If you enjoy spectacular caves, visit the fabulous world of the world's largest cavern at Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in central Vietnam, a landscape dating back to the Palaeozoic period some 400 million years ago and a UNESCO World Heritage area, with pristine forest brimming with wildlife, underground rivers and over 100 kilometres of caves to explore.

For unique sights, fly in style over the majestic wonderland of Ha Long Bay aboard a seaplane and skim onto the water to join a luxury three-night cruise in refined oriental elegance aboard the magnificent Ao Co cruise ship through the otherworldly forms of this magical seascape to discover its inner secrets.

Take in the panoramic and picturesque swirling upland rice fields of Sapa, imbibing the mountain air and the multi-coloured costumery of the area’s ethnic groups, and experience their delightfully engaging simple rustic highland lifestyles, timelessly dwelling peaceably in the skies beyond and above the chaotic cacophony of the modern metropolitan world.

Explore the exotic world of the Mekong Delta, teeming with life among its myriad channels and major waterways. The floating markets, orchards, rice paddies, rickety wooden bridges, ancient fishing techniques and colourful traditions make this area a delightful must see. 

If you really want to connect with the experience of the people, you can join in and try out the farming and fishing for yourself!

Climbing to the summit of Vietnam’s Mount Fansipan in the northwest mountains brings you to the highest point in Indochina, at an altitude of 3,143 metres (10,312 feet), and if the weather is with you, affords fine views over China and Laos.  

A challenging climb, yet not requiring specialist equipment, the summit is a rewarding achievement after passing through the diverse flora of the forests and below.

Eat and cook your way through Vietnam! While every visitor will have ample opportunity to enjoy the fine flavours of Vietnamese cuisine, we also provide for an intimate experience with the food of the country, discovering how it’s grown, prepared and transformed into each classic dish, all under the guidance of fine chefs. 

You’ll discover the subtleties of the regional variants from the northern taste of Hanoi, through the former Royal cuisine of Hue, the homely family food of Hoi An and the delectable southern flavours of the Delta.

Play ‘Tomb raider’ at the strange root-entangled ruins of Ta Phrom, in the Angkor archeological zone. Enter the ancient and near-mythical past of a lost civilisation at this stunningly visual blending of sinuous jungle and stone altars of ancient ritual, so evocatively used in Angelina Jolie’s tale of mystic intrigue.

Explore the profound world of the ecosystem of Tonle Sap Lake, driven by the unimaginably powerful forces of the monsoon and the Mekong River. Witness the awesome challenges of its inhabitants who adapt to the dramatic changes in water levels as the river annually reverses its flow and fills the normally shallow lake into a vast watery world, filled with floating culture.

Combine a visit to Angkor Wat, the mightiest creation of the ancient Khmer empire, with an amazing round of golf at one or all of the three stunning championship courses situated close to the magnificent iconic temple.

Whether playing the beautiful and challenging Nick Faldo design at Angkor Golf Resort, the delightful Sofitel Phokeethra Country Club, which has hosted the Cambodian Open and Jonnie Walker Classic, or the immaculate Kentaro Sato layout of the Booyoung Country Club, for the sophisticated sightseeing golfer, this has absolutely everything.

One of the world’s major biospheres for water birds, the sanctuary at Prek Toal covers 31,282 hectares at the north end of Tonle Sap Lake and, for the birding enthusiast, provides an excellent opportunity to combine an exploration of the floating lake land lifestyles and the Angkor civilisation with an opportunity to see its inhabitants including Masked Finfoot, Spot billed Pelican, Milky and painted storks, Greater Adjutant, Black headed Ibis, Oriental Darters and Grey headed Fish Eagles among over one hundred and fifty species found here.

Enjoy the Cambodian Islands.

Less well known than the other islands of the Gulf of Thailand, the Cambodian Islands and their fine beaches are a good reason to linger longer in the country. 

Koh Rong and its neighbour Koh Rong Sanloem are the most visited, and impart a party atmosphere. If you want peaceful luxury, the private Island of Song Saa provides in style, while Koh Tang is a haven for divers. For those able to take the rustic accommodation, the islands of Koh Thmei, Koh Ta Kiev and Koh Totang are good escapes.

