We suggest some intriguing natural sights, such as the perfectly conical Chocolate Hills, Indian pilgrimage mountains topped by temples, whole forests of identikit crooked trees, and volcanoes inside volcanoes.

Perhaps festivals are more to your taste. Would you prefer the anarchic creativity of Burning Man, a Japanese cry-baby competition, or a massive food fight? We'll also tell you which major city still lets shepherds drive their flocks through the streets every autumn.

If you've ever wondered where you can see the most human skulls in one place, we have a whole section on macabre sights that will answer that question and many more. A slightly different take on the impermanence of human life comes with industrial tourism, from abandoned whaling stations to massive salt mines.