The Asia-Pacific region is filled with so much culture and history that it’s almost indescribable. I’ve had a chance to visit a couple of times and each one is unforgettable for different reasons. Thailand was one of the few countries in the region that avoided colonization. They did so by assimilating European cultural concepts like property ownership, mercantilism, and eating with forms vs chopsticks into their own culture and by trading with both French and British merchants. The diving is spectacular and this was the first place in the world where I saw a lionfish, which are now common in the caribbean and the Keys. Oh, if you’re ever going to break a leg, don’t do it on the exact opposite side of the world, but, if you wind up with a broken leg, there is no better time than on the very last day of your vacation. (Don’t forget the air evacuation insurance. I don’t leave home without it).