Get funky with the Gibbons in forest canopy tree houses of the Gibbon experience in Bokeo Nature Reserve, an innovative conservation project dedicated to the protection of the forest’s Black Gibbons, Bears and Tigers. Enjoy the forest trails and the numerous fun zip wires, which lead from your tree house through the jungle as you search out the wildlife.

Renowned for its charming atmosphere, the city of Luang Prabang is an authentic window into the Asia of antiquity and subsequent colonial French heritage, with its richly decorated temples and traditional Laotian houses sitting in curious harmonic fusion with later European structures. Nestled on the shores of the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers, the remarkably preserved city sits beneath the sheltering presence of the sacred Mount Phousi and is famed for the alms procession.

The early morning parade of monks through the streets of Luang Prabang is a wonderful sight, and despite the mass attention the daily ritual now receives from visitors, it affords a glimpse into the pre-colonial world of the Laotian way of life in a ceremony that dates back to the 14th century.

As the monks gather the food offerings from the reverential locals, visitor participation is encouraged, providing proper respect for traditional values is observed.

More Zip Wires! Check out this exhilarating adventure location at Paksong Jungle Hotel, among the impressive waterfalls and gorges of Champasak province.  

The cables, the longest of which is four hundred metres, crisscross the forested valley and culminate with an amazing zip-line journey across the face of the hundred metre high Kamet waterfall. The accommodation is in tree-houses, ten metres above the forest floor, likewise interconnected by zip lines. Brilliant and unforgettable fun.

Follow the mighty Mekong River to the ‘Four Thousand Islands’ archipelago and explore the waterways of Mekong at their widest point, enjoying the laid back atmosphere and visiting the largest of Asia’s waterfalls, Khone Papheng, which although not the highest, is the world’s widest, stretching an impressive 14 kilometres during the monsoon.

One of the most prominent geological features of Laos is the Mekong River, along which many of the country’s main attractions are situated, which make a cruise of the river a relaxing and interesting alternative to land transport or air travel to see the nation’s finest treasures in Luang Prabang, Vientiane and Champasak province, while enjoying the slow passing of its landscapes and culture.

Visit the stunning world of Wulingyuan and bring the amazing scenery of Pandora to life. 

This landscape inspirationally set the visual form for the fictional digital world in the film Avatar, and the reality is unbelievably breathtaking, supremely majestic and unutterably beautiful. 

No one who loves scenery should depart this world without seeing this awesome spectacle of natural wonder.

Enter the dreamscape of Huangshan Mountain, and be transported to a world that looks and feels like an impossibly beautiful work of nature’s imagination. You’ll have to pinch yourself to believe the reality of this amazing trancelike vision, so long the pilgrimage site of China’s most revered poets and artists.

It is hard to imagine a structure more quintessentially Chinese that the Great Wall. Begun by China’s first Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the many sections of the Great Wall evolved over centuries, and the most highly prized and best surviving sections are the Ming Dynasty structures and their iconic watchtowers.

A hiking tour of the wall introduces you to the various structural remains of this fantastic human achievement and travels through the spectacular views of the landscapes over which the mighty defensive structures snake.

Explore the treasures of the Forbidden City.

The very name conjures the enigmatic secretive world of ancient Imperial China, its sanctity protected by the certain death of interlopers. The awesome scale of the gates, great halls, bridges Imperial carriageway and assembly courtyards are a testament to the enormous power wielded by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The thought of visiting Beijing without a wander round the largest palace in the world is unthinkable.

Watch the cormorant fishermen on the Li River. 

The breathtaking scenery of the beautiful Guilin and Yangshuo hills are the backdrop to this marvellous scene of ingenuity, as fishermen float through the evening sunset aboard their gas lit bamboo rafts guiding their trained cormorants to fish the river for the catch of the day. A great opportunity to board a boat and enjoy their amazing skill close at hand.

