Singapore – the very name summons visions of the mysterious East. The commercial center of Southeast Asia, this island city-state of four million people is a metropolis of modern high-rise buildings, Chinese shop-houses with red-tiled roofs, sturdy Victorian buildings, Buddhist temples and Arab bazaars. Founded in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles of the fabled East India Company, the city is a melting pot of people and cultures. Malay, Chinese, English and Tamil are official languages. Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Hinduism and Christianity are the major faiths. Singapore is an ever-fascinating island boasting colorful traditions, luxurious hotels and some of the finest duty-free shopping in the world. Lying just 85 miles north of the Equator at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, the island was a haven for Malay pirates and Chinese and Arab traders.

The crystalline waters of the Lombok Strait separate the island of Lombok from its neighbor Bali. For experienced travelers, Lombok will seem a throwback to Balis halcyon days – reminiscent, indeed, of that island some 30 years ago, before globalization brought a steady stream of development to its shores. Like its neighbor, Lombok is renowned for its traditional craft villages. Artisans produce the exquisite brocaded cloth called songket, elegant woodcarvings, and superb pottery made from local hillside clays. The island also possesses great natural beauty, from the dramatic rice terraces and plantations of the south to the tropical rain and cloud forests of the north. Lombok is home to Mt. Rinjani, Indonesias second highest peak, a magnificent volcano soaring over 12,000 feet above sea level. The Lombok Strait is part of the Wallace Line – a major eco-geographical boundary separating the flora and fauna of East Indonesia and Australia from West Indonesia. Many species found on Lombok, for example, are not found on neighboring Bali, just 20 miles away across the strait.

For over a century, Bali has fascinated the Western imagination. The island embodies the very essence of the exotic and mysterious East. Steep hillsides of tropical green reveal terraced rice paddies while plantations of coffee, banana, cacao and fragrant spices line the roads. Monkeys haunt the grounds of a sacred temple in a forest, while traditional villages produce intricately stylized batik, superb jewelry and beautiful paintings. And Balinese dance, with its angular movements and rhythms, remains somehow stirring and shocking. Bali may be accessible, but it remains forever exotic. For all Balis scenic beauty, the island has weathered great natural disasters, from the 1963 eruption of Mt. Agung to a massive earthquake in 1976. The island emerged relatively unscathed from the great tsunami of 2004. Note: All motorcoaches are equipped with air-conditioning.

Closer to Indonesia than to any other Australian city, Darwin is the capital of the “Top End” – the remote, vast Northern Territory. Home to more than half of the territorys population, the city reflects the rugged endurance and individualism required to survive the Outback. Darwin also boasts a colorful history to add to that heritage. During World War II the Japanese bombed the city and threatened invasion. In 1974, Cyclone Tracy cut a destructive swath through the region. In addition, man-eating crocodiles, tropical monsoons, searing heat and bush fires that burn for weeks are all part of everyday life. Locals in the Top End consume over 60 gallons of beer a year. All those empties dont go to waste: Each year Darwin residents compete in the Beer Can Regatta, a race with boats, rafts and other vessels manufactured out of beer cans.

In 1877, the aptly named James Venture Mulligan struck pay dirt on Hodgkinson River, igniting the fabled North Queensland Gold Rush. At the height of the boom, Port Douglas boasted 12,000 residents and 27 hotels. Bust inevitably followed boom, and Port Douglas slid into decades of obscurity. Then came a second gold rush in the 1980s as tourists flocked to the North Queensland Coast. Located between the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area and the Great Barrier Reef, Port Douglas provides a perfect gateway to hardy adventurers en route to rainforest and reef. In addition to its nearby scenic wonders, Port Douglas boasts several resorts ranging from the Sheraton Mirage to the Daintree Eco Lodge and Spa in the heart of the rainforest.

Cairns is one of Australias hottest vacation destinations. Cairns boasts three of Australias great natural wonders. Just offshore, immense bastions of living coral form the Great Barrier Reef. Sixteen miles of superb beaches stretch to the north of the city – the famed Marlin Coast. And inland lays the immense Daintree National Park. Cairns itself basks in tropical sunshine, balmy breezes waft in from Trinity Bay. The citys graceful, tree-lined esplanade was once the gateway to the gold fields of North Queensland. Cairns graceful, tree-lined esplanade was once the gateway to the gold fields of North Queensland. A travel tip – Cairns is pronounced “cans.”

Airlie Beach is your gateway to the Whitsunday Archipelago. These 74 islands feature pristine fringing reefs, calm, lagoon-like waters, and superb beaches. The archipelago is one of Australias premier playgrounds. The Whitsundays were once mountains. Rising seas at the end of the Ice Age formed the Whitsunday Passage between the islands and the mainland.

Once considered the “country cousin” among Australian cities, Brisbane is today the nations third-largest metropolis – and one of the most desirable places to live in the country. Lying on the banks of the meandering Brisbane River, this cosmopolitan city boasts elegant 19th-century sandstone buildings, a lively cultural scene and superb parklands. Brisbane is also your gateway to uniquely Australian adventures, be it the theme parks of the Gold Coast or Queenslands dazzling beaches. The beaches south of Brisbane form Queenslands Gold Coast. Travel tip: Brisbane is pronounced “Bris-bin.”