Neon Nights

Marcellus Baptista takes you through some happening nightspots around the world

The sizzle after sundown strikes you whenever you go abroad and decide to have a night out on the town.

Sure, shopping surprises are in store for you. But the real character of a destination is not the malls and the markets but the throbbing, or otherwise, nightlife.

It's that after dark scenario with the popping of champagne, the clink of glasses, the cocktails that leave you shaken and stirred, the chatter whose decibel level increases with each drink downed, the bold and the beautiful sharing a hug, a kiss, a meaningful glance.

Each nightspot in each destination is different, each with a distinct air, a dazzle that may be hard to define. You either like a place or you don't. The only problem is that sometimes, actually most often, you don't have time to discover a new place or you run out of dollars to splurge on colourful cocktails at the bar.

But to help you out, and for what it's worth, here are a few hip, hop and happening places from Singapore to Sydney, Dubai to Mauritius, Jakarta to Cape Town.

Let's start with Singapore. You can live it up here, it's the Singapore swing even if you don't happen to be having a Singapore Sling, that pleasant drink invented at the famed Raffles Hotel. It's a pub-crawler's and bar-hopper's paradise but two places really stand out, one is an old nightclub, the other a fairly new one.

Partygoers swear by Zouk The queues outside have to be seen to be believed. No wonder then in a readers' choice award it was judged to have the Coolest Queue in 1996 and 1997. Though there is a happy hours period it is the other side of midnight that's worth checking out especially from Wednesday to Saturday. Some nights you have international DJs including those from the famed Ministry of Sound.

And the comparatively new place worth a visit is Venom with three distinct areas: the Main Deck has DJs spinning drum 'n' bass, Eurodance, house and speed garage styles of music. If you care for a mellow mood you should go to the Upper Deck that also houses a sushi bar. And there's lights, camera, action at the Chill-Out Box that occasionally doubles up as a movie theatre showing old and new films.

In case you have been to Zouk, or the queue outside scares you, a good alternative is Velvet Underground with a mature crowd, meaning those above 25, all looking very hip indeed. Or you could head into the Phuture, the club that booms the latest trip hop sounds in a funky atmosphere.

The natural move from ‘live it up’ Singapore is to head ‘Down Under’ to Sydney. The area to visit is The Rocks because it simply rocks.

The Rocks nestles besides the magnificent arch of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and overlooks the splendid sails of the Opera House. This 19th century village sprang into existence with the arrival of the first fleet of convicts and settlers who made Sydney cove with its outcrop of sandstone their home. Now, after restoration, the colonial old-world charm is still intact though with a nice touch of modernism.

The Rocks is peppered with some of Sydney's finest eateries where you can dine al fresco on a sunny sidewalk or settle in a secluded courtyard or restored sandstone storehouse. The menus cater to every taste, from seafood to ethnic cuisine from around the world and the traditional Aussie barbecue.

Amidst the buzz of The Rocks highly recommended is The Argyle, described as the outback , said to be over 200 years in the making. Fun, food and folklore is the feast for you here, a very popular dining out and entertainment spot offering a nightly Jolly Swagman dinner show.

Swagman means gypsy and you have plenty of these colourful characters roaming around, serving and entertaining you and tempting you to try out some special cocktails like Maggie's Moonshine with rum and selected juices said to be a secret recipe. Or Lady Joanna with a cool taste of Midori and Malibu blended with cream and ice. For a bubbly time there's Bubbles Delight with strawberries and strawberry liqueur topped with champagne.

You can learn to play the didgeridoo, watch sheep being shorn, learn a few words of Strine, or join in the singing of 'Waltzing Matilda'. And, of course, enjoy the buffet feast that includes prime Australian beef and kangaroo that would leave you hopping for more. Instead of dessert perhaps you would like to try one of the alcoholic shooters, like Billy Bottomfly (Midori, Galliano, Cointreau) or Washed Ashore (Sambuca and Opal Nera). Shoot yourself and keep the glass.

