Hong Kong's fascinating contradictions seem somehow less confusing from the top of Victoria Peak. On the approaches to Manila, dilapidated defenses and batteries on the island of Corregidor date back to the days of the Pacific War. Forests in Borneo conceal other surprises, charming orangutans at home in a tropical paradise. In Brunei, museums display the Sultan's royal regalia. Behind the glitz of their modern skyscrapers, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur retain much of the magic of the old Orient. Ahead lay simple pleasures: a Thai beach, Camtolet music and African Moutia dances in the Seychelles, lemurs in Madagascar, safari days eyeing cormorants and pelicans around Richards Bay. Cape Town provides a memorable, upbeat finale.