While in Donegal, Ireland a few years back, my friends and I heard from locals about some impressive cliffs near the fishing port of Killybegs going by the strange name Slieve League, so we decided to take a look.

Slieve League turned out to be spectacular. A curving, colourful cliff face, it’s essentially a mountain cleaved in half with a sheer drop from the peak 600 metres to the churning Atlantic Ocean below. For the brave, the aptly named ‘One Man’s Track’ leads to the top of the cliff – and amazing views.

So why do Ireland’s Cliffs of Moher get all the fame (and guidebook covers) while Slieve League exists in relative anonymity? Hard to say, but there’s a take-home lesson: sometimes lesser-known destinations can be just as rewarding as their more famous counterparts. With that in mind, here are a few more great ‘alternative travel sights’:

1. Split vs Dubrovnik, Croatia Behind Dubrovnik’s beautiful white marble walls and under its terracotta rooftops, you’ll find the usual tourist mash of Irish bars, bland restaurants, souvenir shops and tour groups. A few hours up the coast, Split’s UNESCO-listed old town is built on the remains of Roman Emperor Diocletian’s enormous retirement palace, and buzzes with the authentic sounds of day-to-day Dalmatian life.
2. Bulgaria vs any other European countryIs there a conspiracy to hide the delights of Bulgaria from the rest of the world? Consider: the ancient Black Sea coastal resorts of Nesebar and Sozopol with their ruins and beaches, Veliko Tarnovo’s dramatic riverside setting and ancient hilltop palace ruins, idyllic Koprivshtitsa’s traditional grand mansions and pristine streetscapes. Heard of them? If not, take a look.
3. Dingle Peninsula vs Ring of Kerry, IrelandIt’s hardly unknown, but it’s amazing how many travellers skip Dingle and make do with the coach-choked roads of the Ring of Kerry instead. There’s plenty to see in Dingle town, with its idiosyncratic pubs and Funghi the dolphin, while ancient standing stones dot the roadside out of town. If you find Dingle too mainstream, try the lonely but impressively stark Beara Peninsula further south.
4. Matsumoto Castle vs Himeji Castle, Japan One is a delicate, elegant beauty known as the White Egret. The other is dark, brooding and nicknamed the Crow. While there’s no denying stunning Himeji-jo is a highlight of any trip to Japan, Matsumoto-jo’s setting really, well, sets it apart. Surrounded by lush parkland and using the Japan Alps as borrowed scenery, its black and white façade is photogenic from any angle. And unlike gritty Himeji city, sophisticated Matsumoto is well worth a visit as well. (For more info, check out the Thorn Tree community’s discussion of Japan’s castle options).
5. Ningaloo Reef vs The Great Barrier Reef, AustraliaThe Great Barrier Reef stretches for 2,000km along the island continent’s northeast coast – so chances are you’ll only manage to visit a small section from one of the crowded access points near Cairns. On Australia’s west coast, the smaller Ningaloo is more remote and not easy to get to, but is quieter and more pristine. And it has one attraction you won’t find on the east coast – whale sharks!

Notting Hill is a lively patch at the best of times, but during the annual Carnival in August the crowds go into overdrive. It is a spectacle not to be missed – a dizzying mix of pounding sound systems, wild dancers, rum and patties.

Location

Ladbroke Grove, Notting Hill, London, England

Dates

Last Sunday and Monday in August

Description

The British capital’s top summer knees-up, a celebration of the local Caribbean community, has enlivened this part of town since the 1950s. During the end-of-August bank holiday, the neighbourhood featured in the Hugh Grant film Notting Hill explodes with reggae sound systems and Rastafarians smoking ganja. Also featuring calypso and soca, samba dancing, sassy costumes and animistic sculptures, the display of vibrant Caribbean culture attracts two million party animals to West London, making it one of the world’s largest street festivals. A steel-band competition and Children’s Day are among the events reflecting the city’s multiculturalism and love of a good boogie. It all climaxes on Monday with a 3-mile parade of floats and revellers in feathered headdresses, Lycra suits and other costumes not normally spotted on London’s streets. Ravers can fuel themselves at stalls selling Jamaican patties, jerk chicken and curries.

