Bandung is Indonesia's capital of cool. After all, it is set 750 metres above sea level; surrounded by verdant, dormant volcanoes; and dotted about with art-deco buildings that are a legacy of Dutch colonial times. This fascinating destination is also given a certain amount of fizz by the thousands of youngsters who come to study here.

Singapore continues to foster successful technology start-ups through several government funding initiatives. Professional venture capitalists such as Golden Gate Ventures have been involved from the start, providing early-stage funding through a range of agencies such as SPRING Singapore, which supports local small- and medium-sized enterprises.

From crafting boots for Switzerland’s gold medal-winning Olympic team in 1948 to fashioning the fur-swaddled hiking boots worn by Edmund Hillary’s fellow explorer, Tenzing Norgay, when together they conquered the highest point of Mount Everest in 1953, Bally has carved a series of indelible marks in the history of footwear for its pioneering and original endeavours.