As the sun rises over the Bagan Plain, the remains of this vast ancient city are bathed in the golden dawn light. What could be better than to take a hot-air balloon ride in the lovely morning air over the monuments and get a sense of the scale of what was once one of Asia’s most splendid civilisations?

Take a boat trip across placid Lake Inle among the stilted houses and amazing floating gardens exploring the ways of the Intha people, marvelling at the unique ‘leg rowing’ technique of the fishermen as they skilfully navigate their flat bottomed skiffs with one leg wrapped around the paddle, steering the boat with sinuous motions while balancing on the boat with the other leg, leaving both hands free to cast their conical nets.

Leave the transport and tour schedule behind for a day and enjoy a captivating gentle stroll among the beautifully scenic pagodas, monasteries and temples whose brilliant white and gold spires are picturesquely dispersed among the pleasant lush greenery of Sagaing Hill, with delightful views over the surrounding countryside and the Ayeyarwady River.

If you have a spare day in Mandalay, head east out of the city and take a pleasurable horse and carriage ride among the well preserved historic colonial features of Pyin U Lwin, and imbibe the atmospheric former summer capital of the Raj in Burma, before enjoying a relaxing wander around the town’s beautiful Kandawgyi Botanical Gardens.

Push the boat out before the big hotel chains move in on the future gold mine of the awesome Myeik Archipelago, and take an eight day yacht cruise ride among the very best of the 800 unspoilt beach fringed islands, largely uninhabited, except for the remarkable Moken Sea Gypsies.

Have a jungle breakfast with Orang Utans. 

At the uniquely brilliant Singapore Rainforest Zoo, you can enjoy a delightful international buffet breakfast in the outstandingly innovative Ah Meng Restaurant, in the company of a friendly family of Orang Utans visiting you from their remarkable surrounding forested free range enclosure. 

A fantastic experience for all ages, you’ll also see the 3,600 other animals that inhabit the various nature zones of this extraordinary wildlife park.

Have a Singapore Sling in the Raffles Hotel. 

Relive the exotic luxury of the former colonial era by visiting its most cherished institution, the iconic and historic five star Raffles Hotel and imbibe the iconic ‘Gin Sling’. The recipe for the drink, invented by a Raffles Barman in the early nineteenth century, is unlike imitations sold elsewhere in the world.

Get aboard the 165 metre high (30 metres higher than the famous London Eye) wheel of the Singapore Flyer for an unparalleled view over the cityscape. As an optional extra, you can enjoy high tea during the ‘flight’ or an evening champagne, strawberries and chocolate trip in the comfortable climate controlled capsules.

Visit the astonishing ‘Gardens by the Bay’ exploring the futuristic glass domed enclosures, indoor waterfall, walking gardens and lakes which are collectively home to over half a million plants in various climate zones from all over the world. 

Situated on the waterfront, the whole garden complex is lit up at night and features a sound and light show.

The fantastic Night Safari is an inspiration tram journey through forty hectares of secondary forest to observe the night time behaviour of the animals in intelligently recreated environments representing 7 geological zones and is home to over two and a half thousand animals from these climatic areas. 

The additional walking routes enhance the whole experience with the Fishing Cat Trail, Leopard Trail, Wallaby Trail and East Lodge Trail.

As iconic as the Staten Island Ferry in New York, the Star Ferry plies the waters of Victoria Harbour between Hong Kong and Kowloon, and is the quintessential traveller experience to get a view of Hong Kong’s famous skyline and get the feel of local commuter life.

The funicular tram ride runs from Garden Road, between the Botanical Gardens and Hong Kong Park, and travels through the mid-levels up to Victoria Peak Tower for a commanding vista over the city and landscape from the island’s highest point. If you enjoy a leisurely stroll, the three and a half kilometre walk around the attractions at the summit are a view filled joy.

Go to the races!  

If you are in Hong Kong on a Wednesday evening, a visit to Happy Valley Racecourse provides an electrifying atmosphere and a thrilling opportunity for a flutter. The world class facility was originally built to satisfy the British colonial urge for horse racing and gambling, it is more popular than ever and is one of Hong Kong’s premier attractions, with an amazing atmosphere that places it firmly at the heart of Hong Kong’s social life.

