Weird & wonderful things to do on planet Time Out

Eighteen Time Out international editors reveal the hidden, the unmissable and the improbable in their cities.

Amsterdam

Visit a secret attic

Everyone knows about Anne Frank's hiding place on the Prinsengracht, which is not to be missed. But few know about one of the city's other hidden treasures: Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder, or 'Our Lord in the Attic'. Built in 1663 in what's now the red-light district. The narrow confines of this canal house's attic pack in a cathedral complete with a two-storey altar, a confessional, a chapel and an organ. It was built during the Dutch ban on public Catholic worship at the time of the Reformation.

Anne Frank Huis, Oudezijds Voorburgwal 40 (www.museumamstelkring.nl).

Nina Siegal, editor of Time Out Amsterdam magazine (English, monthly)

More great things to do in Amsterdam

Visit www.timeout.com/amsterdam

Amsterdam guidebooks

Barcelona

Eat like a Catalan

Casa Leopoldo, a classic in the Raval area of Ciutat Vella, is a place to eat with the locals. Taste the tomato-rubbed bread and then bite on a bull's tail, some meatballs or cuttlefish and prawns. The restaurant is decorated with bullfighting drawings, because the owner of the restaurant, Maria Rosa, was married to a Portuguese bullfighter who ate dust in the plaza years ago. Bullfights may not be the most Catalan experience, but this restaurant is 100 per cent Barcelona.

Casa Leopoldo, Sant Rafael, 24.

Xavier Muniesa, editor of Time Out Barcelona magazine (Catalan, weekly)

More great things to do in Barcelona

Visit www.timeout.com/barcelona

Barcelona guidebooks

Beijing

Fire a very big gun

What better way to wind down after a hard day in the office than by blowing something away using live ammunition. Air rifles? Pah. In Beijing's China North International shooting range, you can go crazy with everything from handguns to Uzis and even anti-aircraft guns. Nankou Mafang, Changping district (+86 10 6977 1368).

Tom Pattinson, editor of Time Out Beijing magazine (English and Mandarin versions, both monthly)

Visit timeout.com/beijing (English)

Beijing guidebooks

Beirut

Lose a weekend

Start off your Friday evening with a chicken sandwich and an extra-strong Turkish coffee from fast-food joint Zaatar wo Zeit. Spend the next three happy hours in the closest pub – 37 Degrees in Monot Street. At 9pm go bar hopping: Beirutis will crawl up to ten bars in a typical night, and Gemmayzeh Street was built to cater for that. At 1am, move to club BO18, forget the expensive drinks and just throw yourself into the music.

Early in the morning, when the roof opens to let the smoke out, head to the nearest group of people and ask them which private after-party they're heading to. Bear in mind, after-parties in Beirut start at 5am and last up to six hours, so you might want to grab a bite from an all-night stall such as Ghalayini's in Hamra. When you're done dancing, take a ride to the nearest patisserie, Sea Sweet, and order the knefeh bi jibn – bread stuffed with sweet, cheese-based dough. Although you have five hours to sleep, we suggest you take a swim instead. Rinse, repeat...

Karl Baz, editor of Time Out Beirut magazine (English, monthly)

Belgrade

Go Belgrade boho

Skadarlija is the city's bohemian quarter, an old, well-preserved cobblestone street which stretches from Trg Republike (the Square of the Republic) to the famous Bajloni Market. It began to acquire its bohemian character in the final decades of the nineteenth century, due to its proximity to the National Theatre, as actors and other artists moved in to the neighbourhood. Present-day Skadarlija is packed with art galleries, antique shops and restaurants, while live bands play traditional and gypsy songs.

Dubie Racino, contributor, Time Out Belgrade magazine (Serb-Croat) (due to launch Nov 2009)

Bucharest

Bask in Bauhaus-cubism

An important influence in the 1920s, Marcel Iancu's vision of Bucharest ignored the entrepreneurial and valued originality. The Romanian Cultural Institute paid tribute to his idealism with the Marcel Iancu urban map. It guides you from house to laboratory, from factory to mansion, on a walk of fame and shame through vulgar suburbs and past glass-walled office blocks. There are 18 buildings still standing: only two of them can be visited on the inside, but all of them tell the story of what a clean and organised Bucharest might have looked like. You can find the map at Carturesti bookstores. carturesti.ro

Anca Ionita, editor of Time Out Bucharest magazine (Romanian, monthly)

Visit www.timeoutbucuresti.ro (Romanian)

Chicago

Get Violetly drunk

Enter the unmarked door to The Violet Hour to enjoy artisanal cocktails from a high-backed chair, awash in the glow of flickering oil lamps. Balanced on the border between playfully pretentious (ice made with filtered water comes in shapes tailored to each type of cocktail glass) and amusingly sincere (bartenders sample their concoctions and throw away any substandard efforts), the joint delivers a memorable drinking experience. Try the rum-based Dark & Stormy with its bracing blend of lime and ginger syrup. Hell, try anything on the menu – we've never had a disappointing cocktail round here, even at $11 a pop.

