5* Hong Kong & Tokyo Stays with Historic Treasures of China

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.

China's showpiece city Shanghai is staggering in its scope and scale. A city of 24 million and growing Shanghai is a global centre of soaring skyscrapers that is bursting with modernity and energy. The past hasn't been totally engulfed however and leafy colonial streets and delicate temples linger below the skyward scramble. Wealthy and wild Shanghai is one of China's most welcoming cities and you'll find a hedonistic flair of excess and exuberance below the iconic jagged Lujiazui skyline. Shanghai's celebrated waterfront The Bund is adorned with grand European style buildings and Art Deco wonders. The glowing orb of the Pearl Tower meanwhile rockets above the bending Yangtze River providing a tall exclamation mark to China's futuristic vision. Just as the urban spread and claustrophobic towers begin to overwhelm you can discover the tranquillity of ancient temples and gardens. Then stumble upon the contorted twist of the Shanghai Tower a spectacular tube of glass and steel that dwarfs the city as the world's second-tallest building. Join Shanghai's high rollers to drink in swanky bars and restaurants or bite explosively flavourful street food below a flood of neon lights. More earthy delights keep the city grounded - head to an open park where locals flow through tai chi routines en masse or explore rich cultural treasures like the Jade Buddha Temple. A sensory assault Shanghai is China at its most extreme and intense yet perhaps most accessible and open-minded.

China's showpiece city Shanghai is staggering in its scope and scale. A city of 24 million and growing Shanghai is a global centre of soaring skyscrapers that is bursting with modernity and energy. The past hasn't been totally engulfed however and leafy colonial streets and delicate temples linger below the skyward scramble. Wealthy and wild Shanghai is one of China's most welcoming cities and you'll find a hedonistic flair of excess and exuberance below the iconic jagged Lujiazui skyline. Shanghai's celebrated waterfront The Bund is adorned with grand European style buildings and Art Deco wonders. The glowing orb of the Pearl Tower meanwhile rockets above the bending Yangtze River providing a tall exclamation mark to China's futuristic vision. Just as the urban spread and claustrophobic towers begin to overwhelm you can discover the tranquillity of ancient temples and gardens. Then stumble upon the contorted twist of the Shanghai Tower a spectacular tube of glass and steel that dwarfs the city as the world's second-tallest building. Join Shanghai's high rollers to drink in swanky bars and restaurants or bite explosively flavourful street food below a flood of neon lights. More earthy delights keep the city grounded - head to an open park where locals flow through tai chi routines en masse or explore rich cultural treasures like the Jade Buddha Temple. A sensory assault Shanghai is China at its most extreme and intense yet perhaps most accessible and open-minded.

China's showpiece city Shanghai is staggering in its scope and scale. A city of 24 million and growing Shanghai is a global centre of soaring skyscrapers that is bursting with modernity and energy. The past hasn't been totally engulfed however and leafy colonial streets and delicate temples linger below the skyward scramble. Wealthy and wild Shanghai is one of China's most welcoming cities and you'll find a hedonistic flair of excess and exuberance below the iconic jagged Lujiazui skyline. Shanghai's celebrated waterfront The Bund is adorned with grand European style buildings and Art Deco wonders. The glowing orb of the Pearl Tower meanwhile rockets above the bending Yangtze River providing a tall exclamation mark to China's futuristic vision. Just as the urban spread and claustrophobic towers begin to overwhelm you can discover the tranquillity of ancient temples and gardens. Then stumble upon the contorted twist of the Shanghai Tower a spectacular tube of glass and steel that dwarfs the city as the world's second-tallest building. Join Shanghai's high rollers to drink in swanky bars and restaurants or bite explosively flavourful street food below a flood of neon lights. More earthy delights keep the city grounded - head to an open park where locals flow through tai chi routines en masse or explore rich cultural treasures like the Jade Buddha Temple. A sensory assault Shanghai is China at its most extreme and intense yet perhaps most accessible and open-minded.

Set on the north-east coast of the Bohai Sea, Tianjin’s port opens up the city and serves as a gateway to Beijing - which lies approximately three-hours drive inland. Tianjin is a vast and impressive city in its own right, with oodles of character and charm – especially since it received a comprehensive facelift for China’s Olympic Games in 2008. There is deep international history here, as the area was conceded to foreign powers during the Opium Wars. As a result, it’s peppered with historical buildings, temples and palaces, and you'll encounter a dizzying swirl of cultures. There is a distinctive European flavour in places - notably the architecture of the Five Avenues, which features a blend of historical buildings from Europe's past empires. The skyscrapers of modern China’s booming economy have also sprung up, along with ambitious structures like the flowing curves of the library. Unique creations like the Tianjin Eye span the river – a fusion between a ferris wheel and a bridge, it glows brightly over the river's water at night. The Ancient Culture Street is a traditional Qing Dynasty style stretch of bustling, living history. For most, however, the allure of one of China and the world’s mega-cities, Beijing, will be too strong a draw. Visit immense cultural treasures like the extraordinary Forbidden City, an incredible central labyrinth of 800 palaces. The vast and iconic Tiananmen Square stretches out close by - watched over by a ginormous Chairman Mao portrait - where you can see the Chinese flag ceremonially hoisted high into the sky each day, and a venue where dramatic and iconic events of Chinese history have played out. You’re also within reach of one of the world’s most recognisable landmarks - the undulating expanse of the Great Wall of China, which snakes across the area's mountains.

