The inconspicuous vintage Coca Cola machine in one corner of Shanghai sandwich shop The Press hides something much more exciting than cans of fizzy drink.
For those in the know, the vending machine swings open to reveal a secret passageway leading straight to one of Shanghai’s best-kept secrets: Flask, a swanky cocktail bar with an effervescent atmosphere.
Step down a hallway of black-painted bricks into a lounge area accented by leather upholstery, copper fixtures, dark wooden floorboards and bare concrete walls. Out-there art, light sculptures and fish-eye mirrors complete Flask’s rarefied air. Recline on a vintage sofa or take a seat at the bar, where some of the city’s top mixologists will shake up something just as special as your surroundings.
With an open-air bar that looks like a giant gleaming bathtub floating 34 storeys above the bustling streets of Mumbai, Aer is one sexy lady. Ease into the curvaceous white furniture that sparkles like constellations against the Arabian Sea, and gulp down the extraordinary views. Order the signature cocktail – Afterglow (gin, cucumber, coriander and grapes) – and peruse the tapas menu with seductive offerings like goat’s cheese and pistachio truffles. This Four Seasons gem is such a stunner that the hotel imposes a US$37.50 cover charge on Friday and Saturday nights.
Located in the young, hip 11th arrondissement near the Place de Bastille, this nightclub-cocktail bar hybrid is the perfect place to get in sync with the beating heart of Parisian nightlife.
Badaboum has made a name for itself hosting top international techno DJs in the intimate, 350-person floor space, where stark industrial decor and geometric neon light installations give the place a psychedelic air.
If the club scene is not your thing, the bar alone is worth a visit. Kick back with an expertly crafted cocktail and a plate of tapas in the cosy, warmly lit downstairs area, or get comfy in the lounge-inspired Secret Room upstairs.
In a former life, the A38 was a Ukrainian stone hauler used to transport gravel across international waters. Today it has transformed into the ultimate floating bar and music venue, and is permanently moored on the banks of the Danube in Budapest.
A hall that once stored mounds of rocks now pumps out rock ‘n roll, former equipment bays boast art exhibitions, a selection of bars tempts thirsty revelers, and there’s even an on-board restaurant that serves hearty Hungarian fare.
While it no longer sails to distant waters, the ship still pulls a worldly crew with international acts thrashing its stage and DJs hitting the decks. For something more cultural, check out the program of film screenings, literature readings and food and wine festivals.
Satisfy all your senses at a one-of-a-kind Berlin cocktail bar. Fragrances, the crowning jewel of the city’s Ritz-Carlton, is the first watering hole in the world dedicated to combining cocktails with perfume.
Each drink is inspired by a unique fragrance from renowned brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani and Guerlain. “At Fragrances, we want our guests not only to enjoy their drinks, but to experience them,” explains cocktail creator and bar manager Arnd Heissen.
Instead of poring over a traditional cocktail list, patrons are invited to choose their favourite fragrance and let their nose lead them to a matching cocktail. The bar also runs workshops where guests can create their own personal scent under the guidance of a perfume expert.
Shake your thang at this dance institution in Cali, Colombia’s capital of salsa. Surrounded by retro decor, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’ve shimmied back in time a decade or two, but what Tin Tin Deo lacks in gloss and glamour it makes up for with a sizzling dance floor.
Even if you have two left feet, it’s well worth stopping by to watch the unspoken competition of twisting hips and fancy footwork, but it’s even better to give it a go yourself. Rustle up a partner and show off your skills, or grab a drink and play wallflower beneath pictures of salsa supremos. The establishment is popular with locals and travellers alike, so arrive before 11pm to claim some space. But remember, this is South America, so play it cool and stay scarce until at least 10pm.
When you want to explore the famous Sacred Valley while enjoying the finer aspects of life, check in to one of Sol Y Luna’s 43 casita-syle rooms, built from local materials and splashed with Federico Bauer’s colourful artwork.
Explore 10 hectares of lush gardens brimming with butterflies and hummingbirds, before heading to the property’s edge. Here you’ll find the stable complex, home to Peruvian Paso horses that can be taken out for a ride, but also perform for guests enjoying a meal at the Wayra restaurant.
Stroll into the village and visit the lively market, organise a trip to Salineras de Maras (the local salt mines) or catch the train from nearby Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu.
Huangshan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was a major inspiration for the fantasy world of Avatar, and no wonder. When shrouded with clouds, the jagged granite peaks look positively dreamlike floating in midair. And this happens pretty often – clouds sink down upon Huangshan roughly 200 days of the year. Hike your way up, stay a night or two on the mountain and feel the scenic bliss descend upon you as you look out over the majestic peaks.
An early wake-up in the Russian holiday hotspot of Nha Trang isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Beat the heat and the tourists by rising at 5am and wandering down to the beach to experience exercise time in full swing. Swim with the locals flocking down for a pre-sun dip, dance in one of the many rotundas with your choice of salsa or techno music, or show off your muscles on one of the many exercise machines. Morning time is exercise time – so flex, bounce, bend and stretch your way around as you watch the sunrise!
Flames flare across a pit of boiling mud in the heart of Turkmenistan’s Karakum Desert. Derweze, or the ‘door to hell’ as locals know it, is a glowing 70-metre-wide sinkhole and a sinister legacy to gas mining.
The crater formed when the ground beneath a rig collapsed as Soviet geologists drilled for resources in one of the largest natural gas reserves in the world. The pit devoured the machinery and methane gushed into the air, threatening a nearby village. To truncate the flow, geologists set the deposit alight, assuming it would burn off in several days. Fed by rich natural gas, the fire continues to burn decades later.
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