If you’re out exploring Hong Kong city and the hill gets too much for your legs, try out the central to mid-level escalator, an eight hundred metre long construction comprised of three moving walkways and twenty escalators, a delightfully easy and novel way to access many of the city’s characterful streets full of shops, bars and restaurants that would otherwise exhaust.

In Hong Kong, try out the amazing cable car 5.7 km cable car journey across Lantau Island, from Tung Chung, close to the international airport and travel over the sea and up the mountain to Nyong Ping Village and the famous Tien Tan Buddha bronze statue.

To max out the thrill, swap the standard cabin for the glass-bottomed crystal cabin to get the additional view below your feet. Another spectacular cable car ride on Hong Kong Island takes you to over the cliffs to Ocean Park and its Oceanarium, Animal Theme Park, and the rides of its Amusement Park.

Senado square is at the very heart of the historic centre of Macau and is a leisurely way to spend time absorbing the charm of the colonial Portuguese settlement and places the multifarious modern attractions of Macau in historical perspective.

An enchanting area of shops and restaurants, it’s a pleasant place to wander and visit the iconic surrounding buildings, and get your bearings before discovering the plethora of other attractions in the city.

If a flutter at Hong Kong’s Happy Valley is too tame for your gambling instincts, catch the ferry to Macau and enjoy some of its thirty-three casinos.

The Venetian and its gondola rides, is sister to the casino of the same name in Las Vegas, and the Macau version is the world’s largest casino. If the vice isn’t your thing the sheer spectacle of the huge ostentatious and brightly lit temples to risk are a sight in themselves.

The free shuttles between all the casinos make getting around them easy. Most of the casinos host visual shows and attractions, such as the water show at the Wynn, developed by the creators of the Vegas Bellagio fountains, or the spectacular shows and shopping at the ‘City of Dreams’.

Away from the glitzy casinos of Macau Taipa Village is a window into Macau’s past, a charming enclave of Chinese and Portuguese Shops set among narrow streets and a great place to imbibe the local vibe and go exploring for street food or the remarkable fusion foods of its restaurants, influenced not only by Chinese and Portuguese themes, but with the additional flavours of Latin America, Africa, India and Southeast Asia.

If you’re a real adrenaline junkie, get to the top of Macau Tower and enjoy the delightful terrors of its 233 metre (764 ft.) bungee jump. 

If you don’t share the bravado of the bungee jumpers, the ‘Skyjump’ is a tamer controlled standing descent without the free-fall and rebound, landing gently on the ground with your feet. Even better, aside from single jumps, this tamer option offers tandem jumping, so you can always hold hands with your partner for reassurance!

The Macau Science centre's distinctive modernist conical structure is visible as you approach Macau from the ferry, and houses twelve interactive galleries and a state of the art 3D planetarium, and is a great place to explore various scientific themes, including Robotics, Space Science, Earth Science and Food Science. 

Three of the Galleries are specifically designed for children, making this attraction an especially good choice for inquisitive families.

Take a dive!

When staying in Sabah, if you’re a keen diver, you cannot miss the opportunity to explore one of the world’s best dive locations at Pulau Sipadan. The stunning range of awesome marine life and superb clarity of its waters are unmissable, but are best suited to the experienced diver.  

If you are a novice, or haven't dived before, the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, conveniently just offshore from Kota Kinabalu is an excellent place to learn.

See the Orang Utans.

If you are in Sarawak, a visit to Semenggoh Nature reserve offers the opportunity to meet these amazing creatures, though the animals are scarce during the fruiting season from October to February, when the forest bounty tempts them away from the feeding station. In Sabah, the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre is the focus of remarkable work by a dedicated team of conservationists, trying to assure the magnificent Apes of a future, by reintroducing them to the wild.

Climb Mount Kinabalu!  

Providing you are relatively fit anyone can climb to the top of Borneo’s highest mountain at 4,095 metres (13,435 feet). The climb, which doesn’t require specialist equipment, normally takes two days to ascend and descend. Not suited to young children due to a few steep sections, the peak is regularly climbed by tourists between the ages of 15 and 70. 

