sábado, 19 de marzo de 2011

36 Hours in Hong Kong

THE ASIA ISSUE: 36 HOURS

36 Hours in Hong Kong

Christie Johnston for The New York Times

From Left The shoe guru Rupert Sanderson's first flagship outside Britain; at Chi Lin Nunnery, a welcome respite from the urban bustle; the ever-popular dim sum house Tim Ho Wan. More Photos »

By NAOMI LINDT

Published: March 17, 2011

REPRINTS

IN Hong Kong, that most cosmopolitan of cities, contrasts abound. Ladies toting Gucci handbags wait two hours in dingy alleys for a coveted bowl of noodles. Incense-filled Buddhist temples fight for space with gleaming new high-rises. Cutting-edge art galleries share a block with junk shops. Always reinventing itself — a recent example being the rebirth of the former marine police headquarters as the 1881 Heritage, housing a luxury mall and boutique hotel — Hong Kong is a city of constant change. Its coiffed, work-hard-play-harder professionals attract the world’s most inventive chefs to their city, while the nonstop shoppers — soldiering on, late into the night — get first shot at the latest in fashion and design. Somehow, over seven million residents have managed to carve out a niche in this buzzing, compact, vertical city.

Hong Kong

Friday

5 p.m.
1) START WITH ART

Hong Kong has lagged behind places like New York and London when it comes to the arts. But recent high-profile arrivals like Ben Brown Fine Arts and the Gagosian Gallery, coupled with the city’s plans to develop the West Kowloon Cultural District over the next decade, signal a creative awakening. Head to trendy Sheung Wan and its independent galleries to see the latest in contemporary international art. For photography, try the Upper Station (22 Upper Station Street; 852-3486-2474;theupperstation.com), known for work that examines Hong Kong’s changing identity. The nonprofit Para/Site Art Space (4 Po Yan Street; 852-2517-4620; para-site.org.hk) hosts exhibitions that often feature political or social commentary by emerging artists from places like Indonesia and Thailand.

8 p.m.
2) CULINARY RENAISSANCE

Following a $65 million renovation involving designers like Colin Cowie and Charles Allem, the 50-year-old Hotel Miramar in Tsim Tsa Shui was reborn as the Mira Hotel in late 2009. Not only are the rooms getting raves, but its Cantonese restaurant, Cuisine Cuisine (118 Nathan Road; 852-2315-5222;themirahotel.com), scored two Michelin stars this year under Ken Yu, known for his use of fresh ingredients and exquisite homemade sauces. Dishes like honey-glazed barbecued pork (130 Hong Kong dollars, or about $17 at 7.6 Hong Kong dollars to the U.S. dollar) and pan-fried cod with pomelo sauce (240 dollars) are served under a ceiling of suspended glass balls.

10:30 p.m.
3) SING IT OUT

Karaoke bars come in all shapes and sizes on Kowloon, but to see fashionable 20- and 30-somethings in full crooner mode, head to Cloudnine on Minden Avenue’s night-life strip (No. 8; 852-2723-6383). In the dimly lighted back room, the casual cool crowd — men in designer jeans and sneakers, women with blunt bangs and in miniskirts — share bottles of Johnnie Walker and tackle syrupy Cantopop ballads while lounging on velour couches. For a breath of fresh air, head across the street for a glass of wine (66 Hong Kong dollars) on the leafy terrace at Courtney’s (No. 7, the Minden Hotel; 852-2739-7777;theminden.com).

Saturday

9 a.m.
4) TRADITIONAL TRACK

For over 100 years, compact double-decker trams (hktramways.com) have been rumbling back and forth across Hong Kong Island. They still provide one of the cheapest and most scenic ways to experience the city’s daily life with a bird’s-eye view. Hop on anywhere along the line, grab a seat on the upper deck and watch the colorful panorama unfold — outdoor markets spilling over with choy sum and bok choy; storefronts strung with glistening Peking duck; old-school barber shops; and high-rises budding from the hills. A one-way ride is just 2 Hong Kong dollars.

