Asia

These cities open up a loooot of Southeast Asia!

Dublin

Ireland

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia

Singapore

Singapore and Malaysia 🍜 in €510s rtn 

Did you know Malaysia has hawker centers too? 

Luxembourg

Amsterdam

Netherlands

Nuremberg

Germany

Malaysia 🍜 in €480s-€580s rtn 

It's not every day we get to reintroduce you to an airline! 

London Gatwick

England

Perth

Australia

Bahrain

Malaysia, Australia and Bahrain 🌏 in £160s-£520s rtn 

Love letters are cute, boarding passes are cuter 💘

London Heathrow

Bangkok

Thailand

Jakarta

Indonesia

Chennai

India

Kochi

Mahé

Let’s face it, your current desktop background is probably a picture of the Seychelles, so why not make the jump from screen-saver fantasy to actual reality?
Visiting this tropical haven means trading your office chair for a sun lounger beside postcard-perfect beaches, where giant granite boulders meet impossibly clear turquoise water. It’s the kind of escape that’s both ridiculously luxurious and genuinely wild, where you can spend the morning snorkeling vibrant coral reefs and the afternoon greeting ancient giant tortoises. 
Forget fighting for towel space; the only thing you’ll be wrestling is the urge to never, ever leave, proving that sometimes, the most cliché paradise is actually the best one.

Seychelles

Forget fighting for towel space; the only thing you’ll be wrestling in the Seychelles is the urge to never, ever leave, proving that sometimes, the most cliché paradise is actually the best one.

Dubai

United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi

New Delhi

Mumbai

Phuket

Johannesburg

South Africa isn't just a country; it's practically a whole continent squeezed into one incredible, diverse package. Where else can you start your day spotting the Big Five on safari and finish it sipping world-class wine near Cape Town, all while marveling at the sheer majesty of Table Mountain?
From the dramatic coastal drives of the Garden Route to the buzzing, complex history woven into every street corner, this place demands your full attention and rewards you with breathtaking scenery and adventures at every turn.
Prepare for epic views, mind-blowing food, and a destination that constantly reminds you that life is far too short not to own a pair of binoculars. Bonus points for spying the tiny penguins!

South Africa

Adventurous Travelers, assemble! South Africa delivers a jam-packed itinerary where you can start your day spotting the Big Five on safari and end it sipping local wine at the foot of Table Mountain. Think dramatic coastal drives and a rich, complex history alongside mind-blowing nature.

Colombo

Sri Lanka is often called the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean,’ but frankly, that sounds waaaay too delicate for a place that packs so much punch into one island. 
Forget choosing between beaches and mountains; here, you can sip world-class Ceylon tea in the misty highlands in the morning and be surfing on golden coasts that same afternoon. From spotting leopards and elephants on safari to exploring ancient rock fortresses and marveling at incredible temple ruins, Sri Lanka throws everything at you, and you’ll love every chaotic, flavorful, and unforgettable moment of it. 
It’s an island where adventure is mandatory, curry is king, and your itinerary quickly becomes a blur of astounding landscapes and genuinely welcoming smiles.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is often called the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean,’ but frankly, that sounds way too delicate for a place that packs so much punch into one island.

Bengaluru

Hyderabad

Ahmedabad

Amritsar

Manchester

Nairobi

Kenya

Kampala

Uganda

Thiruvananthapuram

Edinburgh

Scotland

Kolkata

Birmingham

Asia 🌿 in £420s-£590s/€440s-€580s rtn

Boston

United States

Dallas

Chicago

Seattle

San Francisco

Los Angeles

Chiang Mai

Southeast Asia 🌏 in $640s-$790s RT

Be quick; these trips only come around once a year!

Kuala Lumpur 🏙️ in €990s rtn 

Hi, I booked my return trip to India yesterday over December and got it for 399 without a checked bag (and 458 with). This is a direct flight via BA from London &gt; Delhi &gt; London. Thought I’d share!

Postcard from Sangam

Got this for September, combined it with a cheap fare to Perth, return fare is only £520 all the way including baggage!!! Flight times/duration are good too. Thanks again, another bargain you found!

