Kuala Lumpur (Port Kelang)
Malaysia's capital rises like a vision from the deep jungles. Its fascinating array of architectural styles includes Malay stilt villages, Islamic minarets, Hindu temples, Chinese shop houses and the indescribable opulence of the Royal Palace. In the background rise the world's tallest buildings, the Petronas Twin Towers completed in 1996.

Kuching, Borneo, Malaysia
Brown rivers snaking through the impenetrable jungle bring traders to this remote market town on the island of Borneo. Gaze upon the golden-domed mosque overlooking the padang, the village green. Visit the renowned Sarawak Museum and Margherita Fort. Then drive out to the Semanggkok Wildlife Rehabilitation Center with its orangutans and other rare animals.

Penang, Malaysia
The swirl of Batik in eastern bazaars, the cascade of waterfalls in the Botanical Gardens, jungle-clad hills ringed by golden beaches, these are the images you will take from Penang. This lovely resort island and its bustling capital of Georgetown are the picture of Malaysian diversity. Visit the Temple of the Reclining Buddha and Kek Lok Si, one of the most beautiful temples in Southeast Asia. See the ornate Khoo Kongsi, and old Chinese clan house; and an 18th century British fortress. Enjoy the Chinese embroidery and Malay daggers in the Penang Museum, or marvel at the Penang Bridge (third longest in the world).

Pulau Pangkor, Malaysia
Imagine a pine-scented isle, carpeted with virgin forests, its shoreline a fringe of secluded beaches and tiny fishing villages. Pulau Pangkor, just off the western Malaysian coast is this paradise. Scuba divers and deep sea fishermen frequent the clear waters of Emerald Bay, and the island's many footpaths will take you around the shore and through the villages.

Sandakan, Borneo, Malaysia
This Malaysian coastal trading town was once the capital of the province of Sabah. Surrounded by thickly jungled mountains where wild orchids grow, it serves as a loading port for the rich tropical hardwoods found in the interior of Borneo. About 15 miles from Sandakan, Sepilok is the home of the famous orangutan sanctuary, one of the few places in the world where you can see these animals in their natural setting.

Ambon, Moluccas
Long before the Europeans began searching for spices in the West, nutmeg, mace and cloves had brought trade to the Moluccas, the legendary Spice Islands of the East Indies. Ambon, the capital of Maluku province, was the center of the Dutch clove monopoly and was once known as the "Queen of the East." Echoes of Sinbad the Sailor and Captain Kidd drift across deserted beaches and turquoise bays teeming with more species of fish than just about anywhere else in the world. Here in these transparent waters, divers plunge for pearls among pristine coral reefs. Here, too, you can visit intriguing villages with their traditions still intact.

Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar
Ancient Burmese culture endures in this exotic city of the Irawaddy River. The jewel of the city formerly known as Rangoon is the Shewedagon Pagoda, one of the world's great Buddhist shrines, which is literally swathed in gold as well as diamonds, rubies and other precious stones.

Brunei
Wedged between two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo, Brunei is as exotic and unexplored as its name implies. Despite the fact that oil has made it the richest sultanate in the world, the friendly water-villagers of Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital, maintain their traditional values, living in stilted houses on the river. Only the T.V. antennae, the huge golden-domed mosque and the sultan's opulent 1,000-room palace reveal the vast wealth that this tiny jungle nation enjoys.