The port of Chan May is close to a number of central Vietnam's star attractions. Just to the north lies Hue and its crumbling Imperial Citadel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while to the south is the city of Da Nang, a major US airbase during the Vietnam War, and pretty Hoi An, a dreamy tropical haze of teetering merchant houses, bustling markets and Chinese temples.

Hong Kong is a striking mix of ancient and modern, Chinese and British, and there is a lot more to the city than just skyscrapers and high finance. It's also a fantastic destination for foodies, a melting pot of culinary influences from around Asia and beyond.

Manila is a sprawling, chaotic conglomeration of soaring skyscrapers, faded colonial facades and ramshackle slums, and it’s certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. But if you have the stamina and an inquisitive nature, there is plenty to be enjoyed in the Philippines’ boisterous capital.

Laid back Hualien is one of the biggest cities on Taiwan’s mountainous east coast, and serves as the gateway to the beautiful Taroko Gorge. It’s also one of the world’s biggest producers of marble, and is home to a number of restaurants specialising in aboriginal cuisine.

Keelung is a fairly unremarkable port city close to Taipei, Taiwan’s capital. Taipei draws on an interesting mix of Chinese, Japanese and Western influences, and is home to attractive temples, a burgeoning street food scene and Taipei 101, which was the world's tallest building until it was eclipsed by Dubai's Burj Khalifa in 2010.

The friendly southern Japanese city of Kagoshima enjoys a balmy climate, and sits just across the bay from the very active Sakurajima volcano, which erupts so regularly that an ‘ash forecast’ is included in local weather reports.

In a state of constant renewal and forever looking to the future, densely populated Tokyo is a dazzling introduction to Japan and its utterly unique culture. With more neon than Las Vegas and more Michelin stars than Paris, it’s a real assault on the senses.

The city of Aomori, at the northern tip of Honshu island, is best known for its summer Nebuta Matsuri festival, which lights up the streets every August. There is still plenty to see during the rest of the year, including elegant Hirosaki Castle, pretty Lake Towada and the Seiryu-ji Temple, home of the largest Buddha statue in Japan.

The port of Sakaiminato is known for its fishing industry and superb seafood, and it’s a short drive from Matsue and its famous medieval ‘Black Castle’. Sakaiminato is also the home of the popular Japanese manga artist Mizuki Shigeru, and the town is full of statues celebrating his work.

Busan is South Korea’s second biggest city and one of the world’s busiest container ports, but it’s an easygoing place with a discernibly different character to Seoul. Haeundae beach is a popular summer holiday destination for Koreans, while the pungent Jagalchi market sells every type of fish and sea creature imaginable.

Three days after Hiroshima was flattened by an atomic bomb, Nagasaki suffered the same horrifying fate. The reconstruction of both cities has been quite extraordinary; Nagasaki today is a vibrant, cosmopolitan place, with a fascinating history that goes back a lot further than 1945.

Shimizu is one of the most spectacular ports in Japan, a sweeping bay in the shadow of the iconic Mount Fuji. You can spend some time admiring the views and wandering through peaceful pine groves, or visit the unique Shimizu Sushi Museum at the S-Pulse Dream Plaza shopping mall.