Brunei

Brunei is a small — but very rich, sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Strategically located on the South China Sea, close to vital sea lanes linking Indian and Pacific Oceans, it has an exclusive economic fishing zone that extends as far as Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands although it makes no public territorial claim to the offshore reefs. It's known for its beaches and biodiverse rainforest, much of it protected within reserves.

The citizens of the lovely capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, are wild for food and shopping. Here, spectacular mosques contrast with the charmingly haphazard water village, while the nearby mangrove forest is home to proboscis monkeys and crocs.