Cambodia

Stronghold of many a temple, including the famed Angkor Wat, the rural Siem Reap is an advocate of Cambodia’s ancient past; best experienced through the eyes of conservationists as they examine the temples, or on a bike ride through the pretty waterlogged villages.

A meeting of bygone and modern minds exists in the capital city of Phnom Penh. A wander around this fast-growing metropolis straddling the Mekong uncovers an arty atmosphere pervading through the markets and boutiques that stand between blonde temples and glassy high rises.

Once barely inhabited, the islands of Cambodia have grown over the years into seductive slices of paradise. There are still some private corners just off their coasts though, like the tiny islet of Song Saa near Koh Rong and Krabey Island just off the mainland.

Going way beyond its famed cuisine, Hong Kong serves up a feast for the senses; from the fascinating skyline and lively street markets to a surprising amount of green spaces.

If there’s a satiating ingredient to inspire a zest for life, India’s got the whole recipe. But let the chaos quickly subside and even one of the oldest cities of all time might reveal its vivacious energy starts with a little something called community.

Where rice paddies trip down hills and a gateway to wellness is opened to all; the secrets of sacred peace are whispered throughout the land in Indonesia.

Step back to a time of oxen-pulled ploughs and sleepy market towns within the pretty panoramas of Asia’s best kept secret.

With a fusion of Asian cultures, rainforests that mingle with beaches and two skyscrapers standing watch over the capital city, the answer to where to find it all is surely Malaysia.

In the time that it takes to utter its name, Singapore’s probably transcended your idea of the future; but what makes it all so special is its consistent attention to tending the roots that it came from.  

Bringing everything from timeless temples and caramel-scented tea fields to its very own Big 5 favourite, this admirably humble teardrop country is making much more of a splash in the ocean.

Its popularity has risen like the tallest temple tower and images of its Buddha-flanked streets, corrugated rice paddies and otherworldly beaches are bountiful. So it could be argued that, nowadays, Thailand is in no need of an introduction… perhaps.

Historically, travellers may have unwittingly overlooked Vietnam for its neighbour across the Gulf of Thailand, but with its mesh of bustling cities, hill tribe communities and beautiful coastlines, this resilient country is turning the tables.