Americans knew little of Cambodia until, in 1924, a stalwart Titanic survivor, Helen Churchill Candee, published her adventures there in a book called, Angkor the Magnificent. “We think we have exposed and investigated the secret places of the whole round globe,” she says, “when there comes word of a new one, and not only a secret place but a place full of secrets.”

The renowned Malaysia International Gourmet Festival in Kuala Lumpur runs the whole month of October. Expect a “Theatre of Cuisines” and a “Gourmet Village.” The wonderfully-named Madajazzcar, Madagascar’s leading jazz festival, takes place from October 3 to 15 with performances around the island.

For over 400 years, the temple city of Angkor Wat in northern Cambodia served as the capital of the vast and powerful Khmer Empire. From the 9th century, successive kings tried to outdo each other with ever grander designs, and you’ll find their legacy spread across 150 square miles. Ornate carvings, decorated palaces and symbolic temples are everywhere, much of it covered in jungle. At times it feels as if you’ve walked onto the set of Indiana Jones.

You’ve probably only heard about Burma for its political problems. The country’s had plenty of those in its long and fascinating history. But the political isolation of this former British colony is, today, the reason you’ll find old-style travel adventure here.

Fifteen years ago Colombia was almost a failed state. Leftist revolutionaries controlled big tracts of jungle. There were battles with the army and paramilitaries. Drug cartels ran many of the big cities. It was one of the last places on earth you would think of investing in real estate. However, these days that’s exactly what I’m doing. And here’s why… Even before April of this year...

Sundays begin with family. They arrive early and, before long, we’re on our way to the beach. We swim, eat, swim…and eat again. It’s a pleasure watching people enjoy the simple things,” says expat Paul Whiteway. “The perfect Sunday ends with music. Like a lot of local households, ours wouldn’t be complete without karaoke. The more we drink, the louder we sing.”

For about a decade, I split my time between Chiang Mai, Thailand, and a hectic business life in the U.S. Chiang Mai was my sanctuary from the stress of living and doing business at home. A city full of temples—some over 700 years old—I found it peaceful, the people friendly and the climate ideal.

When my husband Skip and I boarded the plane with a one-way ticket to Cambodia, we weren’t quite sure what we were heading to. We were sure, however, what we were leaving behind: our lovely home in a seaside town in Massachusetts, our friends, Skip’s well-paid job, my small business, and a comfortable existence.

Wala’y problima! “No problem” is the answer to everything here. Filipinos are known for their unnerving optimism and ready smiles. I’m finding that they simply refuse to get upset. And they have a hard time understanding why anyone would lose their cool over anything that’s not life or death. In the Philippines, any day you’re alive is a good day. And the days are especially good in Cebu.

Picture a tear drop, emerald green and surrounded by myriad blues. That’s what the exotic island of Sri Lanka looks like on a map. Up close it’s even more beautiful, fringed with golden sand beaches, home to lush tropical forests, tea plantations, and mist-enchanted hill country. This is the place to see elephants and leopards in the wild, stand in the shade of the world’s oldest living trees at the old royal capital, surf, dive, fish, and explore thousand-year-old temples and magnificent colonial cities. And it’s undiscovered.