Essentials

Make sure you have deep pockets for your dosh – street crime is a feature of the weekend.

Local Attractions

As well as the coolest bars found west of the city centre, narrow Portobello Rd has a market from Monday to Saturday. It’s the city’s best market for rummaging through antiques and curios, and for getting kitted out like a trendy Londoner.

More information

Check out the official website or for the best little guide to London, grab a copy of Lonely Planet’s latest Pocket London guide – full of great ideas for your post-carnival recovery.

Mexico is peppered with ruins from the Aztecs, Maya, Toltecs, Zapotecs and countless other ancient cultures. Besides the famous, spectacular ancient cities, more are still being discovered. Some smaller ruins are surprisingly beautiful, and many have spectacular hilltop or forest settings.

Remote and still-being-explored archaeological sites may unleash your inner Lara Croft just as effectively as the much-visited, better-known ones. Getting to them may be an adventure in itself, and sites that are only partly excavated and developed can leave more for the imagination to work with.

Palenque
Deservedly one of the top destinations of Chiapas, the soaring, jungle-swathed temples of Palenque are a national treasure and one of the best examples of Mayan architecture in Mexico. Its exquisite design and carving are visible on palaces, temples and tombs, all with a backdrop of emerald-green, jungle-covered hills. Palenque has become a lifelong obsession for some archaeologists.

First occupied around 100 BC, Palenque rose to prominence under the ruler Pakal in AD 630. However, by AD 900, Palenque was abandoned. Due to the high rainfall received in the area, the ruins were soon overgrown with jungle and the city remained unknown to the Western world until 1746, when Mayan hunters discovered their ‘jungle palace’.

Palenque is a massive site with hundreds of ruined buildings spread over 15 sq km. Everything was built without the use of metal tools, pack animals or the wheel!

To add to its mystique, ancient Palenque stands at the precise point where the first hills rise out of the Gulf Coast plain, and the dense jungle covering these hills forms an evocative backdrop to Palenque’s exquisite Mayan architecture. The forest around the temples is home to howler monkeys, toucans and ocelots.

Don’t miss it…

Chichén Itzá
Stroll through the massive ball court and unravel the secrets of the amazing time temple, El Castillo, at Chichén Itzá on the Yucatán Peninsula, to discover why this site was voted one of the ‘seven modern wonders of the world.’

So, what’s special about this temple? Like some of the famous Egyptian temples, these temples were built to play with light, and many mysteries of the Mayan astronomical calendar are made clear when one understands the design of the ‘time temples’ here. The temple is most popular at the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, when the morning and afternoon sun produces a light-and-shadow illusion of the serpent ascending or descending the side of El Castillo’s staircase.

Teotihuacán
Two giant pyramids, the Avenue of the Dead, the Temple of Quetzalcóatl – Teotihuacán, 50km from Mexico City, is the grandest of Mexico’s ancient cities. A millennium before anyone had heard of the Aztecs, it was the centre of an empire that may have stretched as far south as El Salvador.

This complex of awesome pyramids is set amid what was once Mesoamerica’s greatest city. It’s a huge site and anyone lucky enough to come here will be astonished by the technological might of the Teotihuacan civilization, established in 150 AD.

Set in a mountain-ringed offshoot of the Valle de Mexico, it remained a pilgrimage site for Aztec royalty long after its fall, who believed the gods had sacrificed themselves here to start the sun moving. Thousands of New Age devotees flock here each year to soak up the mystic energies believed to converge here.

Yaxchilán
This was one of the most prominent Mayan cities in the Usumacinta region, thanks to its prime location over river commerce. Apart from its beautiful, ornamented facades and roof combs, it is set in a jungle that’s teeming with wildlife. If you don’t see any howler monkeys, you’ll certainly hear their visceral roars, and there are plenty of spider monkeys and red macaws that inhabit the tall trees here, and are an evocative highlight.

Buzz down the jungle-lined Río Usumacinta in a motor launch to this superb Mayan site and climb Building 41 to look across the top of the jungle to the distant mountains of Guatemala.

