Places NicholasManila Wants to Go

Sacred Indian temple that’s all monkey business.

The world's second-largest sundial, made entirely out of stone.

A palatial sculpture park was built illegally and in secret by a self-taught artist over 36 years.

This otherworldly palace-mausoleum complex is the stuff eternal dreams are made of.

A mecca for India's Jains.

Once an indicator of social class, the color blue has come to define this city on the edge of the Thar Desert.

More than half of this Indian palace is drowned but it looks all the more spectacular for it.

This complex of vertically-excavated Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu monolithic temples in India's Maharashtra providence illustrates a spirit of tolerance characteristic of ancient India.

A lake with hundreds of ancient skeletons surrounding it. The surprise is what killed them.

Centuries-old bridges grown from tangled roots.

The 953 windows undoubtedly make this the world's most beautiful screened porch.

Thousands of exquisitely carved stone water storage wells, hundreds of stone steps fill this exquisite medieval stepwell.

Museum celebrating the ocean, with the largest wunderkammer dedicated to sea exploration.

The skull of the patron saint of lovers lies in the Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin—maybe.

Venice's "Island of the Mad."

The glowing blue Nymphaeum of Emperor Tiberius.

The doodles of a genius line the walls of a secret room under the Medici Chapel, where they were hidden for nearly 500 years.

Sitting on an Italian hilltop is this surreal fortress built by the mad inventor of electrohomeopathy.

The only "Egyptian" pyramid in Europe and the legendary tomb of Remus.

According to the local folklore, the myriad colors of this lake are the result of a lovelorn wizard's blunder.

Pompeii's less famous neighbor is still revealing her secrets.

The underground sanctuary of a mysterious ancient cult.

Rome’s legendary peephole vista is also a former Crusader stronghold.

The yawning maw of this pagan visage is said to bite off the hands of liars.