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Bahrain is an ideal place for a beach getaway. The kingdom is home to many stretches of sand, including the newly renovated Bilaj Al Jazayer – a 3-kilometre expanse on Bahrain’s sunset coast, about a 35-minute drive southwest of Manama. Great for families, friends and solo travellers alike, the area has everything you need for a sun-kissed day out, from food trucks to beach yoga and kitesurfing.

In spring, China’s largest urban park explodes with picture-perfect pink cherry blossoms, but that’s not to say it should be missed the rest of the year. East Lake Park has charming pagodas and Daoist temples, as well as the impressive second residence of Chairman Mao, who stayed here after the founding of the People’s Republic. Plus, Wuhan attractions like the Hubei Provincial Museum, Hubei Art Museum and historic Wuhan University campus surround the lake.

Perched on a cliff face in the Wudang Mountains is the Unesco World Heritage-listed Shiyan City, a bold red-fronted Taoist temple complex that is one of the most important holy sites in China. Pilgrims usually hike the exhausting four hours to the Golden Summit past holy scriptures and trees decorated with ribbons, but the cable car from Nanyan offers equally impressive views and takes just 45 minutes.

The 350-year-old Guiyuan Temple is one of the four biggest Buddhist temples in Hubei. Wander through its five courtyards past a turtle-filled pond, Tang-dynasty tablet carved with the image of Guanyin, the Sutra Storing Pavilion’s impressive jade Buddha, and the southern courtyard’s Lohan Hall, where you’ll find 500 identical gold deities.

An important port city, Hankou is one of three towns — Wuchang and Hanyang — that was merged to become modern-day Wuhan. In the 20th century, it had five foreign concessions belonging to the British, French, Russians, Germans and Japanese, where traders brought their own distinct culture. Remnants of that era remain in the Jiang'an District, where well-preserved European buildings now house shops and restaurants.

This historic block between Huayuan and Pangxiejia Hills dates back to the Ming Dynasty, and is Wuhan's artistic hub — the city’s version of Shanghai's M50 art district or Beijing’s 798 art zone. Housed in Republican-era buildings are contemporary art galleries, antique shops, boutiques, cafes and teahouses.

Wuhan is often referred to as China’s punk rock capital, with the epicentre of the alternative music scene at Vox Livehouse. For more than a decade, they’ve hosted live music nights for an eclectic mix of bands, offering support to emerging acts and living by the motto “Voice of Youth, Voice of Freedom.”

Spice is at the heart of Wuhan cuisine, with oily dishes loaded with dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns. Head to Hubu Alley for hot noodles in a thick sesame paste with chili oil, salty turnip, onion and doupai — a specialty omelette made of mung beans that’s filled with glutinous rice, diced bean curd and minced pork.

Swap the thriving energy of downtown Wuhan for this Unesco World Heritage-listed national park, and hike through the Golden Monkey Ridge forest for epic views at the Shennong Peak, sitting at a height of over 3,000 meters. You’ll pass swallow caves filled with stalactites, trickling waterfalls, canyons, tea gardens and winding rivers.