World's sexiest bars

6. The place: Moon Bar, Banyan Tree Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand

The people: International jet set and trendy locals with a good head for heights

Sex appeal: Anyone who's ever been to Thailand knows its "Land of a Thousand Smiles" sobriquet is well deserved. And you'll be grinning, too, once you walk out onto this bar, 61 stories north of Bangkok's frenetic streets, with spectacular 360-degree views over the Grand Palace, Chao Phraya River, and Emerald Buddha. This converted helipad atop the Banyan Tree Hotel is arguably the sexiest bar in southeast Asia. Sitting at one end of the aptly named Vertigo restaurant, the Moon Bar has low glass walls and tilted stemware to enhance the dizzying experience. In competition with the bird's-eye view is the up-for-it crowd of successful expats, expense-account abusers, and Louis Vuitton–lovin' locals. The constant breeze ruffles the clothing of the sultry clientele, which is just as well—it keeps the collective body heat down, too.

Pickup line: "I don't know what's hotter, you or this 96 percent humidity."

The hook-up:
Moon Bar
Tel: 66 2 679 1200

7. The place: Nuth Lounge, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The people: Drop-dead gorgeous and well-to-do cariocas, plus foreigners thanking their lucky stars they got in

Sex appeal: Throw together a bunch of hot, tanned bodies dressed in not very much, a potent caipirinha or two, and some seductive samba beats and you'll find that Nuth pretty much ticks all the boxes in the sexy bar stakes. You'll have to venture about 25 minutes' west of Copacabana Beach, through the expansive jungle of residential towers, to get to this two-story nightclub—but, boy, is it worth the effort. The overall atmosphere is tropical chic, with palm trees and tiki lanterns setting the laid-back mood in the open-air lounge area. Inside, the evening starts with a live band or chilled tracks, but it's not long before masterful DJs ramp up the tempo, playing samba and Latin house for hours until the whole scene reaches its peak at around 3 am. If your dance moves don't live up to the high expectations of the hip-swaying locals, then head to the lush, leafy lounge; light someone's cigarette; and talk the talk.

Pickup line: "Now I know why they say Brazil's two main exports are oil and beauty."

The hook-up:
Nuth Lounge
Tel: 55 21 3153 8595

8. The place: Dino's Beach Bar, Tofo, Mozambique

The people: Hard-bodied scuba-diving enthusiasts and travel frontiersmen

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Sex appeal: As Mozambique's reputation as a bush-meets-beach paradise grows, more and more moneyed South Africans, European weekenders, and shirtless Aussies are heading to small resort towns like Tofo. Along this stretch of untamed coastline, Dino's is known as the place to be, in large part because it's the only place. The bar itself is rickety chic, with wood-plank floors and no walls to block the dramatic views of the Indian Ocean. The fun begins at sundown, when the DJ starts spinning world tunes and a bonfire is set ablaze. When everybody is starting to feel it—helped along by a few cans of 2M, the local beer—a staff member will break out the bongos and lure all the boys and girls onto the dance floor. And that's about the time a few of the lucky ones will realize they're dancing with a sexy stranger, on a starlit beach in Africa.

Pickup line: "I just got back from a week in the bush. Want to see some of my tribal dance moves?"

The hook-up:
Dino's Beach Bar
Tel: 258 82 410 8890

9. The place: Giardino d'Inverno, Hotel Principe di Savoia, Milan, Italy

The people: Female models with impossibly long legs, male models with impossibly large biceps, local model-izers hoping the impossible comes true

Sex appeal: Every year in September, Milan gets invaded. That's when the city's fashion shows suck in a global crunch of gorgeous models and the fabulously fierce who run the whole glitzy shebang. Where these trendsetters stay, dine, and party is just as important as what shows they attend, and the Principe di Savoia is the place to see and be seen. Within the 1920s neoclassical hotel is the Giardino d'Inverno, a remarkable space where 16th-century art and a spectacular glass ceiling provide a fitting backdrop for the industry's top-shelf DNA. Here, models in low-cut Versace provide the sexy; media peeps provide the prosecco; and the hangers-on provide the outrageous fun. No need to be shy—this is Italy, after all.

Pickup line: "Is it true that most people are too intimidated to approach drop-dead gorgeous models?"

The hook-up:
Giardino d'Inverno
Tel: 39 02 62301

10. The place: Shalvata, Tel Aviv

The people: The young and beautiful whose only worry in life is getting in

Sex appeal: To the uninitiated, a nighttime visit to Shalvata seems somewhat at odds with the whole Holy Land thing. But the scene here is one of stunning Israeli women gyrating on the seaside dance floor. And Israeli women aren't just impossibly beautiful, they're sophisticated and tough—and that's sexy. The best time to hit Shalvata (it means "peace" or "tranquility" in Hebrew) is right before sunset, when you can have a drink, listen to the waves breaking, and watch the enormous orange sun ripple away behind the horizon. And if you want to dance, consider going home, taking a nap, and coming back after midnight—things will just be getting started.

Pickup line: "Holy Land or not, it'd be a sin to let you go."

The hook-up:
Shalvata
Tel: 972 3 544 1279

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