11 a.m.
5) NOODLE MANIA

Disembark near the Central MTR station and walk toward D’Aguilar Street to partake of another Hong Kong obsession: Butao Ramen (11-12 Wo On Lane; bowl of soup from 75 Hong Kong dollars). Hong Konger Meter Chen sampled more than 800 bowls of ramen during his 15 years in Japan before convincing his favorite Tokyo chef to join him in opening this tiny 15-seat dining spot last October. Devotees wait in line for up to two hours to slurp one of the day’s 200 bowls, which are filled with a salty pork-rib-based broth, thin noodles and finely sliced barbecued pork, ear mushrooms and scallions.

12:30 p.m.
6) THE BRITISH ARE COMING

The British fashion designer Gareth Pugh opened his first store in the world last year on Ice House Street (No. 10; 852-2801-5332), sharing the block with Comme des Garçons and Ann Demeulemeester. His goth-rock designs — cropped tops made of safety pins; second-skin leather pants — are housed in a creepy, cavernous space. A short walk away is Rupert Sanderson’s first flagship outside of Britain (8 On Lan Street; 852-2530-3391;rupertsanderson.com), where you’ll find patent oxfords and sky-high python-skin platforms.

3 p.m.
7) TEA TIME

Wind your way through pond- and bird-filled Hong Kong Park to reach the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware (10 Cotton Tree Drive; 852-2869-0690; hk.art.museum; free), which chronicles over 3,000 years of Chinese tea drinking. Housed in a 167-year-old Greek Revival mansion that was once the residence of the commander of the British forces, the collection includes intricately designed tea services with flourishes like mother-of-pearl inlay and hand-painted fish and swallows. Afterward, sip a perfectly steeped cup (from 38 Hong Kong dollars) at the adjacent antiques-filled Lock Cha Tea House (852-2801-7177; lockcha.com).

7:30 p.m.
8) CHEF’S TABLE

In response to astronomical rents and ruthless landlords, chef-run private kitchens — speakeasy-like restaurants in residential buildings — have taken Hong Kong by storm. A noteworthy newcomer is TBLS (31 Hollywood Road, seventh floor; 852-2544-3433; tbls-kitchenstudio.com), where the young Vietnamese-American chef Que Vinh Dang prepares a six-course set menu (580 Hong Kong dollars) that changes monthly. The open kitchen takes center stage in the minimalist space, producing dishes like cassoulet pot pie with homemade sausage, tomato-basil alphabet soup with a wagyu beef sloppy Joe, and “instant sangría”: macerated fruit, homemade rainbow sorbet and red wine. To secure one of the 26 seats, book at least a month in advance.

10 p.m.
9) SHAKE IT UP

The cocktail revolution has hit Hong Kong’s shores, led by year-old Lily & Bloom (33 Wyndham Street; 852-2810-6166; lily-bloom.com). The New York firm AvroKO (the Stanton Social, Public) designed the brasserie-meets-supper club space — black banquettes, wrought-iron chandeliers, vintage glassware — and the Milk & Honey alum Christy Pope consulted on the menu, which includes the Old Cuban (120 Hong Kong dollars), made with 23-year-old rum, mint and lime; and a blackberry-pineapple sidecar (110 dollars). At boudoir-themed Varga Lounge (36 Staunton Street; 852-2104-9697;greenflashgroup.com.hk), sip signature tipples like the absinthe-and-pineapple Green Fairy (70 dollars) among images of ’50s pinup girls and retro furniture.

Sunday

10 a.m.
10) HOT BUNS

Scoring a seat at the dim sum house Tim Ho Wan (2-20 Kwong Wa Street; 852-2332-2896) should be your main mission of the day. The chef Mak Pui Gor left his post at the Four Seasons’ three-star Lung King Heen in 2009 to open this crammed, hole-in-the-wall, which received its own star soon after opening. Everything is amazing here, but the sugarcoated baked barbecued pork buns (14 Hong Kong dollars) are superb. Waits can be as long as four hours and you’ll need to be pushy — don’t hesitate to repeatedly show your number to the gruff lady who runs the show and demand an update (you can ask for a wait estimate and return later). It’s worth it.

1 p.m.
11) SPIRITED GARDENS

The tranquil, bonsai-filled grounds and lotus ponds at Chi Lin Nunnery (5 Chi Lin Drive; 852-2354-1888; chilin.org) are a welcome respite from the urban bustle. Founded in 1934 but rebuilt in the 1990s, the wide-eaved Tang Dynasty-style wooden pavilions that make up the elaborate temple complex were built without a single nail. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch a glimpse of the shorn, brown- and gray-robed nuns placing orchids and bowls of fruit at the feet of gold-cloaked deities, just as they’ve done for decades.

