Safaris through the wildlife refuges of India showcase the area's astounding range of indigenous creatures: tigers, elephants, monkeys, pythons, and peacocks, to name but a few. Meanwhile, those with their heads in the clouds, so to speak, flock to the Himalayas of Nepal, which are most famous for the towering pinnacle of Mount Everest but most alluring for the warmth and spirituality of the people you'll meet as you trek beneath 20,000-foot peaks and into their remote villages. Further south and east, the opportunities are no less grand--your options range from exploring the hills of Thailand on the back of an elephant to diving the clear waters off the coast of Malaysia to going back in time to visit the Stone Age tribes of Indonesia Irian Jaya.