Ipoh, Perak (Malaysia) -- The cave temples of Ipoh, Perak, are also centres of Chinese culture and heritage and hold many artistic attractions.

Discover the many faces of the Buddha at several well-preserved monasteries in this stark mountainous region.

Leh, Ladakh (India) -- As the plane descends three sights emerge simultaneously - a scattered township, the gurgling Indus river and snow-capped peaks. Leh, the capital of Ladakh, is now on the tourist map and a flight to this rooftop of the world takes less than an hour from Delhi.

On one of Japan's holiest mountains you can meditate with monks and find solitude far from the buzz of the cities

Koyasan, Japan -- As the train left Osaka and headed toward the lush hills south of the Japanese city, I felt very far from home. The small train stopped every once in a while, letting people off on diminutive, deserted platforms. When it eventually slowed and pulled into the last stop, I was one of three people to switch to an even smaller train. Winding its way up the mountain, it finally dropped us at a cable car station.

Sichuan, China -- Nianbaoyuze, when translated from the Tibetan language, means the grand mountain of boulder. Located on the border of Qinghai and Sichuan provinces, it is composed of about 3,600 mountains and 360 lakes about 4,000 meters above sea level.

Amid a modern Chinese city, ancient Tibetan traditions persist

Lhasa, Tibet -- Probing fingers brushed my hip as I plunged into the crowd of Tibetan pilgrims shuffling around and around the Jokhang Temple.

A mix of French impressions and Buddhist ideologies, Luang Prabang promises a rejuvenating getaway.

Luang Prabang, Laos -- No visit to Laos (its official name is Lao People’s Democratic Republic) can be complete without a visit to Luang Prabang, which was the capital of Laos for many years till the Pathet Lao dismantled the monarchy and shifted the capital to Vientiane. It is a sleepy little town near the confluence of rivers Mekong and Nam Kham.

Kalimpong, West Bengal (India) -- High on a hotel terrace in Darjeeling, an alarming noise pierced the Himalayan mists. One moment it sounded like a braying donkey, the next like a crow being strangled. Was it an animal? A bird? “No, no, sir,” said the hotel receptionist. “It is Doctor Sprigg of Kalimpong, tuning up his bagpipes.”