IF YOU GO

The sprawling minimalist rooms at the Upper House (88 Queensway; 852-3968-1111;upperhouse.com) in Pacific Place, by the Hong Kong interior designer Andre Fu, offer commanding harbor and mountain views coupled with king-size beds, light wood paneling and limestone-clad baths. Doubles from 3,300 Hong Kong dollars, about $432.

Cherry red and lime green Arne Jacobsen Egg chairs punctuate the muted, technologically thoughtful rooms (in-room PC, Blu-ray player, mobile phone for guests’ use) at the design-savvy Mira (118 Nathan Road; 852-2368-1111; themirahotel.com), located among Tsim Sha Tsui’s many shops and restaurants. Doubles start at 1,615 dollars.

Occupying the top 16 floors of a 118-story building, the city’s tallest, the Ritz-Carlton (1 Austin Road West; 852-2263-2263; ritzcarlton.com) is making a triumphant return to Hong Kong. Introductory rates from 4,088 dollars.

A version of this article appeared in print on March 20, 2011, on page TR12 of the New York edition

THE ASIA ISSUE

37 Asian Odysseys

Ishara S.Kodikara/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

KANDY, SRI LANKA Traditional Sri Lankan dancers perform in front of the Temple of the Tooth, a sacred Buddhis site set on a lake in the city of Kandy. More Photos »

Published: March 18, 2011

REPRINTS

BALI
1 Ubud Get yourself to the bustling Ubud market by 6 a.m and watch the colorful daily routine of locals buying everything from fruit to religious offerings. Enjoy a hearty sweet or savory bubur (similar to rice pudding), and from there head by foot to the end of Jalan Kajeng for a 90-minute hike through traditional rice paddies to Tjampuhan, a neighboring hamlet. Top it all off with a healing Balinese-style massage at the Ubud Bodywork Centre back in town.

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Christie Johnston/Associated Press

UBUD, BALI Visitors can walk by traditional rice paddies. More Photos »

CAMBODIA
2 Phnom Penh Wake up early and hail a tuk-tuk to the Russian Market. Find the crafts section where hand-loomed silk scarves and silver jewelry can go for a song, and replicas of antique opium pipes and Angkorian-era Buddha statues will have anyone fooled. Have lunch at Friends,staffed by former street children who serve Khmer chicken curry, shrimp won tons and tempting cocktails (mangosteen daiquiri, anyone?). Then head to Sisowath Quay and hire a boat for a cruise on the Tonle Sap River for views of Phnom Penh’s pagoda-dotted skyline.

3 Siem Reap Once you’ve conquered Angkor, explore the area’s far-flung temples, like Banteay Srei, with its intricate red sandstone carvings. Mysterious Kbal Spean, or the River of a Thousand Lingas, is about 10 miles farther: a short walk through the jungle leads to a riverbed filled with Hindu sculptures. For an unadulterated Cambodian market experience, spend a morning at Psar Krom in Siem Reap, where you’ll shimmy through packed aisles lined with flopping fish, pink lotus flowers and bowls of fragrant herbal pastes.

CHINA
4 Beijing Get an early start at Panjiayuan, central Beijing’s open-air market, where you can pick your way through handmade furniture, art and stone carvings. Then take a guided bike ride and history lecture through the city’s vanishing hutongs, or alleyways, and around lively Houhai Lake. End near Mao’s mausoleum at Dazhalan Xijie, a hutong restored to century-ago status and filled with antiques, restaurants and shops (don’t miss the giant singing crickets caged on shop doors).

5 Bejing Have dinner at the Red Capital Club, a center-city hutong courtyard restored to kitschy Mao-era glory. Or try Duck de Chine, an elegant, industrial-chic Asian-French restaurant in another rebuilt courtyard, artfully hidden in the heart of Sanlitun, the city’s nightclub district.

