Most of the country is formed by the alluvial plain of the Ganges-Brahmaputra river system - the largest delta in the world; water flow is second only to that of the Amazon. To the east of the delta lie the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Flooding is normal and life has adapted to take account of this. Occasionally, excessive flooding, as in 1988, 1998 and 2004, causes widespread destruction and loss of life.

The landscape in Bangladesh is mainly flat with many bamboo-, mango- and palm-covered plains created by the effects of the great river systems of the Ganges and the Brahmaputra. The Sundarbans in southwest Bangladesh is one of the largest Mangrove forests in the world and the area supports a variety of wildlife, including the Royal Bengal Tiger, the national animal. Today, Bangladesh is one of the world's most densely populated countries and poverty is deep and widespread, although the population growth has reduced and the health and education systems have improved.

However, there have been political tensions in recent years and the country has been criticised for its human rights record. As a result, travellers are advised against all but essential travel to the Chittagong Hill Tracts (this does not include the city of Chittagong) because of the risk of being caught up in clashes between rival tribal groups, settlers and the military.

Its intoxicatingly rich history can be traced back to at least 2500 BC when the first known civilisation settled along the Indus River.

There was an influx of Moghuls in the 1520s from Central Asia, who maintained effective control of the north until the mid 18th century. At the end of that century, as the Moghul Empire declined, the British took control of the whole subcontinent, and the whole of India was administered by a single alien power.

The Indian National Congress was formed in 1885, but made little progress on independence until Mahatma Gandhi began the policy of non-cooperation with the British. But the congress itself was split on the issue of Hindus and Muslims. The Muslims, under Muhammad Ali Jinnah, claimed a separate homeland and in August 1947 the independent states of India and Pakistan came into being. Since this time, India has been a democratic republic.

Such a rich history has spawned palaces, temples and monuments. The most frequently visited part of India is the Golden Triangle. The unfairly maligned great cities of Mumbai and Kolkata have a bustling, colourful charm, while the holy city of Varanasi or the awe-inspiring temples of Tamil Nadu are worthy objects of pilgrimage. For those who prefer more sybaritic pleasures, tackle the palm-fringed beaches of Goa. And for solitude, India ripples with mountains and hills, from the towering beauty of the Himalayas to pine forests, lakes and babbling streams.

One of the fascinations of India is the juxtaposition of old and new; centuries of history rubbing shoulders with the computer age; and Bengaluru's (Bangalore's) ‘Silicon Valley' is as much a part of the world's largest democracy as its remotest village.

Pakistan encapsulates such variety that it is regretful that it is not top of every traveller's must-see list. Pakistan is enriched by friendly people and magnificent landscapes. Opportunity for adventure is as high as its mighty mountain ranges, with watersports, mountaineering and trekking all popular and rewarding activities. Coupled with this is a profound sense of cultural concoction, Pakistan once being home to several ancient civilisations, and witness to the rise and fall of dynasties.

In ancient times, the area that now comprises Pakistan marked the farthest reaches of the conquests of Alexander the Great. It was also the home of Buddhist Ghandaran culture. It was the independence of India in 1947 that catalysed Pakistan's nationhood. Under pressure from Indian Muslims, the British created a separate Muslim state.

Originally, it consisted of two parts, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and West Pakistan (now a single unitary state). Mohammed Ali Jinnah, who led the independence struggle, became the new country's first president.

Democracy failed to take root and Pakistan suffered military rule and civil war, eventually securing an independent Bangladesh and truncating Pakistan. Democratic civilian government followed this defeat and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto became president. In 1977, the military took power in a coup under General Mohammed Zia ul-Haq. A democratic constitution and civilian government were re-instituted following his death in 1988.

A decade of revolving-door civilian politics ensued between Ali Bhutto's daughter, Benazir, and Mohammed Nawaz Sharif, leader of the Islamic Democratic Alliance, essentially a military creation. Sharif and Bhutto contested four violent elections during the next 10 years, winning two each. Both Bhutto governments and Sharif's first were dismissed by presidential decree because of incompetence, nepotism and corruption. The military interceded with Sharif's second because of Pakistan's controversial nuclear weapons programme, designed to ensure parity with India.

At the heart of the long-running Indo-Pakistan conflict is the status of Kashmir which, although it has a majority Muslim population, became part of India in 1947. The two sides have nearly come to war on several occasions. However, in early 2004, a 'road map' was agreed and tentative commitment to peace established.

Equally troubling is the issue of Pakistan's position in regards to international terrorism. General Musharraf helped the USA against Afghanistan after the '9/11' 2001 attacks, making him extremely unpopular among parts of Pakistani society. Historically, Pakistan had been intimately involved with the creation of the Taleban and the Pathans of Pakistan, well-represented in the military, are closely linked to the Pashtun, Afghanstan's largest ethnic group, who made up most of the Taleban. The US-Pakistani relationship is also controversial since General Musharraf is himself marred by corruption, recently 'awarding' himself further years as president.

Pakistan's topography is therefore as fractured and unsettled as its history. Yet its swerving shifts of mountainous land possess great beauty. Visit Pakistan for yourself and begin untangling this complex enigma.

The Indian government became involved in this conflict, initially as official mediator but then, after the failure of an armistice in 1987, intervening militarily (on the government's side). Its two-year military campaign ended with the death of over 1000 Indian soldiers and an ignominious retreat. The assassination of Indian premier Rajiv Ghandi in 1991 was the apotheosis of the Tigers' campaign of revenge. After that, the war entered a period of effective stalemate. Outside the Tiger-controlled areas in the north and east, the political environment was dominated by the struggle between the country's two main political groupings – the centre-right United National Party and the People's Alliance (a coalition of social-democratic and socialist parties).

In 1995, the UNP's 17-year stranglehold on power was finally broken by the People's Alliance, under Chandrikha Kumaratunga. Kumaratunga was determined to resolve the Tamil conflict and a deal between the government and the Tamil Tigers was finally concluded in early 2002. Rising levels of violence have recently put the ceasefire agreement under threat however.

Yet there is also much to champion Sri Lanka as a pearl: Indians, Portuguese, Dutch and British have all left their marks in ancient architecture and palm-fringed beaches are never far away from mountainous greenery in this jewel of an island. Indeed, Marco Polo proclaimed that Sri Lanka was one of the best islands in the world.