Barhopping at Golden Gai, Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo used to be a city with small old houses. In many parts of town these places were bars and places for night life. In Shinjuku many of these were burned down by the maffia long time ago to make place for new modern buildings. This area called Golden Gai have been protected and is now one of the few places kept in Tokyo with over 200 small houses all made into bars with space for about 10 guests each. Most houses are around 60 years old. Many of the bars only accept their regular patrons but with a smile and if you are ready to spend some money and have a good time you will sure find one that you will like. They all have different themes like, jazz, rock, R&B, punk etc but all have a real personal and local feel to it!
You find the Golden Gai if you walk out the east exit of the Shinjuku station and walk next to the Hanazono Shrine.
Some bar have a minimum charge! Almost no bar accept a credit card! Have fun!

Meet the local kids at Suria KLCC in Kuala Lumpur

Downtown Kuala Lumpur is mainly luxury hotels and offices so there are not to many places for the young crowds to meet. But, if you visit the park in the back of the shopping center Suria KLCC under the Twin Towers on a weekend the place is crowded with the youngsters of KL. Take a walk and have a chat with them. They are usully happy to practice their English and then you can sit down at one of the many cafés, restaurants or bars in the area. Have fun!

Havaianas Flip Flops, Brasil

When in Brasil I always pick up some new cool flip flops for myself or as gifts. You can ether find them at any small kiosk or you can head for a Havaianas concept store! They are all over and prices are dirt cheap.
At the big stores you can even custom make them and for ladies you can even put on some jewelry to make them more personal and more cool! The only problem is that you always come out of the store with all to many shoes!

Sunset on the Ipanena Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

I think that the best place to watch the sunset in Rio de Janeiro is at the beach. Either you stay on the rocks at Aproador Beach or you enjoy the beach of Ipanema as the sun goes down. At this time of the day people are relaxed, the party has started for some, people pack their things after a full day at the beach ready to go home and the locals come after work to do some volleyball or racketball. It's great to just take a walk on the beach, have a swim or simply sit down at one of the posto bars to have something to drink. As you can see the waves can get quite big, so be careful in the water!

Shintori Restaurant, Shanghai, China

If you are in Shanghai and you want to eat really good Japanese food Shintori is the place to go. The restaurant itself is impressive as you can see on the picture. There is no sign by the entrance but when you get inside it and  you walk through the bamboo forrest you know that you have come to the right place. The food is a mixture of traditional Kaiseki and Japanese cross over. Order a few dishes at a time as the service is quick and you might feel a bit stressed if everything comes at the same time. Better to order a few times. The sashimi is great but the cooked dishes like the cod is even better.  Before or after you can also visit the bar next door. Make sure to book the tables in advance.
Shintori, 803 Julu Lu, by Fumin Lu ( in the former French Concession Area
+86 (21)5404-5252 

Tsukiji Masamoto Knifeshop, Tokyo

Many people that goes to Japan have a dream of owning a real Japanese knife! In Tokyo this it the place to get one! Masamoto has been doing knifes for over 5 generations now and is the main supplier of knifes to the people working with fish at the Tokyo's main fish market - Tsukiji. Here you find all kinds of knifes as well as small things that you might need in you kitchen. The knifes are different for specific purposes. Do you want to cut big fish, meat, vegetables or make sashimi? No matter what your knife you buy it will be sharper then any knife you have seen after the staff sharpens it to perfection! Here, like most traditional places in Japan you can only pay with cash.
The shop is located at the outer Tsukiji fish market and is open from early morning all day long.

Le Royal Meridien Hotel, Shanghai, China

Le Royal Meridien Hotel is my new favorite hotel in Shanghai. The hotel is right by Peoples Square and on the shopping heaven Nanjing Road. The hotel is 66 stories high and the view from the rooms are stunning. Sometimes due to the fog in Shanghai you are really up in the clouds! The staff is great and there is a good mix of professional chinese and foreigners that speaks all different languages that makes your stay in Shanghai nice and smooth.
In every room you also have a free smartphone that you can bring with you when you go out. If you are lost you can google map your location and the locator will show you back to the hotel. You can call the concierge with it so they can tell the non English speaking taxi driver were you need to go. A great choice of restaurants and other tips can also be found in the phone.
Don't miss the jazzbar on the top floor, the pink Sunday brunch or just stay in the comfortable beds!
I love it!
Le Royal Meridien
789 Nanjing Road East, Shanghai 200001 China
Tel +86-21-3318 9999