The Cao Dai religion's colourful kitsch-like architecture mixes influences from different world religions.

Join a daily mass at noon with a congregation mostly dressed in all white. See the Divine Eye watch over a hall supported by 28 dragon-encrusted columns.

Cao Dai is a syncretist religion founded in Vietnam in the 1920s. Statues of different religious leaders including Jesus, Buddha, Confucius and Lao Tze share the altar stage.

The temple also has statues of the religion's saints including China's first president Sun Yat-sen and the French writer Victor Hugo!

Cao Dai Holy See is in the town of Tay Ninh, about 100km from Ho Chi Minh City. Easiest way to get there is to take a day tour that also includes a visit to the famous wartime Cu Chi tunnels. Visit any tour agency in Ho Chi Minh City.

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A Canadian/Vietnamese couple runs this small, relaxed guesthouse with hammocks and 3km of its own beach. The £10 daily fee includes basic accommodation and three amazing meals per day served on a large communal table.

Relax, trek in a jungle, or hike over the boulders to a lovely natural swimming pool under a water fall. The place is sociable and especially popular with backpackers.

60km north of Nha Trang. Get off at the DocLet bus stop and ask waiting motorbike drivers to drop you to Jungle Beach. You can also arrange a van pickup with Canadian owner Sylvio. Email for booking and arrangements: syl@dng.vnn.vn

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Mekong is the 12th longest river in the world and one of the most important rivers in south-east Asia.

Take a two-three day tour from Ho Chi Minh City, drive along the rivers by boat and see how the locals live in the countryside.

The tours include visits to local food producers and a memorable early morning boat ride to the famous floating market.

All the tour agencies in Ho Chi Minh City can arrange the tours. Accommodation and foods are included.

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Crazy House, also known as Hang Nga Guesthouse, is an incredible fairy tale building that is all about irregular shapes and creativity.

The building looks like it was carved into a huge tree trunk. You will see a huge giraffe and other animal statues around the place. Every single room is unique and has its own theme. You don't need to stay in the guesthouse to visit it. For a small fee, you can wander in the vacant rooms and find out more about this project that is still in progress.

The architect Hang Nga, a daughter of a former president, rivals Gaudi in creativity.

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Hare Krishna-run Govinda vegetarian restaurants are found all over Peru.

Vegetarians do not get surprise meat on their plates, and for £1 per set meal, budget travelers will have difficulty finding a cheaper place to fill their tummies.

Lima: Schell 634, Miraflores / Jirón Callao 480, central Lima.
Cuzco: Espaderos 128.
Arequipa: Jerusalen 505
Puno: Deustua 312.
And in other cities in Peru.

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Do you remember seeing a green finger-like mountain in the background of most Machu Picchu pictures? The mountain is Huayna Picchu (also called Wayna Picchu) and there are stairs going right to the top of it. If you want an alternative view of the famous Inca site, climbing up is a must.

The climb takes about an hour but the view will stay in your mind for the rest of your life. The Incas built their cities in the shapes of different animals. Look down at the condor shape of Machu Picchu, and don't forget to bring a packed lunch and some water.

Nearest station Aguas Calientes. Stay overnight in Aguas Calientes to allow more time than on an average day-trip from Cuzco.

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As you wander through this vast maze of an old Chimú capital you realise how rich cultures Peru had even before the Incas.

Built in AD 1300, Chan Chan is the largest pre-Columbian city in the Americas. Before the Incas conquered the Chimú in the mid-15th century, 60,000 people lived in Chan Chan.

Lots of the city's mud walls are now restored. Fish and net patterns on the walls tell about the importance of the sea to the Chimú. A good guide will also tell about human sacrifices and grave robbers.

5km west of Trujillo. To book a tour with an English language guide contact small hotel Casa de Clara, Cahuide 495, Trujillo.
Tel: +51 (0)44-299997.

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Pisac is a rural, colonial market village 32km north-east of Cuzco. On Sundays the market fills up with bus-loads of tourists on souvenir shopping day-trips. However, Pisac is worth an overnight stay if you have the time. Arrive early on Saturday and book a room on one of the many small hotels facing the main market square.

Saturday is a quiet time to look through what the market has to offer: weavings, ceramics, paintings, woolen clothing including ponchos, etc.

You can sit back on one of the cafes by the square and watch the locals in their traditional costumes.

In the evening all the stalls are taken apart only to be put up again at dawn.

Make sure to get up early enough to see the spectacle of the square coming back to life. Walk around the impressive Inca ruins of Pisac in the morning to enjoy them before the crowds and to see them bathe in a beautiful orange light.

There are regular buses from Cuzco to Pisac and back. Enquire about times in Cuzco.

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If you get tired of Peru's never-ending old ruins and the coldness of the Andes, and dream of a nice beach, Máncora is the place to go.

Situated near the border of Ecuador at the northern corner of the country, this small beach resort is ideal for budget travelers. Big luxury hotels and restaurants haven't yet arrived here.

Instead, you will find nice, friendly small hotels, bars, many seafood restaurants, a vegetarian restaurant, and half a dozen souvenier shops.

This, Peru's best beach resort, is popular with surfers. You can hire a surf or body board, enjoy jumping in the waves of the Pacific Ocean, or just enjoy the sun on the beach. The busiest surfing months are November and February. Outside these months the place can be tranquil and room rates negotiable.

There are daily night buses from Lima to Máncora.

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This is an excellent, clean restaurant serving traditional south Peruvian food in a beautiful garden setting.

If you are intrigued about Peru's famous raw fish dish, ceviche, but not sure where would be safe to eat it, this is a good place. The standards are high and the place is very popular with wealthier locals and business people. Still, prices are cheap for westerners. Service is excellent and you may get to hear local live music even at lunch time.

The restaurant is on the outskirts of the city but all the taxis know how to get there. Av. Dolores 111, Sun-Thu closes at 7pm. Fri-Sat closes at 10pm.

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