Postcard from Malcolm

I’m off to Kuala Lumpur. I saw the article, decided to look at the flights and on a whim decided I’m going. Two weeks in Malaysia in May! Thank you for sharing such a good deal.

Postcard from Robyn

£350 from our local airport (Southampton) to our favourite destination Malaysia. Booked for end of April....pinching myself...am I dreaming?!!

Postcard from Barbara

Gonna go to Malaysia in December. Looking forward to it. Hopefully we&#39;ll be able to enjoy some amazing food, nature and culture 

Postcard from Lisanne

Postcard from Michael

Mexico

Italy

China

Vietnam

Bosnia and Herzegovina

The only line we&rsquo;ll happily wait in? The cable car queue&hellip;&nbsp;
Turns out we&rsquo;re not the only ones with this niche obsession! A few weeks ago we asked for your thoughts on the best cable cars you&rsquo;ve been on.&nbsp;
From Chile to China, our latest rabbit hole crisscrossed through centuries of architectural feats&mdash;including France&rsquo;s mercifully brief (yet whimsical)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGbzYqcl6OI">underwater death trap</a>.&nbsp;
Your recommendations poured in too, along with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/jacksflightclub/permalink/2753016238387553/">some incredibly dizzying pics</a> in our Facebook community.&nbsp;
And we must say, they were pretty&nbsp;uplifting. Take a look! 
<h2 dir="ltr">Cableb&uacute;s, Mexico City</h2>
Manufacturer: Doppelmayr (Austria) / Leitner (Italy)
Objective: Mass transit system connecting high-altitude neighborhoods to the Mexico City Metro
Launch Date: 2021&nbsp;
Vertical Ascent: Varies by line; Line 2 traverses the Sierra de Santa Catarina volcanic ridge
Capacity: Each cabin holds 10; capable of transporting 3,000 people per hour per direction
Track Length: About 10,550 meters (Line 2)
Transit Length: 36 minutes (Line 2 total journey)

<a href="https://www.flickrhelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/40048459562388-Copyright-Licenses-on-Flickr">CC image</a> courtesy of Ted McGrath <a href="https://flic.kr/p/2pxDixx">on Flickr</a>

&ldquo;A great way to view Mexico City from above is by <a href="https://getlostinmexicocity.com/mexico-city-cable-car/">using Cableb&uacute;s</a>, Line 2 is the longest cable car in the world taking around 45 minutes, costing 7 MXP per journey (30 pence). You need a Tarjeta Card to tap in.
It&rsquo;s also an easy connection from the metro system; you just need to change cable cars at Xalpa to continue the journey. It&rsquo;s well worth getting off at&nbsp;<a href="https://mexicocity.cdmx.gob.mx/venues/mercado-quetzalcoatl/?lang=en">Quetzalcoatl </a>for the local market. Great views of the rooftop murals, and don't miss the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUWl-i9jY4-/">parked airplane</a> (turned library) on the ground.&nbsp;
Top tip: don't travel at rush hour, instead go off-peak to avoid the crowds&rdquo; - GallantHiker6933

Mexico City&rsquo;s cable car system isn&rsquo;t just for tourists! The line connects local communities in between Indios Verdes &amp; Cuautepec, cutting down on lengthy commute times and unsafe conditions. Not only that, it&rsquo;s helped reduce air pollution in this mega metropolis. Line 2 holds the Guinness World Record for the longest public cable car on earth (10.55 km), and over 100 massive murals and 3,000 brightly painted rooftops were commissioned specifically to be viewed from above.

<h2 id="prada-costabella-italy">Prada Costabella, Italy</h2>
Manufacturer: Graffer (Italy)
Objective: Direct transit from Prada (San Zeno di Montagna) to the Costabella ridge on Mount Baldo
Launch Date: August 2022 (Complete overhaul and reopening)
Vertical Ascent: Elevates passengers 838 meters
Capacity: Each "open basket" holds 2; capable of transporting 400 people per hour
Track Length: About 3,000 meters of cable (across two sections)
Transit Length: 22 minutes in total

&ldquo;Lake Garda. Rickety-looking&nbsp;<a href="https://www.prada-costabella.it/en/">birdcage thingies</a>! You could hear everything as there was no glass. Saw an eagle swoop right below us.&rdquo;&nbsp;- Emma

Rickety indeed! If you can get over <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VftUF7j_rLg">climbing into a metal cage</a> for one section of your journey, Funivia Prada Costabella&rsquo;s cable cars lead to mountain huts and the highest peaks of Monte Baldo with insane views of Lake Garda below. The baskets don&rsquo;t stop to let you on, and we&rsquo;re not sure which is more anxiety-ridden: the running jump start or the leap of faith to get off.

