Get Lost - Longleat Hedge Maze

You know what they say if you're ever lost in a hedge maze: Just place one hand on a wall, and start walking. You'll eventually get out that way. That's something to keep in mind if you ever find yourself stuck in the Longleat Hedge Maze, otherwise known as the longest hedge maze in the world. It consists of more than 16,000 English yews and 1.75 miles of twists and turns. 

I've always wanted to get lost in an English hedge maze. Until it was time for afternoon tea, at which point I'd want someone to helicopter me out. 

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.

Montaña Mágica Lodge

So you say your last hotel wasn't decorated with enough whimsy for you. Well, next time you're in the Los Rios region of Chile, look into booking a room at the Montaña Mágica Lodge, where you must cross a rickety wooden rope bridge to get to your guestroom situated in a natural stone spire, covered with jungle foliage.

And while the exterior may seem a little rustic, the hotel provides many luxurious amenities, including a hot tub made from a carved out tree trunk and a mini-golf course that utilizes real obstacles such as the forest itself to get in the way of your colorful little ball. I know. Where's the Hobbit bellhop? This place needs to hire a Hobbit bellhop.

Welcome to Ireland - The Dark Hedges

If I came upon this road flanked by crazily entwined beech trees that look almost sentient, my instinct would be to turn around and run as fast as I could in the other direction. But the intention of the Stuart Family, who planted the trees in the 18th century along Bregagh Road in Northern Ireland, was to create a welcoming pathway leading up to their mansion. To each his own, I guess?

Actually, we can all agree that this scene is beautiful. Creepy, but beautiful. And the name of this place, The Dark Hedges, doesn't really help. Maybe if they called this place The Friendly Trees That Definitely Won't Come Alive, I'd go visit.

No Sunblock Required - Turda Salt Mine

Photo credit: John Seymour

It's time you planned your next vacation ... to Transylvania. Wait, you say, what's there to do there besides visit old castles that may or may not be populated by vampires? Well, how about kayaking in an underground salt mine? Or bowling in an underground salt mine? Or getting a facial in an underground salt mine?

Romania's Turda Salt Mine has been around since the year 16 A.D. It wasn't until a couple of decades ago, however, that the site was transformed into an amusement park and spa specializing in salt therapy. So go and get your fill of salt, fun and good old-fashioned time spent underground, away from that annoying sun. Hmm ... sounds like the perfect place for vacationing vampires.

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"?

Cutest Tower Ever! - Fairview Goat Tower

Goats like to climb things, and the owners of Fairview Wine and Cheese Farm in South Paarl, New Zealand, wanted to make the goats they kept happy, so the solution was simple: build a goat tower. Sounds crazy, but it works. The more than 1,000 goats of Fairview blissfully trot up and down the spiral staircase every day, then produce milk that makes award-winning Camembert.

So the moral of the story is: If you build a goat tower, they will climb it. And make you delicious artisanal cheeses.

Volcano BBQ - El Diablo Restaurant

There's nothing like grilling a piece of meat over a volcano. What? You've never had the pleasure? Then you'd better get down to El Diablo restaurant on the island of Lanzarote in Spain, where chefs barbecue food over a dormant volcano with lava bubbling benignly under the surface of the earth at 750 degrees F. Now that'll give you a good sear.

What about safety, you ask? Well, the last eruption this volcano experienced was in 1824. So of course that means you're perfectly safe. Until you're not.

Baby, It's Cold Inside - Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel

Alta, Norway, can be a cold and beautiful place. And if after a day spent sightseeing in the frigid temps isn't enough for you, you can now spend the evening sleeping in frigid temps as well, in your very own igloo hotel room.

Sorrisniva, the adventure company that runs the hotel, promises that the temperature in the igloo will stay a constant -7 to -4 degrees and recommends that you wear woolen underwear to bed if you want to stay warm. I recommend that you check into the nearest Ramada instead.

Zip-lining Over Beautiful ... Las Vegas? - Slotzilla

Zip-lining over a gorgeous Costa Rican rainforest that has rainbows at every turn? Yawn. So two decades ago. Today's generation of zip-liners is looking for a different experience -- and it can certainly be found at the Slotzilla Zip Line in Las Vegas.

Shaped like a giant slot machine and starting at 77 feet in the air, Slotzilla flies you across the Fremont Street Experience at 40 miles an hour, over hundreds of people, and deposits you at the Golden Gate Casino. Now you can satisfy your need for thrills and people-watching all at once. But just remember that what happens on a Vegas zip-line probably won't stay in Vegas, since dozens of people will probably be taking your photo from below.