Cambodia - South East Asia

Captivating Cambodia is a land of beautiful temples, wild jungle and unspoilt countryside, yet still bears the scars of years of conflict.

For so long off limits to the tourist trail, Cambodia began to open up to visitors again in the late 1980s. Travellers poured into the gritty capital Phnom Penh and marvelled at the jungle temples of Angkor as the Khmer Rouge militia dissipated

An extensive landmine clearing programme has made other areas of Cambodia accessible, and visitors should take the time to discover the hill tribes around Banlung, the colonial architecture of Battambang and the sandy beaches of Sihanoukville

Today's tourists can expect to mix luxurious hotels and restaurants with traditional markets and ramshackle side streets in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

Intrepid foodies can look forward to sampling deep fried spiders and cockroaches which have become delicacies in northern Cambodia, despite being a reminder of the food crisis endured by Cambodians under the Khmer Rouge.

With the road network improving, it's time for visitors to start exploring this delightful country beyond its imposing temples.

Brunei Darussalam - South East Asia

Although a tiny state with a small population, Brunei has one of the highest standards of living in the world thanks to sizeable deposits of oil and gas.

Situated on the northern coast of Borneo in South-East Asia, Brunei is a heavily forested state where visitors will encounter the grandeur of Islamic architecture and royal tradition. Architectural treasures include the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, with its gleaming gold dome.

The country only gained independence in 1984, but has the world's oldest reigning monarchy and centuries of royal heritage. At the helm of the only remaining Malay Islamic monarchy in the world, the Sultan of Brunei comes from a family line that dates back over 600 years. The first sultan ascended the throne in 1405, founding a dynasty of which the current sultan, His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, is the 29th ruler. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has been on the throne for 38 years and is one of the world's richest individuals.

East Timor - South East Asia

In May 2002, after 450 years of continuous foreign occupation, East Timor became the world’s newest independent state. However, East Timor's road to independence was long and traumatic.

The Portuguese first arrived on the island in the early 16th century and by the 1550s had occupied the eastern part. The Dutch took control of the western part, which became part of the Dutch East Indies and, after independence, Indonesia.

In 1975, the new left-wing Portuguese government relinquished all of its colonies. East Timor then enjoyed just a few days of independence, before the Indonesians annexed it as their 27th province. There was little local resistance and the international community largely acquiesced.

The main Timorese independence movement, FRETILIN (Frente Revolucionario de Este Timor Independente), which was originally formed to fight the Portuguese, now had to gear up again to combat a new and even more brutal occupier. In the savage counter-insurgency campaign that followed, the Indonesian army killed over 100,000 East Timorese.

It was not until the 1997 Asian economic crisis and the subsequent removal of veteran Indonesian President Suharto that the growing international criticism of the Indonesian campaign began to have some effect. In June 1999, President Habibie of Indonesia announced that a referendum would be held in East Timor, offering independence or autonomy within Indonesia.

The referendum was held in August 1999 and 80% opted for independence. By way of revenge, the Indonesian army, along with local militias that they had armed and financed, indulged in an orgy of destruction and killing that displaced hundreds of thousands of people and destroyed the territory’s already fragile economic base.

In October 1999, a UN transitional administration (UNTAET) was set up in East Timor, pending the conduct of national elections. The new country faced a massive reconstruction task and the government has found it difficult to deliver on many of its initial promises.

Colonial architecture, Portuguese fortresses and other remains from the 100-year-long Portuguese occupation can be found all over the country. However, many towns and villages were destroyed during the Indonesian occupation and the fighting in 1999, and these are only slowly being rebuilt. Many houses are still built on stilts in the traditional way, using local materials such as grass, bamboo, tree trunks and palm leaves.