1. It’s along the river Seine

And might I add, you can’t miss it, mainly because it’s insanely close to the Eiffel Tower and…

2. …it’s housed in a weird and wonderful building designed by Jean Nouvel

The great thing about modern museums is that they tend to go HAM on the architectural front, and Nouvel’s multi-structural, earthy-toned compound in the middle of a garden is every bit eclectic as it is distinctive.

3. It’s the French version of the Barbican – but better

And by that, I mean it’s humongous (not ugly, though some might beg to differ) and feels more like a destination space for chilling than just checking out whatever exhibition(s) are on show. For instance, they give up their outdoor space to revellers during the annual Siestes électroniques – a music festival that takes place in the summer.

Matahoata, Arts & society of the Marquesas Islands

4. There are some solid shows on the schedule this year

On my visit I got to whizz around three great shows: Matahoata: Arts and society in the Marquesa Islands, which highlights cultural artefacts from one of the most remote islands in the world (on until 24th July); Dakar 66: Chronicles of a Pan-African Festival, a retrospective of stunning artefacts from a ground-breaking arts festival in Senegal in the ’60s (on until 15th May); and Persona, Strangely Human – a intriguing presentation of the relationship between technology and humanity (on until 13th November).

5. You can make it a day trip – 2 hours from London and a 30ish min jaunt from Gare du Nord.

Gotta love the Eurostar.

Visit the Musée du quai Branly website to find out more. 

Many thanks to Alambret Communication for the invite.

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I stayed in Chungking Mansions on Nathan Street, Kowloon, home to hundreds of guest houses and ideal for travellers on a tight budget. On average, a single room will cost around $200 HK (approximately £18) a night. The accommodation is cell-like, just room for a tiny bed, a TV, and nothing else, though there is usually space under the bed to store your belongings. The rooms are generally clean, but you get what you pay for.

As for food, there’s no shortage of good Indian food in and around Chungking, but I was craving some greasy noodles and dumplings. The area surrounding Jordan Station is great for cheap local food, especially if you visit the night market. For awesome wonton and beef noodles, I highly recommend Mak Kan Kee. I also have to give a shoutout to Ned Kelly’s Last Stand Pub in Kowloon for inviting me to play drums with their phenomenal jazz band.

Pic: Carys Jones

If you find yourself in Hong Kong, a trip to Lantau Island is a must. On my second outing there, I took the subway to Tung Chung Station then rode the cable car to the Po Lin monastery and the gigantic Tian Tan Buddha, more colloquially known as the ‘Big Buddha’. From there we took the number 21 bus to Tai O Fishing Village where I was told we could see pink dolphins if we were lucky, but unfortunately we didn’t spot any.
I’ve been told that one of the must-see attractions is The Peak. The best way to get there is by tram, but when I attempted to visit there was over an hour wait. I began to hike alongside the tram route, but as summer dresses and sandals don’t make for good hiking gear, especially in 34 degree weather and 69 per cent humidity, I eventually gave up and went to the nearby botanical gardens instead.

Pic: Carys Jones

My next destination will be Shanghai. Word of advice, if you’re travelling to mainland China you will need a visa. These are easily obtainable from most travel agents in Hong Kong, but don’t make the rookie error I made and leave it until the last minute (I applied on a Friday, I needed the visa for the following Tuesday) as you could end up paying up to quadruple the base price.

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