<h2 dir="ltr">Tianmen Cable Car, China</h2>
Manufacturer: Poma (France)
Objective: Direct transit from <a href="https://chinaexplorertour.com/2025/destination-guide/zhangjiajie-dayong-ancient-city-travel-guide-tips-info/">Zhangjiajie City</a> to the summit of <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Attraction_Review-g494933-d1871611-Reviews-Tianmen_Mountain_National_Forest_Park-Zhangjiajie_Hunan.html">Tianmen Mountain</a>
Launch Date: September 2005
Vertical Ascent: Elevates passengers 1,279 meters above sea level
Capacity: Each cabin holds 8; capable of transporting 1,000&ndash;1,200 people per hour
Track Length: About 7,455 meters of cable&nbsp;
Transit Length: 28&ndash;30 minutes

&ldquo;Tianmen Mountain 99-Bend Road a few months ago.&rdquo; - Slava

At 7,455 meters, <a href="https://www.zhangjiajieguide.com/attractions/tianmen-mountain/cable-car.html">this cable car</a> takes you to Heaven&rsquo;s Gate&mdash; <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVgEzzBDy0z/">literally</a>. Unlike most cable cars that start at a mountain base, this one begins right in the city center near the railway station and flies over residential rooftops and farmland before ascending to the cliffs.

<h2 id="vung-tau-cable-car-vietnam">Vung Tau Cable Car, Vietnam</h2>
Manufacturer: Doppelmayr (Austria)&nbsp;
Objective: Direct transit from <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Attraction_Review-g303946-d8331363-Reviews-Front_Beach-Vung_Tau_Ba_Ria_Vung_Tau_Province.html">Front Beach</a> (Bai Truoc) to the summit of <a href="https://asialegend.travel/blog/big-mountain-vung-tau-guideline-for-first-timers">Big Mountain</a> (Nui Lon)
Launch Date: February 2010
Vertical Ascent: Elevates passengers 210-250 meters above sea level&nbsp;
Capacity: Each cabin holds 8; capable of transporting 3,000 people per hour&nbsp;
Track Length: About 455-500 meters of cable&nbsp;
Transit Length: 10 minutes

&ldquo;When in the <a href="https://www.vietnamcoracle.com/vung-tau-city-by-the-sea/">criminally underrated Vung Tau</a>, a couple of hours south of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in September last year, I took the modest 5-minute cable car alone on the way to Hồ M&acirc;y Park - a mountain-top amusement resort that is as bizarre as it is fun.&nbsp;
Needless to say, I went in the middle of a full-on thunderstorm, and (even though I generally love cable cars) decided that the only way to 'survive' was to make no sudden movements and grip the metal bars with a force that Newton himself had never discovered.&nbsp;
A dramatic recollection? Yes. A fun evening? Also yes. Give it a go...?&rdquo;&nbsp;- RapturousWanderer78593
<a href="https://www.flickrhelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/40048459562388-Copyright-Licenses-on-Flickr">CC image</a> courtesy of &nbsp;Фотобанк on <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/moscow-live/44911896115/in/photolist-7XwdPi-7TBUga-8v2zZj-2bHoAJQ-2bqHd1t-P4eHwz-2bqHfDK-P4eHxX-2cPpZ2B-2cPpZ7X">Flickr</a>

At its summit, you&rsquo;ll find a <a href="https://sklegendvungtau.com/Services/may-lake-tourist-area">mountaintop water park</a> (and an artificial lake), the first in Vietnam. Its &ldquo;Adventure Oasis&rdquo; is the world&rsquo;s longest water coaster designed exclusively for kids.

