Amongst of the newest frontiers for adventurous divers in Indonesia are the many islands of the Laut Maluku - the Maluku Sea - that lies between Sulawesi's northern peninsular and the now famous dive sites of Raja Ampat on West Papua's Birdshead Peninsular.

The mountainous provinces of the Cordillera, Northern Philippines, are perfect for trekking. This is the territory of former headhunting tribes who were also the master hydro engineers who constructed the world's first and most impressive rice terraces over 2000 years ago - considered by some to be the eighth Wonder of the World.

Thailand's cultural and social roots are firmly set in the countryside, in fact, when Mahatma Gandhi said of his home country "... the real India is in the villages". He could just as easily have been referring to Thailand, a country whose political and cultural birth was in the "million rice fields" of the ancient Lanna Thai Kingdom.

The Indonesian island of Sulawesi is ideal for adventurous cyclists: this is for riders who want the physical challenge of tropical mountains, who are looking for cultural adventure in a traditional Asian society off the beaten track, and who view the unpredictability of travel in a developing country as something to be expected and enjoyed.