Macao, China
For 442 years a Portuguese territory; since 1999 part of the People's Republic of China.

Kerala, India
Land of surf, spices and coconuts, located on India's southernmost tip.

Rajasthan, India
Grand palaces and majestic forts along northwest India's ancient silk route and its Moghul-ruled lands. Stay in a thakur's (a gentleman land- owner, the equivalent of an English lord) home, now open to paying guests.

Maldives
A necklace of balmy islands southwest of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, favored by Europeans.

Kyoto, Japan
For over 1,000 years the capital of imperial Japan and the center of Japanese culture, religious architecture, and gardening arts.

Gobi Gurvansaidhan National Park, Mongolia
Baking rust colored landscape, Flaming Cliffs and deep canyon walls.

Tibet
Himalayan Shangri-la.

Laos
Contains the temple-filled world heritage site of Luang Prabang.

Philippines
Sugary white sand beaches dot the1,780 islands of Palawan Province.

Cambodia
The largest intact evergreen rain forest in Southeast Asia.