<h2 id="langkawi-skycab-malaysia">Langkawi SkyCab, Malaysia</h2>
Manufacturer: Doppelmayr (Austria)
Objective: Direct transit from the<a href="https://panoramalangkawi.com/oriental-village/"> Oriental Village</a> to the summit of <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Attraction_Review-g23318796-d25262663-Reviews-Machinchang_Peak_Hiking-Padang_Matsirat_Langkawi_Langkawi_District_Kedah.html">Machincang Mountain</a>
Launch Date: November 2002
Vertical Ascent: Elevates passengers 708 meters above sea level
Capacity: Each cabin holds 6; capable of transporting 700-800 people per hour
Track Length: About 2,200 meters of cable
Transit Length: 15 minutes (total journey including middle station stop)

&ldquo;I just went on <a href="https://panoramalangkawi.com/">the cable car in Langkawi</a> that is apparently the world's steepest! I'm not scared of heights but apparently this was near my limit, as my stomach was in knots on the way down! Superb views though, so definitely worth it!&rdquo; - ZestyCruiser17980

A 550-million-year-old ride. Sort of. The cable car climbs Gunung Machincang, the oldest rock formation in Southeast Asia&mdash;predating dinosaurs by hundreds of millions of years! On a perfectly clear day you can look north to Tarutao National Marine Park in Thailand. But if any gusts of wind exceed safety limits, the cable car&rsquo;s high-tech wind sensors shut it down, occasionally leaving tourists at the tea station for a &ldquo;forced&rdquo; break.

<h2 id="sarajevo-cable-car-bosnia-herzegovina">Sarajevo Cable Car, Bosnia &amp; Herzegovina</h2>
Manufacturer: LEITNER AG (Italy)
Objective: Connecting the Bistrik neighborhood in the Old Town to the Vidikovac peak on Mount Trebević
Launch Date: Originally opened May 3, 1959; reconstructed and reopened April 6, 2018
Vertical Ascent: Elevates passengers from 583 m to 1,160 m&nbsp;
Capacity: Each cabin holds 10; capable of transporting 1,200 people per hour
Track Length: About 2,100 meters of cable
Transit Length: 7 to 9 minutes

"Sarajevo, top of the cable car next to the bobsleigh." - Scott
<hr>
"Another vote for Sarajevo" - Ed

Before Bosnia-Herzegovina&rsquo;s brutal war in the 90s, Mount Trebevic was a beloved place of peace for hikers. The cable car&rsquo;s inauguration in 1959 meant greater access to &ldquo;the lungs of the city&rdquo; for all of Sarajevo&rsquo;s residents. And in 1984 it became an important venue for the Winter Olympics, with the <a href="https://www.heartmybackpack.com/blog/olympic-bobsleigh-track-sarajevo-bosnia/">world&rsquo;s most modern bobsleigh track</a> newly built on the mountain&rsquo;s slopes.
Eight years later, the mountain became the enemy when the cable car guard became the first victim of the war in 1992. From the mountaintop, countless bullets rained down on Sarajevo, killing more than 11,500 people during a 1,425-day siege&mdash;the longest blockade of a capital in modern history. After the war, the cable car fell by the wayside until a $4 million donation from an American doctor, Edmond Offerman, and his Bosnian wife, scientist Maja Serdarevic Offerman,&nbsp;<a href="https://snagalokalnog.ba/en/as-dr-edmond-offermann-returned-the-cable-car-to-sarajevo-love-and-his-wife-maja-are-to-blame-for-everything/">revitalized the restoration project</a>.
April 6th, 2018 was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/apr/06/sarajevo-reopened-cable-car-lifts-city-out-of-the-past-bosnia-herzegovina-serb-siege-yugoslavia">the date of revival</a>, an important date marking both the city&rsquo;s WWII liberation and the start of the 1992 siege. The upper station is now named after Ramo Biber, the guard who was tragically shot dead two decades before. At the reopening, Sarajevo's mayor declared, &ldquo;We have renovated the last destroyed symbol of Sarajevo. This is a monument to love.&rdquo;

