A Little India isn't just a straightforward, identikit piece of bigger India. A Little Italy isn't simply an uprooted suburb of Naples. Nor is an American Chinatown the same as an Australian Chinatown.
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Enclaves have combination mini-cultures all their own, with history and peculiarities that make them intriguing destinations for the curious traveller.
The most curious of enclaves are often found right in the middle of cities. Such urban quarters are mainly created by merchants, colonisers or immigrants who gather together for mutual reassurance, assistance and trade.
The result is a distinct ethnic (or sometimes religious) neighbourhood. The inhabitants of such quarters often eventually move on, but lingering imprints of their culture, cuisine and architecture remain.
Although the culture that sets enclaves apart makes them startling and noteworthy, even more interesting is that they're inevitably influenced by the larger community in which they're embedded. Fascinating and unique hybrids result.
FRENCH CONCESSION
SHANGHAI
THE BACKSTORY: This large Shanghai district was the largest French concession (or extraterritorial enclave) in China, established in 1849 and abolished in 1943. It was Shanghai's most prestigious residential area among Westerners of all nationalities, including many aristocratic White Russians who fled the Russian Revolution.
![The hoods with the goods The hoods with the goods](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/Z4Q6sUEHdcmw72MBPYgZkU/bb3c3e3c-3556-476f-86dd-eaa275593238.jpg/r0_227_4349_2673_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
WHY WE LOVE IT: Although the French are long gone, reminders include streets lined with plane trees, turn-of-the-century Western architecture and colonial-era mansions, some converted to boutique hotels. Huaihai Road is a fashionable shopping street and the Xintiandi area is the epicentre of Shanghai's nightlife, but you'll still find tranquil alleys of antiques shops, teahouses and noodle bars.
DON'T MISS: Though increasingly touristy, the narrow, criss-crossed laneways of Tianzifang are a delight for blending original, modest architecture and residential buildings with interesting boutique stores, art galleries and design studios - a fine antidote to Shanghai's mega-developments.
See meet-in-shanghai.net
KOTA TUA
JAKARTA
THE BACKSTORY: The spice-hunting Dutch East India Company arrived here in 1596 and was soon constructing canals and the walled town of Batavia (later Jakarta). Adjacent Sunda Kelapa port served the Dutch trading empire for 300 years.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Indonesia's traffic- and concrete-smothered capital reveals a more tender heart here, with tranquil backstreets overlooked by Dutch and art deco buildings and Portuguese churches, and hosting a lively arts scene. Kali Besar canal is lined with impressive Dutch townhouses with Chinese-influenced woodwork. Taman Fatahillah square has well-preserved whitewashed, colonial buildings such as the governor-general's palace.
DON'T MISS: The Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics, housed in a former Dutch courthouse, displays wood sculptures, ceramics and paintings by Indonesia's best contemporary artists.
See jakarta-tourism.go.id
CHINATOWN
LONDON
THE BACKSTORY: When London's Chinatown originated is uncertain, but it arrived on the tourist map following World War II thanks to returned servicemen with a hankering for Asian food. It centres around Gerrard Street in the West End and has been retrofitted with Chinese kitsch such as dragon lampposts and upturned eaves. Although few Chinese live here, many come to shop.
![Chinatown in London, where you dont come for the aesthetics or architecture but for the lively buzz and dining. Picture: Alamy Chinatown in London, where you dont come for the aesthetics or architecture but for the lively buzz and dining. Picture: Alamy](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/Z4Q6sUEHdcmw72MBPYgZkU/6f91687a-3e9e-471a-9efd-6f073424eb66.jpg/r0_0_5315_3543_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
WHY WE LOVE IT: Like most Chinatowns you don't come for the aesthetics or architecture but for the lively buzz and dining, which has vastly improved in recent years thanks to a new generation of young, internationally-influenced chefs from across Asia, offering more authentic and more inventive fare in dozens of restaurants, dim sum bars and cocktail lounges.