6 Chengdu Watch bears take their breakfast at the Chengdu Panda Base at the edge of Sichuan Province’s capital. Back in town, shop for prayer flags and silver jewelry in the lively Tibetan Quarter, or head to nearby Jinli Ancient Street for Sichuanese specialties like hand-crafted shadow puppets. Join laid-back locals for a bottomless cup of chrysanthemum tea in the peaceful Wenshu Temple teahouse. Sample Chengdu-style hotpot — morsels boiled in a chili-infused broth — at Lao Ma Tou Hot Pot in the trendy Yulin neighborhood. And for a different sort of fire-breathing drama, nothing beats a performance at the Sichuan Opera House.

7 Mount Emei, Sichuan There’s more than one way up the misty slopes of Chinese Buddhism’s highest holy mountain. Climb thousands of stairs and stay overnight in monasteries along the 32-mile main path. At the apex, the Golden Summit is home to a huge golden multifaced Buddha on a four-headed elephant — a great spot to take in the sunrise. Or take buses and cable cars to sights halfway up, like the terraced Wannian Temple. Stop at the Hard Wok Cafe just off the Venerable Trees Terrace, whose monastery is home to both chanting monks and mischievous monkeys.

8 Shanghai Start in the historic Bund area, on the west bank of the Huangpu River, with a stroll down Zhongshan Road on the recently renovated pedestrian walkway. At its end head toward a big clothespin-like sculpture — the Monument to the People’s Heroes — and make a quick visit to the Bund History Museum. Cross over to the other side of Zhongshan Road and head south to great food, art and drink at the Three on the Bundcomplex. Snack on oysters at the newly opened Waldorf Astoria Hotel, which moved into the old Shanghai Club space and inherited the Long Bar, which has been restored to its early-20th-century glory.

9 Yangshuo With its towering karst peaks and rice paddies, Yangshuo’s scenery yells China. Start in Yangdi, about an hour northeast of Zhangzhou, then take the four-hour hike (and three ferry crossings; buy tickets beforehand at an open-air stand near the Yangdi Wharf) along the Li River. At hike’s end in Xingping, snap a picture of Yellow Cloth Shoal, the gorgeous spot pictured on the back of China’s 20 renminbi note. Lunch at a riverside farmer’s cafe, then shop for handmade clothes, art, jewelry and crafts, like wooden frogs that issue a hollow croak when strummed with a wooden stick.

HONG KONG
10 Peak Tram Beat the crowds by riding the Peak Tram up from the Central district in the morning. At the top, have breakfast overlooking the city at the Pacific Coffee outlet, then spend an hour walking the loop of Harlech and Lugard Roads, with views of Hong Kong and the outlying islands, before riding the tram back down. Walk under the highway to Hong Kong Park to the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware, where you’ll find lovely designs related to the region’s favorite hot beverage.

INDIA
11 Cochin Head to the harbor, where, just past the iconic Chinese fishing nets that hover over the entryway, you can pick out red snapper, rock lobster or other freshly caught seafood. Bring your catch to a nearby collection of stalls where a cook will grill your lunch. Follow it up with an espresso at while checking out the latest exhibition from local and national artists. Then start the evening with a 6 p.m. Kathakali performance at theKerala Kathakali Center.

12 New Delhi Start with a walk through the storied neighborhood of Nizamuddin, which, with its shrines, slums, kebab stands and qawwali singers, offers a glimpse into the despair, hope and history of the Indian capital. The 16th-century tomb of Emperor Humayun is its best-known monument. Next door, Sunder Nursery is a unique collection of plant species from near and far; another nearby tomb, that of Khan-e-Khana, a poet, is illuminated at night. Across the road, through a dense warren of mosques, graves and vendors of lamb and roses is the shrine of Nizamuddin Auliya, the 13th-century Sufi saint from whom the neighborhood gets its name and lore. There, at sundown, a men’s choir sings praise songs known as qawwali. At the smaller, quieter shrine of Inayat Khan, who took Sufi thought to Europe 100 years ago, qawwals sing every Friday under a glass dome that lets in the darkening sky.