The Violet Hour, 1520 North Damen Avenue (www.theviolethour.com).

Dig in to a hot dog at Hot Doug's

This self-styled emporium of encased meats – including such specials as merlot-and-blueberry venison sausage with pomegranate-blueberry mustard cream and Finnish Lappi cheese – inspires fans to queue up for an hour.

Hot Doug's, 3324 North California Avenue (www.hotdougs.com).

Frank Sennett, editor of Time Out Chicago magazine (weekly)

Visit www.timeout.com/chicago

Chicago guidebooks and magazines

Cyprus

Dive the Zenobia wreck

The Zenobia wreck is considered to be one of the most exciting shipwrecks in the world. The 173m-long Zenobia, which sunk near Larnaca harbour during its maiden voyage in 1980, was loaded with 108 trucks and other cargo, some of which can still be seen. The wreck has also become a refuge for marine life such as groupers, white sea bream, jacks, barracuda and moray eels.  

Sea Quest Divers, 39 Saint Panteleimonos, Strovolos, Nicosia (+35 7 9961 0027).

Yiannis Adilinis, editor of Time Out Cyprus magazine (Greek, monthly)

Visit www.timeoutcyprus.com (Greek)

Delhi

Feast on finest curry

Fancy Champagne brunches are for tourists: spend your Sunday dining at Andhra Bhavan – though you may need to book a crane to lift you away afterwards. The unlimited thali is brilliant: you can load up on rice, papad, two veggies, sambar, rasam, yoghurt and a sweet for only Rs55. Go upstairs for the first floor's air-conditioning: you'll need it, because the food here is hot.

Andhra Bhavan, Ashoka Road (+91 (0)11 2338 7499).

Avtar Singh, editor of Time Out Delhi magazine (English, weekly)

Visit www.timeoutdelhi.net

Dubai

Check out some proper speed humps

There can be few experiences as demented as watching a grunting dromedary camel haul its hump around a racetrack at 40kph, followed by equally demented trainers hanging out of 4x4s to holler encouragement. After the (somewhat behind-the-times) realisation that strapping young Pakistani boys to these goofy racers is a tad seventeenth century, the camels are now ridden by robo-jockeys, whose whip arms and rein-tugging are operated by remote control.

Nad al Sheba racecourse (late Oct-early April).

Relax in a desert retreat

It doesn't get much better than an ultra-luxury boutique hotel set in a pristine desert eco-zone. Golden dunes teem with oryx, gazelles and other desert creatures, chalets have private infinity pools and butler service and there's even a pillow menu to ensure a good night's sleep. Forget the Burj Al Arab, this is the best hotel in Dubai.

Al Maha Desert Resort (www.al-maha.com).

Jeremy Lawrence, editor of Time Out Dubai magazine (English, weekly)

Visit www.timeout.com/dubai

Dubai guidebooks

Hong Kong

Hike the Dragon's Back

Probably the world's most spectacular urban hike, this walk is worlds away from the 'Blade Runner'-esque Hong Kong cityscape of popular myth. Starting high above the green waters of the Tai Tam reservoir, the trail winds through lush forest before emerging on to the Dragon's Back ridge. With the South China Sea before you and steep slopes on both sides, the village of Shek O lies far down below. Once you reach it, reward yourself with dinner and drinks by the beach.

Ride the Ngong Ping 360

Before 2006, the only way to get to Lantau Island, Hong Kong’s largest island, was by rickety bus or taxi. But with the arrival of the 360 cable car came an all together more satisfying journey: passengers journey over the bay, before turning 60 degrees, and being taken up and over the mountain, getting great views of the biggest bronze, outdoor, seated Buddha in the world along the way. Oh, and watch out for wild water buffalo, cows and dogs along the way – we’re not kidding.

Ngong Ping 360 (www.np360.com.hk).

Simon Ostheimer, assistant editor, Time Out Hong Kong magazine (English, fortnightly)

Visit www.timeout.com/hongkong

Hong Kong guidebooks

Kuala Lumpur

Be a Lumpur jumper

To celebrate their nation's independence (we think), Malaysians invite you to throw yourselves off the 421m-high KL Tower. Base jumpers from around the world come to to get a unique view of the city. First from the top of the tower, then in mid-air, dangling from a parachute, and finally from the virgin rainforest where they (hopefully) land. 