The climb is quite physically demanding work, however, especially at altitude, and it is recommended to get in shape with regular exercise before your visit.

In Sabah, the Kinabatangan River is an especially diverse ecosystem, and a brilliant place to get aboard a river safari boat spotting the extraordinary wildlife.  

One of the few places where you are likely to spot Orang Utans in the wild. Other typically observed creatures include Pigmy Elephants, Crocodiles, Asian Water Monitors, Proboscis Monkeys, Long-tailed Macaques, Asiatic Elephants and numerous birds including Hornbills, Bat-eating Eagles, Bitterns, Kingfishers, Crested Goshawks among many others.

If you’re up for a bit of a thrill, the white water rafting in Sabah’s Padas Gorge offers a good ride through 9 kilometres of grade III and IV features and is a lot of fun for people who don’t mind thrown about and getting wet! The journey to the river also involves an enjoyable train ride along the gorge.

If you’re staying any time in Kuala Lumpur, head out to the north edge of the city and visit the Batu Caves, an important Hindu Shrine. 

The 272 steps to climb to the ‘Cathedral Cave’, with its hundred metre high vault, the largest of the three main caves is worth the effort to appreciate the scale of this natural feature. The Long-tailed macaques mingle with the visitors in the hope of finding food. The two lower caves contain a museum and art gallery.

If you’re into European history, a visit to Malacca is a must, and epitomises the struggle for the dominance of Asia between the nations of Europe as they sought to carve up the east for profit, and control the Malacca Straits. 

The preserved colonial buildings, Maritime Museum, and A’Famosa Fort are the backdrop to the deep history and sit alongside the remarkable Perankan culture.

Beach it!  

The islands offshore from the eastern shore of the peninsula are a splendid place to unwind and enjoy the beautiful beaches of the Perhentian Islands, Tioman and Redang. With no end of stunning beaches to enjoy and plenty of swimming, snorkelling and diving opportunities, no visit to the Peninsula should miss the chance to include some or all of these sparkling island getaways.

Located in the centre of Pulau Langkawi, the main island of the archipelago, a cable car ride from the Oriental Village near to Kampung Kok on the island’s western shore will transport you above the rainforest, past Telaga Tujuh Waterfalls, up to the Sky Bridge, a curvaceous 125 metre suspension span between two mountains. The views over Langkawi and the archipelago are simply stunning amid the shining Indian Ocean.

Enjoy the civilised surrealism of Tea and scones in the Cameron Highlands. 

As well as visiting the fascinating tea plantation landscapes and mock tudor houses that give these cool hills a very English feel, there are many gardens to see and nature trails to follow, including the wonderful ‘Mossy Forest’ at Brinchang, renowned for luxuriant moss growths its carnivorous pitcher plants.

Elephant Riding. Enjoy riding an elephant in Chiang Mai.

While many providers of elephant rides operate dubious welfare practices, we use only facilities set up for the benefit of the elephants, and who do not make their elephants perform unnatural tricks.

If you’re in Bangkok, a tour of the canals is a great way to see the city from a new perspective, travelling through the Khlongs of Thonburi, in the manner of the old culture of the Thai capital, and appreciate the temples, riverside life and floating markets as they were originally intended to be viewed.

Go sea kayaking in Phang Nha Bay. 

Enjoy the delightful rhythm of paddling among the beautiful oceanic geological formations and exploring the remarkable features of Phang Nha Bay, such as ‘James Bond Island’ featured in The Man with the Golden Gun’. A starlight kayak journey is also a wonderful way to enjoy this area.

Learn to dive! 

If you’ve always dreamed of scuba diving, a visit to Thailand is a golden opportunity to fulfil the ambition. Relatively cheap by international standards, it is possible to get an Openwater 1 dive certificate within a week from a certified Padi or Naui school almost anywhere in southern Thailand, and with such beautiful warm waters and interesting marine life with which to discover the joy of experiencing the underwater world, it is an unmissable treat.

