Cities

Travelogs 3/2011 invites us to discover the historic heart of Shanghai, built when Britain was a colonial power. This district, called the Bund, is now surrounded by an ultra-modern megacity. Come with us on a little tour of the modern sights.

The city is extending its smoking ban from bars and restaurants to local parks, beaches and pedestrian areas. This will mean cleaner air in Central Park, at Coney Island and even at Times Square. Those who light up anyway will have to pay a $50 fine.

The trendy clubbing experience is called "Feeling gloomy", not "Feeling groovy". Every Saturday night in Islington, clubbers happily dance to melancholy music. The playlist includes tracks by The Smiths, Joy Division and Violent Femmes.

Westerners usually think of China in political or economic terms — as an emerging superpower. But the Middle Kingdom is also a fascinating travel destination. We take you to Beijing, the Great Wall, Nanjing, Shanghai and Hangzhou.

In John Carpenter's 1981 hit film Escape from New York, Manhattan is a giant prison. In reality, nearly a million people had left the city by the end of the 1970s and there was a widespread belief that New York was doomed. Everybody was wrong.

The models all wore pink-gold high heels, specially designed to match the pink-gold Rolex watch David Beckham gave his wife for her 36th birthday. Victoria was showing off her latest looks for spring/summer 2011 during New York Fashion Week.

Taking time out for a treat is essential in these difficult times. And it needn't cost a lot, even in London. The shop-until-you-drop city has lots of affordable spas, and it's got the latest craze: Garra rufa fish that nibble your tired feet.

The city that never sleeps expects that the number of visitors this year could top the record 47 million who came in 2008. To cope with the crowds, lots of new budget hotels offering tourist-friendly rates of $200 to $250 have opened their doors.

When it comes to extravagant hotels, Atlantis The Palm on the man-made Palm Jumeirah island in Dubai is exceptional. You can stay in an underwater suite there. Make a short video, and you could win a trip there and bring nine friends along as well.