Cobá
The jungle views alone are worth the effort of the trip to Coba. If it’s your heart’s desire to re-enact scenes from Indiana Jones, then this is your ruin. It’s set deep in the jungle, and many of the ruins have yet to be excavated. Walk along ancient pathways, climb up vineyard-covered mounds, and ascend to the top of Nohoch Mul for a spectacular view of the surrounding jungle – the highest Mayan building on the Yucatán Peninsula. Be careful not to picnic beside the lake, as it has large crocodiles!

Whether you’re on the other side of the world or wandering your own neighbourhood, you’ll soon realise that the sights that have you reaching for your camera are fleeting photo opportunities.

With this in mind, you really need to be prepared to capture such moments. Here are the six most common mistakes that can leave you with an ordinary image – instead of the masterpiece it should have been.

1. Not having a strong point of interest

The very first thing to consider is the subject – what is it and why are you taking a photo of it? Successful images have a point of interest: the key element around which the composition is based. It’s probably the thing that caught your eye in the first place and should be able to draw and holds the viewer’s attention.

2. Not getting close enough to the subject

Good compositions leave no doubt as to the subject of the photograph. How do you make sure this is clear? A good way to start is to fill the frame with your subject. This helps to eliminate unnecessary or unwanted elements and overcomes the common mistake of making the subject too small and insignificant, which leaves the viewer wondering what the photo is supposed to be of. Often just taking a few steps towards your subject or zooming in slightly will make an enormous difference.

3. Focusing on the wrong part of the composition

The sharpest part of the image should be the point of interest, so take care when focusing. If something other than the main subject is the sharpest part of the composition the viewer’s eye will rest in the wrong place.

Most compact cameras and all SLRs have a focus-lock facility, activated by depressing the shutter release button halfway, which you should be confident using. It allows you to produce more creative and technically better pictures by locking the focus on the main subject then recomposing without the camera automatically refocusing.

4. Placing the subject in the middle of the frame

Centering the subject often contributes to a static composition so you should aim to place the point of interest away from the centre of the frame. As you’re thinking about where to place the point of interest, keep in mind the ‘rule of thirds’ that has traditionally been the starting point for successful composition. As you look through your viewfinder or study the LCD screen, imagine two vertical and two horizontal lines spaced evenly, creating a grid of nine rectangular boxes.

Try placing the point of interest, or other important elements, on or near the points where the lines intersect. For example, if you’re taking a portrait, the subject is the person’s face and the point of interest would be their eyes. In a landscape the point of interest may be a boat floating on a lake; place the boat on one of the intersections and also position the horizon near one of the horizontal lines.

5. Including elements that conflict with the subject

Avoid including other elements that conflict with the main subject. Look at the space around and behind your subject and make sure nothing overpowers it in colour, shape or size. What you leave out of the frame is just as important as what you leave in.

Do you really want power lines running across the facade of the most beautiful building in the city? It’s fine if you do, but not if you didn’t notice them in the first place! Scan the frame before pressing the shutter release, looking for distractions and unnecessary elements.

6. Not thinking about the direction of the light

The direction of the light and how it is illuminating your subject, whether it’s the natural light of the sun, incandescent lighting indoors or at night or flashlight, can make or break a photograph. That’s why it’s vital to observe the light. If you are aware that it’s striking your subject in the wrong place – for example, if the facade of a beautiful monument is in shade, or if someone’s hat is casting a shadow over half their face – then you can take action.

Either move the subject, move yourself or, if the subject isn’t going to disappear, wait a while or return at the appropriate time of day. Once you’re in the habit of considering how the light is falling on your subject you can select a viewpoint and time of day so that the light enhances your subject, rather than detracts from it.

Happy photographing!

Award-winning travel photographer Richard I’Anson helped establish Lonely Planet Images and wrote the Lonely Planet Guide to Travel Photography.

We asked international film star Jackie Chan what his perfect trip through China would look like. Here’s what he told us.

First destination: Hong Kong

Hong Kong is my hometown and of course it’s on my list of places that people should visit in China. The first place you should go in Hong Kong is Victoria Peak so that you can look down and see how amazing the city looks from up above. Next, take a ride on the Star Ferry; it’s the best deal in Hong Kong. Other places I suggest you go are Nathan Road, the New Territories, and the outlying islands. Although Hong Kong is small in size, there is a lot to see, so make sure you stay for a long time!

