Odyssey in the heart of Japan’s subtropical island

The bright lights of Hong Kong offer a blend of East and West round its unforgettable bay, modern buildings reaching for the sky, traditional markets, boutiques and treasure troves of shops. Today the name Hong Kong embraces several territories: the island of Hong Kong, the Kowloon peninsula, the new Territories and a scattering of small islands. Despite its colonial past, colossal urbanism, notorious wheeling and dealing and ceaseless bustle, the city has retained a typical Chinese character and there are many particularly appealing traditional aspects to the way of life here.

Located to the south of the main island of the Yaeyama archipelago, Ishigaki boasts all the aspects of an authentic piece of paradise. You’ve guessed it, you don’t come here for its skyscrapers but for its pure emerald waters and idyllic beaches. The waters off Shiraho, on the island’s south-west coast, have one of the largest areas of blue coral in the world.

Naha is the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, the tropical island group south of mainland Japan. It’s known for Shuri Castle, the restored royal palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom, which flourished from the 1400s–1800s and invented the martial art karate.