Aefa Mulholland

London's dynamic restaurant scene is equaled only by New York's in its diversity. Modern British cuisine takes its influences from the world -- from California to Thailand by way of the Mediterranean -- but the emphasis in the best restaurants is increasingly on the seasonality and quality of the produce, meat, and fish on offer.

To negotiate gay nightlife in the City of Love, you really need to know the schedule. Things really get going after midnight, but bars are packed from around 11 P.M. Clubs fill from around 1 A.M. and finish up just in time for you to make your morning meeting.

There is a time in life to diet, and your trip to Paris is not it. In the Marais, there is not a single restaurant that isn't gay-friendly. The gay-marketed restaurants don't always have the greatest food, but those here in Paris fare much better than those in less gastronomically inclined capitals.

If you set your sights on thoroughly exploring Paris's arts and culture scenes, you would have to schedule a year away. There is not enough time on any itinerary to do justice to the astounding abundance of galleries, museums, and architecture that confetti this stunning city.

London offers an almost bewildering range of museums and galleries. While several of Britain's most esteemed museums are clustered round South Kensington, delve further and you'll find fascinating and obscure collections hidden in all corners, nooks, and neighbourhoods of the city.

New hotels sprout almost daily in this fast-paced city and, with most targeted at the business traveler, there's an almost bewildering array of higher star properties to choose from. Most are situated in Pudong, a perfect location if you've got appointments in the glittering skyscrapers of the financial district around Lujiazui or plan on exploring the Bund, the Old City, or the French Concession, with its abundance of eateries and places to play.

A gorgeous mix of turn of the century architecture and glittering high-rises, Shanghai has architecture to delight everyone. It also boasts a number of the country's finest cultural institutions, cutting-edge galleries, and fascinating smaller collections.

Whether you want to catch an avant-garde underground theatre production or one of the world's big names, you can be sure they'll be on offer pretty much any night you're in Shanghai. The scintillating city offers an amazing smorgasbord of entertainment.

London can rightly claim to be one of the planet's most tempting shopping cities. Whether it's for a serious spree or you seek a specific, almost impossible to find souvenir of the British capital, London has an amazing array of options even for the most hard-to-please shopper.

There is great food in Berlin, even if travelers have to wade past the potatoes-and-cream-laden local cuisine to get there. Those who do will find a wonderland of multiethnic delights.

Gay and lesbian nightlife in London is renowned for its diversity. From rubber "gummy bear" nights to preppie "high-tea dances," London sports a club, pub, disco, or temporary basement venue for every taste.

There are great hotels all over Paris, and, as in most of Europe, desk clerks won't bat an eye when two women or two men show up to share a bed. Business travelers will find that the Marais is convenient enough and not an inappropriate address, although most of the big business hotels are on the other side of the river.

Paris offers diversions all day and all night. With some strategic planning to make sure you secure tickets in advance, you can really make the most of this magical city.

As one of the world's most dynamic entertainment capitals, London thrills with its array of distractions and diversions. Every form of the arts is represented in this frenetic, fun, fast paced city.

With catchy aliases like Shopping Paradise and Paris of the East, you know you're in for quite a spree in Shanghai. Opt for opulent, Western-style malls or for the rambunctious markets where you can stock up on an astounding array of items, from precious gems to crickets.

One of the most important choices to make is what style of hotel you're comfortable with. As ever, though, if your pocketbook is bulging or it's on the expense account, London belongs to you.