Highlights of India Today Travel Plus magazine dated October 2012. The Cover Story talks about many Indians who have their first brush with a foreign holiday which is often Southeast Asia. Easy to access, not very expensive, full of oriental warmth and fabulous hospitality, these countries can dazzle with their nightlife, high-rises and state of the art theme parks, even as they offer you perfect beaches, great food, low prices and good air connections. This issue brings to you Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City on the banks of the mighty Saigon river where spices, silk, street stalls, floating restaurants merge with an urban facade to create a pulsating city forging ahead and away from its turbulent war torn past. This issue also talks about Bali in Indonesia to discover Borobudur. A Buddhist monument made up of 55,000 sq m of lava-rock! Gunung Merapi, an active volcano, adds drama to the destination. A new side to the Malaysia experience is the Cameron Highlands, a hill station peppered with tea gardens, flower fields and fruit orchards. Art Deco walls, street cafes and hill trails lend themselves beautifully to a day of walking around. In other parts of the world, take a stunning Rail Europe trip through three countries of Scandinavia and check out an unusual destination spa in Switzerland, Bad Ragaz, known for the healing powers of its thermal waters. Actor Sonam Kapoor, seen charming the elephants of Thailand on this issue's cover. Take inspiration from her travels and get going.