Hong Kong to Los Angeles

Contradiction is part of Hong Kong’s attraction. While the city buzzes with modern commerce, soaring skyscrapers and sophistication, it remains a place of ancient beliefs and intriguing local customs. Your guide to Hong Kong. Few cities balance old and new like Hong Kong. A city as fiercely modern as it is traditional, life here pulses with vigour and vitality while still honouring ancient customs and beliefs. Market traders hawk steaming dumplings on neon-lit streets. Sacred temples stand in the shadow of skyscrapers and luxury boutiques populate glossy shopping centres. Contradiction is all part of Hong Kong’s appeal, the city’s dynamic personality a complementary blend of Chinese and British influences. Heralded as one of the world’s foremost culinary, cultural and commercial capitals, a port call here provides myriad ways to satisfy your stomach, your senses and your suitcase.

The Philippines’ sprawling capital city is a bustling hub of diverse cultures and heritage. Manila’s heady assortment of historical influences combine to give the city its unique identity. A long and varied history stretches back as far as 5,000 years, with human life occupying the area from around 3000 BC. The city first flourished during the Ming Dynasty due to trade relations with China, before experiencing invasions by Indian, Bruneian and further Chinese empires and then becoming the seat of the colonial government of Spain.

Bali is a vision of ethereal beauty, where ribbons of pale sand unravel along an azure sea, emerald rice terraces and stone-carved temples pierce the landscape and Hindu gods inspire human creativity. Your guide to Bali. The Indonesian island of Bali delights visitors with its white sandy beaches, vibrant rice paddies and sacred Hindu temples. From Tanjung Benoa, where your Bali cruise calls, it’s just a short drive to the fishing port of Jimbaran Bay or the sublime beaches of upmarket Nusa Dua. Enjoying a warm year-round climate, Bali is a popular retreat for surfers, stand-up paddle boarders and reef divers. While those who prefer to relax find themselves quickly unwinding in this spiritual land where serenity seems to infuse the air. Savour freshly barbequed seafood while looking out to sea and delight in the opportunity to slow down and just be.

Perth’s spectacular growth in recent times makes the old historic port of Fremantle seem tiny in comparison. Eighty per cent of Western Australia’s population lives in or around this sunny metropolis. Your guide to Perth. They say you can’t please everyone, but Perth may prove to be the exception to that rule. The city’s urban sprawl is awash with fusion flavours, fashionable boutiques and innovative museums but Western Australia’s capital impresses in other ways too. Its Kings Park and Botanic Garden are one of the largest inner-city green spaces; eclipsing even New York’s Central Park. Outstanding beaches decorate Perth’s coastline, while verdant wineries surround its inland fringes. Throw in the world’s largest gold coin (one of Perth’s many novel claims to fame) and you begin to appreciate why the city is so many things to so many people.

The third-largest Australian island boasts incredible natural beauty, with unspoiled pristine beaches and a truly unique opportunity to see an amazing range of animals up-close in their local habitat. As one would expect, there’s a healthy kangaroo presence, along with wallabies, koalas, seals, sea lions and goannas, the placid and unassuming lizards that grow up to a metre long.

Flower gardens and graceful, tree-lined boulevards add a refined air to Melbourne, regarded as the hub of Australia's cultural, intellectual and financial life – at least by Melbournians! Modern skyscrapers mingle comfortably with Victorian homes, and an aura of upper-class elegance pervades. If you find country pleasures more appealing, ride the historic steam train “Puffing Billy” past forests and farms, before having lunch at a Yarra Glen vineyard.

Sitting on a beautiful stretch of Tasmania's North West Coast, port city Burnie may have industrial roots, but it has since reinvented itself as a creative enclave and the state's fourth largest city. With about 40 per cent of Tasmania designated as a World Heritage Area of national parks and reserves, you can enjoy a wide range of wilderness experiences available from this laid-back market town.

Mark Twain called it “the wonder of the world”. James Michener wrote, “It is a thing of beauty, a fairy-tale body of water”. With an area that sprawls 670 square miles, Sydney is one of the largest cities in the world. But it's the exquisite Sydney Harbour that draws world-wide acclaim – that, along with its magnificent Opera House. And with nearly three days, you'll have plenty of time to go exploring.

