Italy’s culture-rich fashion mecca is going to host the Expo 2015 from May-Oct, the gigantic international gathering at which nations from across the world come together to show off their achievements. The host nation is exhibiting the largest ever collection of Leonardo da Vinci’s work, with more than 100 drawings and paintings to be displayed at Palazzo Reale. Elsewhere, the world-renowned opera house La Scala is breaking its own rules by skipping the summer closure schedule to host Expo events.

 

 

The pods of Hong Kong’s Observation Wheel—the island’s answer to the London Eye—started revolving in October, offering tourists a 20-minute-long panoramic view of Victoria Harbor and Kowloon. But that’s not the only reason to visit Hong Kong. It’s also the stage of Asia’s grandest art event, Art Basel, which returns in March this year.

 

 

US President Barack Obama is reviving ties between the United States and that little Commie island off the coast of Florida. This means the charms of frozen-in-time Cuba will soon be thawed to big American business. Get there quick if you’re to enjoy its vintage car culture, incredible architecture and beautiful coastlines at their best.

 

 

Forty years after the fall of Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City is on the rise. To mark the 40th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War (Apr 30), the administration is now working on big revamp plans. They’ve put US$23.5 million (B770 million) into a project to turn the space in front of the People’s Committee Hall and Ton Duc Thang Street into a 900-meter promenade. The first phase is meant to be completed this March, coinciding with the installation of the new Ho Chi Minh monument. Keep your eyes on cheap flights around the big Thai holiday period of Apr- May, which coincides exactly with the celebrations. For those after a wintry escape, the country’s mountainous northen city, Sapa, also made headlines this month for its record snowfall. Make sure you visit before next month if you want to catch the country at its icy best. (See page 12 for news about the city’s newest design hotel.)

 

 

This hi-tech island has more going for it than nationwide free Wi-Fi. More and more budget airlines are putting Bangkok-Taipei on their list of routes, among them V Air, Tiger Air and AirAsia. Taiwan may be a tiny territory, but it has a lot to offer. The breath-taking natural wonders can stand toe to toe with neighbors Japan and China, whether it’s the onsen spas, magnificent Taroko Gorge, pristine Sun Moon Lake or various tea farms. Meanwhile, the capital Taipei looks like a Monocle City Survey sprung to life, filled with chic cafes, museums, designer boutiques and traditional cultural highs. What’s more, traveling isn’t too expensive and the tourism safety record rivals that of Japan.