Enjoy the springtime flowers in Bhutan. 

As iconic as ‘New England in the Fall’, the vast wild Rhododendron forests bloom in luxuriant colours and efflorescent brilliance, set to the sound of bird song and running water against the deep blue sky and towering white splendour of the Himalayan peaks. Best seen between mid-March and the end of May.

Go birding. 

With almost 800 bird species, Bhutan is a birding paradise with vast tracts of unspoilt Himalayan forest wilderness areas through which to explore. It is hard to imagine anywhere more rewarding on every level to enjoy such a fabulous array of colourful, feathered creatures, than this charming, culturally evocative, and so spectacularly well preserved country. 

Imbue your spirit with the true culture of Bhutan and leave your mind spinning like a prayer wheel in the wind by going on retreat at a monastery, exploring the innermost pathways of Buddhist understanding and unravelling the mystery of material enmeshment into the clear light of meditative transcendence among the shining mountains of ancient living knowledge.

Trek into the serene wilderness on one of Bhutan’s high altitude nature trails such as the Jhomolhari or Snowman treks, exploring the drama of the peaks and the timeless culture within the landscapes. For those unused to the exertion, the Druk Path Trek offers a shorter and easier exploration of Bhutan’s profound Himalayan beauty.

Raft or Kayak on one of Bhutan’s six great rivers. The Paru Chu, and Mo Chu Rivers in western Bhutan provide grades III-IV, while central Bhutan’s Mangde Chu River, and Eastern Bhutan’s Gamre Chu, Dangme Chu and Kuri Chu can summon grades IV-V. The best times for getting on the white-water are between March and April and again between November to December.

Climb one of Bali’s volcanoes.  

From the easy but scenic Mount Batur, to the longer and more challenging climb of Gunung Agung the views from the summits are well worth the effort. Gunung Agung is usually climbed in darkness and timed to reach the summit for sunrise. On the neighbouring island of Lombok, the stiffer challenge of Mount Rinjani will suit true enthusiasts.

Enjoy a rafting experience.  

The grade II-III 8 kilometre rapids of the Melangit River are ideal even for beginners, whilst the slightly more challenging routes of the 11 kilometre Ayung and 15 kilometre Telaga Waja Rivers provide for more experienced rafters, especially the latter, with its grade III-IV journey.

Take a painting class in Ubud under the guidance of one of the areas many renowned artists and learn the wonderful skills and techniques that make Balinese art so charmingly identifiable. If painting isn’t your thing, classes in silver-smithing, woodcarving and papermaking are also available here.

Spoil yourself with an indulgent spa, with a fulfilling and relaxing Balinese massage and let yourself unwind amid a heavenly soak in frangipani petals, leaving the everyday stress of daily living behind, leaving you free in body and mind to make the most of your trip. With a host of treatments available, you’ll never have felt better.

Learn how to cook Balinese style and treat your friends back home to the delights of Balinese flavours, derived from the unique blends of spices, and learn of the mythical and cultural aspects to Balinese cuisine.

If you’re up for some aerial magic, try out the MegaZip Adventure Park in Sentosa Island offering a 450 metre zip line among its other attractions. There are three parallel lines descending to Fox Finish Beach enabling you to race the distance with the kids or your friends.

If you want to add a heart-thumping thrill to your visit, try out the A J Hackett facility on Sentosa Island, which offers the amazing 100 km/hr 3-seater, 40 metre high Giant Swings, paired so that you can race with your companions in unique style. Other activities are a 50 metre Bungee jump and a 44 metre Vertical Skywalk.

If you’re in Singapore with the kids and looking for something to amuse them, you really are spoiled for choice, but if they are also feeling the heat, the Adventure Cove Waterpark on Sentosa Island is one of the very best examples of its kind, not only providing awesome water rides and fun splashy games, but also features immersive experiences with marine life and a tube ride through 14 habitats.

For some fun activity, the ‘Flight of the Gibbon’ in Angkor Park, close to great monuments of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, features 10 zip lines and 4 hanging bridges over the jungle canopy, and is a great way to add to your enjoyment of the historic sites.