Matthew Bellotti, editor of Time Out Kuala Lumpur magazine (English, monthly)

Visit www.timeoutkl.com

Lisbon

Do Sintra on a Segway

The steep climb up to the forested retreat of Sintra, north-west of Lisbon, has deterred many from visiting this otherwise popular tourist spot. Now, with the advent of upright motorised scooters, the hills are alive for the world's gym-dodgers. They may not be the coolest forms of transport, but two-wheeled Segways allow you to cruise through the lunar landscapes, still a haunt of local witches. From the top you can see as far as Lisbon in one direction and the Atlantic in the other.

Silence Tour (+351 912 942 942/www.silencetour.pt).

João Cepeda, editor of Time Out Lisbon magazine (Portugese, weekly)

Visit www.timeout.pt (Portugese)

Lisbon guidebooks and magazines

Moscow

Make the most of Most

'Most' is Moscow's most glamorous nightclub, owned by one of the city's local oligarchs – and it lives up to its name (most means 'bridge' in Russian). Crowds of oil tycoons are attracted by its chic interiors, which cost millions, and stunning female Muscovites, who are carefully filtered through the strictest image-control system in town.

Kuznetsky Most 6/3 (+7 495 660 0706/themost.ru).

Igor Shulinsky, editor of Time Out Moscow magazine (Russian, weekly)

Visit www.timeout.ru (Russian)

Mumbai

Celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi marks the birthday of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed Hindu god of auspicious beginnings. During the ten-day festival (the start date shifts between late-August and mid-September), families instal idols of the deity in their homes, while some neighbourhoods erect tents (pandals) in which gigantic statues of Ganesha – some three storeys high – are enthroned. The idols are immersed in the sea or in lakes after one-and-a-half, three, five, seven or ten days. While they're in residence, the idols are treated to live music and films late into the night – or at least as late as noise regulations permit. The revelry on immersion days can get hectic, with crowds spraying colour and dancing in the streets. Watch from a balcony above a major location if you're not ready to be swept up by the crowd, but remember to sample a modak – the elephant god's favourite confection – at a more peaceful pandal.

Locations: Lalbaug, Girgaum Chowpatty, Dadar and across the city.

Naresh Fernandes, editor of Time Out Mumbai magazine (English, fortnightly)

Visit www.timeoutmumbai.net

Mumbai guidebooks

New York

Walk the Brooklyn Bridge

Tread the wooden boards of this beauty and your state of mind will shift from frantic to meditative. Witness new developments, but also muse upon how the separate cities of Brooklyn and New York were transformed by this still vital link. The harbour traffic, the incomparable skyline, the cathedral-like span itself – it can only fill you with pleasure to be precisely where you are. And it's free.

Rock to The Rockettes

Each year, this precision dancing troupe appears in the 'Radio City Christmas Spectacular', a show which exudes old-time razzle-dazzle and over-the-top showbiz charm. As corny as this wholesome entertainment may seem to urban sophisticates, there's a reason the show's been running for 75 years. After all, who can resist a stage full of leggy, perfectly synchronised dames?

Michael Freidson, editor of Time Out New York magazine (weekly)

Visit www.timeout.com/newyork

New York guidebooks

St Petersburg

Witness the clash of the club kids

Behind crumbling imperial facades, trash bars, R&B clubs and premium restaurants are springing up. On Dumskaya street, boho cowboys and Pete Doherty lookalikes spill out of grungy bar Fidel and crash into hot chicks in gold and pink, bechained rappers from club Lydovic, and VIP guests from pricey Arena-3 on Konyshennaya Street. Grab a late-night beer and watch the street cultures collide. Start at Nevsky Prospect metro station.

Julia Suslova, editor of Time Out St Petersburg magazine (Russian, weekly).

Visit www.spb.timeout.ru (Russian)

Singapore

Drink à la Dali

If you like a touch of the surreal with your shiraz, then head to the Divine Wine Extraordinaire – a beautiful wine bar in an art-deco business complex. Rather than mere earthly waitresses, the booze pusher boasts 'angels' who fly to retrieve your bottle from a rack 12 metres high. They hook themselves into a pulley system behind the bar and soar up to the wine rack, floating back and forth as they search for your pinot noir.

Parkview Square lobby, 600 North Bridge Rd. Bugis MRT station.

Laura Dannen, deputy editor, Time Out Singapore magazine (English)

Visit www.timeout.com/singapore

Singapore guidebooks

Passing through? When you're visiting a major foreign city, don't forget to pick up a local edition of Time Out magazine!