Beyond India and Nepal's crowded cities lie precious remnants of wild Asia where tigers, rhino and bear still roam. In episode eight, Art Wolfe travels by elephant deep into Kipling country in search of the last of the planet's Bengal tigers. Here, through the lens of his camera, he captures images of mahouts- handlers bound to the elephants they've cared for from childhood – as they bathe and tend to their animals. In Nepal, Art encounters exotic wildlife including rare Asian rhinos, elusive sloth bears and primeval gharials.

Both an ocean oasis and isolated desert, the northern part of the narrow Baja peninsula is home to a surprising variety of plant and animal life. In episode nine, after a voyage on the Sea of Cortez in search of migrating gray whales, Art Wolfe ventures inland through the unforgiving Catavina desert and discovers a photographer's playground of light and magical landscapes.

Known as the Land of the Thunder Dragon, Bhutan has survived in isolation for more than a thousand years. As this enlightened Buddhist kingdom greets the 21st century, its greatest challenge is to preserve its soul. In episode ten, Art Wolfe finds a photographer's nirvana of mountainside monasteries, sacred festivals and chanting monks in an environmentally and spiritually progressive nation.