THE UNTOUCHABLE FAR EAST'S MYSTIQUE

Singapore is the centre of the small Singapore Republic. It is often called the "city of lions" or the "city of gardens", because of its many parks and streets lined with trees. Singapore port, with an area of 93 km2, is one of the biggest in the world. The city's skyline is full of modern skyscrapers and office blocks, built next to Asian and British colonial-style buildings. Confrontation of the new and the old characterises Singapore's history, first as a trade port, now as a financial centre. Even though in its beginnings, in the 13th century, it was part of the Sumatran trade empire, modern Singapore was shaped by events from not so ancient a history. The first one was the arrival of Stamford Raffles in 1819, who established Singapore's trade connections with the British Empire. Singapore flourished because of these, despite fierce competition from neighbouring colonies like Hong Kong. Since it gained independence in 1965, it became one of the most important financial hubs of south-eastern Asia. Singapore's population, although for the most part of Chinese origin, is a microcosm of people from all over Asia, while a steady flow of Indian and Malayan people gives the city its characteristic cosmopolitan feel.

Phuket, the Thailand's biggest island, has the surface area of about 800 km2. It lies west of the Thai peninsula, in the Andaman Sea, surrounded by 36 other islands. It has been inhabited since the 1st century. Traditional fishermen's villages can still be seen on the coast, with houses built on poles protruding from the sea. The island is mostly flat, with the exception of a few hills that can be as high as 500 m. The island has of late become an important tourist centre. Visitors are attracted not only by traditional villages, but also by landscapes made of surreally shaped rocks on the neighbouring islands. In some places, huge rock columns rise beautifully from the turquoise-blue sea.

Langkawi is the biggest out of 99 islands that surround it. Langkawi is the epitome of "tropical paradise on Earth": untouched nature, blue sea, vast sandy beaches, and couples in love. Apart from being the paradise island, Langkawi is also the island of legends. The most famous legend is one about princess Mahsuri, who became pregnant after she drank water from a lake. The king unjustly accused her of adultery and expelled her from the kingdom, and an enraged Mahsuri cast a curse on the inhabitants that was to stay for seven generations. Today, her tomb is a tourist attraction.