Travel on this canal for designer (and knockoff) shopping at Siam Square and visit the Jim Thompson House, the beautiful teak museum home of an American silk trader, and other central Bangkok sites such as the Bo Bae wholesale clothing market or the hip Thonglor neighbourhood, full of boutiques and cafes.

BBC: Exploring Bangkok��s canals

The lakeside village, once home to silk traders, is one of the few remaining undeveloped areas around Mount Fuji.

WSJ: Selling a Piece of Old Japan, to Save It

It is also where the Silk Road ended in the East and is home to the famed army of terracotta soldiers that belonged to the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang.

BBC: Living in: Great cities for history and ancient ruins