Phnom Kulen (487m) is a refreshing side trip from touristy Siem Reap. A sacred mountain with a wat housing a huge reclining Buddha carved out of the top of a huge boulder. The place also double as a recreational area for Khmer families, who come here to relax and enjoy them self. Under the nearby waterfall you can splash around with the locals and wash some of the dust off from the rough ride coming here. Combine the trip with a visit to Kbal Spean (the River of Thousands Lingas) and Banteay Srei, a hindu temple with some of the best Angkor carvings.

The ethnic minorities of northeast Cambodia, like the Tompuon people at Kachon village, bury their dead in some rather elaborate graves in the forest. The concrete tombs can have fences, wooden elephant tusks, thatched roof and the entrance is guarded by carved statues of the deceased (man and wife are buried at the same place) – some with very explicit genitals. The cranium of the buffalo, that got sacrificed during the burial ceremony, hang at the front and the family of the deceased often places things that the dead can use in afterlife like bottles, pots, local whiskey, yes even sun glasses. Be sensitive when visiting a tribal cemetery, so you don't offend the locals nor the spirits.

Sky burial is a Tibetan custom for giving back the earthly remains after death, when the soul has left the body for reincarnation. The body is simply sliced open and offered to waiting vultures that rip the flesh from the bones within minutes. Afterwards the bones, along with the skull and brain, are smashed to pieces with an axe and mixed with barley flour and again offered to the still waiting vultures. Besides being a mind blowing experience (and not for the faint hearted) it's also a very rare opportunity to get close to these monster birds of prey, some of them very rare (such as Black and Bearded vultures). Remember this is not a tourist attraction and an invitation should be to obtained before attending. (The picture was taken with permission from the descendants).

In the highlands at the foot of volcano Inerie, around Bajawa town, the Ngada people lives. Though some Ngada villages are fairly modern, traditional ones still exists. The wooden houses are high roofed facing each other in two rows along a open courtyard which several ancestral structures. The ngadhu, a carved pole with an umbrella-like thatched roof, and the bhaga, a small spirit house, always come in pairs. The good spirited Ngadas are betel nut chewing and machete wearing, and very welcoming. The pretty villages of Bena is probably the most famous, but also the one that sometimes receives busload of tourists. Other villages, like Bea, hardly see anyone and can be a more rewarding regarding traditional life. If you are lucky, you might bump into a ceremony with a traditional pig or buffalo sacrificing. It is best to bring a guide from Bajawa to translate and make sure you don't commit some culture suicide.

The small fishing community at Lamalera still practice traditional whale hunting. From small boats they hunt with harpoons thrown by hand from the stern. The usual prays are manta rays, dolphins and the occasional hammerhead shark, but a couple of times a year the big game comes by, the sperm whale. Being many times bigger than the boats, it is not unusual for an angry whale to flip over a boat, or even smash it, with its tail. The black sand beach at Lamalera is dotted with wooden pieces from splintered boats along with the white whale bones. The few fishermen with missing limps just add to the evidence that this kind of whale hunting is insanely dangerous. Since the number of caught animals is small, the village is excluded from any hunting ban, letting them continue their truly unique hunting tradition. You can join the whalers on a hunt. If a whale is in sight, you will be kept in safe distance, but with smaller prays you will get in on the action.

Deep in the jungle close to the Indonesian border lays the friendly Kelabit Highlands. Located on a plateau 1000m above sea level surrounded by rugged terrain, it is only reachable by plane or a seven-day trek trough dense forest. The main settlement Bario is still famous for their longhouses that can house up till thirty families under the same roof. Some of the elders still carry the heavy brass or hornbill-ivory ear rings and have their arms and legs covered in tribal tattoos. Homestays and multi-day treks are what the few travellers come here for in this nature rich corner of Sarawak.

Inle Lake is a very pretty place and one of Myanmar major attractions. The mountain lake (880m) lies in the Shan state and is home for several unique things like the leg rowing fishermen, stilt villages with floating gardens, and the cat jumping monastery of Ngaphechaung. If you want to take in everything the lake has to offer it will be a long day including a bit of sightseeing along the shores, where the golden stupas stand and the non-floating markets are. A must see if you choose to go to Myanmar.

The great old souq (market) in the old town of Nizwa gets even better on auction day. From early morning Bedouins come in for the livestock auction. In the open arena goats are dragged around by their owner in front the observing audience. A potential buyer calls over the goat, squeeze its testicles and decide to buy or not. Beside the goats and the occasional camel, the other attractions are the colourful Bedouin women that attend the market. Some have their face covered by a finely decorated cloth mask, half as an out-of-this-world fashion statement and half as protection from the strong sun. They will sure make an impression.

Up in the mountains in northern Luzon lies the village Sagada surrounded by pristine hills and pine forest. It's a refreshingly cool little place famous for its caves and hanging coffins. The deceased was put in a hollowed trunk and then placed high on a projection on the cliff or piled on top of other coffins. This ancient funeral custom is now longer practised, but it's still possible to visit the burial site where coffins in all ages and states of decay hang. You can even peek at the bones trough the cracks, but no touching (some people do).

Lanyu is a little volcanic island with two mountains and covered in forest. The people are of the Tao tribe (sometimes called Yami), which have more in common with the Batan islands of the Philippines, than Taiwan and mainland China, but never the less is a part of Taiwan. Today the people are modern, but their cultural heritage is still very strong. It's possible to stay with a Tao family while visiting the island and a rented scooter is the way to explore the 50 km, or so, of roads the island has to offer. This is really off the beaten track.