You might have walked through the Orchid Garden in Singapore’s Changi Airport or shopped in LAX’s duty-free boutiques, but there’s more to these places than their airports. Rather than dashing on to your next destination, a stopover en route can enrich your experience and help you see more of the world in a single trip.
In a couple of nights you can explore the eclectic cultural landscape of Hong Kong or taste your way through cosmopolitan Cape Town. Our specialists have chosen their top recommendations for a stopover that offers far more than an airport lounge.
Flying via Singapore? Relax & explore by the water
By Southeast Asia specialist Ross
Singapore’s Changi Airport has received its fair share of awards — the free 24-hour cinema, rooftop swimming pool, and butterfly garden make it an appealing stop between flights. But Singapore deserves to be a destination in its own right. The city boasts a concentrated wealth of sights, so you can pack a lot into a brief stay.
I can pair you with a private guide to help you make the most of your first day here. In the cool of the morning, you’ll board a traditional bumboat to navigate along the Singapore River towards the quay, where old warehouses have been transformed into vibrant entertainment venues and gourmet restaurants. Here, you’ll spend a while learning about the island country’s colonial past, before heading to Chinatown to browse its eclectic array of shophouses that sell books, herbal teas, and Chinese lanterns.
Later, you’ll visit Little India, one of the oldest parts of the city. Indian migrants settled here to raise and trade cattle, and, while the livestock are long gone, Hindu temples, tandoori restaurants, and incense-scented shops remain. Together with your guide, you can sample Indian sweets, explore the markets, and meet some of the local shopkeepers.
Singapore is warm year-round, so to escape the heat and humidity of the afternoon, you’ll head to the Gardens by the Bay after a Singaporean lunch nearby. Here, two futuristic, air-conditioned conservatories have been built on reclaimed land and filled with plants from across the world. An aerial walkway cuts through the outdoor space, with views across the Marina Bay skyline. Your guide will then lead you back to your hotel using the city’s ultra-modern public transport system so you can relax for a while before dinner.
In the evening, I like to eat at Newton Food Centre, a quick metro ride to the north of the city. Singaporeans usually work late and then meet friends in this huge food court. You can choose from Chinese, Indian, Malay, or Peranakan dishes that have been influenced by the city’s multicultural history. The chicken satay is a particularly popular delicacy.
If you’re eager to continue, head to Fullerton Hotel for a nightcap. This neoclassical building was once home to Singapore’s General Post Office and government offices, but it’s now a luxurious heritage hotel with an infinity pool overlooking Singapore River.
Fly onward to Borneo
You can’t catch a long-haul flight direct to Borneo, so you’ll need to stop en route — and Singapore is only a two-hour flight away. The futuristic, high-rise cityscape of Singapore is a stark contrast to the tangled jungles and rugged mountains of Borneo.
Once on the island, you can cruise along the Kinabatangan River to spot orangutans, macaques, and gibbons, hike deep into primary rainforest with skilled naturalists, and enjoy a traditional homestay in an Iban longhouse.
Flights
It’s a 13-hour flight from London to Singapore with Singapore Airlines. From Singapore, it’s then a one-and-a-half-hour flight onward to Kuching with Air Asia.
Flying via Los Angeles? Explore the city’s laid-back coastal communities
By USA specialist Franki
As one of the USA’s biggest urban areas, Los Angeles can feel like a daunting place to visit, particularly if you’re short on time. But I’ve found that staying here for just two or three nights can reveal a few different sides to the city.
When you’re in transit, convenience is key, and the coastal community of Santa Monica lies less than an hour’s drive from Los Angeles International Airport. I much prefer being by the beach to staying in the busy city, and, from here, you still have easy access to Hollywood and LA’s other attractions.
Having long been a stomping ground for Hollywood stars, Santa Monica is full of beachside mansions, as well as high-end restaurants and boutiques.
A fitting way to explore is from the back of a 1960s Cadillac with a local driver-guide — with the top down you’ll still be able to soak up the Californian sun. Your driver can take you to the places that most interest you, from the glowing lights of Santa Monica Pier to the glamour of Sunset Boulevard. Along the way, they’ll tell you about the various sights you pass by and answer your questions about life in LA.
If you’d prefer something a little more active, I recommend a guided electric bicycle tour, taking in both Santa Monica and laid-back Venice Beach, home to surfers, skateboarders, and artists alike. As you follow the cycle path that runs along the shoreline, you can take a break from pedaling and let the motor do the heavy lifting.
Fly onward to French Polynesia
Far-flung French Polynesia is around a 25-hour journey from the UK, so it’s almost essential to make a stopover en route. LA works well, contrasting the island experience with a city stay. Once in French Polynesia, domestic flights make it easy to island hop.
Aside from snorkeling, paddleboarding, and kayaking, you could learn about Tahiti’s past and present as you visit a local market, sample Moorea’s fusion of food on a guided tour, and circle Mount Otemanu on a boat ride around Bora Bora.
Flights
It’s an 11-hour flight to Los Angeles from London. Heading onward, it’s an eight-hour flight to Tahiti, the largest of French Polynesia’s islands. From there, you can catch domestic flights to Moorea, Bora Bora, Huahine, and the Marquesas Islands.
