Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on December 2009

Here’s the perfect present for urbane jetsetters who don’t understand the meaning of—let alone the need for—budget travel. The Luxe Asian Grand Tour Box compiles eight guides to the continent’s hottest destinations—Bali, Bangkok, Beijing, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo—in an eye-catching gift set. A far cry from the chunky comprehensiveness of the Lonely Planet series, Luxe’s handbooks are super compact, limiting entries to only the finest that each destination has to offer. All the basics—accommodation, dining and so on—are covered, along with hidden treasures and fantastic places to splurge, all written with wit and a liberal dash of smugness.

The New Luxe Asian Grand Tour Box (Luxe Asia Limited, 2009, ¥5,898)