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For the bohemian population of Atlanta‘s Little FIve Points neighborhood, Junkman’s Daughter is the place to buy clothing, gifts and accessories for the home. In 1982, before the neighborhood looks like it does today, local Pam Majors, the daughter of a junkman, opened a store full of her favorite bizarre tchotchkes. It soon became a favorite for visiting and local celebrities and musicians.

The traditional of Korean wellness is best understood at Gyeongdong market where locals congregate to cure ailments. Tea shops, ginseng shops, spice vendors and traditional doctors line the many streets of the district. It is important to note that the government subsidizes purchases here, and most transactions are covered by the national health insurance. Wellness is taken very seriously in Korea - a walk through this market will reveal a blend of bizarre remedies for everything from headaches to cancer to the common cold.

The government said the cliffs of Calcata, a medieval hill town 30 miles north of Rome, where crumbling and the residents would have to abandon the village for a new one a half mile away. They were right. Sort of. There was a government policy, created during the Fascist era, that stated any village that was so decrepit it was dangerous, the government would destroy it and build a new town nearby. The residents of this cramped hill town, tired of the poor living conditions, took advantage of this law. By the 1960s, the new town, Calcata Nuova, was ready and the old residents slowly moved. At the same time, hippies and artists discovered this slowly abandoned village and bought up the houses, knowing the village was to be condemned. They eventually had the law reversed, saving the village, and went on to fix up Calcata. Today home prices have soared and it’s become one of the most beautiful (and bizarre) places in Italy.

There’s truly no other place in the world like this unique and disturbing museum. It’s probably best that photography is strictly prohibited inside, because that might spoil the bizarre surprises that wait for those who haven’t been yet. The Mütter is a medical museum in Center City that’s part of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Be forewarned: Its world-renowned collections are often somewhat disquieting—biological oddities, anatomical and pathological specimens, wax models, and antique medical equipment. (Wooden cabinets in one gallery hold drawers full of objects that people have swallowed!) The gift shop may be the most interesting museum store you’ll ever visit, and might be the only place that sells conjoined-twin cookie cutters.

Tucked away in Shockoe Bottom between the seedy night clubs and trendy restaurants, you’ll find a little hole-in-the-wall called Wonderland. It’s the kind of place that seems a little too insane to be true, with a decor that could be considered a mix of horror movie and carnival freak show. Brightly colored lights illuminate manikin parts, off-season holiday decorations, and a large variety of skulls. Wonderland is the kind of dive bar you might find, well, ‘down the rabbit hole.’ The owner, Chad, is almost always there. You can’t miss him—he’s the size of Hagrid from Harry Potter, and is most likely behind the bar serving PBR to a devoted collection of regulars. Wonderland is the stomping grounds of the RVA Roller Derby girls, the local pro wrestling scene (Richmond Lucha Libre), hockey fans, horror movie buffs, a weekly dart league, and, since there is frequently live music on the weekends, rock and rollers. It’s a place too bizarre to be true, but stop in and have a beer, and you’ll begin to believe it.

One of the more bizarre landscapes in the Philippines is Bohol’s Chocolate Hills, a 20-square-mile area that contains some 1,700 hills. To date, these natural formations still baffle geologists, though legend claims the hills are rocks once thrown by battling giants, or tears cried by a giant who lost his love. The hills are green during wet season and turn into brown mounds during the dry season, hence the name. Climb up to the viewpoint to get a 360-degree view and unleash your imagination. Some people say the hills look like giant Hershey’s Kisses; others just see mounds left behind by enormous moles. Before you leave, buy some local Peanut Kisses to help you remember your visit—perhaps inspired by the Hershey’s chocolates, they are shaped like the hills.

From the moment the smiling doorman ushered us into the sleek, burnished lobby of the Bulgari, my sister and I felt like a couple of celebrities taking a discreet trip to the capital city. The type of luxury you get here is of a very distinct kind: a feeling that no expense has been spared in the gleaming dark wood of the corridors and the glow of gold tile around the spa; the soft, low lighting throughout the hotel made us feel like we were in a place that values discretion and sophistication above all things. The service was fantastic—reminiscent of the policy of the famous Harrods, opposite, that no matter how bizarre the customer’s request, they will do their very best to fulfill it. And as for the rooms—well, my sister said she’d never slept in a better bed in her life. And that seems to sum up the Bulgari ethos: Whether it’s the food or the spa treatments or simply having a bath in the gorgeous marble bathroom, they want it to be the best experience you’ve ever had of that kind.

The Durian is fondly known as the king of fruits in Southeast Asia. It’s a fruit that the locals love, but that many outsiders find to be an acquired taste. In fact, Andrew Zimmern, the presenter of the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods, (the guy who eats the world’s craziest and weirdest things) can’t stand durians. The name durian comes from the Malay word “duri,” which means “thorns.” Cutting open a durian is an art. You have to cut along certain lines created by the thorns, which are barely visible. If you get it wrong, it would be tough to open. Once cut, you use your palms to push apart the insides to reveal the yellow flesh. The smell of the durian is strong enough to make you salivate or faint, depending on which side of the fence you are on regarding it’s taste. If you’re ever in Malaysia, you must give it a try. Who knows? You could end up liking something that Andrew Zimmern himself can’t stomach!

