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Cairns, Australia
Base yourself in Cairns to explore the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest and the Atherton Tablelands waterfall circuit (Millaa Millaa, Ellinjaa, Zillie). Don't miss the Kuranda Scenic Railway up and the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway back down. Grab breakfast at a café on the Esplanade before heading out each day.
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Melbourne, Australia
Explore Fitzroy and Collingwood for vintage shops, record stores and street art, then hit the specialty coffee scene in the CBD laneways. Dedicate one full day to the Great Ocean Road road trip via the Twelve Apostles. Check out live music venues like The Tote or Corner Hotel for local acts at night.
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Tokyo, Japan
Stay in Shimokitazawa for indie music, vintage clothing and a local neighbourhood feel far from tourist crowds. Day-trip to Kamakura for the Great Buddha and coastal temples, and spend a morning in Yanaka for old-Tokyo atmosphere and street food. Dig through record stores in Shinjuku's Disk Union or Koenji for an afternoon.
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Kawaguchiko, Japan
Base yourself at a lakeside guesthouse or hostel with direct views of Mt Fuji for sunrise. Hike the Panoramic Trail or push up to the fifth station on Fuji itself if the season allows. The area is far quieter and more photogenic than Tokyo and perfectly breaks up the journey toward the Japan Alps.
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Nagano, Japan
Use Nagano as a base for the well-preserved Edo post town of Narai-juku along the Nakasendo trail and a visit to Zenkoji Temple at dawn before the crowds arrive. Take a short trip to Jigokudani Monkey Park to watch snow monkeys bathing in hot springs. The surrounding Japan Alps scenery is genuinely spectacular and feels worlds away from big-city Japan.
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Kyoto, Japan
Stay in the Fushimi or Nishiki area to be close to markets and temples without the central tourist premium. Take a day trip to Ine Fishing Village and Amanohashidate on the Sea of Japan coast — one of the most underrated and visually stunning spots in the country. Explore Nishiki Market for street food, vintage shops on Teramachi and the quieter northern temples like Kurama.
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Osaka, Japan
Osaka is Japan's food capital — eat your way through Dotonbori and the covered Kuromon Market for takoyaki, kushikatsu and fresh sashimi. Day-trip to Nara to wander among free-roaming deer and see Todai-ji temple. Nights in Amerika-mura for streetwear shopping and bar-hopping, or Namba for live music and nightlife.
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Hiroshima, Japan
The Peace Memorial Museum and Park are genuinely moving and essential — arrive early before tour groups. Take the short ferry to Miyajima Island to see the floating torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine and hike up Mt Misen for panoramic Seto Inland Sea views. Hiroshima oysters and okonomiyaki are local specialities worth seeking out.
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Beppu, Japan
Beppu is Japan's most geothermally active city — steam rises from the streets and the famous Hells of Beppu are genuinely surreal and colourful. Stay at a ryokan with a private onsen bath and soak away any travel fatigue. It's a wonderfully weird, unpretentious and local-feeling town that most travellers skip entirely.
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Takachiho, Japan
Takachiho Gorge is one of Japan's most visually spectacular natural spots — rent a rowing boat to drift beneath the waterfalls cutting through towering basalt columns. The nearby Amano Iwato Shrine and rural Miyazaki countryside feel deeply spiritual and far off the tourist circuit. Stay at a small guesthouse and watch traditional Yokagura night dances if the timing aligns.
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Shanghai, China
Shanghai is the logical entry point into China from Japan by flight and hits differently from any European city. Explore the French Concession on foot for independent cafés, vintage stores and street art, and walk the Bund at night for the skyline. The city has a surprisingly good live music and underground culture scene worth digging into.
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Zhangjiajie, China
The towering sandstone pillar landscape of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is genuinely unlike anything else on earth and the inspiration for Avatar's Hallelujah Mountains. Take the world's longest glass-bottomed bridge and the Bailong Elevator for vertiginous views. Stay inside or just outside the park to catch the morning mist over the pillars before day-trippers arrive.
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Guilin, China
Base yourself in Yangshuo rather than Guilin city for a far more relaxed, village-like atmosphere surrounded by dramatic karst peaks. The Li River cruise or bamboo raft from Guilin to Yangshuo is one of the most beautiful journeys in Asia. Rent a bicycle or scooter from Yangshuo and ride through the surrounding countryside to Moon Hill, Yulong River and local villages.
