First-time France: where to go and what to do

First-time France: where to go and what to do

France is the world’s top tourist destination and for good reason. There's a lot packed into just one country – artistic and architectural masterpieces, remarkable museums and natural landscapes, and a history harking back far beyond the Romans.

Top it off with fine wine, food and a culinary culture that permeates through every city and small town, and the only hard part is deciding where to go first.

Paris

France’s chic, sexy capital has to be experienced at least once. Mix picture-postcard icons with simple Parisian moments and you'll truly fall in love with the city. Scale the Eiffel Tower then walk or cycle along the Seine, or cruise down it on a bateau-mouche (bateaux-mouches.fr). Venerate Notre Dame then grab a post-cathedral café at Café Saint-Régis, ice-cream at Berthillon or super juice at literary café of mythical bookshop Shakespeare & Company. Hit the Louvre then collapse on a bench with a Pierre Hermé macaron in the Tuileries or Palais Royal gardens. Delve into hilltop Montmartre with a local Paris Greeter (greeters.paris). Escape to posh leafy Versailles and come back blown away by France’s most famous chateau.



Loire Valley


Stunning châteaux are scattered around the lush Loire Valley. Stand in awe of the Renaissance supertanker of a castle Château de Chambord, and graceful Château de Chenonceau astride the Cher River. Château de Blois with its whistle-stop tour of French architecture, and classical Château de Cheverny where the spectacle of the dogs having dinner steals the show, is the perfect one-day combo. In summer put the gardens at Château de Villandry and Château d’Azay-le-Rideau after dark on your hit list. Base yourself in Tours, Blois or Amboise; hire a bike to pedal along the Loire riverbanks at least once; and try to catch a son-et-lumière (sound-and-light) show.


French Riviera


This strip of seashore on the big blue Med has it all – hence half the world crowding it out in summer. The seaside town of Nice is the queen of the Riviera with its cutting-edge art museums, belle époque architecture, pebble beaches and legendary promenade. Glitzy day trips trail film stars in Cannes, Formula One drivers in Monaco, and hobnobbing celebs ‘n socialites in St-Tropez. Sensational coastal views make the drive along the three coastal roads from Nice to Menton an absolute must. Otherwise, grab your hiking boots and stride out in the fiery Massif de l’Estérel for brilliant red-rock mountain scenery.


Provence


Check all devices are fully charged: the extraordinary light and landscape in this part of France’s south demands constant snapping and sharing. Start with Marseille, a millennia-old port with striking museums such as the MuCEM and coastline straight off a film set. Inland, zoom in on glorious Roman amphitheatres and aqueducts in Nîmes, Orange and at the Pont du Gard. Drive past lavender fields and cherry orchards to hilltop villages and food markets in the bucolic Luberon and Vaucluse regions. No lens is large enough for the peak of Mont Ventoux (a cyclist's paradise) or the Gorges du Verdon, Europe’s deepest canyon with 800m sheer-drop cliffs and startling emerald green water, no filter required.



Champagne

This sparkling viticulture region in northern France is all class. Where else can you sip Champers in centuries-old cellars and taste your way through vineyards and medieval villages straight out of a Renoir painting? Stay in Reims (pronounced something similar to ‘rance’) or Épernay to visit Pommery, Mumm, Moët & Chandon and other big-name Champagne houses. In Reims, pick a clear day to scale the tower of the cathedral where dozens of French kings were crowned. From both towns, scenic Champagne driving routes thrust motorists into the heart of this intoxicating region.

Brittany & Normandy

A wind-buffeted part of northern France, Brittany & Normandy was created especially for outdoor fiends and history buffs with sensational seafood, cliff-top walks, a craggy coastline and ancient sights steeped in lore and legend. Top billing is Mont St-Michel, a magical mysterious abbey-island, best approached barefoot across the sand. Or grab a bicycle and toot your horn at the Carnac megaliths strewn along Brittany’s southern coast (wear a windbreaker). Normandy’s time-travel masterpiece is the Bayeux tapestry but it's the heart-wrenching D-Day beaches and WWII war cemeteries nearby that will really take you back to a moment in history.


