Benoa to Manila

Bali really is as alluring as everyone says. This island, slightly bigger than Delaware, has it all: beaches, volcanoes, terraced rice fields, forests, renowned resorts, surfing, golf, and world-class dive sites. But what sets Bali apart from other nearby tropical destinations is Balinese tradition, and villagers dedicated to celebrating it. The hundreds of temples, dances, rituals, and crafts linked to their ancient Hindu faith aren't a show for tourists, but a living, breathing culture in which visitors are warmly received by the Balinese, who cherish their own identities.

Borneo's forbidding interior made it less attractive to early traders and explorers than neighboring areas, so what is now the state of Sabah remained unexploited by the British until the late 19th century, although traders long visited for exotic items such as bird's nests (for the celebrated Chinese soup). In 1963, Sabah joined Sarawak, Malaya, and Singapore (which later seceded) in forming the Federation of Malaysia. Known as the "Land Below the Wind" because it's south of the typhoon belt, Sabah occupies Borneo's northern tip. It shares its southwestern border with Sarawak and the rest of its southern border with the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan. Today vast tracts of forest have been replaced by oil-palm plantations, and a sizable portion of remaining forest land is protected in national parks or conservation areas.On the shore of a deep bay, Sandakan was the capital of British North Borneo and one of the most important towns in Southeast Asia from the 1880s through the 1930s. But Japanese occupation during World War II and allied bombing virtually destroyed the town, and the capital was transferred to Jesselton (now Kota Kinabalu) in 1946. Sandakan enjoyed a revival in the 1970s as the center of the region's logging industry. Logging has since declined, but Sandakan is still worth visiting for its rich history and proximity to some of Borneo's most accessible wildlife attractions. Sandakan's downtown, much of it built on landfill, is squeezed between a steep promontory and Sandakan Bay. In recent years, this city of 450,000 (counting its extensive suburbs) has begun redeveloping its downtown waterfront into a shopping and nightlife hub. Its working harbor area for passengers and cargo is 6 km (4 miles) west of downtown.

The microscopic Sultanate of Brunei lays claim to one of the most dramatic rags-to-riches stories. Thanks to oil, the Sultan of Brunei is one of the richest men in the world, and the Sultanate is often dubbed a Shell-fare-state. Brunei's citizens do not pay income tax; they enjoy free education, medical care and old-age pensions. The government employs a third of the workforce, who are probably the best-paid bureaucrats in the world. Brunei Darussalam, as the country is officially called, is the rump of what was once a sprawling empire that occupied a land area of about twice the size of Luxembourg. On January 1, 1984, after nearly 100 years as a British Protectorate, Brunei became a fully independent sovereign nation. In August of 1967, Hassanal Bolkiah was crowned the 29th Sultan of Brunei. He succeeded his father, Sir Omar Ali Saifuddien III, who started to modernize the capital and is known as the architect of modern Brunei. Bandar Seri Begawan is the capital and the only town of any size in the country. It is a neat, modern city, split into three main areas. The "old" sector, built in the 1950s, is being redeveloped with new buildings around the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque; the Seri Complex, a commercial area dates from the 1970s, and Gadong boasts a recently shopping center and numerous restaurants: Bandar or, simply BSB, as the capital is commonly called, still features a sprawling maze of wooden houses built on stilts along the Brunei River.

MANILA, the capital city of the Philippines, was founded in, 1571 by Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi. It is one of the oldest cities in the country and was the seat of power for most of the colonial rules of the Philippines. It is situated on the eastern shore of Manila Bay and contains a multitude of landmarks, some of which date back to the 16th century. It is home to the baroque 16th-century San Agustin Church as well as Fort Santiago, a storied citadel and military prison. In the 19th century Manila became one of the most modern cities in Asia. Before the Spanish–American War, Manila saw the rise of the Philippine Revolution. Under the American rule following the Spanish-American War, the United States changed the official language from Spanish to English. Towards the end of World War II, during the Battle of Manila, most of the city was flattened by intensive aerial bombardment. Today, tourism is a vital industry in Manila. Major shopping malls and bazaars thrive around Manila.