13 Kovalam Kovalam, in the state of Kerala, near the southern tip of India, is known for its sea, sand and sunsets. Another gem is its mysterious song, which you can hear if you take a morning walk along the seaside next to the Vivanta by Taj, still widely known as the Taj Green Cove Hotel. You will hear it first — a gravelly chorus of men who sound as though they have lived hard and smoked long. Then you see them: wraparound lungis hiked up to their thighs, they walk into the water and haul in a large net heaving with fish. They sing as they haul. A few dive in on the downbeat, shouting “Whoop!” as if to mimic the call of a whale. At the end of the song and mime, fish glisten on the sand, fishmongers haggle, fish are carted away. You might haul yourself away too to sunbathe for the rest of the day. Sunset is glorious from the Sky Bar at the luxurious Leela Kempinski Kovaolam Beach hotel. For dinner, walk to the promenade and order a spice-rubbed fried fish that was pulled in that morning.

14 Mumbai Stroll to the Gateway of India and hop a rickety ferry to Elephanta Island to see the Hindu and Buddhist shrines and cave art. On your return, have tea at the Sea Lounge at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, which has a nice harbor view. Skip the food stalls on Chowpatty Beach and instead, dig into chaat at Swati Snacks in the Tardeo neighborhood. Then, pretend to be a local and go to a horse race at the nearby Mahalaxmi Racecourse. Entry costs 20 rupees (about 45 cents at 45 rupees to the dollar) and you can buy and drink a decent bottle of beer outdoors.

15 Mysore Spend an afternoon at the city’s massive Mysore Palace, a masterpiece of Indo-Saracenic architecture in the heart of the city. Afterward, stop across the street at Cafe Aramane for local specialties like bisi bele bath, a spicy mix of rice and lentils. Once the sun goes down, grab a sweater before heading up to the Chamundi Hills for a sweeping view of the city and the palace — the building is bedecked with thousands of lights on Sunday nights.

JAPAN(Note to Readers)
16 Kanazawa After checking out the enormous snow crabs and unfamiliar vegetables at the Omicho Market in Kanazawa, grab some fried fish and take your picnic to the lawn on the west side of the castle grounds where you can watch locals play gateball, a fast-paced relative of croquet. In Higashi Chaya, the former geisha district, don’t miss the gold-leafed building in the interior courtyard of the Hakuza Gold Leaf store. After dark, avoid the slick clubs in Katamachi, and instead seek out the fourth-story Bar Sturgis, an entertaining dive where the walls are plastered with posters and psychedelia.

17 Kawagoe Ride the train 45 minutes from Tokyo to Kawagoe. Known as Little Edo, Kawagoe has one of the largest and best-preserved collections of old warehouses in Japan, now filled with shops, restaurants and museums. Combined with a visit to nearby temples, a nearly 400-year-old wooden bell tower and Kashiya Yokocho, or candy district, Kawagoe is a perfect historical day trip.

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Early-morning exercise on the Bund, the historic area on Huangpu River in Shanghai. More Photos »

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18 Osaka Take in a night game atKoshien Stadium, home of the beloved hometown Hanshin Tigers baseball team. Sample concession stand offerings like fried pigs’ ears and grilled eel, but be back in your seat for the balloon extravaganza that fans unleash during the seventh-inning stretch. Then head to the carnival-like Dotonbori area and wander beneath fun-house decorations — giant crab, blowfish, dragons — while snacking on takoyaki (fried balls of octopus).

19 Tokyo Browse Shinjuku’s basement food halls, at the Isetan or Takashimaya department stores and take your prize (fresh sushi, perhaps, or Pierre Hermé macarons) toShinjuku Gyoen National Garden. Come nightfall, wander through the sensory overload of lights and sounds in Shibuya before plunking down some yen in a pachinko parlor. When your money is gone, seek out the Udagawa Cafe; you can tell it by the sign on the sleek black facade that says in English “The Peaceful Oasis in the Centre of Shibuya,” and try a banana beer in the lounge.

20 Tokyo Ameya Yokocho is a throwback to the days before Tokyo’s supermarkets and big box stores. The open-air street market, which runs under the elevated Yamanote Line between Ueno and Okachimachi Stations, is filled with vendors hawking everything from grilled squid on a stick to knock-off handbags.

LAOS
21 LUANG PRABANG Rise before dawn and head to Sisavangvong Road in Luang Prabang, where hundreds of barefoot, saffron-robed monks collect morning alms. Have a croissant and coffee at Joma Bakery Café, then pedal around town on a rented bicycle, peering at the gilded Buddhist temples and mountain views. Have lunch at Coconut Grove, where spicy beef salad and steamed fish are served in a garden.

