Giant termite mounds, edible juicy ants and erotic cave paintings are the treasures Dan Cruickshank unearths in the outback. In Dan's view, even the brilliance of Sydney Harbour can't rival the artefacts of ancient Australia.

Dan then moves on to Indonesia and meets the Torajan people of Sulawesi for whom, with their elaborate funerals and continued contact with loved ones after they have died, the line between life and death is very different to that in the west.

Dan's excitement is palpable as he visits the highlight of his trip so far - the temples of Angkor Wat and the 12th-century city of Angkor Thom in Cambodia. A golden elephant is Dan's final prize in Thailand - another wonder of the ancient world.

Dan's visit to Indonesia and Thailand was made before the devastation wrought by the Indian Ocean tsunami and earthquake in 2004. Show less