Green Mountains Are Boring - Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park

Mountains may be beautiful, but don't you find them a little monochromatic sometimes? All that green can get a little boring, amirite? If you're in the market for a more colorful mountain, journey to the Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park in Gansu, China, where the mountain ranges are decidedly more technicolor, having been formed by various layers of sandstone and minerals over 24 million years. Go, just go.

World's Most Relaxed Monkeys - Jigokudani Monkey Park

What's better than bathing in a Japanese hot spring? How about watching monkeys bathe in a Japanese hot spring! At Jigokudani Monkey Park in Yamanouchi, wild Japanese macaques hang out in the naturally heated water all winter long, working out those knots as visitors observe them relaxing.

Catch Your Own Dinner - Zauo Fishing Restaurant

Everyone wants their seafood to be fresh. So Zauo Fishing Restaurant in Tokyo, Japan, decided to give the customers what they want: a fishing pole with which to fish out their own dinner. Patrons can fish from their seats aboard a fishing vessel, or if you find that you're simply not an effective fisherman, you can go to a tank full of already "caught" fish and simply point at what you want.

Sounds delicious, if a bit unfair for the fish.

M'm, m'm good ... for you! - Imperial Restaurant

Most people dine out to eat meals that are particularly tasty - and particularly bad for you. But a restaurant in Singapore called Imperial Restaurant has taken a decidedly different path. Everything on its menu is low-sugar, low-salt, low-seasoning -- low-taste, presumably. But hey, it's good for you!

In addition, an in-house physician that specializes in traditional Chinese medicine examines each patron and recommends herbal remedies to them. Some of these remedies include items like scorpion or animals organs, while others consist of herbs, plants and ... well, I'm not sure what, exactly, like the "ladies' tonic" pictured above. Doesn't that look "Mm, mm good"?

One Way to Get Over Your Fear of Heights - Brave Men's Bridge

China! It's not enough that you decide to build a 900-foot suspension bridge over between two gorgeous cliffs in the Hunan Province's Shiniuzhai National Geopark, you gotta make it out of glass, too? It's like you're forcing me to go and check out this crazy piece of construction, aptly dubbed Brave Men's Bridge.

Featuring a 600-foot drop, the glass bridge was completed at the end of last year, is the first of its kind, and has already attracted visitors from all over the world, even those who can't bring themselves to walk across the entire thing and resort to crawling instead. Hey, you do what you gotta do.

Playing Dress Up - Princess Diary Café

Americans are so boring. We go into a coffee shop ... and we drink coffee. In Korea, you can go into a coffee shop ... and dress up like a bride! Yes, in addition to sipping lattes at the Princess Diary Café in Seoul, patrons can pay a fee to select a wedding gown, put it on, accessorize to their heart's content, then participate in a photo shoot!

Starbucks, you need to get on this. I've never actually fantasized about doing a bridal dress-up session after having my mocha frappuccino, but now I totally will.

Home, Stimulating Home - Reversible Destiny Lofts

Home is a place where you should be able to relax and feel comfortable. Unless you live in one of the Reversible Destiny Lofts in Mitaka, Japan, where the architecture is designed to constantly challenge your brain and keep you on your toes. The concrete floors feature random bumps. Random ladders, poles and balconies are situated everywhere. Nothing is shaped as it should be, including the rooms themselves. 

The goal of the architects was to design a living space that will keep its inhabitants’ bodies and minds stimulated so that they can live longer. Sort of like an architectural version of Sudoku. I get what the designers were going for, I really do … but I dunno. I think I’d rather be able to shuffle to the bathroom in the middle of the night without tripping over an artfully placed mogul. 

Treetop Dining - Soneva Kiri Resort

Never dined in a treepod before? Well, then you’ve never lived, my friend. At the Soneva Kiri Resort in Koh Kood, Thailand, visitors can opt to take their meal in a wooden pod that’s hoisted into a leafy rainforest canopy and served by a waiter via zipline. Even glasses of wine can be delivered to you by this wonderful, flying man.  