<h2 dir="ltr">Bonus Rec from the Jack's team: Dursey Island Cable Car, Ireland</h2>
Manufacturer: British Chairlift Company Limited&nbsp;
Objective: Lifeline transport for residents and farmers across the turbulent Dursey Sound
Launch Date: December 5, 1969
Vertical Ascent: Runs approximately 22&ndash;25 meters above the seawater
Capacity: Holds 6 passengers (or 1 person and 1 coffin); transports approx. 48 people per hour
Track Length: About 374 meters across the open sea
Transit Length: 7.5 to 10 minutes

&ldquo;Ireland's only Cable Car sways from the Beara Peninsula, Cork, to Dursey Island. One time the island was inhabited by hundreds of people; now it&rsquo;s home to 4 people and hundreds of sheep! Go early to have time to see the island and keep in mind the last car back is at 7:30 pm. Bring your own food and water (there&rsquo;s no shops on the island). And dress warm.&rdquo; - Henry, Member Experience

During Dursey&rsquo;s booming days, the island was infamously hard to reach, often capsizing boats in its treacherous tides. For that reason, Ireland&rsquo;s only cable car was built, being only one of two in Europe that crosses open water (the other is in Barcelona).&nbsp;
In its glory days, it was the only cable car on the planet that transported not just humans but livestock. Cows and sheep dangled above the Atlantic until 2012, when a health and safety ban was introduced. That said, funerals take absolute priority to this day, so if a coffin needs to cross to the island&rsquo;s burial ground, you better be prepared to wait.&nbsp;

<h2 dir="ltr">Honorable Mentions</h2>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href="https://www.christchurchattractions.nz/christchurch-gondola/">Christchurch Gondola, New Zealand</a> - 1,000 meters of pure silence and uninterrupted views of the city and the Southern Alps.&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href="https://en.loenskylift.no/">Loen Skylift, Norway</a> - One of the steepest cable cars in the world soars above fjords</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hFklJ3cmzC8">Mi Teleferico, La Paz, Bolivia</a> - The world&rsquo;s longest and highest cable car, used by 200,000 people per day, covering 30 km.&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/C9XKiEsEozY">Ngong Ping 360, Hong Kong</a>&nbsp;- This glass-bottom cable car is not for the faint of heart&mdash;but those views!&nbsp;</li>
<li><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=cable+car+great+wall+of+china&amp;oq=cable+car+great+wall&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgAEAAYgAQyBwgAEAAYgAQyCQgBEEUYORiABDIHCAIQABiABDIHCAMQABiABDIICAQQABgWGB4yBggFEEUYPDIGCAYQRRg9MgYIBxBFGD3SAQgzNDgzajBqNKgCALACAQ&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&amp;vld=cid:81a81627,vid:pOPNevckhpM,st:0">Mutianyu Great Wall Cable Car , China</a> - A chairlift up and toboggan back down have to be the coolest ways to see one of the world&rsquo;s seven wonders.</li>
</ul>

Cloud Nine, Literally: the World's Coolest Cable Car Rides, As Chosen By the Jack's Community

France

Belgium

Romania

<h1>Paris Travel Dupes</h1>
This article was originally published in the Detour in January 2024

I&rsquo;m not a big one for leaning into travel trends&mdash;go where your heart truly desires, I say! But if your heart&nbsp;reeeeally wants to go &ldquo;somewhere like Paris but not so touristy,&rdquo; then maybe the travel dupes trend is actually for you.&nbsp;
Let&rsquo;s be clear, I&rsquo;m not talking about going somewhere that looks exactly like Paris&mdash;short of a visit to Vegas, you&rsquo;re not going to get a selfie with the Eiffel Tower anywhere else. TikTokers jumping on the bandwagon are all about finding somewhere &ldquo;better&rdquo; than the original destination, but for me, it&rsquo;s more about getting to the heart of what you want from a trip and looking for places that offer a similar experience.&nbsp;
So, what is it that visitors want from a trip to Paris? Romantic sunset strolls along the Seine, world-class art and stunning architecture&hellip; some really tasty baked goods and great wine? Unsurprisingly, these are all things you can find elsewhere, too.

