Live the life of a maharaja and discover the unparalleled cultural riches of Rajasthan, India. Explore Jodhpur’s imposing Mehrangarh Fort from your base at the regal Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace, and contemplate time and space from Jaipur’s Jantar Mantar observatory, a newly christened UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Sri Lanka, the priceless gem of an island off the tip of the subcontinent, climb the exhilarating 60 stories of Dambulla’s 5^th-century Sigiriya rock fortress, and go trekking in Horton Plains National Park, part of the country’s highlands recently protected by UNESCO as a “super biodiversity hotspot.” 

On Japan’s northernmost island Hokkaido, the mountain slopes of Niseko consistently offer world-class powdery runs that rival the Alps and Rockies. Stay in a luxury chalet and end your days soaking in your private onsen (hot spring bath). The Nepal Himalayas, meanwhile, are a haven for enthusiasts of snowboarding and heli-skiing, which opens up the typically unreachable pistes of the Annapurna/Dhaulagiri and Everest regions of this lofty landscape. Have a Buddhist sherpa wedding or vow renewal, including same-sex ceremonies, in Nepal, which has become very welcoming to gay travelers recently. 

Transform yourself into a contemporary Cousteau, cruising on your private yacht around the Andaman Sea and anchoring around the nearly 800 islands of Burma’s Mergui archipelago. Dive with whale sharks and manta rays along the Burma banks, where world-class diving awaits yet is totally undiscovered. In the Philippines, indulge your Robinson Crusoe fantasies in total luxury at the secluded Amanpulo resort and dive in the waters of Palawan, whose reefs and atolls teem with exotic marine life and are among the best dive spots on Earth. 

Discover the food that fueled the fabled Silk Road in Kashgar, Urumqi and Turpan in western China. Visit a village of the Uighur ethnic people and share a meal of spicy lamb kebabs, homemade noodles and seasoned flatbread, all signature dishes of the Chinese Muslim community. In Indonesia, visit Sulawesi, Sumatra and Java and have a hands-on lesson in regional cuisines, whose ingredients have been shaped by the country’s long history as a trading port and colony and reflect a fascinating international influence.  

Touch down in your private jet on Vietnam’s central coast and unplug from the world in your pool villa at Nam Hai, situated on a half-mile stretch of the country’s finest white-sand beach. Cruise to the Cham Islands, a quiet fishing area 12 miles off the coast and enjoy some of the finest snorkeling and diving in all of Vietnam. In Thailand, embark from Phuket on your private yacht for a cruise around the stunning seascape of Phang Nga Bay, then board a chopper for an exclusive flight over James Bond Island and the bay’s signature limestone peaks.