The people of Tamil Nadu consider providing food to others a service to humanity. Thus the service in the state capital, Chennai, is first-rate. Treat your senses to some of the richest South Indian flavours in traditional dishes like sambar, rasam, fish curry or kootu. And don't forget to have a cup of full-bodied Tamil coffee, enhanced with chicory—no visit is complete without it.

Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon) is no longer the capital of Myanmar, but it has experienced a huge increase in tourism recently. Book early, as hotel rooms are sometimes hard to find! While you’re in town, the Shwedagon Pagoda, an immense, ancient Buddhist shrine, is a must-see—TripAdvisor travelers recommend visiting at sunrise or sunset.

Just a speedboat ride from Singapore, Batam’s beaches and bars tempt visitors with dishes of chili crab, grilled lobster, and freshly caught fish. While travellers golf, snorkel, and spa-hop, the island’s traditional culture thrives in fishing villages built on wooden stilts.

Travellers and traders have enjoyed Red Sea breezes in the open-minded port of Jeddah for centuries, and the city preserves their traces in its UNESCO-listed historic centre. The rest of Jeddah is thoroughly modern, energized with a global mix of pilgrims on their way to nearby Mecca.

From the cosmopolitan metropolis of Cebu City and the white-sand beaches of Mactan to the electric-blue waters of Kawasan Falls and the whale sharks of Oslob, it’s easy to see why Cebu Island is one of the Philippines’ top destinations.

The biggest island in the Philippines, Luzon is also one of the most diverse—it’s where mountain peaks and volcanoes meet miles of coastline, and indigenous culture melds with Spanish colonial history. You can relax at the beach in Pagudpud, hike with locals up the Batad Rice Terraces, ride in a horse-drawn carriage in Vigan, and snack on street food and dance the night away in Manila. You’ll need a few days and a bus pass, but you’ll be glad you stayed.