We&rsquo;ll start with a suggestion to satisfy anyone wanting to practise their French: Rouen, the capital of Normandy. At first glance, it&rsquo;s a little more industrial than Paris, but stick with me&mdash;it still checks a bunch of boxes!&nbsp;
For those leisurely strolls, you&rsquo;ve got the Seine running through the centre of town. But here, I&rsquo;d say it&rsquo;s best enjoyed as part of the panorama from atop&nbsp;<a href="https://en.visiterouen.com/heritages/nature/the-sainte-catherine-hill-in-rouen/?lid=16g46ynjyt1i">Saint Catherine&rsquo;s Hill</a>. Even&nbsp;<a href="https://arthive.com/claudemonet/works/324044~General_view_of_Rouen_from_the_hill_of_St_Catherine?lid=sttgycdmn1sl">Monet</a>&nbsp;found the views inspiring!
The steeple towering above the rest of the old town belongs to none other than Rouen&rsquo;s own Notre-Dame Cathedral, which spends its summer evenings&nbsp;<a href="https://en.visiterouen.com/heritages/history/the-cathedral-intimate-and-flamboyant/cathedral-of-light/?lid=mgwjjzgs6r0x">bathing in illuminations</a>. And then there&rsquo;s the Gothic church of Saint-Laurent, worth a visit for its unusual museum packed with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.clarkart.edu/microsites/the-art-of-iron/exhibition-(4)?lid=1kppg9ufbm2d">wrought iron works of art</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Just walking through the medieval cobblestone streets will keep you entertained, though. You can hunt down the spot where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake, admire the city&rsquo;s astronomical clock from inside and out, and duck in and out of cheese shops (or&nbsp;<a href="https://rouen-bouge.fr/en/fromagerie-bar-bickett-le-premier-bar-a-fromage-de-rouen/?lid=7c1buui4kcaf">cheese&nbsp;bars</a>!) along the way. It&rsquo;d be rude not to sample&nbsp;<a href="https://www.butterfield.com/get-inspired/calvados-a-norman-tradition?lid=c6qz0tgyl3zl">the local tipples</a>, too!

My second suggestion takes us a hop northeast to the Belgian city of Antwerp. This one has already popped up on social media as a suggested Paris &ldquo;dupe&rdquo;, but I actually think it fits more for Amsterdam. That said, I can definitely get behind it from a more historical destination angle.&nbsp;
The&nbsp;<a href="https://aviewoncities.com/antwerp/meir?lid=gv26bcxfilcb">grand boulevards</a>&nbsp;lined with historic buildings, luxury shopping galleries, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1977614/worlds-most-beautiful-train-station-antwerp-belgium" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNESCO-protected train station</a>&nbsp;all play a major role in setting the tone for the city. Add in the&nbsp;<a href="https://rubenshuis.be/en?lid=t7w2lwhzp3yz">Italian-style palazzo</a>&nbsp;surrounded by lush gardens and stuffed to the brim with Baroque art, and you&rsquo;ve probably got a pretty good idea of what to expect.
Don&rsquo;t worry, Antwerp also has a&nbsp;<a href="https://aviewoncities.com/antwerp/cathedral-of-our-lady?lid=66rfuoyvo8l3">Cathedral of Our Lady</a>&nbsp;for you to visit, complete with more works of art by Rubens and an effigy of Isabella of Bourbon. Bonus activity for anyone who isn&rsquo;t claustrophobic or afraid of heights: free guided tours of the cathedral include the opportunity to climb the small cathedral tower. For the full belfry experience, you&rsquo;ll need to stop by the&nbsp;<a href="https://museumvleeshuis.be/en?lid=jxxel7fzludw">Museum Vleeshuis</a>&nbsp;interactive music museum.
Antwerp also takes care of you boat-trip fans. The Scheldt River is teeming with life&mdash;between the waterbuses connecting the city and the tours that take you around the harbour, you won&rsquo;t lack an opportunity to get on the water. The sunset strolls may&nbsp;<a href="https://www.livetheworld.com/activities/belgium/walking-the-quays?lid=stf13yveldwv">look a little different</a>&nbsp;here than Paris, but they can definitely still be romantic.