French Alps

The French Alps is one massive outdoor playground, which pumps during the ski season (December to April) when insanely challenging slopes and trails entice adrenalin junkies from everywhere. Europe’s highest peak, Mont Blanc, prevails and party town Chamonix is the place to get up close to its might and majesty – the mountain panorama from the top of the Aiguille du Midi cable car is the best there is, whatever the season. If small and chic is more your style then strap on the skis in Megéve or St-Gervais. To let rip after dark over hardcore après-ski head to Val d’Isère or Méribel and Courchevel in Les Trois Vallées.

What to pack

• Walking shoes
• French phrasebook
• Lonely Planet's Paris City Guides App
• Adaptor for France’s two-pin plugs
• Raincoat and umbrella (particularly for Paris and northern climes)
• Sunscreen and mosquito repellent (particularly for southern France)
• Detailed road map and/or GPS device

Getting around

Travelling around by car buys freedom, flexibility and a ticket to rural France. Motorists drive on the right side of the road and pay to use motorways (autoroutes). Plot routes, toll and fuel costs with autoroutes (autoroutes.fr).

Bicycle is a brilliant way of navigating towns and cities, including Paris which kick-started France’s bike-sharing craze with Vélib (velib.paris.fr). Sleek cycling paths link sights in the gorgeous and flat Loire Valley, Provence (not so flat) and Brittany. Research routes with France Vélo Tourisme

thailand Top 10 truly Phuket dishes

Top 10 truly Phuket dishes

From upscale seafood to downmarket Russian, just about any cuisine is available on Phuket island, one of Thailand’s biggest destinations. But what do the locals eat?

The answer is much more complicated than pàt tai, as Phuket was a cosmopolitan mixing pot long before the package tourists and sun worshippers started coming.

European traders have been visiting the island since the 16th century, and Chinese and Muslim traders for even longer. But the tin mining boom of the early 20th century brought the biggest and most influential influx of immigrants: Hokkien and Cantonese Chinese, many of whom came via Penang in Malaysia. They introduced their regional Chinese cuisines, but also Malay and Baba-Nyonya dishes, the latter a unique blend of Southeast Asian and Chinese ingredients and cooking techniques.


As a result, the food of Phuket stems from a jumble of influences that has no counterpart elsewhere in Thailand. In Phuket, pork rules, and soy sauce is prized over fish sauce – ostensibly both a result of the Chinese touch. And the Penang connection has also led to a handful of dishes from India, England and Portugal earning a foothold.

Here are 10 classic Phuket dishes to sink your teeth into. Some can be found across the island, but Phuket Town, the island’s inland capital, is where you’ll find the best versions.

Mee hokkien (mèe hók·kêe·an)


'Hokkien-style noodles' is one of the most ubiquitous Phuket dishes. Vendors across the island, especially in Phuket Town, flash-fry round, hearty wheat-and-egg noodles with seafood, slices of pork, greens and an almost gravy-like broth. If you’re feeling decadent, you can ask for your bowl to be garnished with a just-cooked egg. Like many dishes of Hokkien origin, it is savoury and mild.

Loba (loh·bà)

One of Phuket’s most beloved dishes is also probably its most intimidating to visitors. Loba combines pork offal – head, heart, lungs, intestines, tongue – braised in five spice powder, with savoury deep-fried items such as spring rolls, shrimp fritters and stuffed tofu. The two disparate dishes are linked by a sweet/spicy dip. You can mix-and-match your choices, so don’t fret if braised pork face isn’t exactly your jam. This Chinese dish is available at stalls and informal restaurants in Phuket Town.

Oh tao (oh đôw)

Oh tao takes the form of eggs, cubes of taro root, deep-fried pork rinds and tiny oysters fried together in a sticky, spicy batter – think Thailand’s famous fried mussel pancake on steroids. This hearty dish is thought to trace back to Chinese tin miners. You can find oh tao on offer at street stalls in Phuket Town and elsewhere on the island.


Oh eaw (oh ăa·ou)


Shaved ice is a virtually universal dessert, but Phuket’s hyper-sweet, brightly coloured, beloved version stands out from the crowd. This icy dessert includes gelatinous cubes made from banana starch and kidney beans, which are a dessert ingredient in Thailand. Hard to find outside of Phuket, grab a bowl from stalls in Phuket Town.