Second destination: Beijing

Beijing has always been an interesting place to visit and in the past few years it has become even more attractive. To get a feeling for Chinese history and culture, I suggest visiting the Forbidden City, the ruins at Yuan Ming Yuan, and the Badaling Great Wall. To experience the new Beijing, you should visit some of the magnificent structures built for the 2008 Olympics.

Third destination: Wuyi Mountain, Wuyishan City, Fujian Province

Wuyi Mountain is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever laid my eyes on. I found this place while filming The Forbidden Kingdom and I’ve encouraged many of my friends to visit. Wuyi Shan (‘shan‘ is ‘mountain’ in Chinese) is famous for its River of Nine Bends, dense rainforests, and 36 mountain peaks. You can take a raft tour of the river and if you are lucky like I was, you will have an informed and humorous guide who will tell you great stories as she manoeuvres the raft down the river.

Fourth destination: Xi’an, Shaanxi Province

Xi’an is another place I discovered because I was making a film there. You must visit the Qin Shi Huang Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum and see the army of terracotta soldiers. Xi’an has so much history and there’s a lot to see. Don’t miss the museum where you can learn about the Silk Road (Xi’an is the easternmost part of the Silk Road). You should also see the Drum Tower, the Bell Tower and the beautiful pagodas.

Fifth destination: Harbin, Heilongjiang Province

When you visit Harbin, you get a feeling sometimes that you are in Russia or Europe because of the style of buildings there. The city is quite interesting because of the influences of so many different cultures. But the most wonderful thing about Harbin is the yearly Ice and Snow Festival which lasts for a month in January. Artists create ice sculptures and combine them with coloured lights to make a beautiful display that people come from all over the world to see.

A major hub for flights, Abu Dhabi is a buzzing transit point, and if you have a long layover here, it’s worth taking a 30-minute cab ride into the United Arab Emirates’ compact capital to enjoy sandy beaches and skyscrapers towering over historic sights. Even with less than a day, you can get a feel for this place that seamlessly blends traditional Arabian culture and modernity.

A traditional wooden boat sails past Abu Dhabi’s Corniche © Ali Suliman / Shutterstock

Morning

For a slice of traditional life, make an early morning round of Abu Dhabi’s Fish Market and Dhow Harbour at Al Mina Port, where you’ll find traditional wooden boats docked after a night at sea. Local fishermen mend their nets and tend to giant lobster pots, or fill their free time with card games and laughter. Inside the market, with the catch fresh off the boat, locals browse for the pungent catch of the day.

From the Mina Port, take a short taxi ride to Corniche Beach and take a dip in the turquoise Gulf. Entry costs just Dhs10, less than the price of a coffee. If your bathing suit is still checked in your luggage, stroll along the Corniche on the water’s edge, which stretches along the coastline for 8km.

Continue along the Corniche path and along the Marina Breakwater for a saunter around the blossoming, waterfall-studded gardens of the Heritage Village, where you’ll find evidence of an older era of Abu Dhabi, complete with Bedouin encampment, mosque and a recreation of a traditional souq.

Stretch your legs after a long flight with a stroll down Abu Dhabi’s Corniche © Benny Marty / Shutterstock

It’s almost time for lunch, so grab a Lebanese mezze lunch outdoors on the Corniche at Cafe Layali Zaman (look for the ‘Baguette’ sign), where the hummus is perfectly garlicky and the moutabel a smoky, aubergine dream.

If budget isn’t a concern, pop into the nearby Emirates Palace Hotel for a peek at the more glamorous and gold-encrusted side of UAE life. Try the award-winning seafood at Sayad or go local at the UAE’s first self-proclaimed Emirati restaurant, Mezlai. Before moving on, and for another excuse to explore the elaborate marble-floored and brightly patterned domed areas of the Emirates Palace, check out the exhibition-of-the-moment at the hotel – there’s almost always something worth seeing.

Qasr Al Hosn is the oldest building in Abu Dhabi © Veronica Garbutt / Getty

Afternoon

When you’ve had your fill, take a short taxi ride to Qasr Al Hosn, the oldest structure and spiritual birthplace of the city. Having started out as a defensive watchtower back in 1760, across the years Qasr Al Hosn expanded into a fort and was the home of the ruling Al Nahyan royal family. Spend an hour or so learning about Abu Dhabi’s humble roots and what life was like in the desert before the oil boom.