My final Parisian alternative is Bucharest, Romania. You can probably surmise from its nickname, &ldquo;Little Paris of the East,&rdquo; that I&rsquo;m far from the first person to suggest that Bucharest might indeed remind you of the French capital.&nbsp;
I&rsquo;ll get the most obvious reason out of the way first: the&nbsp;<a href="https://visitbucharest.today/arch-of-triumph/?lid=848le7bda3sc">Arcul de Triumf</a>. In fact, much of the architecture in Bucharest wouldn&rsquo;t feel at all out of place in Paris. As well as an old town packed with cafe-lined cobblestone streets and hidden courtyards, you&rsquo;ll soon encounter the imposing tree-lined boulevard that was specifically&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulevardul_Unirii?lid=r5k2goalrxk9">designed to rival the Champs-&Eacute;lys&eacute;es</a>.&nbsp;
The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/muzeul-micul-paris-little-paris-museum?lid=mqb4ptyey4d1">Muzeul Micul Paris</a>&nbsp;(Museum of Little Paris) is a good place to get a feel for where the nickname came from. It celebrates Bucharest&rsquo;s golden age in a staged bourgeois house that&rsquo;ll take you right back to the late 19th century.&nbsp;&nbsp;
But Bucharest does have remarkable landmarks of its own as well! Located at the end of Bulevardul Unirii, the&nbsp;<a href="https://visitbucharest.today/palace-of-parliament/?lid=5hcqn3bipel2">Palace of the Parliament</a>&nbsp;is hands-down one of the most jaw-dropping buildings I&rsquo;ve ever seen. It&rsquo;s the largest civilian building in the world, and apparently also the heaviest and most expensive.
There are loads of excellent spots to stop around the city for a browse or a bite to eat, like the beautiful&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3Som5Do3VU/?hl=en&amp;lid=5wjr5drihwe8">Carturesti Carusel</a>&nbsp;bookshop and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.carucubere.ro/en/venue/?lid=8gs68s5eupwo">Caru&rsquo; cu bere</a>&nbsp;restaurant. And come the evening, you can pop into a&nbsp;<a href="https://draculasguidetoromania.com/2023/10/15/wonderful-wine-bars-bucharest/?lid=i0iuwb5l64s3">cosy little wine bar</a>&nbsp;and find out just how well the local produce rivals Paris&rsquo;.
Now we&rsquo;ve got a few options lined up instead of the City of Lights, your brain might be ticking away thinking about &ldquo;dupes&rdquo; for other destinations. Here are a few ideas to consider:

<ul>
<li>Switch the Maldives for Malaysia. Already popular with diving enthusiasts, the white sand beaches and overwater bungalows of Sipadan and Langkayan just scream relaxation. Or for more budget options, pick the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.timetravelturtle.com/malaysia/perhentian-islands/?lid=bmlbh6zoeah1">Perhentian Islands</a>.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Want the big city vibe without the Big Apple price tag? Head to Chicago. Walk&nbsp;<a href="https://www.the606.org/?lid=trh43lwi3ros">The 606&nbsp;</a>instead of the High Line, sip a cocktail while taking in the views at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C6uxcxDLcxE/?lid=k7176azc4l0y">Cindy&rsquo;s</a>, catch a show at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.secondcity.com/history?lid=x9wzz5t5cgtk">Second City</a>. And of course, treat yourself to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/november-2023/chicago-25-best-pizza/?lid=opq344i9pwwk">slice</a>&nbsp;(deep-dish or otherwise).</li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>The busy temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia are high on many lists, but Indonesia&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/unusual-place-of-the-month-borobudur/?lid=onhk8ub8xkdl">Borobudur</a>&nbsp;deserves just as much attention. It&rsquo;s the largest Buddhist temple compound in the world and which took 75 years to build. Its 3-tiered stupa is made from over 2 million stones and surrounded by 72 smaller shrines. Unsurprisingly, sunrise is a popular time to visit.</li>
</ul>

Malaysia

Singapore and Malaysia in €510s rtn

Malaysia in €480s-€580s rtn

Malaysia, Australia and Bahrain in £160s-£520s rtn

Asia in £420s-£590s/€440s-€580s rtn

Southeast Asia in $640s-$790s RT

Kuala Lumpur in €990s rtn