Lahaina, with its many Victorian flourishes, may look picturesque today, but the port town teemed with sailors, gamblers, and prostitutes in the 19th century. The Pioneer Inn changed all that when it opened for business in 1901, foreshadowing the tourist industry that would ultimately replace whaling, sugar, and pineapples. Step through the swinging doors of this vintage bar, which now bizarrely anchors the courtyard of a Best Western, and you’ll be transported back in time. Oars, harpoons, and a ship’s figurehead still adorn the space, looking down on platters of coconut shrimp, Parmesan-crusted fish over coconut rice, and margaritas made with POG (a mix of passion fruit, orange, and guava juices). Come during happy hour, which runs daily from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., for discounted beers and cocktails.

Though from Guadalajara (he never let friends forget), Pritzker Prize–winning architect Luis Barragán lived much of his life in Mexico City, where he designed and constructed this, his last residence, completed in 1948. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the home is open to be toured by small groups—by appointment only; English-language guides are available upon request—who want a chance to tap into Barragán’s brand of minimalism, which involved bold monochromism and a masterful use of light; striking horizontality and framing applied to windows, gardens, and views; a highly sui generis Catholic spirituality; and, not least of all, the architect’s bizarre need for control, in everything from what staircases guests might use to what records got played in different rooms.

Past the bouncer and down a black staircase 32 feet below ground is Paris‘s most buzzed-about semi-private club, Le Silencio. Housed where Molière was allegedly buried and Zola printed “J’accuse”, it’s of little surprise that the enigmatic director David Lynch would select the location for his louche lounge-cum-entertainment space, which he designed (expect gold-leaf walls, raw wood cladding, bespoke neo-1950’s furniture) - mere steps into the labyrinthine halls and you’ve entered the entrails of another world, one that evidently takes cues from Lynch’s art. Before midnight, it’s member’s only but once midnight strikes, a smartly dressed crowd of cocktail-crazed creatives floods inside, snatching up seats in the art library, loafing at the bar or lighting up in the mirrored smoking room that was conceived to resemble a forest. Killer cocktails and exclusivity aside, Le Silencio’s biggest draw is its broader offering. Presentations from the local artistic set are frequent as are culinary/cultural events, intimate concerts and private screenings. As the guest of a member, my first visit was not so much to explore the space (though there is plenty to unearth here) but for a private tasting of chef Flora Mikula’s work. A couple hours into the evening and I realized Le Silencio wasn’t about being seen but about discovery - of high culture and the utterly bizarre.

You don’t need to have a broken heart to have a blast at Zagreb’s quirkiest museum. Located in a Baroque town house in the Upper Town, the Museum of Broken Relationships is full of mementos from other people’s romances gone sour. The idea for the museum started when a former couple tried to heal post-breakup by collecting relics of past loves. They put out a call for submissions and people from all over the world responded, sending everything from cards and jewelry to more bizarre keepsakes like handcuffs and stun guns. After traveling the globe, the crowd-sourced collection settled into its permanent home in Zagreb, though it does still function as a visiting exhibition from time to time. The museum even recently opened an outpost in Los Angeles.

If money is no object, staying near the Marina in Singapore is a great choice. On one side you have the bizarrely mesmerizing Marina Bay Sands development, which includes a hotel, casino (note that the Chinese take their gambling very seriously), shops, a theater, a rooftop pool, a rooftop restaurant/bar/club (Cé La Vi), myriad celebrity-chef restaurants (try Daniel Boulud’s DB Bistro & Oyster Bar), and much more. Although MBS is fun to visit and certainly worth strolling through, you get more for your hotel money across the Marina at the Fullerton Bay Hotel.

Cherubs hang from the ceiling and flying pigs decorate the bar. Aquarium bathtubs covered in glass are the tables and funky, modern art with Christian themes decorate the walls. Behind the bar a disco ball glitters the rows of liquor bottles and the bartender. The food is modern and classic: cuy and alpaca along a long list of beef tenderloin specialities.

Architect I.M. Pei’s firm designed the 16th Street Mall so that, when seen from the air, the repeating pattern of red, white, and gray stone that makes up the pavement would resemble the markings on a diamondback rattlesnake. At ground level, though, visitors will focus instead on the movie theaters, stores, and restaurants along the 1.25-mile-long stretch of this mall. From the Denver Pavilions shopping center near its south end to Union Station and LoDo (Lower Downtown) at the north, you’ll find much to entertain you. A Free MallRide shuttle runs along the mall in case your shopping bags get too heavy.

It’s easy to miss, but hard to ignore. As you stroll the 16th Street Mall, head toward Curtis Street and go west down the north sidewalk of the 1500 block. As you walk you’ll hear sounds from below that just do not belong—farm animals, underground trains, rushing water and almost 100 other bizarre soundtracks. Sound Walk by Jim Green has been fooling and confusing pedestrians for over 20 years through tape recorders hidden in grates. What will you hear?