For a spot of souvenir shopping, head to the World Trade Center Souk. The original market was sadly destroyed by fire in 2003, but a modern interpretation exists on the same site, where you can browse in air-conditioned comfort and bargain for spices, Persian carpets, Arabian lamps, pashminas and a veritable caravan of plush toy camels. For more unusual unbranded souvenirs, visit the Women’s Handicraft Centre, where local artisans produce weaving and threadwork.

Once you’ve shopped within a whisker of your luggage allowance, grab taxi to Saadiyat Island – where the Guggenheim and Louvre Abu Dhabi are currently under construction – to visit the Manarat Al Saadiyat visitors centre, with an interactive exhibition detailing the future of the island, and the Arts Abu Dhabi Gallery.

Catch the shimmering beauty of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque at dusk © Boule / Shutterstock

Evening

Watch the sun’s last rays catch the imposing Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi’s most important and impressive landmark. The mosque’s lavish building materials hark from as far afield as Greece, Italy, Morocco and Germany. Spend some time wandering around and taking in the scope of this magnificent structure just before dusk at golden hour, one of its most colourful times of day. Around sunset, the mosque begins to gently light up, its marble pillars and arches reflecting onto surrounding glass-like pools with a magical, ethereal beauty.

Night

If you don’t need to be back at the airport yet, head over to the nearby Ritz Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal, where you’ll find the waterside Venetian Village. Make your way along the water’s edge to the stylish and intimate Barfly by Buddha Bar for dinner and drinks with a beautiful view across Khor Al Maqta. A DJ plays upbeat yet chilled-out tunes that sit somewhere perfectly between that melt-into-your-seat and get-up-and-dance holiday vibe.

Getting Around

Taxis are plentiful and relatively cheap in Abu Dhabi, offering an easy option to get around the main sights of the city. They are easy to flag down – look for silver vehicles with a yellow roof light. Note that taxis coming from the airport have an obligatory flagfall of Dhs25, while normal flagfall around the rest of the city is Dhs5.

The local bus network is cheap, regular and far reaching. Fares all over the city start from just Dhs2. You cannot use cash on the bus, so pick up a Hafilat card first from the airport ticket vending machine for Dhs5 and charge it up to start travelling. Taxis are slightly more expensive but will get you from A to B more quickly than the bus.

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Last updated September 2017

Prague just wouldn’t be Prague without the jazz spilling out of windows, the tubas being lugged across the squares and the posters advertising nightly concerts.

It might be best known for its beguiling cocktail of Pilsner and fairytale architecture, but Prague’s lifeblood is not beer, but music. Passersby haul tubas, violins and trumpets around the streets; churches double as classical concert halls; and, as evening falls, strains of jazz sashay slinkily out of bars and restaurants.

A bit of history

Musical talent has long flourished in the Czech capital, and in the 17th and 18th centuries it was known as the conservatory of Europe. After leaving Vienna, Mozart found a receptive audience here, and wrote a symphony to his adopted home (Symphony No 38). He premiered and conducted Don Giovanni at the Prague Estates Theatre Opera, and the house where he stayed is now a museum. Prague is also the birthplace of the great composers Antoní Dvořák, Leoš Janáček and Bedřich Smetana.

Musical nation

Prague’s music-themed Hotel Aria is perhaps the only hotel in the world with a musical director. Dr Ivana Stehlikova will advise on which concerts to go to and help navigate the hotel’s CD collection. She explains: ‘Music is a very important part of Prague’s past. Many composers had to leave the county because the regime made their lives so difficult. But you can’t kill the musicality of the nation. Every child was able to go to music lessons after normal school and this was not so expensive. The tradition was so strong and the conservatories were something that the Communists decided to keep.’

German occupation, then decades of Communist rule, gave music an even greater significance. In a society silenced by censorship, music was a means of expression – not that it was permitted to be so. Veteran broadcaster and writer Lubomir Doruzka tells how a guitar player was arrested by the Gestapo and sent to a concentration camp for singing a chorus of Louis Armstrong’s ‘Super Tiger Rag’.

