuristic design. Romantic nights. Ancient Monuments. Spectacular views. Contemporary art. Dazzling markets. Endless entertainment and unlimited attractions… Cities represent civilisation and human achievement. They are bubbling microcosms of virtue and vices, vanguards of technology and creative pursuits, incubators of traditions and melting pots of diversity. Every city has its unique personality, scents and flavours and its own secrets. Today, more than a half of the world`s population lives in cities, and for visitors, they hold a great fascination.

VIENTIANE

Kissing a curve of the Mekong River, right at the border with Thailand, there lies the timid capital of Laos. Also called “The City of Sandalwood”, Vientiane is rather a bunch of small towns than a city, yet it is a place of a charming grace. Perhaps the footprints of the French from the time of colonisation contribute to the capital`s elegant character.

SINGAPORE

Singapore. A wealthy business metropolis and a global financial centre is one of the top expensive cities, reasonably associated with luxurious shopping malls, fine dining restaurants, fancy hotels and lavish resorts, prestigious yacht clubs and prominent events - a paradise for the rich. Business magnates and tycoons often name it "The Switzerland of Asia", and, indeed, Singapore is an opulence on a grand scale.

HO CHI MINH (SAIGON)

This crazy-making and seductive megalopolis beats with a palpable energy day and night. Ho Chi Minh is a thriving city where old and new collide. Gleaming skyscrapers, immaculate hotels, expensive restaurants, glitzy bars and designer shops stand in stark contrast to the ancient pagodas, Soviet-style housing blocks, ramshackle markets and wandering monks whilst the key historical sites provide a fascinating inside into the Vietnam War.

PHNOM PENH

At times beautiful and charming, at times chaotic and unattractive. Phnom Penh is a city of contradictions indeed. Extreme poverty and traces of the past national tragedy are not unnoticeable. On the other hand, the town centre presents extraordinary architecture; monumental temples, golden pagodas, colonial mansions and tree-lined boulevards manifest the fact that this place was once known as the “Jewel of Indochina”.

KUALA LUMPUR

A triumphant and forward-looking city, Kuala Lumpur vibrantly accommodates the traditional Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures with the buzz of thriving industry. Reaching the capital of Malaysia instantly impresses by the charming blend of tradition and innovation. This is the place where to admire the natural beauty of the tropics, quirky colonial buildings, warm and friendly locals, but also shiny skyscrapers and futuristic architecture.

HANOI

Hanoi`s beguiling boulevards, the Belle Époque architecture and peaceful parks and pagodas are enough to recommend it. But there is also the bonus of a vibrant, optimistic population and fantastic food. Here traffic likely overwhelms the newcomers and it is good to know that two wheels are better than four: motorbikes, bicycles and cyclos beat the cars and buses every day.

JAKARTA

Bounded to the north by the Java Sea and the south by the Bogor Hills, Indonesia`s overwhelming capital has long been the focus of the country`s changing face and it is slowly becoming a recognized travel destination. Jakarta is a tourist attraction itself, at times disturbing and gleaming – this is a megalopolis with a ‘loved and hated’ character. Perhaps the fact of being some of the most populous cities in our planet, polluted, jammed and deafening, decreases its reputation. Yet, its flavours and history will undoubtedly captivate and there are surprises to be expected at every corner.Indeed, Jakarta is a place of daunting extremes, with some of the world`s poorest peripheries found just a stone`s throw from the shining skyscrapers, where prosperity and poverty live hand in hand with each other.

YOGYAKARTA

It is said that Yogyakarta is the soul of Indonesia. Locally nicknamed ‘Yogya’, the city is Indonesia`s historic heartland and a place where the Javanese language is at its purest, Javanese arts are their brightest and Javanese tradition at their most visible. Once the centre of the ancient Mataram Sultanate, its environs are home to many important monuments and temples, scattered across the province. The special region of Yogyakarta is renowned as a centre of education, fine art and classical Javanese culture, batik, ballet, drama, music, poetry, puppet show, theatre and literature.

BANGKOK

A huge and sprawling city stretched along the banks of the mighty Chao Phraya River, Bangkok is proudly home to more than 6 million people. The Thai call it Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or ‘The City of Angels’, and this remarkable place is everything and more than you would imagine an Asian city to be. Somehow bewildered, as if it could not decide whether to continue growing its controversial reputation or stick to the ancient tradition of the peaceful Buddhist Kingdom. On the one hand, Bangkok is an exciting ultramodern metropolis, often associated with sex-tourism and endless nightlife, yet on the other one, it traces its roots to the powerful Siamese Empire of Ayutthaya, and the great history is evident at every corner. Nonetheless, ranked as the World`s Best City, there is no doubt that Bangkok fascinates.