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How Much from NY: 10 hours; SwissAir $500, From SF: 20 hours; Delta, Air France $879 Main Adventure Activities: Cultural exploration, wind- surfing, desert trekking, surfing, biking Walking Jerusalem's central market or touring the West Bank, Israel has seduced religious and secular travelers for centuries with its history and vitality of spirit. Spend a week working on a kibbutz in Galilee, or camp in the bucolic Hula Valley. Escalation of regional conflicts and rising global tensions since 9/11 have kept many travel plans to this region on indefinite hold. The Israeli/Palestinian conflict is characterized by military action in the West Bank and Gaza. Violence has extended through other areas of I srael as well, where in the past 12 months there have been suicide bombings by Palestinian militants. The US Department of State advises U.S. citizens to defer trave~ to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. pakistan eeee TRAVELER FACTS Population Density: 466 people per sq. mile Population: 144,600,000 Area: 310,300 sq. miles Languages Spoken: Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun, Baloch, Muhajir, English People: Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun How Far from NY: 6,880 miles From SF: 7,410 miles How Much from NY: 21 hours; Kuwait Air $1,994, United $2,253 From SF: 28 hours; British $1,720, Pakistan Airlines $1,780 Main Adventure Activities: Trekking, mountaineering, cultural exploration Images of Pakistan seen on the nightly news probably don't include the famed Karakoram Highway or the rock- strewn mountains of Gilgit. There, you might see the morning fog rise from the Ultar glacier, an overloaded bus winding through the lush Kaghan Valley or the transparent alpine lakes at the Babusar Pass. A short lesson in Pakistani history reveals the dizzying complexity of the place, and with it a certain precariousness. Traveling in Pakistan has never been easy nor risk-free. At the moment, the risk quotient is directly proportional to one's proximity to the Afghan border. Traveling through Pakistan ignorant of local customs and beliefs is an inherently dangerous proposition. Although Pakistanis are tolerant and famously hospitable, this is a sensitive time for a westerner, particu- larly an American, to be in Pakistan. Should you decide to go, know that consulates in Peshawar, Lahore, and Karachi and the US Embassy in Islamabad are available for emergency services to American citizens on a limited basis, but may close or suspend service as necessary. philippines eee TRAVELER FACTS Population Density: 672 people per sq. mile Population: 78,400,000 Area: 116,610 sq. miles Language Spoken: Tagalog, English, numerous indige- nous languages, Spanish People: Malays, Chinese and Muslim minorities and a number of mestizos How Far from NY: 8,500 miles From SF: 6,970 miles How Much from NY: 21 hours, China Airlines $722, Continental $868; From SF: 17 hours; China Airlines $722, Continental $868 Main Adventure Activities: Scuba diving, mountaineer- ing, kayaking, rainforest exploration thailand ee TRAVELER FACTS Population Density: 193 people per sq. mile Population: 62,000,000 Area: 320,540 sq. miles Languages Spoken: Thai and English People: Thai 75%, Chinese 11%, Malay 3-5%, also Mon, Khmer, Phuan and Karen minorities How Far from NY: 8,640 miles From SF: 7,910 miles How Much from NY: 20 hours; Aeroflot $717, Thai $1,089 From SF: 20 hours; Asiana $599, Thai $779 Main Adventure Activities: Scuba diving, trekking, surfing Drop your pack at the hut, climb the bamboo ladder, and have dinner with a Burmese family resettled in Thailand. After a morning scuba diving, laze in a hammock on Ko Samui. Climb the crags of Krabi. The breadth of travel opportunity in Thailand could happily consume six months of your life. And although the country embraces a western business mentality, Thai culture remains notably intact. The Thai army skirmishes with its neighbor It has 7,000 tropical islands, and if you ask people for directions, they're liable to walk you to your destination. A spate of kidnappings in the south and west has given the Philippines a lifetime of bad press. If you stay out of western isles-Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago, in par- ticular-you're likely to avoid the wrath of Philippine Islamic militants. But that doesn't mean you'll be traveling risk-free. Petty crime is common and the country has teetered on the brink of entropy since President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared Manila to be in a "state of rebellion." Myanmar (formerly Burma) regularly. Avoid the border area, and don't venture north of Mae Hong Song without a guide. Do mind where you step; land mines and unexploded ordnance have caused hundreds of civilian casualties in the golden triangle area. Though few know what to make of it, six illegal aliens from Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan were arrested in early October with a box cutter and suspicious electrical devices. As a traveler, you're at more risk of having your wallet lifted or a passport stolen than being victim of a terrorist attack. If you ·end up in Bangkok with time to spare, you can always visit westerners imprisoned on drug charges. Look for posters at the internet cafes along Khau San Road. For more information, unrelated to the Thai penal system, www.tourismthailand.org. • 61