BADONG, CHINA - Emily is singing. Her sweet soprano voice floats from the bow of a traditional sampan and through the dewy air as our sturdy little vessel rides the gentle Yangtze River waves.

GUANGZHOU, CHINA - Train No. T818 cuts through valleys lush with tropical vegetation and the jagged landscape known as the New Territories just outside Hong Kong whizzes past my window as the Guangzhou Express rushes towards the Chinese border.

XIAMEN, CHINA - Things are getting hot and steamy. It’s dark and I hear people whispering. Suddenly, a voice from behind asks: “What are you in the mood for?”

HONG KONG - Because this Asian beauty is one of the world’s great culinary cities, it’s important that visitors sample as many of Hong Kong’s traditional and neighbourhood restaurants as possible.

HONG KONG - The best way to see all the great attractions this city has to offer is to go “topless” — on an open double-decker known as the Big Bus.

YOKOHAMA, JAPAN - It’s almost deserted in Yamashita-cho, the main street in Chukagai (this city’s Chinatown and biggest tourist attraction) where I’ve come to satisfy my dim sum craving.

MALE, REPUBLIC OF MALDIVES - I probably won’t get to heaven, but I’ve been to the Maldives — close enough.

HANOI - They walk with poise and grace through the city streets. Some guide heavily loaded bicycles, others balance wares at either end of a bamboo pole. They are the urban street vendors of Vietnam, mostly rural women who rarely see their families, selling everything from pineapple and bok choy, to teacups and plastic brooms.

SINGAPORE - The white marble statue of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles stands amid a backdrop of giant buildings and a dark blue sky.

SINGAPORE - Few hotels employ a resident historian. But then again, few hotels are as historically significant as this city's famed Raffles.