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Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Stay in Sham Shui Po or Mong Kok for a local, non-tourist feel with incredible street food, market stalls and record shops. Hike Dragon's Back for the best urban coastal panorama in Asia, and catch the Star Ferry across the harbour at night. Spend a day on Cheung Chau island for beaches, seafood and zero cars — a completely different side of Hong Kong.
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Hanoi, Vietnam
Stay in the Old Quarter and spend mornings at street pho stalls and egg coffee shops before the heat builds. The Temple of Literature and Hoan Kiem Lake are worth a slow wander, but the real Hanoi experience is in the chaos of the streets at dusk. Hanoi is also your base for booking and departing the Ha Giang Loop.
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Ha Giang, Vietnam
The Ha Giang Loop is arguably the most spectacular motorbike route in Southeast Asia, winding through Dong Van Karst Plateau with jaw-dropping mountain passes and ethnic minority villages. Rent a semi-automatic motorbike or hire a local Easy Rider guide if you're less experienced — it's genuinely adventurous terrain. Stay at guesthouses in Dong Van and Meo Vac to break the loop across three or four days.
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Ninh Binh, Vietnam
Ninh Binh is Vietnam's inland karst landscape — take a rowing boat through the Trang An grottoes and rice paddies for a quieter, greener alternative to Ha Long Bay. Climb the 500 steps to Hang Mua viewpoint at sunset for one of Vietnam's best panoramas. Base yourself in Tam Coc village and rent a bicycle to explore the surrounding countryside at your own pace.
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Hoi An, Vietnam
Hoi An's lantern-lit Ancient Town is genuinely beautiful and best explored by bicycle early morning before tour groups arrive. The surrounding Cham Island snorkelling day trip and My Son Sanctuary ruins add adventure and culture beyond the old town. Da Nang is only 30 minutes away for a livelier nightlife scene and the Marble Mountains if you want a contrast.
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Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Stay in District 1 or Bui Vien area for backpacker energy and easy access to everything, but eat in District 4 and District 6 for more local and less tourist-priced street food. The War Remnants Museum and Cu Chi Tunnels are sobering and important half-day trips. HCMC also has a surprisingly good craft beer, live music and rooftop bar scene for the nights.
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Can Tho, Vietnam
Can Tho is the heart of the Mekong Delta and home to the Cai Rang floating market — hire a small boat at 5am to drift among the vendor boats before the action winds down by mid-morning. The surrounding delta landscape of canals, rice fields and stilted houses is peaceful and very different from the rest of Vietnam. A great slower two-day detour before flying onward to Indonesia.
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Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Yogyakarta is the cultural heart of Java and the base for Borobudur at dawn — the world's largest Buddhist monument rising out of jungle mist is genuinely breathtaking and worth the early alarm. Prambanan Hindu temple complex is equally spectacular and far less crowded in the afternoon. If timing allows, watch Mt Merapi from a jeep tour at sunrise for an unforgettable volcanic landscape.
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Ubud, Indonesia
Ubud is Bali's creative and spiritual centre — stay slightly outside the main strip in the rice field area of Penestanan or Tegallalang for a quieter, more local feel. Hike Mt Batur for a sunrise volcanic crater view, explore the Campuhan Ridge Walk at dusk and visit Tirta Empul temple for a genuine purification ceremony. The surrounding villages of Gianyar and Bangli are worth a scooter ride for craft markets and fewer tourists.
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Uluwatu, Indonesia
Uluwatu sits on dramatic clifftop headlands on Bali's Bukit Peninsula and is the best area for surf, dramatic sunsets and a more relaxed scene than Seminyak or Canggu. The Uluwatu Temple perched on the cliff edge at sunset with the Kecak fire dance is one of Bali's most visually stunning experiences. Padang Padang and Bingin beaches below the cliffs are small, beautiful and far more local in feel.
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Lombok, Indonesia
Lombok is Bali's quieter, less developed neighbour with arguably better beaches and a more authentic Sasak culture to discover. The Gili Islands (Gili Air or Gili Meno over Gili T for a quieter vibe) offer exceptional snorkelling with sea turtles and a slower pace. For the adventurous, the two-day hike up Mt Rinjani — an active volcano with a crater lake — is one of the best trekking experiences in Southeast Asia.
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Labuan Bajo, Indonesia
Labuan Bajo is the gateway to Komodo National Park and one of the most spectacular natural environments in all of Indonesia. A two or three night liveaboard boat trip through the islands covers Komodo dragons, pink beach, manta ray snorkelling and some of the best dive sites in the world. The sunsets over the bay from town are extraordinary and the perfect final chapter of a long adventure.