A guide to Cambodia's top places, plus our lesser-known favourites

Wedged into a narrow valley in Thailand’s far north, with steep-sloped, jungle-cloaked mountains rising on all sides, Mae Hong Son is a laid-back base for adventures through forest and farmland to the villages of Karen, Lisu and Black Lahu ethnic minorities.

World Heritage temples combine with sand, surf and backpacker vibes to make Mahabalipuram a beach break with a difference.

Stay at a converted fort with the descendants of a famous Maratha queen, and enjoy the magic of the Maheshwar countryside's ghats and riverside temples.

The river island of Majuli is a shrinking gem, home to bamboo stilt villages, Vaishnavite temples, sleepy farms and Mising tribal culture.

With a history stretching back through colonial rule and the Age of Exploration, Malacca’s Portuguese fortress and lantern-strung Chinese temples make it one of the best places to get a sense of Malaysia’s long and turbulent past.

Often referred to as Borneo’s “Lost World”, the Maliau Basin’s hostile geography has kept the rest of the world out for 130 million years. Its isolation has allowed a cornucopia of endemic species to thrive undisturbed.

Arguably the best beach destination in Kerala, with golden sands, glittering seas, and plenty of laid-back south Indian charm.

If you’ve got a list of things you want to do and see in Singapore, the chances are most of them are at Marina Bay.

Sitting on a plateau ringed by snow-capped mountains and watched over by the famous “Black Crow” castle, Matsumoto is the gateway to some of the country’s most spectacular scenery.

On an island in Hiroshima Bay, just a few minutes’ ferry ride from the city, you can cross the threshold between the mortal world and the land of the gods.