Flying via Hong Kong? Visit night markets & fishing villages
By China specialist Chris
In Hong Kong, cosmopolitan bars and Michelin-star restaurants are found alongside traditional markets selling everything from electronics to jade good-luck charms. It draws from a real mix of Chinese and European influences.
The city is an excellent stopover destination en route to Australia. I’ve found that it’s surprisingly compact and easy to get around, with the efficient, air-conditioned Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system able to zip you between different districts. The Airport Express line also means you can stay almost anywhere within Hong Kong and won’t have to travel far to catch your onward flight.
Three nights will give you enough time to explore both the neon-splattered city streets and take a one-hour ferry ride over to Cheung Chau, one of the 260 outer islands, with a local guide. On many of these islands, a more traditional way of life remains. You can visit tiny fishing villages, where people live in stilted houses over water. Forests provide hiking and wildlife-viewing opportunities, and you can dip your feet in the sea from quiet sandy beaches.
Back in the metropolis, you can browse the many shops and markets. Temple Street Night Market is one of the best, providing a vibrant snapshot of Chinese culture as you pass the stalls of traditional herbalists, fortune-tellers, and jewellers. I recommend going with a private guide, who’ll also take you to a traditional singing parlour, help you find the best food spots, and lead you to a banyan tree, where you can have your fortune told.
Another way to experience Hong Kong’s heritage is on a private tour around the New Territories area. Hidden among high-rise buildings are relics of the city’s past, shaped by the Five Great Clans of the New Territories — prominent families who settled here before the 17th century. Together with a private guide, you’ll visit ancestral halls, a 600-year-old pagoda, and a walled village, revealing a different side to the city and its culture.
On another day, I suggest taking the Peak Tram up to the island’s highest point, Victoria Peak. Not only will you get to travel on one of the world’s oldest funiculars, but, once at the top, you have panoramic views over the entire city and the surrounding forested hills.
Fly onward to Australia
If you’re planning a trip to Australia, you’re probably gearing yourself up for the long flight ahead. Stopping off at Hong Kong for a couple of nights makes the journey much more manageable.
Whether you’re flying to Sydney or Melbourne, you can easily travel on to anywhere else in the country. You could snorkel among clownfish in the Great Barrier Reef, spot Tasmanian devils at Cradle Mountain, or dine in the Outback overlooking the red monolith of Uluru.
Flights
It takes around 12 hours and 45 minutes to fly from London to Hong Kong. After spending two or three nights in the city, you can catch a nine-hour flight to Sydney or Melbourne with Cathay Pacific. Flights to other Australian cities are also available, with varying flight times.
Flying via Cape Town? Combine culture & nature in the city
By Africa safari specialist Philippa
A cosmopolitan city on the coast, backed by mountains, Cape Town merits at least a couple of days’ stay before you fly off to your next destination. There’s plenty to do and see here, whether you’d prefer to shake off the jet lag by relaxing on the beach, enjoying its multicultural food scene, or embarking on more active pursuits.
Table Mountain is one of the city’s focal points, and I can arrange for you to take a privately guided hike to its summit — that way, your Capetonian guide can lead you to the less-trodden trails, and you’ll also avoid the throngs of visitors who take the cable car. Pausing along the way, your guide will offer you South African snacks to try, from spiced biltong to subtly sweet rusks (biscuits). Then, at the top, your efforts will be rewarded with views across the city, mountains, and ocean.
For something less vigorous, you can join a private food tour to taste the city’s best cuisine — an experience that will also shed light on Cape Town’s multicultural heritage. With a local guide who knows the top food spots, you might try Indian bunny chow (a curry-filled bread bowl), South African braai (barbecue), and Dutch koeksisters (donuts), washed down with a fynbos-infused gin.
There’s also plenty of history to uncover in Cape Town, and a couple of days is more than enough to scratch beneath the surface. You could visit Robben Island to learn more about Nelson Mandela’s legacy, visiting the cell where he was imprisoned for many years. Or set off on a walking tour of the historic quarter, where you’ll find out more about the country’s fight for freedom against slavery, Dutch and British rule, and Apartheid. It’s not a lighted-hearted stroll, but I think it encapsulates the resilience and hope that you’ll encounter across the region.
Fly onward to Botswana, Namibia or Zambia
While there are plenty of wildlife reserves and parks to explore in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia each offer a different flavour of safari, and getting to each country without a stopover can be complex.
For ultra-exclusive camps and the opportunity to see wildlife from the water, opt for Botswana’s Okavango Delta. If remote walking safaris interest you, Zambia has some of the best trained guides on the continent. A trip to Namibia, on the other hand, is more about soaking up dramatic landscapes. You can still spot the Big Five in some areas, but the country is best known for its desert-adapted elephants and dune-dwelling creatures.
Flights
You can fly direct from London to Cape Town in around 11 and a half hours. Once you’ve had your fill of the city’s culture, it takes just over two hours to fly to Maun in Botswana or Windhoek in Namibia.
In Maun, you can take a light aircraft to the Okavango Delta for a safari, while Windhoek is the ideal starting point for a road trip around Namibia. Meanwhile, it takes around five hours to fly from Cape Town to Lusaka in Zambia, followed by an hour in a light aircraft to Mfuwe, near South Luangwa Park.
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