MACAO
22 Largo do Senado Start your day early at this beautiful Portuguese pedestrian plaza with well-preserved colonial buildings. Walk past St. Dominic Church and up beyond the furniture stores (which offer good deals and inexpensive shipping) to early-17th-century St. Paul’s Catherdral. Ride escalators to the intact cannons of nearby Monte Fort, and see the excellent Museum of Macau before walking down for lunch at one of the Portuguese restaurants back near Largo do Senado.

MALAYSIA
23 Kuala Lumpur Start the day with a bowl of bak kut teh (pork-rib-based soup) or beef ball noodles at the Hutong Food Court in Lot 10 shopping mall. Across town near Chinatown is hip, homegrown Peter Hoe Beyond, filled with chic batik linens and handmade bags. Two of the city’s oldest temples are nearby — the Buddhist Sin Sze Si Ya, where you can have your fortune told, and the Hindu Sri Mahamariamman, with its colorful five-tiered tower. Pick up tins of rare tea a few blocks away at Purple Cane Tea House; you can sip the shop’s wares at its cafe around the corner.

24 Penang Start a clockwise taxi tour of Penang in sleepy Balik Pulau, with its single shophouse-lined street. North lies the fishing village of Teluk Bahang. In season (around May into July) nearby durian plantations offer tastings. Follow an in-situ lesson in aromatics at the Spice Garden with a drink on Batu Ferringhi Beach at Lone Pine Hotel’ssleek Batu Bar. Finish in George Town with a sunset amble along the waterfront promenade.

MYANMAR
25 BAGAN To best view the thousand-year-old Buddhist temples and stupas scattered across this ancient imperial city, head out at dawn when the weather is coolest and the vast flood plain is nearly empty of tourists. Rent a Chinese bicycle from the vendors in front of the lovely Bagan Hotel along the Irrawaddy River and lose yourself on the dirt trails that wind past groves of palm trees and ruins tucked amid the foliage. Start atThatbyinnyu Temple and admire its terraced marble facade tapering toward a curvilinear spire. Then check out Dhammayangyi Temple, a massive structure strikingly reminiscent of the stepped pyramids of the Maya. Finish the day with a sunset cruise and a drink along the Irrawaddy.

SINGAPORE
26 Katong District At the Peranakan Museum, hear the story of Singapore and Malaysia’s Peranakan Chinese community — descendants of Chinese traders who married local Malay women and formed a distinct culture. Continue your exploration in the Katong district, famed for its ornate Peranakan shophouses, villas, restaurants and sweet shops.

27 Kampung Village Hop on a bumboat from Changi Point to Palau Ubin. When you arrive at Kampung Village, rent a bike, buy a straw hat at the local grocer and tour the beautiful mangroves and beaches on bike trails that go around the island. Cool off with a Tiger Beer and lunch at Celestial Resort, which features a menu of local favorites like delicious fresh prawns grilled with ginger and garlic.

28 Mustafa Center At the Mustafa Center, Little India’s 24-hour “hyper” mall, you can find anything from deodorant to a fridge. Then grab a downstairs table at Komala Villas, a Singapore institution, and order up some delicious South Indian vegetarian cuisine. After lunch turn left out the door and have your fortune told by the “psychic” parakeets, Mani and Muni. Cross Serangoon Road to bargain your way through Tekka Market.

SOUTH KOREA
29 SEOUL Spend an afternoon wandering through the Samcheong-dong neighborhood, which is filled with traditional houses called hanoks converted into stylish cafes and shops. Try some Korean temple cuisine at Baru, a new Buddhist restaurant that’s part of a temple in the city center, and then sleep over with Buddhist nuns at Jinkwansa, a 12th-century temple in a park in northwest Seoul.

SRI LANKA
30 Elephant Orphanage and Kandy Start at the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage in Kegalle and watch them take their baths; the older elephants submerge themselves in the gentle rapids, while the babies shower their backs with water spurting from their trunks — all against a backdrop of palm trees and distant mountains. Surrounding restaurants have terraces, perfect for nursing a Lion Lager. Next, hire a car and driver for the hilly and often beautiful one-hour drive to the ancient capital of Kandy. Though it suffers from urban sprawl, the city’s center is home to a sacred Buddhist shrine, Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Tooth, which is set on a picturesque lake.