The lantern-lit hot springs of Beppu, known for its eight scorching “Hells”, is a town that’s prettier than a picture. The town is found in a particularly volcanically active part of Japan (hence the abundance of hot springs, or in Japanese, onsens). The viewing pools have evocative names; think Sea Hell, Blood Pond Hell and Tornado Hell. While the names might seem a little off putting, the reality is stunning; sulphur laced air and vast spectrums of blues and reds, depending on the mineralisation of the earth.As if the gorgeous palette of colours at the onsen was not enough, Beppu is also world famous for its Sakura, or cherry blossom season. More than 2,000 cherry trees near the base of the ropeway to Mount Tsurumi make for one of Beppu’s most impressive hanami (flower viewing) spots. If not lucky enough to be in the area during Sakura, from May to June rhododendrons colour the mountain. The view from this 1,375m mountain is beyond impressive, allowing you to see all the way to the Kuju Mountains, Chugoku and Shikoku. If brave enough to climb all the way to the top, the stone Buddhas that were carved into the mountainside during the Heian Period (794-1185) are a worthy reward! As with much of Japan, duality is ever present. Modernity sits very comfortably by ancient buildings. While Beppu’s biggest pull is by far the hot springs and the thermal baths, nearby (10 km) Yufuin has a wealth of art museums, cafes and boutiques, catering to trend setters and urbanites alike.

Feel your heart thumping at your first sight of Japan’s most heavenly vision - Mount Fuji’s cone emerging through the haze. With its summit dipped in pure white snow the iconic volcano’s cone is one of the most famous natural landmarks in the world - and a picturesque backdrop for Shimizu. Come ashore to this serene vision of beauty – and whether you head straight for the siren-call of the volcano’s slopes or the sanctuary of gorgeous heritage-rich shrines and tranquil tea plantations - spine-tingling views of Japan’s most tallest mountain are never far away. A perfectly symmetrical spectacle visible for miles around Mount Fuji is an adored national symbol of Japan. Travel closer to its slopes to soak in some of the country’s finest panoramas. Or take in the views with a dash of local culture at the Fujisan Hongu Sengen Shrine – an elegant shrine that stands in thrall to the salt and pepper volcano close by. The Shiraito Waterfall World Heritage Site flows just beneath the volcano – visit to see the gloriously wide curtain of water gushing through the thick vegetation. Visit Kunozan Toshogu Shrine for another perspective or to soak up the tranquil site before swinging above on a scenic ropeway. Located on the adjacent Mount Kuno – privileged views of the mountain and Suruga Bay will unroll before you. Nihondaira Plateau is another option where you can soak in panoramic views of the bay and Mount Fuji dominating behind.

Dense and delightful, there’s nowhere else like Japan’s kinetic capital - a city where ancient traditions blend seamlessly with a relentless pursuit for the future’s sharpest edge. See the city from above, as elevators rocket you up to towering viewing platforms, from which you can survey a vast urban ocean, interspersed with sky-scraping needles. Look out as far as the distant loom of Mount Fuji’s cone on clear days. Futuristic – second-accurate - transport seamlessly links Tokyo’s 14 districts, while the glow of flashing advertisement boards, clanks of arcade machines, and waves of humanity flowing along its streets, adds to the sense of mesmerising, dizzying and glorious sensory overload. One of Tokyo’s most iconic sights, don’t miss the flood of people scrambling to cross Shibuya’s famous intersection. Join the choreographed dance, as crowds of briefcase-carrying commuters are given the green light to cross at the same time – bathed in the light of massive neon advertisements. The culture is immensely rich and deep, with 7th-century, lantern-decorated temples, stunning palaces and tranquil scarlet shrines waiting below cloaks of incense and nestling between soaring skyscrapers. Restaurants serve up precisely prepared sushi, and wafer-thin seafood slivers, offering a unique taste of the country’s refined cuisine. Settle into traditional teahouses, to witness intricate ceremonies, or join the locals as they fill out karaoke bars to sing the night away. In the spring, cherry blossom paints a delicate pink sheen over the city’s innumerable parks and gardens.