As parents will know, the world of Scuba diving is well beyond the realistically achievable reach of most kids, but at Bali Hai Aquanauts a brilliant family friendly underwater experience is enabled via a unique underwater ‘space helmet’ fed with air from the surface providing both a dry face without the encumbrance of a mouthpiece and a great visual field.  

The experience features an exhilarating and completely safe walk along the seabed at Lembongan Island, taking in the myriad of colourful fish found here and is a real treat for kids or indeed anyone for whom the technical aspects of diving are discouraging. The experience is part of a day cruise to the island that also includes other activities such as canoeing and banana boat riding.

Ride the underground river at Puerto Princesa in Palawan. 

Enter through the mouth of the UNESCO World Heritage sea level cave and pass under its stalactite teeth for a journey along this underground river.

Test your nerves in Cebu City. 

The Sky Experience at the Crown Regency Tower in Cebu provides a number of amusing aerial challenges. 

Ascend the 140 metre (461 feet) tower on a motorised vertical zip, then enjoy the giddy illusion of the rooftop climbing wall as it bends away to appear as if nothing but the city is below you. Calm your nerves with a drink in the Skybar before zip lining to an adjacent building. All good fun!

Take a relaxing Kalesa horse and carriage ride through the colonial Spanish heart of Vigan, taking in the atmosphere and imagining the comings and goings of former times along the cobbled streets and beautiful mansions of this UNESCO World heritage site.

Snorkel with the gentle giants of Donsal. 

If you’re not a scuba diver, don’t despair! You can still enjoy the thrill of seeing the awesome and harmless whale sharks with no more than a mask and snorkel. These amazing giants are the world’s largest fish growing up to 12 metres long and weighing up to 20 tonnes and can only usually be seen on a dive, but in Donsal these unbelievable creatures swim right up to the surface.

Head into the wonderful world of the Cordillera and its delightful assortment of ancient peoples and practises, including mummification. 

Visit the UNESCO World Heritage rice terraces carved into the hillsides for over 2,000 years by the Ifugao People at Banaue, Batad, Bangaan, Mayoyao and Nagacada, and marvel at the profound ancient landscaping skills of these former headhunters.

For that surreal otherworldly white sand, impossibly blue ocean experience, visit one of the Philippines’ incredible sandbars at Kalamangan Island near Palompon in Layte, White Island at Caminguan near Mindanao, Cebu’s Sumilon Island sandbar, Snake Island in Palawan’s Honda Bay, Bulubadiangan Island at near Iloilo on Panay, Naked Island near Siargao or Bohol’s magnificent Virgin Island.

Discover the little known history of the American bombing of Laos during its conflict with Vietnam, often described as the ‘Secret War’.  

The UXO Lao Visitor Centre in Luang Prabang opens the lid on the continuing problem of unexploded ordinance as a result of the two million tons of cluster bombs, a third of which failed to explode, that the US dropped on Laos during its 580,000 bombing missions.

If you really want to appreciate the lives of the local Laotians, try out the insightful half-day Rice Experience at the Living Land Organic Farm, near Luang Prabang, where you’ll try out for yourself out the 14 practical stages that bring rice from the seed to the plate, including a muddy ploughing session with a Water Buffalo and hand plough. An invaluable experience for the true traveller.

If you’re in travelling along the Mekong or planning to cross the border to or from Laos over the Second Friendship Bridge with Thailand, the area around Talaat Yen Plaza in Savannaket is an interesting and charmingly crumbling architectural window into the French colonial era in Laos. The local Museum provides useful supportive historic background.

Enter the wartime world of the headquarters of communist forces in the Pathet Lao Caves at Vieng Xai, which provide a fascinating insight into the structure of the eventual winning forces of the Second Indochina (Vietnam) War. 

A visit to this amazing complex of caves, complete with some of their original furnishings, is brilliantly supported with an informative audio tour. Set in gardens amid lovely Karst scenery in northeastern Laos close to the Vietnam border.