Rock’n’revolution

An alternative musical culture also emerged. Here, rock’n’roll went hand in hand with revolution. Karel Kryl, the Czech Bob Dylan, had to leave the country after the release of his album Bratříčku zavírej vrátka (Close the Gate, Little Brother), which criticised the regime. Today you can visit the John Lennon Wall in Malá Strana, covered in graffiti tributes to the Beatle who wanted to give peace a chance. During the Communist period, writers and artists risked imprisonment by the secret police for decorating the wall, but each time it was painted over, the graffiti reappeared overnight.

Plastic People of the Universe is the seminal Prague rock band, founded in 1968. In 1976 they were arrested for performing in public. Partly in response to this, playwright Václav Havel and others wrote the manifesto Charter 77, which criticised the government’s attitude to human rights, and was a step towards the Velvet Revolution of 1989.

Ambassador Zappa

When Havel became the Czech Republic’s first president, one of his first acts was to invite Frank Zappa to play there. He wanted to appoint him special ambassador to the US, but Zappa became a cultural attaché instead. Havel is also a big Velvet Underground fan, and invited Lou Reed to visit in 1990. Reed says that Havel showed him a book of Velvet Underground lyrics translated into Czech and told him, ‘If you were caught with this book, you went to jail.’

Life is a cabaret, old chum

Today, walking in the city centre, evidence of the city’s passion for a good tune is everywhere. Walls are plastered with flyposters for classical, jazz and rock concerts, recitals, operas and salsa evenings. A snapshot: there are classical concerts in Prague Castle’s Lobkowicz Palace and the neo-Renaissance Rudolfinum is home to the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. You can hear Gershwin in the Spanish Synagogue, and the renowned Prague Chamber Orchestra, Prague Symphony Orchestra and Prague Philharmonia play throughout the year.

Jazz has a special place in Prague’s heart, and has been shaking its money maker here since the 1930s, surviving repression to reemerge all the stronger. You can find jazz (or soul-wringing blues) at Agharta Jazz Centrum or U Malého Glena. The Reduta Jazz Club is the city’s most ‘muso’ jazz club, hosting huge stars in a function-hall atmosphere. It was here that, in a moment as cool as a dancing dad, Bill Clinton jammed in 1994 on a saxophone presented to him by the then President Havel.

For Czech garage and the sound of the 21st-century underground, try Lucerna Music Bar, a back-in-time dive built by Havel’s father.

Festival city

Prague Spring is the big one, running from 12 May (the anniversary of Bedřich Smetana’s death) to 13 June. It traditionally opens with a performance of Smetana’s orchestral cycle Má Vlast (My Country), and attracts international virtuoso performers from Nigel Kennedy to Herbie Hancock.

Its Autumnal counterpoint is Prague Autumn, where rousing classical concerts take place at the Rudolfinum. In Summer there’s the baroque Collegium Marianum, while in August there’s a festival devoted to the French Horn. At the tail end of Summer, the Czech State Opera celebrates Verdi for three weeks, then there are St Wenceslas Sacred Music and International Brass Band festivals in September.

In October don your polo neck for the International Jazz Festival, which has taken place annually at the Reduta Jazz Club since 1964.

Further Information

• Prague Post
• Provokator
• Prague TV
• heartofeurope

Life in New York City moves fast, and change is part of the city’s soul. But when a unique neighborhood starts being molded into something it’s not, New Yorkers are quick to fight back.

Take the Lower East Side. Bordering the East Village and Alphabet City to the north, Chinatown to the south and Little Italy to the west, this jostling downtown neighborhood epitomizes the best things about NYC. Here a bubbling and fragrant melting pot of cultures and nationalities live side by side, working hard at their small thriving businesses, be it a bustling Chinese restaurant or an off-beat Eastern European cafe. The Lower East Side is steeped in New York history, being the first settling point for many immigrants.

Today, however, it’s a neighborhood in conflict. The old and soulful is being nudged and prodded by the glossy and new. Slick bars are springing up alongside old-time family-run hotels; frosty boutiques are replacing local convenience stores. And a particularly ‘revolutionary’ hotel is changing the skyline for ever.