I am currently saving every penny to be able to blow it all on this experience. After all, it’s not every day that you get to eat like a very rich monkey!

Atlantis is in China - Shicheng Underwater City

I bring news. Atlantis is real, my friends! And it's located in a lake in China. Also, it's not actually Atlantis, but an ancient Chinese city called Shicheng that was purposely flooded with water in the late 1950s to make way for a dam.

The water-preserved city was largely forgotten about until 2001, which was when the Chinese government decided to dive down and explore this historical and architectural goldmine. What they found were beautiful stone buildings, forgotten city streets, an imposing wall that encircled the city, and Chinese mermaids. Well, just kidding on that last one. But wouldn't that be the coolest?

Crimson is the New Green - Hitachi Seaside Park

Who says that botanical gardens need to be green? At Hitachi Seaside Park, in the Ibaraki prefecture of Japan, the dominant colors of the flowers and shrubs might be yellow, purple, blue, pink or crimson, depending on the season. The explosive colors are almost otherworldly, making ordinary old green gardens look passé.

I am, of course, jumping on the next available plane to Japan to see this natural wonder for myself and to frolic in all the color. Because I'm sure the urge to frolic (and to cavort and to gambol) will be very strong here.

Oh, Deer - Nara Park

Credit: Amusing Planet

Think deer are skittish animals that run at the first sight of humans? Think again. At Nara Park in Japan, the deer do run -- but it's right toward you. Especially if you're holding one of the deer cookies that are sold around the park. Because it turns out that cookies are more delicious than grass.

There are about 1,200 free-roaming deer in the park, and they're believed by the Shinto to be messengers of the gods. Messengers or not, these deer want their snacks. Deer eating cookies -- doesn't get more adorable than that.

Cutest Church Ever - St. Andrew's

Credit: Slavorum.org

I used to think that when it comes to churches, bigger equals better. After all, the most beautiful churches in the world are all vast and awe-inspiring. As it turns out, however, even small churches can be impressive. For example, St. Andrew's in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, sits on an island less than a hundred square meters in size, surrounded by gorgeous landscape, and is basically the most adorable house of worship I've ever seen.

To visit St. Andrew's, you must get the permission of the abbot and then take a small boat across the Vuoksa river. Even God must be thinking, "How cute is that?"

Ninety-Nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall - Wat Lan Kuad

Credit: Mark Fischer / Flickr

Just when you think you're doing good with your neatly labeled recycling bins, along comes some Buddhist monks to blow you out of the water. More than 30 years ago, the monks of Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew, in the Khun Han district of Thailand, decided to turn all of the discarded beer bottles that were littering the outside of their complex into a gorgeous temple now known as Wat Lan Kuad, or Temple of a Million Bottles. It actually took more than a million bottles to complete, and some walls feature intricate mosaics made from the bottle caps.

Then, drunk on the sight of their amazing feat (if not the beer fumes), the monks took it to the next level and started constructing more buildings in the complex out of bottles, including the bathrooms and crematorium. I know. I can't think of a better way to leave this world either. So let this be a lesson to you: Never compete with a monk, even when it comes to alcohol.

Seeing Red - Red Seabeach

Beaches are meant to be tranquil, but the Red Beach of Panjin City, China, just makes me feel, I dunno ... angry. It's gotta be because this place isn't a beach at all - it's actually a marshland filled with seaweed. That's false advertising! Still, there's a certain beauty to this place that I can't deny. It may not be the most soothing landscape in the world, but it's definitely one of the most mesmerizing.

Take note, though: Go in the fall if you want to witness this colorful phenomenon; the seaweed only turns this vibrant red hue in the autumn months of September through November. The rest of the year, it's a boring old seaweed green. And if you spend a lot of money making your way to Panjin during the wrong season, you'll really have something to be mad about.

People Who Live in Glass Houses - House NA

Photo Credit: Iwan Bean

Most people love sun-drenched houses, but I kinda, sorta feel that Sou Fujimoto Architects, who built this house in Tokyo, Japan, went a little too far. Named House NA, the three-storied home features staggered levels, a white steel-frame structure and hardly any walls. The ones that do exist are made of glass.