Close to Vientiane, Buddha Park is an unusual sculptural fusion of Buddhist and Hindu themes, created in the 1950’s by a mystic priest, Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat.

Just across the Mekong, his sister creation, Sala Keoku in Thailand has similar statuary and also houses his mummified body. Although these are modern sculptures, they give the appearance of antiquity and are of unusual style.

Get underground to explore the realities of the war at the Cu Chi Tunnels, close to Ho Chi Minh city, a long and complex subterranean insurgency network, originally devised to aid the struggle for Independence against the French colonial government, and later used to great strategic effect during the war with America.

Get with the early morning Tai Chi practitioners at Hanoi’s Hoan Kien Lake, and discover the joy of this ancient oriental motion, endowing inner harmony and balance, as you imbibe the charming scenic morning waterside atmosphere as Hanoi wakes up.

If you're in the Hoi An area, visit the Marble Mountains near Da Nang, a collection of five shapely hills, each named after the five elements, and investigate the stairways, mysterious Buddhist Grottoes and delightful Pagodas hidden amongst its fascinating caves and lovely natural features.

Visit Dalat’s Crazy House. This unusual guest house is a surreal fantasy art project of architect Mrs. Dang Viet Nga, with structural echoes of Antoni Gaudi and Roger Dean among the influences which play with your visual perspectives in this bizarre but rather interesting and beautiful creation.

Visit the Elephant Valley Project.

Although many visitors to Southeast Asia enjoy the opportunity to ride an elephant, it is a sad fact that in many cases, the elephants can be subject to abuse.

This laudable eco facility incentivises mahouts to ‘retire’ their elephants from arduous labour and liberates them in the reserve. Naturally, you won’t be able to ride an elephant here, but it’s a wonderful place to watch them roaming around and playing.

Challenge your inner courage to face the disturbing realities of human potential by visiting the Tuol Sleng Genicide Museum, the Killing Fields of Choeng Ek in Phnom Penh and the Cambodian Landmines Museum in Siem Reap for a heartfelt understanding of the history of Cambodia’s not so distant past.

Get behind the mighty monuments of the ancient city and discover the aqua-engineering marvel of the Barays near Angkor, the elaborate hydrological miracle that allowed Angkor to flourish as the then world’s largest city, providing irrigation to significantly increase the agricultural growing period.

If you are an aficionado of tea drinking and travelling in Fujian province, don’t miss the opportunity to imbibe some of the splendid Oolong rock teas of the Red Robe Valley.

These special teas, regarded as the best of all teas, grow in craggy outcrops and some varieties are extremely rare, including the famous Da Hong Pao and Tieguanyin teas, which weight for weight exceed the price of gold on the global market.

Don’t worry if you are not a millionaire though, as there are many varieties of fine locally grown Oolong and Bohea rock teas in the valley’s teahouses.

Visit the nine UNESCO World Heritage gardens of Suzhou, which together reflect the poetic expression of the perfection of the Chinese Garden for over a millennia.

Arrestingly beautiful, it is easy to see the enormous influence these ancient gardens have had on gardening across the globe, and they are a true inspiration for anyone seeking to enhance their living spaces with beautiful planting and exotic features.

If you’re the kind of person who enjoys rough and tumble of jungle trekking, spotting rare animals and birds, the Wildlife Alliances facility at the eco village of Chi Phat in the Cardamom Mountains is the best place in Cambodia for getting out into the natural world and exploring its treasures.

During your stay, you can plant a tree in the Million Tree Nursery, leaving an important legacy into the future, a beautiful contribution toward the struggle to reverse Cambodia’s environmental decline and save its rare and precious wildlife.

If you think you know pepper, but haven’t tried Kampot pepper, you will find a real treat in visiting one of the small scale organic pepper farms of the Kampot region to sample the World’s very finest, regarded in international culinary circles as the Champagne of peppers.

The extraordinary subtlety of slightly sweet floral notes of the peppercorns lingers delightfully on the tongue with a flavour quite simply unmatched by any other variety. Many of the farms offer meals prepared with fresh pepper, a rare delight for anyone who enjoys the spicy side of life.