Jalgaon city, India -- Ajanta Caves, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, holds masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, considered the finest examples of architecture.

Pune, India -- Imagine a cluster of caves in a horseshoe-shaped gorge with a small river flowing through it. Add to that a jaw-dropping 7-stepped waterfall through which the river enters the gorge.

Bagan, Burma -- In an attempt to entice tourists to the military-ruled country, Burma's Ministry of Culture has reopened the Thiri Zeya Bumi Bagan Golden Palace. The palace—whose reconstruction began several years ago—is one of the most impressive remnants of the ancient city of Bagan, which flourished as a Buddhist center from the 11th to the 13th centuries. The site spreads across 80 kilometers and encompasses over 2,000 ruins.

The north-central plains of Sri Lanka, called the nation’s Cultural Triangle, is home to many UNESCO world heritage sites

Colombo, Sri Lanka -- In Sri Lanka’s sparsely populated north-central plains - aptly termed the nation’s Cultural Triangle — a remarkable cluster of UNESCO World Heritage sites offers a glimpse of life a thousand years ago in one of the world’ ;s first great Buddhist kingdoms.

Dambulla, Sri Lanka -- Dating back to the 1st Century BC, The Dambulla Rock Temple is the most impressive cave temple in Sri Lanka. It has five caves under a vast overhanging rock, carved with a drip line to keep the interiors dry. In 1938 the architecture was embellished with arched colonnades and gabled entrances.

Jahangira, Bihar (India) -- Venerable Piyapala, Viraj and I left Bodh  Gaya at  three in the morning and spent the next  ten hours bumping over the pot-holed back roads of Bihar to get there.

Darjeeling, Sikkim (India) -- The monsoon had outlasted its term this year. Travelling in the hilly Darjeeling terrain was disorienting. Hill stations aren’t always beautiful, I thought. Especially when they are soaked with the monsoon, with the strong smell of fungus. Otherwise Darjeeling is surely a sight to behold. But the thin road meandering upwards into the never-ending fog seemed rather boring.

Discover the hidden wonders of this remote north-eastern Indian state

Arunachal Pradesh, India -- Visiting an unspoiled place has its risks. To be the first spoiler could be just a little too much for the conscience to handle. So, the visitor has to keep a low profile, attempting the impossible task of noticing without being noticed.

LHASA, China -- Three crimson-robed monks chant quietly as they file through the ancient palace, pausing every now and then to pray in the candlelit rooms filled with Buddhist statues and religious murals.

SEOUL, South Korea -- Anyone who has visited South Korea will have been impressed by its integration of modernity and tradition. If Seoul is a symbol of modern Korea, Geyongju represents ancient Korea and mainstream traditional culture.