DON'T MISS: China Exchange (chinaexchange.uk) is the district's arts and culture hub, featuring top-notch concerts, art exhibitions and talks by well-known experts.
See chinatown.co.uk
LITTLE INDIA
SINGAPORE
THE BACKSTORY: The Rochor River provided water and transport for early dhobi clothes-washers. Other Indian immigrants followed, settling around Serangoon Road. The first buildings in southern Indian style gave the district its name, though it has never been exclusively Indian. Stop at the excellent Indian Heritage Centre (indianheritage.org.sg) for background.
![The buildings in Little India, Singapore, are a riot of colour. Picture: Alamy The buildings in Little India, Singapore, are a riot of colour. Picture: Alamy](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/Z4Q6sUEHdcmw72MBPYgZkU/4469015a-8a46-4af9-be95-bfdf3916981d.jpg/r0_0_5500_3667_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
WHY WE LOVE IT: This is Singapore's liveliest and most colourful ethnic enclave, with old colonial arcaded houses, a colourful assortment of contemporary street art and plenty of Indian shops and eateries. Tekka Centre is brilliant for combining an eye-popping wet market with a hawker centre that is unusual in Singapore for its emphasis on Indian dishes and snacks - and especially scrumptious flatbreads and pancakes.
DON'T MISS: Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple (srivkt.org), entered through an ornate gateway topped by Hindu deities, and plastered in vibrant statues and frescoes. Locals circulate with incense and flower garlands.
See visitsingapore.com
LITTLE HAVANA
MIAMI
THE BACKSTORY: Cuban immigration swelled after Fidel Castro came to power in 1959, and Little Havana was already prominent by the mid-1960s. It centres around Calle Ocho (SW 8th Street) with its Walk of Fame celebrating Cuban immigrants made good, such as salsa singer Celia Cruz and pop singer Gloria Estefan. Half of Miami's population are Cuban-Americans.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Some of Miami's best bars and coffeehouses, certainly its best Cuban restaurants, regular cultural events, street buskers, evening dancing and great music clubs are all part of Little Havana's vibrant appeal. Retirees play dominos and smoke cigars in Maximo Gomez Park. Cuban Memorial Park features various Cuba-related monuments.
DON'T MISS: Stylish, intimate Hoy Como Ayer (hoycomoayer.us), one of the district's best music venues, where you can enjoy performances of folk music, ballads, contemporary timba and salsa and other dance music.
See miamiandbeaches.com
KOREATOWN
TORONTO
THE BACKSTORY: Koreans began arriving in Canada mainly from the late 1960s. Most ended up in Toronto, which now has a Korean population 50,000 strong. Although few now live in Koreatown (centred on the intersections of Bloor Street and Manning Avenue in Seaton Village), many still shop and do business here.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Koreatown is compact and has no significant sights, but anyone craving a chilli hit, the latest in K-pop fashion or beautiful handmade Korean crafts need look no further. There are great restaurants and bakeries. It you're up for a flavour adventure, Barrio Coreano (playacabana.ca) has smart cocktails and Mexican-Korean fusion cuisine.
DON'T MISS: Further east on Bloor Street, Royal Ontario Museum (rom.on.ca) has an especially good collection of Asian art, and North America's largest Korean art gallery, showcasing stoneware, porcelain, calligraphy, painting and Buddhist artefacts developed over two millennia.
See seetorontonow.com
BO KAAP
CAPE TOWN
THE BACKSTORY: Batavian slaves imported from Asia's Dutch territories (and later their descendants) settled here from the mid-18th century, providing its original Malay Quarter moniker. Other Muslims from Turkey, India and Madagascar followed. It's the oldest surviving residential neighbourhood in the city and has great outlooks onto Table Mountain.
