The only pollutant in the clear blue water is sunscreen.

This gracefully curving formation looks like a massive wave that was suddenly turned to stone.

A small, but award-winning beach known for its literally spotless reputation.

No telescopes, no power, no gift shop: The Observatory of Chichen Itza, one of the world's oldest observatories, takes astronomy back to basics.

Every equinox this Maya pyramid puts on a spooky ancient light show.

On any given day this sprawling market houses literally tons of government-regulated gold, gems, and precious metals.

A preposterously luxurious hotel with gold-plated iPads, Rolls Royce chauffeurs, and a staff that trains by watching "Downton Abbey."

An ancient capital city that dates back 3,000 years and harbors many surprises.

No one knows the meaning behind this giant sculpture of a nude woman with a fork riding a rooster in Havana.

A focal point of the Cuban government, this city square features one of the most iconic images in the country.

The capital of the Cayman Islands is a center of offshore banking, but gets battered by blistering hurricanes.

This bridge made famous in a novel and on-screen wasn't actually built over the river Kwai.

Where an entire elephant skeleton, a snakeskin table runner, and thousands of animal remains become art.

A tall karst islet popularized by 007.

A white Buddhist temple with a golden restroom.

Singapore's landscaping project is home to 18 incredible Supertrees.

Holy Hindu shrine in an enormous, monkey-filled limestone cavern.

Eat a meal surrounded by bomb fragments.

Buried in the Laos jungle is a sanctuary for bears that would have otherwise been milked to death by poachers.

Believed to have once stored either human remains or rice wine, thousands of mysterious stone jars lie in ruin.

A Japanese cat island also populated by the descendants of a band of banished samurai.

Children's literature inside, forest all around.

A bronze statue dating back as far as 1252, still has remnants of gold on its right cheek from ancient gilding.

1,001 carved statues of the Buddhist God of Mercy, each with a unique face.