Singapore to Mumbai

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. View less

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.

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. View less

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.

Towered over by the world’s most famous architectural siblings – the Petronas Twin Towers – Kuala Lumpur is a staggering melting pot of influences. These twin towers stand 451 metres over the city and bathe in bright lights as night’s cloak descends. The glittering skyline mingles with colonial architecture and ornate temples, which decorate lush hillsides around the city. Haggle your way through humming markets, visit cultural treasures and historic sites, and dive headfirst into this city, where tradition collides head-on with modernity.

Penang is the northern gateway to Malaysia and the country’s oldest British settlement. To the tourist industry, Penang has been marketed for a long time as the “Pearl of the Orient.” When the British under Captain Francis Light took possession of Penang in 1786, they found the island covered in dense jungle and uninhabited, except for a handful of Malay fishermen and a few pirates. The small township, named Georgetown after George III (Prince of Wales), developed around the camp by the harbor. Many immigrants were attracted by the newly declared free port status and the island quickly became a cultural melting pot with an eclectic mix of races and religions in a unique blend of east and west. By 1789, Georgetown had a population of 5,000. By the end of the next decade, the population had doubled.

Langkawi is the main island in a group of 104 islands that comprise the Langkawi archipelago, which is located where the Straits of Melaka meet the waters of the Andaman Sea. Once a sanctuary for pirates, Langkawi Island was a well-kept secret until it was made a duty-free port in 1987. Since then, the construction of modern amenities has created an idyllic Malaysian getaway. Its natural beauty and intriguing past make Langkawi a treasure trove for visitors to discover. The name is coined from the Malay words Lang, a brown eagle, and Kawi, a local manganese stone.

Thailand’s only island province is connected to the mainland by the Thep Krasettree Causeway. Known as the “Pearl of Thailand,” Phuket offers pristine beaches, lush vegetation, traditional villages and seascapes of huge limestone pillars that rise above the turquoise waters of Phang Nga Bay. With a land area of 215 square miles, Phuket Island is Thailand’s largest island and about the same size as Singapore. Arab and Indian navigators have called here since the end of the 9th century, while the first Europeans arrived in the 16th century.

Rising majestically up from emerald waters, Port Blair in the Andaman Islands has to be seen to be believed. An ex-18th century penal colony, the island is today the capital city in the Andamans as well as being the main entry point for the rest of the archipelago. As with the other islands in the archipelago (86% of the Andamans are covered with forest), wildlife is diverse and plentiful and offers much in the way of amusement: 270 species of birds (including 14 endemic birds) call the islands home.

Far to the south of Sri Lanka is the city of Hambantota with a colorful and storied traditional Ruhuna past and great promise for the future. This gateway to Sri Lanka is rich in resources and since being upset by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, has put great emphasis on rebuilding and moving progressively into a central role in the development of the southern region of Sri Lanka. Traditionally an agricultural area, the region is also known for having some of the country’s most skilled jewelers and crafts people.

Perfumed flower garlands, colonial roots, and lavish afternoon teas welcome you to the former garden city of Colombo. Sri Lanka’s easy breezy city is certainly intoxicating, with its cinnamon dusted air, steaming cups of delicate ceylon, and sassy seaside charm. A place of full sensory immersion, explore tangled streets to sidestep frantic tuk-tuks and gaze in awe at grand colonial buildings turned heritage hotels. Cute cafes usher you inside for sweet lassi, and the walls are made for a pleasantly laxidasical pace of walking.

They’re perhaps most impressive on stormy days, when you can watch bruised clouds tumble and roil across the sea from this perfect vantage point. Back in the capital, stroll the ornate halls of the National Museum where gilded swords, studded masks, and rare artefacts from the ancient world and colonial times are gathered. Visit the Gangaramaya Temple, to walk among the orange-robed monks who glide between flora-strewn alters, or plunge into the chaos of Pettah – where market cries reach orchestral heights. An incredible gathering of carved Hindu gods decorate the colourful pyramid of the Captain’s Garden Kovil temple – the oldest Hindu temple in the city, which rises majestically from the surrounding railway tracks. Forever the dish of the day, crab is a must in Colombo. Sit down, tuck in your bib and use your hands to crack, scoop and suck out the soft white meat – especially delicious when smothered in lashings of garlic and fiery chilli.

Perfumed flower garlands, colonial roots, and lavish afternoon teas welcome you to the former garden city of Colombo. Sri Lanka’s easy breezy city is certainly intoxicating, with its cinnamon dusted air, steaming cups of delicate ceylon, and sassy seaside charm. A place of full sensory immersion, explore tangled streets to sidestep frantic tuk-tuks and gaze in awe at grand colonial buildings turned heritage hotels. Cute cafes usher you inside for sweet lassi, and the walls are made for a pleasantly laxidasical pace of walking.

They’re perhaps most impressive on stormy days, when you can watch bruised clouds tumble and roil across the sea from this perfect vantage point. Back in the capital, stroll the ornate halls of the National Museum where gilded swords, studded masks, and rare artefacts from the ancient world and colonial times are gathered. Visit the Gangaramaya Temple, to walk among the orange-robed monks who glide between flora-strewn alters, or plunge into the chaos of Pettah – where market cries reach orchestral heights. An incredible gathering of carved Hindu gods decorate the colourful pyramid of the Captain’s Garden Kovil temple – the oldest Hindu temple in the city, which rises majestically from the surrounding railway tracks. Forever the dish of the day, crab is a must in Colombo. Sit down, tuck in your bib and use your hands to crack, scoop and suck out the soft white meat – especially delicious when smothered in lashings of garlic and fiery chilli.

Pepper, ginger, coffee and cashew nuts flow through the important Indian port of New Mangalore – a red-roofed town of many flavours. Taste freshly caught fish, smothered in taste-bud tantalising spice pastes, and visit stunning temples and spectacular pine-tree lined beaches – with plenty of space to relax and recharge. The whacks and whoops of make-shift cricket games echo from grassy clearings, while rickshaws flit through the streets, and incredible smells of cuisine drift out from kitchens. View less

India can be a thrillingly chaotic and stimulating place, but the Kadri Manjunath Temple is a tranquil oasis of serenity, and one of the country’s most beautiful temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. Trees and shrines intertwine, while the towers are embedded with golden deities. A little outside of the city, Kateel Shri Durgaparameshwari Temple is another beautiful site, nestled within the flow of the Nandin River. There is an unusually high congregation of Catholic worshipers in New Mangalore, and St. Aloysius Chapel is their colourful place of worship. Richly decorated inside, vibrant frescoes from the brush of Antonio Moscheni are lavished across the interior, rivalling some of Italy’s finest. Lazy waves roll ashore at New Mangalore’s tranquil beaches, where you can settle back and relax. Cool off with a dip in the waters, or bob on the surface in a leisurely boat. Enjoy wide panoramas of the sunset bouncing off waves where long-legged, wading birds tread carefully.

Mumbai, or Bombay as it is more commonly known, is India’s business capital. In the 500 years since its “discovery” by the Portuguese, Mumbai has been transformed from an aboriginal fishing village into a sprawling metropolis of some 14 million people. It is the money capital of India, a magnet for entrepreneurs, the home of India’s stock exchange, and headquarters for many national and international companies.

Mumbai, or Bombay as it is more commonly known, is India’s business capital. In the 500 years since its “discovery” by the Portuguese, Mumbai has been transformed from an aboriginal fishing village into a sprawling metropolis of some 14 million people. It is the money capital of India, a magnet for entrepreneurs, the home of India’s stock exchange, and headquarters for many national and international companies.