Barcelona

Barcelona is the capital and the most populous city of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, after Madrid, with a population of 1,621,537. Barcelona is today one of the world's leading tourist, economic, trade fair and cultural-sports centres, and its influences in commerce, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities. From dining on tapas alfresco on La Rambla to basking in the sun on Barceloneta, out is the new in, and being cooped up in Gaudi-inspired, Gothic-style buildings, for example The Sagrada Familia, the international symbol of Barcelona. It has many venues for live music and theatre, including the world-renowned Gran Teatre del Liceu opera theatre, the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya, the Teatre Lliure and the Palau de la Msica Catalana concert hall. Barcelona has a long sporting tradition and hosted the highly successful 1992 Summer Olympics as well as several matches during the 1982 FIFA World Cup (on the two stadiums). And when it comes to explorability, it doesnt get better than Barcelona. With everything from wide, tree-lined boulevards to narrow cobblestone streets, pedestrians need only take a stroll to soak up the citys stunning aesthetic.

Istanbul
Istanbul offers a bit of everything from sports to cuisine to architectural marvels. In 2010, it was appointed the European Capital of Culture, and in 2012, it will be the European Capital of Sport. It has many domed mosques. The most famous among these is the Blue Mosque in Sultanahmet. The Hagia Sophia next to it, which looks similar, is a sprawling museum, as is the Topkapi Palace next to that. The modern era can be explored too, especially in summer, when the city basically turns into a hub for aspiring musicians who set up on every street corner for the annual Istanbul Jazz Festival. Istanbul is becoming increasingly colourful in terms of its rich social, cultural, and commercial activities.

The city has many public and private hospitals, clinics and laboratories within its bounds and numerous medical research centres. Many of these facilities have high technology equipment, which has contributed to the recent upsurge in "medical tourism" to Istanbul.

New York
New York can be anything to anyone: More than 48 million people visited the Big Apple in 2010 to experience the city's famous energy. But on the ground, it's clear that people come here to eat, take in some culture, and go out big at night -- the same things locals do, really. New York is the most populous city in the United States and the centre of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment. The home of the United Nations Headquarters, New York is an important centre for international affairs and is widely deemed the cultural capital of the world. The city is also referred to as New York City or the City of New York to distinguish it from the state of New York, of which it is a part. The city was a centre of jazz in the 1940s, abstract expressionism in the 1950s and the birthplace of hip hop in the 1970s. The city's punk and hardcore scenes were influential in the 1970s and 1980s, and the city has long had a flourishing scene for Jewish American literature. The city prominently excels in its spheres of art, cuisine, dance, music, opera, theatre, independent film, fashion, museums, and literature. The city is the birthplace of many cultural movements, including the Harlem Renaissance in literature and visual art.

Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. The historic centre, gently sprinkled with gorgeous temples, is not just for strolling around. The biggest temple, Wat Pho, may have the 150-foot-long Reclining Buddha. Other walks take you up to Golden Mounts view or around Phraeng Phuthon

Square, which boasts nil tourists and two of the citys best streetside restaurants. Novembers lunar festival, Loy Krathong, sees the waterways strewn with candle floats. The Sukhumvit district offers a shopper's paradise, with high-tech malls sandwiched between sprawling food markets, all easily navigable on foot or via the clean metro. Many men seek out the salacious pleasures of Sukhumvit Soi 11, but in nearby Soi Thonglor, a street simply teeming with nightlife, are popular clubs like Demo and Muse, as well as Fat Gut'z, a bustling jazz and blues joint. Check out the free weekly BK Magazine for English-language listings, and indulge in the cheap and healthy eats that are everywhere, from the delicious food courts at the Emporium and the trendy Mah Boon Krong mall, to the amazing vegetarian fare at Khun Churn, hidden underneath the otherwise bland Bangkok Mediplex. For a more active stay, take a bicycle tour of the idyllic nearby countryside, where concrete canal walkways provide surprising vistas of rice paddies, traditional wooden houses and the kind of tiny food stalls you'll salivate over for years. And if you do find yourself pining for those legendary beaches, Pattaya and its islands are just 2.5 hours away by car or bus (we environmentally conscious folks recommend the train).

Athens
Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens is central to economic, financial, industrial, political and cultural life in Greece and it is rated as an Alpha world city. In 2008, Athens was ranked the world's 32nd richest city by purchasing power and the 25th most expensive in a UBS study. The heritage of the classical era is still evident in the city, represented by a number of ancient monuments and works of art, the most famous of all being the Parthenon, widely considered a key landmark of early Western civilization. The city also retains a vast variety of Roman and Byzantine monuments, as well as a smaller number of remaining Ottoman monuments projecting the city's long history across the centuries. Athens is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Acropolis of Athens and the medieval Daphni Monastery. Athens has a long tradition in sports and sporting events, being home of the

most important clubs in Greek sports and having a large number of sports facilities. The city has also served as a host of several sports events of international notability. Athens has hosted the Summer Olympic Games twice, in 1896 and 2004. The 2004 Summer Olympics inspired the development of the Athens Olympic Stadium, which has since gained a reputation as one of the most beautiful stadia in the world, and one of its most interesting modern monuments. Located on Panepistimiou Street, the old campus of the University of Athens, the National Library, and the Athens Academy form the "Athens Trilogy" built in the mid-19th century.

Tokyo
Tokyo is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the centre of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family.
Tokyo has been described as one of the three "command centers" for the world economy, along with New York City and London. This city is considered an alpha. In 2010 Tokyo was named the second most expensive city for expatriate employees, according to the Mercer and Economist Intelligence Unit cost-of-living surveys and named the fourth Most Liveable City and the Worlds Most Livable Megalopolis by the magazine Monocle. The Michelin Guide has awarded Tokyo by far the most Michelin stars of any city in the world. Tokyo hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics and is currently bidding to host the 2020 Summer Olympics. Tokyo is a major international finance center, houses the headquarters of several of the world's largest investment banks and insurance companies, and serves as a hub for Japan's transportation, publishing, and broadcasting industries. Tokyo has many universities, junior colleges, and vocational schools. Many of Japan's most prestigious universities are in Tokyo, including University of Tokyo, Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Keio University,and Waseda University. Tokyo is frequently the setting for many Japanese movies, television shows, animated series (anime), web comics, and comic books.