Mark Twain called it “the wonder of the world”. James Michener wrote, “It is a thing of beauty, a fairy-tale body of water”. With an area that sprawls 670 square miles, Sydney is one of the largest cities in the world. But it's the exquisite Sydney Harbour that draws world-wide acclaim – that, along with its magnificent Opera House. And with nearly three days, you'll have plenty of time to go exploring.

Nestling on the lower slopes of a steep sided extinct volcano, the historic port town of Lyttelton is overflowing with trendy cafés and quirky shops. It’s also the gateway to nearby Christchurch. Lyttelton has a long, colourful history and was the point where the first European settlers, bound for Christchurch, came ashore in 1850. Today the centre of Christchurch is just over seven miles away, thanks to the 1.2-mile-long Lyttelton road tunnel, which burrows through the Port Hills. The entire Canterbury area was devastated in the 2011 earthquake, but is gradually being rebuilt, with new shops and buildings opening everyday. The small Lyttelton museum is maritime themed and boasts a fascinating Antarctic gallery, as the city was the launching point for South Pole expeditions at the turn of the last century.

Perched in the hills surrounding a sparkling bay, Wellington has the beautiful setting (and crispy weather) of San Francisco. White sails mingle with cargo ships in the Harbour. Charming Edwardian architecture blends into a contemporary skyline of concrete and glass. Culturally the city even surpasses Auckland. And Wellington's nightlife is the most vibrant anywhere in Kiwiland.

Tauranga is the largest and most populated port in the Bay of Plenty region. This is an appropriate name due to the abundant beaches, rolling white waters, hot mineral springs and even kiwi orchards. From here visit the thermal wonders of Rotorua, where geysers spout, mud boils and steam escapes through cracks in the pavement. Maori people have used the healing hot springs since the 14th century.

In a nation where stunning scenery is taken for granted, this water wonderland sparkles like a freshly polished jewel. Over 48 extinct volcanoes cloaked in wild mountainous scenery encircle the “City of Sails”. An undulating succession of bays and inlets stretch along its endless shores. Even the downtown area with its expansive, farm-like parks exudes a sense of spacious beauty.

Try the ceremonial drink yaqona or kava, made from the root of the pepper tree. You'll find it everywhere, including Suva's must-see market, piled high with tropical fruits, exotic vegetables, freshly caught fish and – reflecting Fiji's rich cultural flavour – brightly coloured Indian sweets.

Apia is Samoa’s wonderful capital, sitting on a natural harbour at the mouth of the Vaisigano River. It is praised widely for its luscious interiors, beautiful beaches, waterfalls and friendly locals. Apia retains some of its wooden colonial buildings, most notably the old courthouse, which has an interesting museum on its upper floor. It is also the burial place of writer Robert Louis Stevenson.

The Hawaiian island of Maui is a laid back and welcoming destination. From Kahului, venture off through fields of swaying sugar cane and discover a rich and wonderul range of majestic natural wonders. Wander Iao Valley State Park’s lush tropical greenery to see volcanic Iao Needle, dedicated to the god of the ocean. Or drive the scenic road to Haleakala Crater for some highly impressive views.

Kauai is also called the "Garden Island". A name that suits it perfectly, given its lush forests, its waterfalls, its dream beaches, its high mountains and its extremely rare animal species. Only the oldest island in the Hawaiian archipelago is not just a photogenic island. Kauai is also a place of culture, where bodies come to life to the sound of the ukulele, and souls rise to listen to old local legends.

Combine the languid allure of the tropics, big city sophistication and the spirit of Aloha, and you've discovered Oahu. Known as “The Gathering Place”, this Pacific crossroads is a tapestry of cultural diversity from Polynesian sensuality and Oriental mystique to American pragmatism. And it all blends together in one of the most harmonious gatherings in the world.

Welcome to the gateway to fame and fortune, with its endless beaches and non-stop excitement. There are wonderful restaurants, exceptional museums, fabulous stores, dazzling nightlife, unlimited recreation and sporting attractions, and a rich multiculturalism that adds international allure.