Don’t get me wrong – I like the idea of natural light as much as the next person, but c’mon. There are just too many drawbacks to a glass house. What if you want to scratch your butt? Or take a nap in the middle of the afternoon without people on the street below judging you? Or organize a stone-throwing contest among your friends? These are all things I’d never do, by the way. But if I wanted to do them, I think I’d like a little privacy.    

A Fort Worth Holding Down - Chittorgarh

Credit: Travlang.com

During my travels I’ve been to many a fort, and have found most of them to be stark, formidable and dusty. Chittorgarh Fort in India, however, is changing my whole outlook on these typically austere structures. As forts go, this one is pretty classy and even features a stunning moat. Sign me up for a fortnight! (Snicker.)

There’s some pretty impressive history here as well. Built by Maurya rulers in the 600s AD, the fort spans 700 acres and was the site of three major battles. It was occupied by the Rajputs, who protected Chittorgarh fiercely and never surrendered it to enemy invaders. I don’t blame them. If I were living in such a beautiful place, I’d fight to the death before giving it up, too. Or so I’d like to think. 

You Should Be in Pictures - Trickeye Museum

If you've ever viewed the works of art at a museum and thought to yourself, "They're nice and all, but these paintings would be better if I were in them," then (a) you're crazy narcissistic, and (b) I know exactly where you need to go. The Trickeye Museum in Seoul, Korea, is full of trompe l'oeil artwork that you can insert yourself into. Clean up Van Gogh's "Bedroom." Pull down the pants on the guy in Munch's "The Scream." Give the Mona Lisa a sip of water through those pursed lips.

It's ridiculous, cheesy fun, and it might even inspire you to view artwork differently. Okay, it won't, but you'll at least get a laugh out of this place, and a few good selfies. I know. I'm signing up for an annual membership, too.

Chinese Food Just Got Cuter - Hello Kitty Chinese Cuisine

Credit: Hello Kitty Chinese Cuisine / Facebook

If you've ever wondered what Hello Kitty tastes like, you can find out at the world's first Hello Kitty dim sum restaurant in Hong Kong. The undoubtedly adorable eatery offers almost 40 dishes based on the famous cat, including shrimp buns that resemble her face and noodles fashioned into the shape of her bow. If that's not fine dining, I don't know what is.

I love how Hello Kitty is slowly but surely taking over the world. First it was just clothes and dolls, then it graduated to appliances and housewares, and now it's restaurants and even hotels. I predict that she'll be the first cat president by 2024. You heard it here first.

Need for Speed? - Formula Rossa Roller Coaster

Credit: Jazon88

Roller coasters are meant to be fast, but the Formula Rossa roller coaster in Abu Dhabi has the distinction of being the fastest in the world. Inspired by the Formula One experience, it reaches 150 mph in less than five seconds and requires its riders to wear safety goggles. I know. SAFETY GOGGLES. Because not even thrill-seekers want to lose an eyeball to extreme velocity. (Wusses.)

I don't know about you, but I'm packing my flame-retardant track suit and booking a trip to Abu Dhabi right now. Seeing as how NASCAR has recently rejected my application for the fourth time, this will have to do.

Hello Kitties! - Aoshima Cat Island

Credit: NBC News

If you're a cat lover looking for a quiet island getaway for your next vacation, have I got the place for you. Aoshima, an island located in Japan's Ehime prefecture, is home to more than 120 feral cats that outnumber the fishing village residents six to one. A few cats were originally introduced decades ago to keep down the mouse population on the fishing boats, and things have since gotten adorably out of control.

Outsiders are allowed to visit, but the island isn't really geared for tourism. There are no restaurants, hotels, Uber cars or much of anything really, besides the undoubtedly rueful residents and the cats who run the place. On the plus side, there are definitely no mice here. Or cheezburgers, for that matter.