From the deck of a motorboat scuttling along at 25 knots, I saw Sabah’s capital, Kota Kinabalu, growing fainter every second until it finally blended in with the surrounding blue and green and patches of …

Mention China and the first image in your mind is likely the Great Wall. Or Mao’s portrait at Tiananmen Square. Or maybe the Shaolin Temple. It’s not likely, though, to be the Tiger Leaping Gorge …

Close your eyes. Now imagine a long stretch of dazzling white sand and the sun setting over the Andaman Sea. That's where I'm writing from. It's an island called Langkawi in northwest Malaysia. Currently flying …

Russia is one of the most challenging countries in which to travel on a budget. Oh sure, your ruble might still go a pinto’s puff further out on the street than your yen, but you’ll …

We arrived in Yangon, Myanmar (Burma), in November. Instantly the heat had us deciding to take a bus to Chaungtha Beach, the most popular beach among Burmese vacationers and the closest to Yangon. Accommodation in …

In India’s Vedic prehistory, the son of Shiva and Parvati began his journey toward immortality when his father mistakenly lopped off his head with a sword, and upon realizing his mistake, replaced his son’s head …

The strong smell of black coffee served in a plastic cup no bigger than a shot glass startled me from my deep slumber. As one flight attendant pushed the cart forward, tightly squeezing it along …

Looking for an off-the-beaten-path island adventure with pristine beaches, wildlife, historical sites and plenty of activities? Consider Bohol in the Philippines. This unassuming island is full of baroque colonial architecture in the form of its …

Singapore is known as one of Asia’s tigers for its robust, fast-growing economy. One of the secrets of its success is its diversity. Although set on an island off the Malay Peninsula, Singapore is an …

In 1603, at a place Europeans then called Bantam, an English fleet trading for spices left behind a few merchants to organize the pepper trade for the arrival of the next voyage – two years …

“Tonight we will see living national treasures!” our guide, Bao Chui, announced dramatically while poking his chopsticks around our noodle lunch in Beijing. To the uninitiated, the Beijing Opera can be either a dazzling visual …

Getting to Olympos, Turkey, our final destination, was turning out to be a real doozy. This sleeping spread-eagle business on the cold green floor of the Kharkiv, Ukraine, airport, catching a 3 a.m. flight with …

On the west coast of India, the state of Karnataka has a spectacular 300-kilometer-long rocky coastline dotted with pristine white sand beaches. The most popular are Murudeshwar, Kumta, Malpe, Gokarna and Maravanthe. Along Karnataka’s coast, …

In its history as a unified nation, Japan has had three major capitals. Tokyo (the modern capital) and Kyoto (the longest-serving capital) garner most of the international visitors. Tokyo draws those who want to see …

I’ve always loved riding trains: Pacific Surfliner, Starlight Express, Eurail, etc. The sound of the train whistle never fails to spark my wanderlust, and I find the combination of comfort and adventure when riding the …