Over to Dubai, then. Forget Fly Buy Dubai but soak in the scene at Dubai after dusk. An obvious nightlife choice is the dessert safari with that sizzle in the sand. It's a nice night out, you drive up and down the dunes, take in the glow of the sunset, enjoy a camel ride, if you like, then settle for a drink and a drag on the hookah, what they call hubbly-bubbly. Next is time for buffet or barbecue and it's action-packed as the belly dancer comes on. Attempting to try out some steps with her, sure makes a good snapshot.

Dubai, being truly international, has its Hard Rock Cafe and Planet Hollywood but we would tell you to step into Jules Bar at Le Meridien. The mood is magical and musical with a livewire Filipino band in attendance who sing and play with feeling, punctuating their act with easy banter with the regulars.

Also definitely worth a visit is The Irish Village at the Aviation Club. This is a rambling, rustic place with streetlamps and roadsigns that transport you to Ireland. There's outdoor seating or you can park yourself inside and listen to DJ and live music. You get a very homely feel, sort of a comfort zone, at the same time don't miss out on the adrenaline-pumping action as the music level increases and the snazzy crowd steps in to eat, drink and make merry (not necessarily in that order).

The sunny island of Mauritius has a neon nightlife replete with Casinos, discotheques, piano bars, nightclubs. Wherever you stay you are bound to experience the flavours of Mauritius as the sun dips into the ocean and Sega dancers swirl and twirl around.

We'd like to take you to Domaine Les Pailles, a sprawling property that encourages you to experience chunks of the island's past history frozen in time. Nestled in the shadow of lush green mountains, it offers you an infinite variety and range of exotic dishes. It is also the unique location where strands of local and international cultures and cuisine converge.

Your best bet at Domain Les Pailles is La Cannelle that regularly stages themed evenings and doubles up as a conference area in the day. It's an affair to remember especially at the Creole Carnival night. Guests are welcomed by a Creole jazz band that accompanies them to the Sugarmill in the Train Lady Alice. A welcome drink and local snacks are served. Guests are then escorted to La Cannelle for starters, main course, dessert and a lively song and dance performance.

Other options are Isle de France with classical music, Tropical Night, Alexandria Night with Arabian and belly dancers. There's even an Indian Fairy Night with a traditional Indian welcome with flowers, aarti and tikka, live Indian music and Indian dances. Finally, there's the Kaleidoscope Evening with the lion dance, Indian classical dance, Sega or African dance.

Jumping in Jakarta is Jaya Pub. The decor is nothing to shout about, in fact it may seem rundown but it goes well with the retro music played by bands every night, a mixed bag of songs from Beatles to George Benson to country tunes and Whitney Houston. The service is prompt, the food tasty including grilled barbecue chicken, Hungarian goulash, juicy lamb chops, frankfurter platter. It's a cool chilled out sort of place with stickers on the walls and wooden banisters- 'This Mess is a Place', 'No one can force me to drink, I'm a volunteer' and 'I'm great in bed, I never fall out'.

Last on our wild whirl tour is Cape Town, regarded as South Africa's most popular tourist attraction. And top of the pops is Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, a working harbour and entertainment centre with over 240 shops, 50 restaurants, coffee shops, pubs, taverns, several takeaway outlets, 18 cinema houses. V & A has been described as an entertainment junkie's dream destination.

Yes, there's Hard Rock Cafe here but better still is Sports Cafe with sports memorabilia and as many as 59 TV screens flashing images of sporting action around the world, there are even TVs in the washrooms. Another popular place is Quay Four, the tavern on the water's edge with live entertainment for your listening and dancing pleasure.

The food is also amazing at most places in Cape Town. At Black Merlin you can feast on mussels and kingklip soup, berries and ice cream. At Musselcracker seafood buffet of snoek pate served with Cape sultana enriched whole wheat bread, grilled snoek finished with apricot and masala glaze, seafood roti, mussel hotpot, calamari, linefish angelfish and kingklip.

Don't just drink in the bars of the Cape, have a bite of biltong (dried meat), bobotie (traditional Cape dish of spiced meat), bredie (meat stew), sosatie (kebab), braai (barbecue). Truly a melting pot of African, the Cape and international cuisine. Cheers and bon appetit!