East Asia Escapade

Singapore is an island nation located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. It lies 137 km N of the Equator, just south of the Malaysian state of Johor. One of the few remaining city-states in the world, Singapore is a thriving cosmopolitan city that is brimming with diversity and has a multiplicity of culture, language, arts and architecture and a world famous variety of cuisine. Read more about Singapore, Singapore

Bandar Seri Begawan, or Bandar as it's known locally, is the capital of Brunei and the Sultanate's only settlement of any real size. Straddling the northern bank of a bend in the Brunei River, the city is distinguished by its unlikely mixture of striking modern buildings and traditional homes. Due mainly to the discovery of oil, it now stands as an attractive, clean and modern city. Read more about Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam

Kota Bharu (New City) is the capital of Kelantan, a state of Malaysia. It lies near the coast on the N side of the Malay Peninsular, 16km from the border with Thailand. The city lies about 10km upstream on the Kelantan River, which flows northwards into the Gulf of Thailand. Read more about Kota Bharu, Malaysia

Puerto Princesa City (pop. 255,000) is the westernmost city of the Philippines, situated on the island of Palawan. Spanish colonisers founded the city in 1872, and since then it has passed through administrations of the US and Japan. Read more about Puerto Princesa, Philippines

Borocay is a small island of the Philippines, located approximately 315 km south of Manila. This long (7 km) thin island is a tourist resort, one of the world's top destinations for relaxation. The island has long white talcum-fine beaches that rival many of the world’s best. Read more about Boracay, Philippines

Manila, the capital of the Philippines and the most densely populated city in the world, is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay, on the western side of the island of Luzon. This metropolis has certainly come a long way from being a fortified settlement and renowned trading centre in the 13th century. The city attracts over one million visitors from all over the world annually. Read more about Manila, Philippines

Kaohsiung is located in SW Taiwan facing the Taiwan Strait. It is home to a major port, is Taiwan's second largest city, and its largest industrial centre. Interestingly, ferries play a key role in everyday transportation. Read more about Kaohsuing, Taiwan, Province of China

Hong Kong, situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and the South China Sea, is a kaleidoscope of life, a sophisticated fusion of East and West, a city of diversity where new and old meet at every turn. Hong Kong offers a host of memorable tourist attractions within its compact area. Victoria Harbour and the Giant Buddha are among the most awe-inspiring. Read more about Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Hong Kong, situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and the South China Sea, is a kaleidoscope of life, a sophisticated fusion of East and West, a city of diversity where new and old meet at every turn. Hong Kong offers a host of memorable tourist attractions within its compact area. Victoria Harbour and the Giant Buddha are among the most awe-inspiring. Read more about Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Taipei, located on the Danshui River, is the largest city and the capital of Taiwan, in the Republic of China. It lies 25 km SW of the Pacific Ocean port Keelung in northern Taiwan. Now a sprawling metropolis, for those who love the hustle and bustle of a big city, it truly is a great place to visit. Read more about Taipei (Keelung), Taiwan, Province of China

Ishigaki is the largest city for the Yaeyama Island Group, and is located on Ishigaki Island, as is the area's major boat terminal, Ishigaki Port. It is the southernmost of the Ryukyu (or Nansei) Islands chain, of which the largest is Okinawa. The island enjoys a thriving culture steeped in traditions that are a mixture from Japan, China, nearby Taiwan (230km to the west), and its former trading partners. Read more about Ishigaki, Japan

Shanghai, at the mouth of the Yangtze River on the mid-coast of mainland China, is the most populous city in the People's Republic. It is the largest centre of commerce and finance on mainland China, and the show-piece of the world's fastest-growing major economy. It is a major cruise port rivalling Hong Kong and Singapore, and the largest container port in the world. Read more about Shanghai, China

Shanghai, at the mouth of the Yangtze River on the mid-coast of mainland China, is the most populous city in the People's Republic. It is the largest centre of commerce and finance on mainland China, and the show-piece of the world's fastest-growing major economy. It is a major cruise port rivalling Hong Kong and Singapore, and the largest container port in the world. Read more about Shanghai, China

The capital of the prefecture of the same name, Hiroshima, situated at the centre of the Chugoku region in western Honshu – Japan’s largest island – is possibly best known for being the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon. Today, though, it is a modern cosmopolitan city with wide boulevards and criss-crossing rivers. Many of the famous attractions are connected to the horrific split second of the bomb blast on August 6, 1945, and are truly well worth visiting. Read more about Hiroshima, Japan

Kobe is the capital of the Hyogo Prefecture and lies on the southern side of the main island of Honshu, Japan. A cosmopolitan port city with an international flavour it is hemmed in by Mt. Rokko, and it constantly comes up number one in expatriate rankings of the best place to live in Japan. Read more about Kobe, Japan

Nagoya, the fourth-largest city in Japan and one of its major ports, is located on the Pacific coast in the Chubu region on central Honshu. One of the two most famous sightseeing spots is the reconstructed Nagoya Castle that was built in 1612 with two golden carp on the roof, and that today is also home to an interesting museum that contains an ancient Atsuta shrine as well as some 4,400 national historic treasures. The Atsuta Shrine is known as the second-most venerable shrine in Japan, after Ise Shrine. Read more about Nagoya, Japan

Yokohama is located on the western coast of Tokyo Bay, less than half an hour's train journey directly south of Tokyo. It is the second largest city in Japan and one of the cities most visited by foreigners. Despite being devastated by bombings in WWII it remains a maritime city and retains an international flavour. Read more about Yokohama, Japan

Yokohama is located on the western coast of Tokyo Bay, less than half an hour's train journey directly south of Tokyo. It is the second largest city in Japan and one of the cities most visited by foreigners. Despite being devastated by bombings in WWII it remains a maritime city and retains an international flavour. Read more about Yokohama, Japan