The Hotel on Rivington: for some a crazy, creative addition to the ‘hood, for others an eyesore which should never have been built. It towers over its neighboring buildings, and while it’s the unparalleled views of lower Manhattan that appeal to guests, it’s that jarring scale that has generated the most heated debate.

The tenements of Orchard Street house sleek and exclusive clothing boutiques in one block and bargain basement stores in another. Back alleys are dotted with bargain restaurants offering standout fare to those in the know, while on the main streets grungy laundrettes and larger-than-life barbers continue to ply their trade.

For a taste of the old order, grab a matzo ball soup or a salami and pickle sandwich at Katz’s Deli, a well-loved and well-worn institution made famous by Meg Ryan’s faked orgasm in When Harry Met Sally. Then do a back flip and take yourself in search of wd~50, for fine-dining, some VIPs and an introduction to gentrification in full-throttle.

Local responses to this change vary from the extreme (glue in the locks of new bars – could there be a cooler welcome?) to the cautiously optimistic. But all are relieved that the Lower East Side has not yet been ‘Starbucked’. It’s one thing to have local businesses replaced by entrepreneurs who can see a niche, but quite another to have a bland global giant move in. Opinionated, passionate and vocal, but most importantly local – it’s these voices that make a visit to the Lower East Side a fascinating experience.

Neighborhood Favorites

Freemans
Hidden down a side alley, finding Freemans feels like stumbling on a great secret – only in this case the secret is out and competition for a table is fierce. Discerning diners will not be disappointed with the innovative, fresh approach to the food, those with a penchant for the great outdoors will find the hunting theme as knowingly subversive as it is unique, and all will enjoy the well-informed, relaxed service.

Libation
For some, Libation epitomizes everything that’s wrong with gentrification – it’s one of those slightly bland bars that really could be anywhere in the Western world. But for an extensive cocktail list, a decent stab at the latest New Yorker fad of American tapas and friendly bar staff, you could do much worse.

Hotel on Rivington
You’ll either love or hate its facade, but you can’t fail to be impressed by the sleek minimalism throughout. Not forgetting the ultra-efficient staff for whom nothing is too much trouble and the vaguely famous rock-style clientele. Come here to see and be seen, and make sure you check out the view across the city from your bedroom window.

Architectural highlights for Lisbon.

Image of Lisbon’s Sé (Cathedral) by kruder396

There’s relatively little original pre-18th century architecture left to admire in the city centre, due to the devastating earthquake of 1755. The most notable of the few major monuments that did survive (albeit with later restoration work) are the Romanesque Sé (cathedral); the Igreja de São Vicente de Fora, built by the Italian Renaissance master Felipe Terzi in the early 17th century; and his other work, the Igreja de São Roque. The best testimony to the earthquake itself are the formidable Gothic ruins of the Convento do Carmo in the Chiado district.

Image of Igreja de São Vicente de Fora by detengase

The most outstanding architecture is found at Belém, about 6km west of the city centre. Here is one of the country’’s finest expressions of the Manueline style. Nothing could possibly match the Manueline’’s imaginative flourish but, in terms of flamboyance, the baroque style surpassed it. Financed by the 17th-century gold and diamond discoveries in Brazil, and encouraged by the extravagant Dom João V, local and foreign artists created baroque masterpieces of mind-boggling opulence, notably the massive Convento do Mafra.

Image of Convento do Mafra by Rosino

A hallmark of the architecture at this time was the awesome use of talha dourada (gilded woodwork), which was lavished on church interiors throughout the land. Lisbon’’s finest examples are inside the Igreja de São Roque and the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Madre de Deus. It was only when the gold ran out that the baroque fad faded. At the end of the 18th century, architects quietly returned to a classical style (exemplified by Mateus Vicente de Oliveira’’s Palácio de Queluz, 5km northwest of Lisbon).

Image of Palácio de Queluz by Apparent

After the 1755 earthquake, even more simplicity followed. The Marquês de Pombal invited architect Eugenio dos Santos to rebuild the city in a revolutionary new ‘Pombal’ style marked by plain houses and wide avenues. Walk through the Baixa district and you’ll see Pombal’s influence everywhere. A similar architectural opportunity was recently given to Portugal’’s greatest contemporary architect, Álvaro Siza Vieira, who restored the historic Chiado shopping district following a major fire in 1988.