Moo hong (mŏo hong)

Moo hong takes the form of fatty cuts of pork braised in palm or brown sugar and sweet soy sauce with garlic and black pepper. It’s one of the headlining dishes of the Baba-Nyonya genre, a blend of Chinese and local cooking styles and ingredients, and can be found at slightly more upscale restaurants across the island, such as Raya.

Naam prik kung siap (nám prík gûng sèe·ap)

Thailand is home to countless varieties of nam phrik, chili-based dips with varying recipes from province to province. Phuket’s contribution to the genre combines shrimp paste, fresh chilies, lime juice, sugar and, most notably, the eponymous smoked shrimp. As elsewhere, the dish is served with a platter of fresh and par-boiled herbs and vegetables. Grab a plate at Phuket Town restaurants such as One Chun.

Roti (roh·đee)

These flaky Thai-Muslim ‘pancakes’ can be found in many regions in Thailand. In Phuket, cooks tear the roti into shreds, creating a crispy heap that’s crowned with a fried egg and accompanied by a small bowl of fragrant curry broth – one of the best breakfasts in the country. Long standing Abdul’s Roti Shop in Phuket Town is a great place to start the day Phuket-style.

Khanom jeen (kà·nŏm jeen)

Thin, round rice noodles served with curry-like toppings form a common base for dishes found across Thailand. But the people of Phuket are particularly fanatical about khanom jeen – a breakfast staple on the island. The favourite local topping is nam ya pu, a spicy coconut milk-based soup with crab, served southern-style with a huge selection of herbs, vegetables, fruit and seasonings that are meant to be mixed with the noodles and curry. This is dished up at informal restaurants and stalls across Phuket.

Mee hun (mèe hûn)

Comprising of thin, round rice noodles fried with soy sauce and served with a small bowl of pork broth, this dish has all the makings of a Chinese origin story. However, local legend says it was invented on Phuket. Wherever it originated, Phuket’s the place to get a delicious helping, at a few long-standing restaurants and stalls in Phuket Town.

Top 10 things to do in Guangzhou, China

Top 10 things to do in Guangzhou, China

China’s third-biggest city, Guangzhou is the beating heart of the megalopolis that is the Pearl River Delta. This location along the South China Sea has long made Guangzhou one of China's most important trading ports with a colonial background and culturally diverse society.
But as the region’s population has swelled (around 130 million now call the Pearl River Delta home), so has Guangzhou’s profile.


Today, the capital of Guangdong province, formerly known as Canton, has found firm footing as a booming metropolis full of cutting-edge architecture, tasty Cantonese food and plenty of interesting pockets to explore. Interestingly, Guangzhou is also one of the only cities in China where Mandarin and Cantonese are spoken almost interchangeably.

Here are 10 things you can’t miss in Guangzhou.


Guangzhou Opera House


The most striking piece of architecture in town is the eye-popping Guangzhou Opera House, designed by Zaha Hadid. The performance space has Hadid’s signature flowing curves, which according to the architect were inspired by two rocks washed away from the Pearl River. The opera house, which opened in 2010, is just as futuristic looking on the inside as it is on the outside; performances span everything from classical scores to Cantonese operas.


Cantonese food

Guangzhou, long the spiritual home of Cantonese food, is also one of China’s tastiest cities – a status that’s about to become official with the launch of a Michelin Guide to the city later this year. As you would expect from a cosmopolitan centre, Guangzhou has its fair share of premium restaurants, but there’s a pulsing local food scene, too. Explore it with Eating Adventures, which runs half-day foodie tours around Liwan, the city’s traditional quarter. The highlight is the Huangsha Seafood Market, one of the biggest fish markets in southern China, where restaurants in the market building will cook the seafood you’ve just bought downstairs.

Xiaobei


A high level of migration from Africa has made Guangzhou one of China’s most diverse cities. The Xiaobei neighbourhood, which coalesces around Baohan Straight Street, is home to a large concentration of African residents, as well as Uyghurs from northwestern China. It’s an interesting neighbourhood to explore – alongside wholesale markets, you can find some of the city’s best Uyghur food (think hand-pulled noodles and charcoal-roasted lamb) in eateries.


