Travel

We all know it can be hard to get some privacy at home, particularly if you've got helicopter parents who insist on open doors whenever your significant other is around. Even behind closed doors, you might have a squeaky mattress that gives you away, or perhaps you just want a change of scenery. Whatever the reason (we're not judging), your neighbourhood Hotel 81 or Fragrance Hotel is the place to go if you need a room for a few hours without burning a hole in your wallet. And with nearly 44 branches combined, there is indeed one in almost every neighbourhood in Singapore (though, of course, you'll find the largest concentration of them around Geylang). Here we check in to a few branches to see how they stack up.

As Tim Ho Wan in Hong Kong and Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle here in Singapore prove, swanky restaurants aren’t the only ones deserving of a Michelin star. In the Michelin Guide’s inaugural edition in Bangkok, it awarded Raan Jay Fai with the same honour. But we think there are plenty of other cheap street eats in the Thai city that deserve a shout – here’s what the inspectors (and you) should check out.

The best sands and surf in the island nation

Soak in the good vibes of the teeming metropolis

Discover the cultural and culinary goldmine

Ever-changing and developing at a breakneck speed, this heaving metropolis in China always offers something new. Here’s your one-stop-shop guide to making the most of Shanghai in just 24 hours. 8am–11am: Stuff yourself with street eats Set yourself up for the day with a stomach-stretching three-hour breakfast on Untour’s walking street food tour ($98). The trip leads you through favourite local breakfast spots in the former French Concession. Xiao long bao 11am–noon: Snag a genuine propaganda poster Continue your journey through the former French Concession towards the Propaganda Poster Art Centre. Hidden in the basement of a faceless housing complex, it’s not the easiest place to find but totally worth the hunt for the large collection of genuine Communist propaganda posters – some of which you can buy for as little as $40. Noon–2.30pm: Tour the Jewish Refugees Museum Tucked up in Hongkou district, the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum and surrounding area are well worth a few hours. Housed in the Ohel Moshe Synagogue complex, the museum gives an insightful look – via original artefacts, historical photos and personal recollections – into the decades during which the neighbourhood was home to Jewish refugees who fled the Nazi regime in Europe. 2.30pm–4.30pm: Explore the M50 The M50 Art District is home to a number of modern and contemporary art galleries. While smaller than its Beijing equivalent, 798, it is still one of the best places to see modern art in the city

Hoi An radiates old-world charm. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh may grab the headlines but this small town on the eastern coast of central Vietnam has been a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1999. The city’s history as a trading port remains a focal point of its modern identity – and old Vietnamese, Chinese, French and Japanese architecture abound – but to say Hoi An survives off its former glories would be a grave injustice. This town is alive and kicking. Things to do Acquainting yourself with the Old Town should be high on your agenda. Although it doesn’t span a vast territory, the narrow alleyways and their hidden wonders lie on both sides of the Thu Bon River. Popular sites include the 16th century Japanese Bridge and the area’s historical houses. Tickets from the tourist information centre allow you to enter and leave the sites at your leisure – a luxury given the spike in the number of visitors that appear later in the day. Evening boat rides along the river are the best way to see the lights and lanterns that dot the glistening waterfront. The historic My Son temple Two hours inland lies My Son, formerly the heartland of the Viet Cong army that fought United States’ forces during the Vietnam War. A day trip to the My Son Hindu temple ruins highlights the damage done to the region during the conflict: many of the 14th century Cham dynasty buildings were destroyed during air bombings and bomb craters remain visible to this day. Where to eat Local delicacies from the regi

Sleep in a safari tent, slurp fresh oysters and sail alongside dolphins as you take a road trip up the coast of New South Wales

It can be a challenge to absorb everything a culturally vibrant city like Barcelona has to offer but we’ve pared it all down to seven of the musts. From Gaudí and Picasso to tapas and pintxos here’s what you can’t miss in Catalonia’s capital. Discover the city on foot Spend a day away from the metro and the tourist bus and stroll around the city instead. Visit some of its most impressive buildings and parks like the Parc de la Ciutadella, Parc de Joan Miró and the Montjuïc castle. Go off the beaten path and head up to Horta, the charming Sant Andreu district or the lesser-known side of Eixample. Explore Gaudí and modernisme Admire the city’s modernista architecture and the works of Antoni Gaudí in particular. The most famous are the Sagrada Família, Park Güell and La Pedrera but don’t miss other Gaudí buildings such as Palau Güell, Casa Batlló, Torre Bellesguard, Casa Vicens and – if you have time to venture outside Barcelona – the crypt of Colònia Güell in Santa Coloma de Cervelló. Els 4 Gats Picture the city of Picasso’s youth Picasso’s Barcelona, where he spent his early years, was beautiful and vibrant. Follow in the footsteps of the artistic genius as you visit the landmarks that shaped his youth. Walk down C/Reina Cristina and then cross over to number three on C/Mercè to see where his family lived – though the actual building has been destroyed. Make like a bohemian at Els 4 Gats, a café where artists, including Picasso and Salvador Dali, gathered to ea

The island nation offers stunning sceneries, but there’s much more to do than merely lounging on the sands, discovers Jake Newby

The beginning of autumn in New Zealand means you get to soak in the gorgeous outdoors – and the adventures that come along with it – without the sun’s scorching rays burning a hole through the back of your head. We round up activities on lake, land and sky to check off your dauntless bucket list. But be warned, (most of) these are not for the faint of heart. 

Few cities can compare with the cultural attractions, world-class restaurants and restless nightlife that Paris has to offer. But with just two days in the city, it can be tricky figuring out where to start to take in the absolute best. So we’ve pulled together the definitive guide to getting the most out of Paris in 48 hours. Read on for an itinerary and list of things to do in the capital put together by Time Out’s expert writers and editors. 

At once the biggest city in Brazil and even in South America, São Paulo is all about superlatives. The city’s traffic might be the worst and its commuters may have reached critical mass years ago, but the delicious abundance of restaurants, the cultural diversity of the population and the hedonistic intensity of its nightlife remain unsurpassed on the continent. São Paulo is the engine driving Brazil’s ongoing economic transformation, and the evidence is everywhere – from ramshackle communities of jobseekers on the outskirts to swanky penthouses, new art galleries and plush play spaces. All the conflicting energies of the place can be summed up in one word: exhilarating. Singapore Airlines flies direct to São Paolo from $3,675 return.