South Korea

Founded in the 14th and 15th century, the tiny UNESCO listed village of Hahoe is a step back in time. The best example of a clan village in the Joseon Dynasty. Untracked 'streets' are lined with timber-framed pavilions of nobility and mud-walled thatched-roof houses for commoners. The absolute treat is the opportunity to stay in one of the houses. The edge is taken off cold nights by the underfloor heating, heated by firewood, still used today. In a country on the cutting edge of modern technology and innovation, it's nice to be able to live in its rich history and tradition. The village of Hahoe lets you do just that.

Want to peek into North Korea? It's possible to take a tour from Seoul that takes you into the Joint Security Area, which is right on the border between North and South Korea. You can actually cross the border while inside one of the blue negotiation houses that spans across the border. South Korean guards will keep a stiff eye on you, while North Korean soldiers are watching carefully from their side. You have to sign a contract before you are allowed into the last zone, where you state that you will not sue in case of shooting or kidnapping, and you cannot wear denim or anything remotely provoking for the North Korean (?). The wicked thing is that you can visit the same blue house on a tour from the North Korean side.

The concept here is that a road, Dokebi road on Jeju Island, looks like it's sloping uphill when it's actually sloping downhill. Wow. In the hope that an explanation will not spoil too much, the secret lies in the fact that there is no true horizon in the landscape surrounding it, which creates the illusion of the wrong slope direction. But the main attraction is really not the road: it's the Korean tourists arriving with levels and water bottles to prove the slope direction. Give it a try.