Phuket, pronounced (roughly) "pu-ged", is Thailand's largest island and one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Phuket formerly derived its wealth from tin and rubber, and enjoys a rich and colourful history. The island was on one of the major trading routes between India and China, and was frequently mentioned in foreign traders' ship's logs.  In recent times, Phuket's top earner has been tourism, which has transformed the island into Thailand's wealthiest province. It also enjoys great popularity as a travel destination. Most beaches are on the west coast, with Phuket Town to the southeast and the airport in the north.

Dubai  is the most populous city and is one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the only two emirates to have veto power over critical matters of national importance in the country's legislature. It is rather like an independent city-state and is the most modern and progressive emirate in the UAE, developing at an unbelievable pace in the tourist and trade sectors especially. Recently Dubai won the bid to host EXPO 2020, a Universal scale Registered Exposition approved by the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE), Paris.

Goa is a state in western India with coastlines stretching along the Arabian Sea. A former Portuguese colony with a rich history, the state has a unique mix of Indian and Portuguese cultures and architecture that attracts an estimated 2.5 million visitors each year (including about 400,000 foreign tourists). Since the 1960s, Goa has been attracting a steady flow of visitors - first the hippies and returning expatriate Goans, then the charter tourists (starting with the Germans in 1987), pilgrims visiting Catholic and Hindu shrines, those opting to settle in Goa as their home, people going for medical treatment, and a growing number of those who attend seminars and conferences in Goa.

Abu Dhabi, the capital and the second largest city in the United Arab Emirates, lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western coast. The city is also one of the most modern cities in the world. Abu Dhabi features large gardens and parks, green boulevards lining all the streets and roads, sophisticated high-rise buildings, international luxury hotel chains and opulent shopping malls.

Colombo is the largest city and former capital of Sri Lanka. It is a busy and vibrant city with a mixture of modern life and colonial buildings and ruins and a city population of 647,100. Due to its large harbour and its strategic position along the East-West sea trade routes, Colombo has a long history and was known to ancient traders 2,000 years ago.  Colombo is a huge, sprawling city, which can be visited any time of year due to its beautiful tropical climate.

Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately 580 square miles and includes six wilayats. Known since the early 1st century CE as an important trading port between the west and the east, Muscat was ruled by various indigenous tribes as well as foreign powers such as the Persians and the Portuguese Empire at various points in its history. A regional military power in the 18th century, Muscat's influence extended as far as East Africa and Zanzibar. As an important port-town in the Gulf of Oman, Muscat attracted foreign tradesmen and settlers such as the Persians, the Balochs and Gujaratis.

Mumbai, a cosmopolitan metropolis, earlier known as Bombay, is the largest city in India and the capital of Maharashtra state. Mumbai was originally a conglomeration of seven islands on the Konkan coastline which over time were joined to form the island city of Bombay. The island was in turn joined with the neighbouring island of Salsette to form Greater Bombay. The city has an estimated metropolitan population of 21 million (2005), making it one of the world's most populous cities. The city is also famous as the heart of the Hindi-language Bollywood film industry.