Image of a Chiado street by José Goulão

A believer in ‘clarity and simplism’, Vieira’’s expressionist approach is clearly reflected in his most notable Lisbon project (originally built for Expo ’98), the Pavilhão de Portugal in the Parque das Nações. The Parque boasts other stunning contemporary works, including Peter Chermayeff’’s Oceanário and Santiago Calatrava’’s extraordinary, wave-like Gare do Oriente.

Image of Gare do Oriente by miguelb

The ‘postmodern’ Amoreiras shopping complex, designed by Tomás Taveira, is among notable city-centre pieces. A fine Lisbon example of the need to preserve historic buildings, at the same time as making them functional, is the headquarters of the Association of Portuguese Architects, which combines an original neoclassical facade with a contemporary interior. The city’’s most bizarre engineering feat is the Elevador de Santa Justa, built in 1902 by Raul Mésnier (a colleague of Gustave Eiffel), while the 18km-long Ponte de Vasco da Gama is the most recent and stylish engineering accomplishment.

Image of Elevador de Santa Justa by Jason Turner

More cultural highlights can be found in the Lonely Planet guide to Portugal

Don’t leave Seoul without enjoying a sweat and a soak in one of the many spas, saunas or jjimjilbang (luxury spas).

Most spas are open 24 hours and offer body scrubs, manicures, pedicures and facials. Watch out though, the massages and body scrubs are usually more on the rigorous than relaxing side.

Most spas are open 24 hours and offer body scrubs, manicures, pedicures and facials. Watch out though, the massages and body scrubs are usually more on the rigorous than relaxing side.

To begin, you must wash and clean yourself thoroughly at the communal showers before gently lowering yourself into a hot bath. The heat soaks into weary bodies, soothing tired muscles and minds. Relaxing and turning pink in a hot bath like a steamed dumpling is good therapy, further enhanced when you plunge into a bath of cold water.

Spas offer a variety of baths (maybe green tea or ginseng) and saunas (try mugwort, pine or jade). Soap and shampoo are supplied, as well as toothpaste and toothbrushes, and the ladies section usually has hairdryers, foot massagers, lotions and perfumes. You can have your hair cut as well as your shoes shined.

Men and women are always separate in the bath area when it’s time to strip off, but saunas, napping rooms and other facilities may be mixed.

You pay when you enter, and the more modern spas will give you a locker key that’s also an electronic tag to keep track of your spending while in the spa. The basic entry fee usually covers up to 12 hours of unlimited use of all the different baths and saunas. Most spas allow patrons to sleep over for the night for an extra W2000 or so – you sleep side by side on thin mattresses in a communal area with a hard pillow.

Here are three of our favourite spas in Seoul:

Spa Lei

Spa Lei is a luxurious, ladies-only spa providing excellent services in an immaculate, stylish environment. The décor is earthy tones of brown, grey and orange using a range of materials including stained wood, marble and rock. Joseon-era furniture, candelabras towering over gilt mirrors and winding vines add an antique touch. The saunas include the much-loved pinewood, and you can hop from saltwater pool to ginseng, mineral and rose baths, plus there is a restaurant and café.

Chunjiyun Spa

Popular with locals and Japanese tourists, this spa is compact and cosy, offering the essentials – a pinewood, jade and clay sauna as well as green tea, ginseng and mugwort hot bath. For a few extra dollars you can get a body scrub, oil massage and cucumber facial. With salmon-pink walls and posters of Korean celebs, it can feel as if you’ve stumbled into a teenage girl’s bedroom.

Dragon Hill Spa

This new luxury spa is spread out over seven floors. In addition to outdoor baths, charcoal saunas, crystal salt rooms and ginseng and cedar baths, there is a golf driving range, cinema and rooftop garden with an Indian Barbeque Village. The outdoor unisex heated pool is perfect for families.

The spacious interior is a beguiling mix of gaudy Las Vegas bling and Asian chic – there’s a sauna shaped like the pyramids but also a bamboo forest lit up with neon green lights. There’s always a smattering of foreigners – Russian models, Filipino migrant workers and Western English teachers.