Yu Garden embodies the quintessence of classical ancient Chinese gardens south of the Yangtze River – a creation of maximum out of minimum. While it takes a familiar person only five minutes to walk from the entrance to the exit, most first-time visitors find themselves lost in this little paradise with fish ponds, rockeries, plants, bridges, and buildings of various types arranged along zigzagging paths. The ingenious use of Chinese gardening art in combination with the garden’s 400-plus years of history makes Yu Garden one of the most popular tourist attractions in Shanghai.

Found inside the Siam Paragon Mall, Sea Life is Bangkok’s modern, sleek aquarium complex, the largest aquatic centre in Southeast Asia. Kids and adults alike will enjoy Ocean World’s 30,000 aquatic creatures from 400 different species. Marvel at this remarkable underwater world and dive with the sharks if you dare.

Step into the shoes of the leading Baroque artist of his era. Rubens and his family lived in this palatial setting for well over 25 years and it is here that the artist created the lion’s share of his work. Here he entertained Europe’s nobility and Royalty and stored his impressive art collection in a beautiful art room. The charming garden, the creators’ workshop and the fabulous collection draws hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world.

In the late 1800s, a passionate collector Fritz Mayer van den Bergh amassed an amazing art collection. He purchased paintings by Peter Brueghel for a pittance, and managed to beat major museums purchasing stunning medieval sculptures. Mayer van den Bergh had an eye for the best quality in almost every genre. After his death, his mother finally managed to make her son’s dream come true: she built a museum, which showcased his collection. Today, the museum stands largely uncharged: it is still a museum of one man... and his mother. Highly recommended in the Great smaller museums of Europe.