Places Michael Ballard Wants to Go

A Barbados crypt where it's said that the coffins refuse to stay put.

This popular tourist cave was ignored for almost 200 years before being mined into an attraction.

Where Saint-Martin ends and Sint Maarten begins (or vice versa).

This living labyrinth made entirely of thorns is filled with art.

The mouldering manses of wealthy colonials still pock the streets of a Curaçao neighborhood.

The remnants of an abandoned, 19th-century gold mill along Aruba's rugged northeastern coast.

This mountaintop lake bubbles and steams in a perpetual boil, thanks to its direct link to the Earth's interior.

Thermal springs underneath the seabed provide the heat and bubbles for these beachside natural hot tubs.

A flower grows on this giant stone that is said be able to control minds.

The hike to this stunning waterfall on a black sand beach is not for the faint of heart.

According to legend, this tomb holds the secrets to time travel.

Hiding in plain sight near Kathmandu’s government center is a giant mandala that has become a locus for political protest.

This conservation area filled with colorful birds is the last community forest within the city of Kathmandu.

This elegant neoclassical garden is a peaceful oasis in the middle of the Nepalese capital.

"Would you like your sangria in an IV bag, or straight-up?"

The ruins of this prominent glass factory yield hidden treasures buried among the jungle floor.

This extravagant villa built by a Burmese merchant is part pagoda and part European mansion.

Myanmar's beautiful cemetery for Allied soldiers who perished during World War II.

Once the park closes at sunset, the greatest haiku poet of all time moves to face the Sumida River.

Drinkslinger is an unlikely vocation for a Buddhist monk, but at this Tokyo bar the enlightenment is served in a martini glass.

Colloquially known as “piss alley,” this narrow street filled with tiny bars and barbecue stands looks like it was pulled straight out of “Blade Runner.”

An ordinary pond with fish from out of this world.

This Buddhist temple is home to the graves of the Japanese national legends, the 47 Ronin.

Every color in the rainbow awaits.