Top 10: Sin Cities

No.1 - Pattaya, Thailand

 

From “happy ending” massage parlors, brothels, go-go bars, and cabarets with transsexuals to ping-pong dancing theatrics, everything is on display at this beachside resort city. Sex is the No. 1 activity (it’s called “entertainment” in Thai), and if you can imagine any variation, you’ll probably find it on Walking Street, a hub in South Pattaya. While you’re walking, prostitutes will call out to you and some will likely try to pull you into their brothel for services. If you’re tired of sex shows, however, you can always sit down to watch guys beat each other to a pulp in a Thai boxing match hosted at the outdoor bars. Since the city is right on the beach, you can sleep off your hangover and sin from the night before and get a tan -- just in time for the next evening’s “entertainment.” 

No.2 - Tijuana, Mexico

Cross one of the busiest international border stations in the world, and you may think you’ve crossed into the Wild West. The 21-year-old drinking age drops to 18, illegal prostitution is now legal and zoned in its own red light district called “La Coahuila,” people on the street solicit prescription drugs and illegal drugs for sale, strip clubs encourage a “hands on” policy with its strippers, and tequila is dirt cheap. These reasons alone make Tijuana No. 2 on our list of sin cities and a huge party spot for American college kids at the city’s various nightclubs on Revolucion Avenue. Take note, however, that Mexican police hold no quarter with gringos. Make sure to keep your head about you while you sin to avoid paying bribes or serving jail time for bad behavior. Sinning the rest of the time is easy; just say, “Dos cervezas, dos disparos de tequila y dos mujeres por favor.”

No.3 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The international destination for 4/20 and Harold and Kumarfans everywhere, Amsterdam has tons of cannabis cafes where you can buy hash and marijuana, smoke it, then order food to curb your munchies. Once you’ve peaked, walk over to the city’s red light district where you can look at prostitutes who are on display for anyone who is interested. Finish up your day by checking out a live sex show where various acts are performed on stage, including couples doing the real thing. The greatest part: It’s all legal. Not only can you sin, but you can do it paranoia-free.

No.4 - Las Vegas, Nevada

Ranking No. 4 on our list of sin cities, Las Vegas is every sinner’s paradise. You can gamble all day and night (even in the airport) and prostitution, while not technically legal, disguises itself in the form of “escort services.” You’ll see plenty advertised on magazine stands and guys will snap escort service cards at you as you walk The Strip. Other available vices in this sin city include taking your drinks outside and finding lurid sex shows at strip clubs or tamer ones at well-known casinos.

Have you ever wanted to shoot an Uzi or a handgun? No problem. Just walk into a local gun shop with a driver’s license. You can even indulge your taste for sinful wine and food at many of the city’s celebrity restaurants, like Thomas Keller’s Bouchon. The greatest part of this sin city, however, is that no matter how dubious the culture, people respect Vegas as a legitimate destination. Go on and sin. It’s an industry here.    

No.5 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil  

Brazil’s women have a mythical beauty that consistently puts them at the top of the world’s supermodel list. Think: Gisele Bundchen, Alessandra Ambrosio and Adriana Lima. Rio is one of their biggest playgrounds. Pick a beach -- Copacabana to Ipanema -- and stare at topless women all day. Of course, this is all a prelude to when the fun begins at night. Slip into any of the city’s nightclubs to grind with Brazil’s best over-pounding bass lines and bossa nova. Rio also makes our sin cities list because it has legal brothels with a menu of services. To truly experience Rio, however, visit during its annual Carnaval, a weeklong festival of parades, music and masquerades that brings Rio’s flesh and fantasy culture to a boiling point. Bring plenty of sun andfun protection.

No.6 - Moscow, Russia

What happens when a culture that has been bottled for decades finally gets uncorked? Insanity. You’ll find every kind of nightclub -- from hardcore techno to rock to trance -- jammed with people from across Europe. Do you want to find a long-term thing? No need to mail-order when you can meet a wife at clubs and strip clubs near Red Square. Prostitution is illegal, but punishments are often paid off with rubles. You’ll see prostitutes out in the open at tochkas(outdoor markets for prostitutes) or at the city’s clubs.

Also check out The Hungry Duck. A bar that runs ladies’ night three times a week with male strippers for two hours, and then lets men into the club once the strippers are offstage. It has been shut down repeatedly for lewdness andpublic sexual acts. And your party fuel? Only one of the best vodkas in the world. Comrade, your revolution starts here.  

No.7 - New Orleans, Louisiana

Beads, boobs, beer, and bongs make this city the North American choice for Mardi Gras. Its sinful history dates back to the 19th century when it was a mixing ground of music, prostitution, French food, and hedonism. Nowadays, you’ll find a modern mix of this in the city’s French Quarter, with strip joints, porn shops and bars to satisfy your appetite and make the locale one of the most tantalizing sin cities around. The good news: The area has been largely rebuilt since Hurricane Katrina, so you’ll find it accessible.

Prostitution is illegal, but it has a long history here. American Senator David Vitter can attest to this. He got pinched for his regular visits with a Canal Street hooker,  but in a city that advertises “Live Sex Shows” and “Wash the Girl of Your Choice,” sinning is as integral as breathing.

No.8 - Manama, Bahrain

Welcome to the party oasis of the Middle East. Connected by a causeway to nearby Saudi Arabia, Manama is a popular spot for Saudis to kick back from their country’s restrictive laws. Here they can get hammered, go clubbing, mingle with the opposite sex, and if they’re really daring, they can pick up prostitutes -- a practice that’s illegal but widely available. While Manama is still largely a Muslim city, a third of its residents are foreigners, so it has led to a much more liberal culture that gave women the vote in 2001, and let them drive cars. For many Saudi males this proximity to an open culture is irresistible and many jam the causeway and fill flights to the city every weekend.

Do you want to see what happens when Saudis cut loose and leave the rules behind? You may need to get in line.

No.9 - Macau, China

Have you been to the Venetian, Wynn and MGM hotel casinos in Las Vegas? Now try the ones in China. Located in South China, Macau's legalized gambling laws have made big money for the country and have ranked it as one of our top 10 sin cities. It has already surpassed Las Vegas twice for total gambling revenue and boasts the world’s largest casino, the Venetian Macau. In all, it packs 26 casinos into 11 square miles with plans for plenty more to come. Like Las Vegas, Macau also advertises tons of women for extracurricular entertainment. While the prostitution laws contradict themselves in the books (it is legal, but procuring it is not), it’s practiced more and more out in the open.

Down on your luck? You might get lucky here. 

No.10 - Berlin, Germany

Bring out das gimp! Latex pants, tops, chains, whips, and S&M are all the rage in Berlin, one of the world’s mostfetish-friendly sin cities. Need to be punished? Turn yourself in to any of the city’s sex dungeons for rehabilitation. Want to dance at a club you can also have sex at? The KitKat Club will oblige. Between the First and Second World Wars, Berlin established the world’s first institute for sexual science, which, among other things, had a porn collection that put every teenager’s hidden stash to shame. This openness inspired cabaret and burlesque shows. Plus, at a popular nightclub of the time, patrons could even send cocaine vials by pneumatic tube to other patrons.

In modern-day Berlin, prostitution is legal everywhere. So, if handcuffs and zipper masks don’t do it for you, working women will be happy to oblige.