Built by William Randolph Hearst in a cliff overlooking San Simeon in 1919, Hearst Castle now offers tours exploring its grand rooms, upstairs suites, cottages and kitchens. The Neptune pool has been fixed in 2018, and provides a fitting setting for its surrounding sculptures. If you want to know more about the history of the building, a theater with explanatory screenings is also available.

No holiday in Abu Dhabi would be complete without a visit to this fascinating centre. Local female Bedouin artists and artisans, usually wearing a traditional dress, demonstrate age-old crafts, including henna body painting, embroidery and silver thread work in a series of small huts. You should remove your shoes before entering the huts, as is the local custom.

The Central Coast Aquarium has been providing a close look at marine life for visitors of all ages since 1994. With desires of cultivating ocean stewardship in the community, Central Coast provides opportunities for hands-on science and oceanic exhibits and programs. They invite everyone to 'dive in and connect below the surface.'

Even if ancient ruins aren't your cup of tea, a trip to an archaeological site is worth the detour. The journey will take you through the quaint countryside, threading through small towns and villages that might otherwise escape your notice. Just a few kilometres from the holiday resort of Altinkum, in Yenihisar, you'll find Didyma — home to a grand temple dedicated to Apollo. Didyma was more than a religious site; its oracle rivalled the fame of Delphi's. While the original temple was destroyed by the Persians around 400 BC, the existing ruins hail from the Roman times. The remnants of 120 columns stand as testament to the temple's once monumental size.