Liwan


The city’s traditional heart is Liwan, the old quarter, where the houses aren’t more than a few storeys tall and Cantonese is still the dominant language. Visit the Qingping Chinese Medicine Market and wander through the streets to find hawkers sitting on plastic chairs, sometimes flogging handfuls of insects and often playing drawn-out games of mahjong. Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street, the first of its kind in Guangzhou, comes with an odd mix of ear-splitting music and traditional shophouses with a faintly European flair.

Xiaogang Park


Daily life in China is lived out in public spaces like parks. Sprawling Xiaogang Park, in southern Guangzhou, is the ideal place for a lazy weekend stroll – particularly around the lake at its centre. There’s an excellent vegetarian restaurant, Bingsheng Zen Tea House, right by the entrance, which is perfect for a long lunch.

Canton Tower

The city’s tallest structure, the slender Canton Tower, has become the de facto landmark of modern Guangzhou – recognisable for its twisty shape that lights up in a rainbow of colours at night. The viewing platform, at 488m up, offers a breathtaking panorama across Guangzhou and the ultra-modern Zhujiang New Town neighbourhood. Kick the experience up a gear by taking a bubble tram: these clear plexiglass cabins wind slowly around the top of the tower on a track.

Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall

At the southern end of Yuexiu Park is the imposing Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, which commemorates the first leader of modern China. The eponymous doctor, who was born in northern Guangdong in 1866, is immortalised in bronze outside the commanding octagon-shaped hall, which seats more than 3000 people for performances. Also on the Sun trail, a few stops up on metro line 2, you can visit the Sun Yatsen Memorial Museum at the residence where Sun lived during the 1920s.

Shamian Island

This 300-sq-metre island, a former European concession, is one of the prettiest sections of Guangzhou. There are cobbled streets, banyan tree-flanked avenues and wrought-iron signposts – a total contrast to the rest of the city. The Starbucks here, in an old colonial mansion, must rank as one of the most charming branches in the world, while the lobby of the five-star White Swan Hotel is worth a look for its over-the-top pond and mini-waterfall.

Shopping

If you want a snapshot of a very modern Guangzhou, visit Beijing Road – a buzzy, busy and booming pedestrian street packed with hawker stalls and what feels like the entire city population at all points of the day. A more refined shopping experience can be found in Tianhe, a fast-gentrifying business district that’s popular with Hong Kong weekenders (it’s handily near the main Guangzhou East train station). The Taikoo Hui shopping centre is a far calmer retail experience, name-checking over 180 big brands. For browsing antiques of the genuine and not-so-genuine variety, hit up Xiguan Antique Street.

Dim sum


The tradition of yum cha (literally ‘to take tea’) is taken very seriously in Guangzhou, and there are numerous restaurants claiming to have the best selection of traditional dim sum (the small dishes eaten at yum cha). Some claim the best spot in town is Liwan’s Dian Dou De (587 Longjin Zhonglu) – also on the Eating Adventures tour – which serves (arguably) the best egg tarts you’ll find outside of Portugal. For a more formalised affair, there’s the Lai Wan Market, a dim sum restaurant (with tables tucked into traditional sampans) inside the concrete heifer that is the Garden Hotel. Lastly, there’s traditional ‘garden restaurant’ Panxi, a warren of banquet halls set around a gorgeous garden, serving steaming baskets of classic dumplings and bao buns.

How to shop like a local in Singapore

How to shop like a local in Singapore

Singapore’s prolific super-slick and shiny shopping malls are often touted as some of the world’s best, and make this tiny island a must-shop for retail lovers. However, if high street brands and luxury boutiques aren’t your thing, venture out from the air-conditioned megastores and seek out local bargains and flavours at these Singaporean shopping haunts.


Daybreak sees things stirring at the fresh food markets, when supply trucks make deliveries while restaurant chefs and home cooks fight it out for the best ingredients. You’ll find one of the busiest and most colourful of these wet markets on the basement level of Chinatown Complex – wear closed-toed shoes as the floors here can get, well, wet. The crowds thin by mid-morning, which gives you a little more elbow room to take in the kaleidoscopic displays of fruits, vegetables and sea creatures stacked in neat rows. Look out for the famous black chickens and ginormous American bullfrogs, both delicacies in this part of the world. For a local treat to take home with you, visit Anthony the Spice Maker whose rendang curry blend is the stuff of legend.

