How to find the quiet spaces in noisy places

For New Yorkers, it’s the din of traffic and construction. In Yangon, the torrential beating of heavy rains competes with calls to prayer and the howls of stray dogs. And in both Beirut and Shanghai, high-decibel fireworks punctuate the bedlam of blaring horns and jackhammers. All over the world, urban life is a symphony of taxing, draining, exhausting sounds. That sonic fury isn’t just an annoyance; it can be bad for you. Scientists have linked noise pollution to, in the words of one study, “elevated blood pressure, loss of sleep, increased heart rate, cardiovascular constriction, laboured breathing and changes in brain chemistry”.

Noise and the city – Hong Kong’s struggle for quiet

Noise-cancelling headphones and double-glazed windows can provide a bit of respite. So can the city’s secret sanctuaries, those pockets where ever so occasionally the clamour subsides. Even in the world’s most turbulent turfs, a relaxing getaway isn’t too far off, whether it’s a quiet café tucked between tourist hot spots, a Shinto shrine in downtown Tokyo, or a basement museum in Shanghai.

Paddleboarding in Dubai

“You’re always in earshot of construction noise and traffic here. Even in the most secluded bits, there’s some building noise and banging. One of the things that made me fall in love with this city is stand-up paddleboarding. It’s so good. There are no waves – the ocean’s flat – and it’s crystal-clear water. And you can get paddleboards and go out around the Burj Al Arab, the 'seven-star hotel' on a man-made island. The beach there is quite busy, it’s hard to find a car park, and [there are] a lot of people sunbathing and swimming. But then, 15 metres offshore, there’s no one, and the sound starts to slowly disappear. When you get 30 or 40 metres away from the shore, it’s just – all you can hear is the water lapping at the board, and the amazing Dubai skyline from the ocean is just breathtaking.” Caitlyn Davey, journalist