![The colourful Houses of Bo-Kaap, Cape Town. Picture: Alamy The colourful Houses of Bo-Kaap, Cape Town. Picture: Alamy](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/Z4Q6sUEHdcmw72MBPYgZkU/a485ffa7-3088-4926-887a-01d596e4d546.jpg/r0_574_5616_3744_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
WHY WE LOVE IT: The Upper Cape district has more pre-1850 architecture than anywhere else in South Africa. The well-restored cottages and mosques of its hilly streets are distinctive for their ornamentation, which includes iron railings and columns, and especially their vivid, cheerful colours. Restaurants serve spicy, aromatic Cape Malay cuisine, which has Dutch, Malay and Middle Eastern influences and is rich in stews, curries, kebabs and sweet puddings.
DON'T MISS: Auwal Mosque (auwalmasjid.co.za), the oldest in South Africa (1794), and the heritage-focused Bo-Kaap Museum (iziko.org.za), housed in Bo Kaap's oldest building.
See capetown.travel
GLOVER GARDEN
NAGASAKI
THE BACKSTORY: The Portuguese and Dutch had been earlier, but the arrival of American gunboats in Nagasaki in 1853 reopened reclusive Japan to trade. Western traders moved into the breezy heights above the harbour now known as Glover Garden, where they built European-style villas.
WHY WE LOVE IT: This lovely, leafy hillside district has brilliant views over Nagasaki's hill-ringed harbour and a well-kept, disconcertingly European character. Glover Villa is the oldest Western-style building in Japan (1863), and the interiors of several other homes provide good insight into the eccentric lifestyles of 19th-century Western traders, one of whom founded one of Japan's largest breweries and married a geisha.
DON'T MISS: Head down to the port for Dejima Island (nagasakidejima.jp), where recreated Dutch houses and original leftovers such as cannon and sundials fill in the story of earlier Dutch traders, who arrived in the 1680s.
See glover-garden.jp
LITTLE AFRICA
PHILADELPHIA
THE BACKSTORY: Liberians fleeing the civil war of the 1990s were first to arrive, and form the biggest population in this south-west area surrounding Woodland Avenue. They've since been joined by immigrants mainly from other West African nations such as Ivory Coast, Senegal and Sierra Leone.
WHY WE LOVE IT: While many ethnic enclaves become tourist traps divorced from their immigrant origins, this is the real deal. It's a great place to discover more about various African cuisines in neighbourhood restaurants painted in lurid colours. In summer, pop-up grills on the roadside beneath fluttering African flags add further temptations for inquisitive eaters.
DON'T MISS: African Small Pot (africansmallpot.com); its Mauritanian chef has 40 years of international experience and specialises in West African kebabs and seafood. Le Mandingue (lemandinguephilly .com) also has a great range of West African specialties, an extensive vegetarian menu and live music.
See visitphilly.com
LIBERDADE
SAO PAULO
THE BACKSTORY: Impoverished by the abolition of feudalism, rural Japanese workers arrived in Brazil in the early 20th century, primarily to work on coffee plantations affected by labour shortages. In Sao Paulo, they congregated around Rua Galvao Bueno in Liberdade neighbourhood. An estimated 1.5 million Japanese-Brazilians now live in the megacity.
![The Japanese neighbourhood of Liberdade in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Picture: Alamy The Japanese neighbourhood of Liberdade in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Picture: Alamy](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/Z4Q6sUEHdcmw72MBPYgZkU/14355474-4048-428b-bb1e-44a7787ed467.jpg/r0_0_6000_4000_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
WHY WE LOVE IT: It's the world's most significant Japantown which, though now home to Chinese, Korean and Indonesian immigrants as well, retains a distinct Japanese sensibility thanks to its cherry trees, lacquered torii gates, lanterns and Japanese supermarkets and bars. Even the McDonald's signage is in Japanese. Street markets erupt at weekends. The food is great - hit Aska Restaurant for terrific ramen noodles.
DON'T MISS: Though old-fashioned and lacking in much English labelling, the Museum of Japanese Immigration (museubunkyo.org.br) is comprehensive and interesting for its treasure trove of artefacts.
See visitbrazil.com