Japan

Japan is the trip people come back changed by. Neon-lit streets and quiet shrines sit a block apart, the trains run to the second, and even convenience-store food is good. Tokyo is the natural starting point, with the scramble crossing at Shibuya, the Meiji Shrine, Asakusa's Senso-ji temple and the views from Tokyo Skytree. Each neighbourhood feels like a different city, from the electronics of Akihabara to the youth fashion of Harajuku.

From Tokyo, the route heads into the mountains for a night at Hakone beside Lake Ashi. Here you can soak in an onsen hot spring, ride the ropeway over volcanic vents and, on a clear day, see Mount Fuji rising above the lake. The Shinkansen bullet train then takes you to Kyoto, the old imperial capital, with the golden pavilion of Kinkaku-ji, the thousands of red torii gates at Fushimi Inari and the geisha lanes of Gion. A day trip to Nara brings you face to face with the friendly deer and the giant Buddha of Todai-ji, before you finish in Osaka with its street food and castle.

Japan is safe, clean and very easy to travel once you have a Suica or ICOCA card for local transport. Spring cherry blossom from late March to early April and the autumn leaves of November are the most beautiful times to visit. Vegetarian food takes some planning, as many dishes use fish stock, but Indian and vegetarian restaurants are found in all the major cities. Eight to ten nights is a comfortable first visit, linking Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka by rail.