Singapore

In the good old days, Singapore was the Amsterdam of the East. Today, drunken sailors have been overtaken by mad shopping tourists, and most of the old red-light district has morphed itself into seafood restaurants and fancy clubs. One of the remaining areas is Geylang, where prostitution is apparently still legal. Here, working girls chat local men up in the many outdoor Chinese restaurants or work out of brothels or clubs. It's a peek behind the facade of conservative Singapore - and please let it be with that.

Singapore is not all shopping malls and tall buildings. If you really hunger for some beach life, Sentosa Island will give you a fix. The island is connected with both a bridge and a cable car and everything is artificially made, though the palms are real. The blue horizon is dotted with huge tankers, and though Sentosa means peace and tranquillity in Malay, it's not quite a Robinson Crusoe beachcomber experience. Nevertheless, it is a nice break from the air-con world of downtown Singapore, and a view into how Singaporeans take a break.