Chinese medical halls – get some TLC with some TCM


Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been practiced for more than 2000 years and these stores are a fascinating window into the world of Eastern medicine, their cabinets of jars, walls of tiny drawers and baskets of weird and wonderful looking dried plants and animals bound to leave you guessing what on earth they are. Traditionally customers visit their practitioner at the medical hall, explain their ailments and have a remedy concocted. Sadly, traditional medical halls are dwindling in Singapore, though you’ll still find a few around Chinatown. If you’re in the market for some TCM, try the more mainstream Eu Yan Sang – it’s not as authentic but practitioners are English speaking and the medicines are usually labeled and packaged.

HBD flats – journey into Singapore's heartlandsa


Towering housing estates are prolific in Singapore. In fact, over 80% of the population call these state-run Housing Board Development (HDB) flats home, and inside you’ll find local kopitams (coffee shops), hawker stalls, food markets, hardware stores and a variety of knick-knack shops selling everything from household goods to local sweets. These areas are often referred to as the ‘heartlands’ of Singapore, and are the perfect places to spend an afternoon wandering the shops while also getting a glimpse into local communities. Pop up from the MRT line at Toa Payoh or Pasir Ris and start exploring. One of the city-state's hippest third-wave coffee shops, Nylon Coffee Roasters, is tucked underneath an Everton Park HDB block; its brew is worth the trip.

Mustafa Centre – get lost in Little India


Set aside a few hours if you’re planning on heading into this behemoth shopping nirvana in Little India. You’ll find everything from the latest electronics to hair accessories, groceries to sporting equipment, gold sellers to money changers. It is an absolute rabbit warren inside and locating an exit can take the best part of half an hour. Bargain hunters will appreciate the cheap prices but be warned, it’s busy every day and positively heaves on Sundays. The best time to visit is in the wee hours of the morning (doors stay open 24 hours), but even at 2am you’ll find plenty of customers wandering the aisles doing their weekly grocery shopping.

Antique treasures, maybe


Bypass the touristy paraphernalia in Chinatown’s Pagoda St and instead head for this bursting-at-the-seams three-storey shophouse in nearby Craig Road, home to Tong Mern Sern Antiques Arts & Crafts. The sign out front proclaims ‘We buy junk and sell antiques, some fools buy and some fools sell’, a somewhat humorous notice for those who cross its threshold. Inside you’ll find a treasure trove of objects such as porcelain plates, paintings, Peranakan tiles, lamps, trinkets and even some vintage bicycles hanging from the rafters. Spot something that takes your fancy? Unlike many Singaporean establishments, you’re allowed to gently haggle on the price here.

Durians – delectable or disgusting?




You won’t be able to pack the so-called ‘king of fruit’ in your luggage for later, as this green, spikey fruit emits one of the most pungent and obnoxious odours in Asia – so all the more reason to try it here. Despite being banned from hotels and public transport, you shouldn’t let its reputation scare you. Take a bite and you may discover that, like many locals, you quite like it. Sellers can be found in Chinatown (you’ll smell them before you see them), but if you want the full local experience, head to Durian Culture in Geylang. Here you’ll find packed tables of friends and families, plastic gloves on, happily digging into the mellow yellow flesh while seemingly oblivious to the stench. Stallholders will help you choose a fruit, open it and then it’s up to you to tuck in – it does taste better than it smells, though how much better is in the tastebuds of the beholder.


Singapore snacks – beyond the average


You can grab a chocolate bar at any 7/11 store, but visiting a traditional Singapore snack shop is way more fun and much tastier. Carnivores head to Lim Chee Guan which is so famous for its bak kwa (barbequed preserved pork) that during Chinese New Year the line can stretch around the block. Sweet tooths should not miss Tong Heng, an old-school bakery selling lusciously flakey egg tarts. If you just have to have a biscuit with your afternoon cup of tea, the range at Biscuit Shop has you sorted – the brightly coloured iced gems are a fun treat but the pineapple cookies and lemon puffs will have connoisseurs swooning.


Time for tea


The beautiful tins at famous tea purveyor TWG make a wonderful keepsake. However, if you’d like to learn the history behind one of the world’s most popular drinks, head to Tea Chapter. Here you can savour a cup of loose leaf tea prepared with the utmost precision, purchase your favourite blend and grab a stunning tea set as a souvenir.