Quotes of the Day

If your working life involves dodging bullets, getting on first-name terms with every politician and tycoon in town, and jumping into planes or suvs at a moment's notice in pursuit of the latest news, then you'll get to know a country or region extraordinarily well. Many of Time's correspondents in the field spend their workdays in just this way, and it's their combined knowledge that we bring you in this special, inaugural guide to the Best of Asia.

When you're looking for the best place to fall off the map, the best hotel lobby for watching the world go by, or simply the best bowl of ramen outside Japan, which would you trust—the partisan recommendation of the local tourist board, the glib findings of market research, or the heartfelt belief of someone who has made it their business to know every quirk of humanity from Kabul to Kobe? The answer's clear. And that makes the Best of Asia not only a celebration of our home, but the ultimate insider's guide to the most populous and happening continent on earth. Enjoy.

• The insider's guide to the very finest Asia has to offer