If you happen to visit Davao and you have limited areas to visit, please don't miss People's Park. As one tourist puts it: "Truly a must-see. Your Davao vacation will never be complete without spending some time at this colorful park." The brainchild of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, the newest and grandest free attraction is patterned after the 843-acre Central Park in New York City.

Man is constantly searching for a way to bolt the door against old age. This was the main reason why Ponce de Leon came to a place in the United States twice – in the hope to find the so-called “fountain of youth.” Somewhere in what is now known as Florida, he found a place where crystal clear water flows from springs.

For anyone looking for an escape from Singapore and a 'nitrogen fix' over the monsoon season in Malaysia, why not head out to “land of smiles”!From the moment you set foot into Thailand you will be overwhelmed with the people's easy manner…. everyone seems to be born with a built-in service ethic!

I have been riding mountain bikes on Pulau Ubin since I moved to Singapore from Australia in 2002. It’s an easy place to get to. Rock up at the bumboat wharf at Changi, pay the wrinkled man $4 and there you are – back 20 years into kampung living. It’s a rustic place, even though it’s only about 10 minutes away from Singapore.

When you think of the idyllic picture of what a tropical island should look like, white beaches, palms and azure sea, that is the Perhentian Islands. Two unspoiled islands, Perhentian Kecil (Small) and Perhentian Besar (Big) lie amidst exquisitely clear waters. The name comes from the Malay word "henti" which means “stop” as fishermen and traders traveling between Malaysia and Thailand have done for centuries for a rest or shelter, and it is still has the magic to transport visitors to that different world to rest and unwind today.

Raja Ampat diving is one of the best underwater exploration any scuba diver can testify to. Here is a pick of the best dive sites around Kri Island, and a bit beyond. Daily trips (except Saturdays) are made possible by Papua Diving where you can stay at Kri Eco Resort or Sorido Bay Resort – both located on Kri Island itself. 

The largest population of Asian elephants remaining in the wild is in danger and an Australian organisation, the Rainforest Information Centre, is spearheading the campaign to persuade Indian governments to reconsider their decisions to situate developments where elephant habitat will be disrupted. If you read no further than this, please go to http://bit.ly/india_elephants where you can voice your stand on this issue.

Greg Waldron was impressed by a vacation resort that is helping rescued orang utans return to the wild – a model for future plantation and resort development, providing for economic progress, conservation, and education about environmental issues.

There were bats. Lots of bats.At first all I could hear was a dull chattering, but as we rounded a corner, the cave opened up into a space the size of a house, full of squealing and squawking. I couldn’t see them at first, but they were unsettled and flapping their wings. They seemed to be aiming for our torch lights.

On a tiny island off the coast of Phuket, I’d found my way to a low-key ceremony being held in the middle of a muddy rice paddy. As an excited Thai man was telling me about his plans for this year’s crop, a group of about 15 boys and girls who live on the island dived into the gleaming mud of one of the paddies, jammed two wooden poles in the ground at either end and began the dirtiest game of football I’ve ever seen.

The Nusa Tenggara island of Sumba is home to a living ‘ancient' culture. Lying south of Flores across the Sawu Sea, it is only a short distance from Bali yet the journey represents a great leap back into the past that can be both exhilarating and relaxing. Eco-tourism takes on a whole new meaning with this ancient culture.

For the first time in my life, I defied the odds and overcame my fears by going caving. You know, entering dark passages with twisty tunnels that are hollow homes to hairy, stealthy arachnids. Empty passages that echo heartbeats distinctly when the last of the bats shriek their way out at dusk.

A tiny Khmer girl joined her mother in picking up litter on the grounds of Angkor Thom. She was perhaps a wee too young to understand what the fuss was about, but clearly, her mother, a Spa Supervisor with Victoria Angkor Resort & Spa, knew the significance, and urged her on. Rom Syma is keen for her daughter to protect their natural heritage – the 13th century Bayon Temple, a World Heritage site - and Cambodia’s pride.

The city of Luang Prabang is facing a big challenge - having survived colonisation and communism, can it survive tourism?

Sarawakan Stephen and Danish Tine had a dream. Now the dream has been fulfilled. They have established an art gallery and a homestay called Jungle Blues Dream in the Ulung Palang longhouse in Bario, an amazing village in the Kelabit Highlands of northeast Sarawak, close to the Kalimantan border.

Just half hour from Denpasar on the eastern side of the island in the south, there is a festival of sorts to bring you back to life, and ahem, civilisation. Sanur Village Festival 2008 from 6-10 August covers all grounds – culinary, sports, culture, art, beach games, cycling tour, kite flying and music, like jazz, enough of reggae already!

Before anyone had ever heard of Greenpeace and the WWF, and long before Al Gore became an environmental superhero, there was one man who is generally credited for advancing the first theory on how mankind can destroy the environment, linking deforestation with rainfall and climate change.

The first meal was delicious. A simple vegetable curry served with brown rice and yogurt. I was not the only one to ask for more.From then on, the meals became more interesting. Eggplant served with corn on the cob. Tofu steaks with lasagna. And salads with, well, just too many sprouts. But it didn’t stop me from returning for more.