Singapore

Singapore is the ideal first stop or stopover for Asia — Changi is consistently rated the world's best airport, English is the working language, and the MRT and taxis are efficient and safe. Raffles and the Fullerton Bay carry the colonial-era grandeur; Marina Bay Sands is the skyline; Capella on Sentosa is the resort option. The food is the point: hawker centres (Maxwell, Lau Pa Sat, Old Airport Road) sit alongside a serious fine-dining scene. It is hot and humid year-round with brief afternoon storms; there is no bad season, though the Formula 1 weekend in September fills every hotel. Laws are strictly enforced — chewing gum, littering, jaywalking, drugs and vaping carry real penalties. Tipping is not expected.