China

Nothing can prepare travellers on cheap holidays to China for a first glimpse at the country's economic powerhouse, Shanghai. The skyline of neon signs and space-age buildings rising from the water is a sight to behold. Dominated by the hub of the city, the Bund, the waterfront bustles with life 24-hours a day. The pace is fast and furious, and definitely not for the fainthearted.

There is some respite to be had in the Old City where a plethora of temples and other celestial dwellings jostle for attention, and teahouses offer the opportunity for the gentle experience of traditional tea drinking.

The adoption of an open-door policy has awoken the erstwhile sleeping dragon, and cheap holidays to China are increasingly popular, with the country ready to share its vast cultural and historical treasures with the world. From the wilds of the hinterland of Mongolia, through the snowy peaks of the Himalayas to the quiet rural backwaters and villages, its scale, its idiosyncracies and deeply-rooted traditions can not fail to fascinate.

Beijing encapsulates the ancient soul of the country, attracting visitors to the Forbidden City, Imperial Palace and Tiananmen Square - all essential pillars of cheap holidays to China. Nearby is the Great Wall of China (Wanli Changcheng), a 3860-km stretch of fortification snaking over the hills and deep into the countryside, and one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Equally wondrous, but moving from ancient to modern, and abandoned to crowded, there is the cosmopolitan hub of Hong Kong, the latest addition to the mainland and a worthy stop on cheap holidays to China.