By SHIRLEY BRADY

hether it's dipping a toe in the Ganges or experiencing a vigorous traditional Thai massage, the quest for spiritual enlightenment is a prime motivation for travel. In Asia, a wealth of sites offer unique and revelatory experiences for both the cautiously curious and the devoted faithful. "Spiritual travel is one of the fastest growing segments of the travel and tourism industry," says Imtiaz Muqbil, the World Travel and Tourism Council's South and Southeast Asia representative. "Inhabitants of congested cities are seeking spiritual solace, and to come to terms with themselves in an increasingly uncertain world."

In that quest, few places can compete with Asia and its banquet of shrines, traditions and treatments--a philoso-phical feast for people feeling spiritually starved. Since the Beatles' flirtation with meditation in the 1960s, ashrams in India have been frequented by celebrity ascetics like Demi Moore, Richard Gere and Hong Kong fashion retailer Joyce Ma. While millionaire Buddhists practice their asanas and chant in private sessions with their gurus, lesser-known travelers also find such experiences a meaningful way to engage more closely with local cultures--and themselves.

Ron Makowichuk, a cancer researcher in Vancouver, took six months off in 1996 to embark on a tour of Asia. Feeling somewhat "templed out" after a few months on the road, he entered a meditation retreat at Wat Khao Tham in Kho Pha Ngan, Thailand. He found the 10 days without talking, reading or writing to be more arduous than his time trekking in Nepal. "I didn't think I'd make it at first," he says. "But now I think it was the best part of my trip."

Visitors who lack the time or inclination to delve deeply into local spiritual values can still partake of more moderate activities, like the body-bending traditional massages offered at Bangkok's Wat Pho for a mere $7 a session. For a less joint-jarring experience, check out Thai health spas like the Chiva Som resort in Hua Hin or the Regent Resort Chiang Mai, which metes out some 800 aromatic herbal massages each month. Ayurveda, a form of natural medicine based on herbal cures and massage, has similarly been a tonic for tourism in Sri Lanka and, especially, southern India, where visitors to Kerala have increased by an annual average of 10% in recent years, thanks largely to health packages aimed at Japanese and German tourists.

But spiritual seekers should realize that there is more to yoga or meditation than getting to a higher plane and then dashing for the next plane home. "Some people think spirituality can be bought," says Makowichuk, "but it's a long, arduous process." As a reminder of his Asian experiences, he still attends the occasional weekend meditation class in Vancouver. Muqbil, meanwhile, believes that the region's financial downturn ought to make travelers more open to spiritually enlightening travel: "The economic crisis is making people realize that their pursuit of materialism has come at the expense of spiritualism." While you may not "find yourself" while traveling, you may improve your ability to look within by looking at life in another part of the world.

HOT DEALS

Visa cardholders are being offered a wallet-pleasing range of deals in Asia, as the world's biggest credit card company does its bit to boost tourism in the region. In Hong Kong, members can save 50% on return airfares between June 1 and Sept. 30 on Ansett Australia flights Down Under. Japan cardholders, meanwhile, can arrange a five-day tour in Sydney, including flights and lodging at the Inter-Continental hotel, for only $700 from now until Jan. 31. Singapore members can book flights and two nights' stay at the world's tallest hotel, Bangkok's Baaiyoke, for only $138. Visiting China? All cardholders can save up to 60% at participating hotels in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Other specials include hotel/flight packages via Thai Airways on some of its most popular routes.

WEB CR@WLING

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SHORT CUTS

OLD WORLD THRILLS Culture vultures visiting Europe this summer are in for a treat. More than 15 million people are expected to trek to Lisbon for Expo '98, from May 22 to Sept. 30. Since this is the United Nations' Year of the Ocean, the theme for this year's world's fair is aquatic. To help celebrate, Lisbon built Europe's largest aquarium and constructed the stunning, 16-km Vasco da Gama bridge. Over in Sweden, Stockholm will celebrate its status as Europe's 1998 cultural capital with more than 1,000 events, including the pageantry of a fleet of Scandinavian tall ships that will pull into port July 16-20. Be sure to visit Stockholm's Museum of Modern Art, which recently opened on Skeppsholmen island. Meanwhile, the world's biggest annual arts festival is ready to roar at Edinburgh, Scotland from Aug. 16 to Sept. 5. Plays by Eugene O'Neill and recitals of Bach and Verdi will run alongside film and book festivals. Check out the Royal Military Tattoo bagpipers at Edinburgh Castle and the Fringe Festival, a raucous showcase of up-and-coming performers from around the world.

DETOURS

A sleepy fishing port only 15 years ago, the bustling town of Tamsui is named for the river that flows through it into the East China Sea. Tamsui is a half-hour train journey from Taipei and is renowned for delicacies like fishball soup, steamed pork dumplings and "iron" eggs boiled in soy sauce. One of Taiwan's earliest settlements, Tamsui's hill-top fort, was built by the Spanish in the 1620s and is now open to the public as a museum. Head up Chungshan Road for a few rounds at Taiwan's oldest golf course, or relax over dinner at the Yung Yuan waterfront restaurant, where Taiwan-style seafood is served with a modern glass of ice-cold draft beer.