Often voted the world’s most luxurious hotel, the Burj Al Arab rises 321 metres above the Arabian Gulf, its sail-shaped silhouette perched on a private island just offshore. Beyond its grand design, it’s famous for its helipad—scene of jaw-dropping stunts from tennis matches to F1 doughnuts. For the first time, the hotel has opened up with a butler-guided, immersive tour, giving visitors a rare peek inside its gilded interiors and behind-the-scenes tales of its extravagant history.

Venetian rule in Santorini extended from 1207 to 1580, and the last vestiges of this historical period live in the castles that dot the entire island. Five fortresses can be found in Santorini in Oia, Pyrgos, Emporio, Akrotiri, and Skaros, which have been partly demolished by the earthquakes that shook the island in the 15th and 16th centuries. Skaros is probably the most important and well-preserved among the five castles, built on the peak of the namesake rock to protect the village from pirate attacks. The ruins of the once magnificent fortress can be reached on foot from Agios Georgios church in Imerovigli, connected to Skaros by a 0,5 km walking trail and a long stairway.

Located at the Capitol University, the Museum of Three Cultures holds a fascinating cultural archive of Northern Mindanao region and Butuan. It contains a vast array of artefacts of the Manobo and Higaonon cultural traditions, which includes art objects, ceramics, photographs and even furnishing of old sultans' homes.