Phuket nestles in the Andaman Sea close to the Malaysian peninsula. The off-shore islands with their awesome limestone outcrops and coral gardens provide some of the most spectacular dive territory in the world. Phuket has become one of South East Asia’s most desirable tourist destinations. It has the exotic charm of tropical splendour with stretches of idyllic beaches, patches of unspoiled jungles, and ancient caves that were home to its early inhabitants.

An island that has so much more to offer than sun, sea and sand. Beyond the panoramic vistas is a naturalist’s paradise where dramatic mountain ranges interspersed with pockets of indigenous forests and spectacular waterfalls provide a habitat for the rare Mauritius kestrel, the pink pigeon and the echo parakeet. Also featured in this programme are the satellite island of ille aux Aigrettes, the islet of ille Coccos and the island of Rodrigues with its savage beauty, uncluttered by the trappings of modern living.

On seeing Pangkor Laut, Pavarotti is quoted as saying: “I almost cried when I saw how beautiful God had made this Paradise.” He is featured singing at the opening of the luxury Pangkor Laut Resort, a one-island, one-resort lying off the west coast of Malaysia. This is a place where yellow pied-hornbills, white-breasted sea eagles and crab-eating macaque monkeys thrive, and where the connoisseur’s taste buds are tantalized and indulged beyond expectation. Stunning visual splendour and pampering are characteristic of this island where you can cocoon yourself in a myriad pleasures such as walking through a two-million-year rain forest. The island is also linked by water taxi to the nearby fascinating island of Pangkor and mainland Malaysia.

Far from any continental landmass, the islands of Seychelles have long been likened to a string of pearls set in the azure waters of the Indian Ocean. An ecological treasure trove awaits the visitor to these islands where unique fauna and flora have been left to evolve undisturbed by man until the last 200 years. There must be few places in the world where whole islands are devoted to the conservation of birds or where you can experience the primeval aura of a World Heritage site reputed to be the original Garden of Eden.

Mention the name SRI LANKA to anyone these days and there is the immediate association with the recent Tsunami; very few would link this small pearl-shaped island at the southern tip of India to the Ceylon of the old days, but even if they did, they would surely register surprise to find an English Lake District with Tudor-style homes tucked away in the higher misty regions - a testimony to the British tea planters who ensconced themselves in colonial splendor; and few would expect to find an ancient pleasure palace on top of a huge monolith with a 600 foot sheer drop on all sides, the ruins of which suggest that Sinhalese culture was at the peak of civilization when Europe was going through the Dark Ages.

Picture an aromatic spice island textured with rich tapestry of cultures dating back to days when Omani Sultans, Portuguese traders, European nobility and slaves from the far corners of Africa set foot on its shores, and you have a sense of the tangible mystique that gives Zanzibar its unique character. Explore Stone Town, the Arab slave quarters and the famous spice plantations and take a trip on an Arab dhow.