THAILAND
31 Bangkok Hop a Khlong Saen Saep boat taxi at Pratunam Pier (behind Gaysorn Plaza) to Bo Bae. A tiny soi, or side street, off Lang Suan Road leads to Bangkok’s oldest market, Nang Leong. Make an offering at the Chinese temple and then snack on specialties like sai-krok plaa naem (rice topped with sour pork, pickled shallots and shredded fish). Pick up kanom (sweets) at Mae Som Jit and exit past Chalerm Thani movie theater, enitrely made of teak.

32 Bangkok The Grand Palace, with its medley of temples and glittering spires, is Bangkok’s glory. From downtown, skim over the traffic on the Sky Train to the Saphan Taksin stop, go down Exit 2 to the pier and pay 14 baht ($1.35 at 30 baht to the dollar) to ride the Chao Phraya Express public riverboat to Tha Chang. Savor the clamor of food stalls, and sample fried banana, dragon fruit or countless other snacks. Visit the hall of the Emerald Buddha, then walk 900 yards to Wat Po, home of the country’s largest reclining Buddha, to the camphor-scented cool of its famous massage school.

33 Chiang Mai Join the locals at Huen Phen, an open-air restaurant with northern Thai specialties like spicy sausage and khao soy. Chiang Mai’s Night Bazaar is a sprawling maze of stalls and carts hawking real-looking Rolexes, pirated DVDs and handicrafts. Before browsing, have a street-side foot massage. For a city view, head to the Buddhist temple Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep on top of Doi Suthep mountain.

34 Chiang Mai In multicultural Gat Luang, the riverside commercial heart of Chiang Mai, lunch on fermented bamboo salad and grilled chicken from stalls behind century-old Warorot Market. Pay respects at the nearby Guan Yu shrine, then, at Don Lam Yai market, grab mango and sticky rice to eat at Wat Ket, a small Buddhist temple across the pedestrian bridge. Don’t miss its quirky museum, which chronicles daily life in the hood.

35 Phuket In Patong, take a tuk-tuk south to Rawai, where artists and musicians mingle over cheap Chang Beers in beachside reggae bars. On the way, pick up some artwork at the Art in Garden Gallery, with paintings hung on branches and sculptures scattered around a rubber tree grove. Take in the view from the base of Big Buddha atop Mount Nagakerd before staking out a stretch of sand along the deserted northern beaches of Mai Khao.

TIBET
36 Lhasa A guide is mandatory in Lhasa, but you can still plan your own itinerary. The bustling Jokhang Temple, Tibetan Buddhism’s epicenter, is a must-visit, as is Barkhor Street, which is both a pilgrims’ circuit and raucous street market. Jewels and textiles there are mostly fakes, but the Dropenling Tibet Handicraft Development Center’s shop carries real artisanal wares, like hand-dyed rugs. In the old city, spin golden prayer wheels at tiny temples, then fortify yourself with salty yak-butter tea in the Ani Sangkhung Nunnery courtyard, or yak steak at the plush House of Shambhala restaurant. Lhasa’s famous Potala Palace is breathtaking. Recover in the dark cave at its base, which functions as a lively teahouse, or in the calm luxury of the new St. Regis Lhasa Resort.

VIETNAM
37 HANOI Peruse the airy boutiques around St. Joseph Cathedral for embroidered pillows, silk skirts and whimsical lampshades, then weave through the Old Quarter streets toward the intersection of Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen Streets. Find a plastic stool, order a 25-cent glass of freshly brewed pilsner and watch the tide of humanity course by. Then hop on a motorbike taxi and zip over to Chim Sao, a crowded restaurant with an opium den atmosphere tucked in an alley, and try buffalo sausage and banana blossom salad.

Contributors: Vikas Bajaj, David Barboza, Ken Belson, Mary Billard, Jennifer Bleyer, Kim Bradley, Keith Bradsher, Robyn Eckhardt, Joshua Hammer, Naomi Lindt, Seth Mydans, Dan Packel, Somini Sengupta, Gisela Williams, Ingrid K. Williams and Michael Wines.