Places catlightly Wants to Go

Major tourist destination known for its bubbling mud-pools and hot thermal springs.

Only 68 people per day are allowed to visit this New Zealand bird-watcher’s paradise.

A galaxy of glowworms—larvae of a gnat—hides deep in the belly of these caves.

Dolphins, ancient clams and hundreds of waterfalls make this one of the world's top tourist destinations.

Tubing through a cave lit with glowworms is a magical underground experience.

This sheep farm has been forever transformed since being built for “The Hobbit” film series.

One of the world's southernmost bars.

A bibliophile's heaven that contains hundreds of bookstores, offering over a third of secondhand books for sale in Tokyo.

Bioluminescent firefly squid light up this Japanese fishing port.

This neighborhood thoroughfare is haunted by dozens of homemade monsters.

Not quite the menace it once was, this monster still has some chops.

The magical, mossy forest that inspired 'Princess Mononoke.'

The legendary birthplace of the Japanese maneki-neko is dotted with hundreds of lucky beckoning cats.

If Hello Kitty were Mickey Mouse, this would be Disneyland.

Hot springs monkey spa in the middle of Hell's Valley.

On Japan's Tashirojima Island, cats are king.

The sound of swaying stalks in this stunning grove has been named a governmentally recognized sound.

A magical place that lets you play in and explore the world of Studio Ghibli.

Collected from all around Seoul, thousands of secondhand books create this photogenic tunnel.

This quirky Korean eatery is built to resemble an equally quirky vintage camera.

Buy your fish and have it cooked to order in this bustling, eight-floor seafood market.

One man's lifetime collection of tiny objects of wisdom gathered from around the world, on display for public enjoyment.

A remnant of Korea's colonial past lies forgotten in a hip neighborhood in Seoul.

The 400-year-old remains of the samurai invasion of Korea.