The ultimate island retreat with vineyards, olive groves and beautiful beaches, Waiheke Island is only a 35-minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland. Known as the island of wine, where some of New Zealand’s best red wines come from. Thanks to the easy accessibility, Waiheke is an ideal day trip.

The Yangmingshan National Park provides the backdrop while you hike away the strain of a hard day’s city sightseeing. The park is located just to the north of Taipei and is Taipei's closest national park. This is a very beautiful site and a must see.

The Duke’s Diwan is a time capsule of early 20th-century Amman, hidden in plain sight on the busy King Faisal Street. Built in 1924 as the city’s first post office, this Ottoman-era stone house later became the Haifa Hotel before heritage activist Mamdouh Bisharat ("The Duke of Mukheibeh") rescued it from demolition in 2001. Today, its creaking wooden floors lead through rooms frozen in Jordan’s past, complete with antique typewriters, sepia photos of camel caravans on dusty roads, and a balcony overlooking downtown’s metamorphosis. More than a museum, it’s a living diwan (gathering space): poets hold readings at the carved oak table, while artists riff under the Arabian archways. Admission is free, and the duke himself sometimes holds court, spinning tales of old Amman over cardamom coffee. Don’t miss the upstairs gallery, where rotating exhibits spotlight Jordan’s underground creatives.

Du Fu is one of the great poets who lived during the Tang dynasty, China's golden era. His haunting poetry is still being taught in schools today. This park is built around his cottage, and the temple is dedicated to him. Check out the intricate Bonsai trees, plants and Chinese paintings that adorn the place.