Places Sam Wants to Go

Intensely colorful calcite pools in Southern China.

A total of 999 stairs lead visitors through a massive hole in a mountain known as the Gateway to Heaven.

Forgotten German bunkers in China create a sharp cultural contrast.

Rivers of cattle blood gone, a strange Escheresque building remains, the last of its kind.

Teeming with illegal goods and services, this towering maze of vice is also a popular tourist accommodation.

Remnants of the most densely packed city in world history, that thrived on anarchy for 30 years.

The summer home of the largest colony of bats in the world.

Museum of stuffed gophers set up in various scenes.

Finnish lake, and scene of an infamous murder mystery.

Jurassic theme park in the small town of Erlian.

An Australian lake whose pink hue defies scientific explanation.

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

Two monstrous faces loom over a village in Czechia.

This series of rope-style bridges brings visitors into a jungle layer that is usually reserved for birds and monkeys.

Once a bustling fishing port, this semi-ghost town is now more than 90 miles away from the shore.

A toxic ghost town sitting atop a massive coal fire.

An old hill fort covered in over 100,000 crosses is a symbol of Lithuanian nationalism and beliefs.

Burial site of the world's most widely known researcher on the endangered mountain gorilla.

The end of the 4 Line is also the end of the line for 300,000 souls in one of NYC's most illustrious cemeteries.

The loneliest island in New York.

Detailed facade of a brownstone in Boerum Hill.

Cape Breton landmark filled with recognizable faces.

An Italian crevasse filled with abandoned buildings gives visitors a look at the world without humans.

A beautiful, dense forest in the shadow of Mount Fuji, with a tragic reputation.