If there ever was any location I’ve previously overlooked when traveling, it’d have to be the cemeteries. It’s not exactly the type of place that would make a brochure anyway.

Upon doing my homework on some pretty notable cemeteries, I’ve come across 5 that are really worth looking into. Though Halloween’s still a couple of months off, these would be some nice considerations for those traveling around that time.

Rookwood Necropolis – Is the largest multicultural necropolis in the Southern Hemisphere, which is located in Sydney, Australia. It’s just a bit ways off from the business district, and is accessible via the nearby railway station. The interesting thing about this cemetery is that, it’s so big, it’s actually divided into several different cemeteries. There’s a Catholic, Independent, Muslim and Anglican section, with a completely different set of staff and offices for each. They also hold several tours, with one set as the “ghost” tour, which is the Tales of the 21st Century tour.

Zentralfriedhof – Located in Vienna, this is the largest and most well-known of the country’s nearly 50 cemeteries. It was opened in 1874, and in over the last 122 years, approximately 2,500,000 people have been buried here. What’s interesting about this cemetery is they have a section called the Ehrengräber, the final resting place for composers, writers, artists and politicians.

Great Pyramid of Giza – The oldest and the largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis, it is also the last remaining member of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. What’s interesting about this is, that this was built over a 20 year period, but was meant to be a final resting place for the pharaoh Khufu. It simply means that, while he was alive, the labor of his being pharaoh would be his final tomb, nonetheless. It still flips my head over how the ancient Egyptians’ thought process worked, as they were able to build something so ornate and sophisticated.

Catacombs of Paris – A solution to the overpopulated cemeteries of old Paris, thousands of corpses were transferred into the abandoned tunnels and quarries directly underneath the city. What’s eerie is that they arranged the various bones of the corpses to line the walls, creating what can only be described as “cemeteries in the wall.”

Cemetery of the Heroes – In the Philippines, it is the fitting resting place for the country’s heroes. Buried here are military personnel, from privates to generals, and even heroes and martyrs. Only the President of the Philippines can grant permission for individuals to be buried in the national cemetery. Written on the cemeteries’ front gates are, “I do not know the dignity of his birth, but I know the glory of his death.”

There’s nothing quite like Singapore — with its compact little island form, a unique blend of traditional eastern and future-esque western influences has made it one of the more popular tourist destinations in the last decade or so. Singapore consists of one main island, plus the surrounding 60+ islets around it.

To be completely fair with other countries, I do mean “nothing quite like Singapore” in a way that says it’s different, like how every country and culture is different; I’m just here to highlight some of the things I liked there during my last trip.

The first thing you’ll notice in Singapore is how spotless and new everything seems to be — people here uphold and enforce their laws with such vigilance, that, you may find yourself getting spanked (literally!) for being caught with a cigarette in a no-smoking zone! (Or so I’ve heard.) While that may scare you, a little research on customs and policies of Singapore really won’t hurt, and will probably save you the trouble.

So you’ve seen the Merlion. Big whoop. Aside from the shopping, that big mythological-creature hybrid, you think you’ve seen all that Singapore has to offer? Think again — there’s so much more:

Night Safari – The first of its kind in the world, the Night Safari is the first-ever nocturnal zoo, and is quite a popular tourist spot in Singapore. Rather than traditional nocturnal houses that reverse the animal’s sleeping patterns to an enclosed location that simulates the dark, this is a full, open-air zoo that is only open at night time. It is divided into eight geographical zones, each one representing a natural habitat for whichever animal is contained there. Rather than trapping the animals in cages, the animals are separated from tourists by barriers, further emphasizing the illusion that they are in their rightful habitat. Visitors can explore on foot, or on a 45-minute tram ride, seeing which animals are asleep, and which ones stay up late after dark.

Underwater World – Over at Sentosa Island in Singapore, is one of the largest oceanariums in Asia — a house for more than 2,500 marine life of 250 different species. A quick ride on the 83-meter long travelator gives you a glimpse of a dazzling array of marine life like dolphins, sharks, eels and various coral reefs, either from Singapore, or from nearby waters. A quaint little attraction in the Singapore Underwater World is the Dolphin Lagoon, home to some Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, also known as “pink dolphins.” They offer visitors a daily dolphin show, plus the chance to interact with the friendly critters. Although for that you’d have to pay another ticket, but at least you get a photo with the dolphin!

Amphibious Donald – If you’re new to Singapore, then this ride is definitely not to be missed! The first (and only) amphibious theme tour in Asia, Singapore presents — the Duck Tour! Not only is this the first land-to-water tourist ride, the ride is also of historic origin! The Duck Bus, as it is called, is a converted Vietnam amphibious war craft. The land ride is bumpy, but as soon as you hit the water, it’s (pardon the pun) pretty much smooth sailing from there.

So there you have it, a couple of my top favorite Singapore tour-related things. That’s not to mention that Singapore sports roads that are pretty much traffic-free, plus the shopping district is always a plus.

Tolstoy once said, “Art is universal if it expresses thoughts and feelings which can be experienced by every human being.” Its also how branding works — if an image is loaded with meaning, one glimpse and your brain is flooded with imagery of what that stands for.

In my travels, (and probably yours) I’ve come across several icons that definitely fit the bill — icons that, with the strength of time, only grow in meaning and symbolism. An instant glimpse, and the culture is instantaneously transmuted into a language that everyone just simply has to identify with — art.

Here’s my top ten.