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The Grand Mosque - Abu Dhabi, UAE
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is visible for miles around in the capital of the UAE, Abu Dhabi, and is spectacular inside as it is outside.
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This iconic landmark has no less than eighty-two white domes! Built between 1996 and 2007, it was designed to be an architectural wonder that incorporated both modern and classic Islamic artistic styles. Greek and Italian white marble covers the exterior, while Islamic calligraphy decorates the inside.
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As I approached the mosque, you really do get a feeling of the scale and beauty of this place. I put on my white gown that I was given and wandered around the grounds. I loved the design and symmetry of the building and there were so many great photo opportunities! It really was a peaceful place to be and I loved it!
The Tigers Nest Monastery - Bhutan
This place has been on my list of places to visit every since I was a kid! Paro Taktsang or 'The Tigers Nest' as it is more commonly known, is one of the most sacred Himalayan Buddhist temples in the small kingdom of Bhutan.
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Perched on a cliff-top, this place of worship is built on a rock around 3,000m (10,000ft) above sea level. The main temple complex was built in 1692 and is considered to be one of the holiest for the Bhutanese people.
There are no proper roads and you will have to trek for several hours to reach the temple, so not for the faint hearted!
Neuschwanstein Castle - Bavaria, Germany
This building is one of those true fairytale castles, so much so that this one was the inspiration for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty castle in it's theme parks! Being a massive theme park fan, this one had to feature in my Top 5!
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Neuschwanstein Castle is a nineteenth-century Romanesque palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau in southwest Bavaria. King Ludwig decorated the castle with the operas of Richard Wagner in mind, and this opulent influence can be felt throughout the palace. The castle's fairy tale charm also comes through especially well in the idyllic setting of the Bavarian Alps, where winter brings gorgeous views of the snow-capped mountains surrounding the palace grounds. Definitely one of the highlights if you are in Germany!
Hearst Castle - California, USA
This quirky mansion located on a hill just off the Pacific Coast Highway overlooking the ocean is an eclectic mix of the bold, grand and eccentric! Built as the residence for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst who died in 1951, it became a California state park, where is houses a large collection of art and antiques. It's situated about 250 miles from both LA and San Fran.
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The estate houses 165 rooms and 127 acres of gardens, terraces, pools and walkways. It's interesting wandering around the estate at all the different rooms but the highlight for me was the Roman style 'Neptune Pool' located outside and the 'Roman Pool' located indoors. Despite the hot California sun, we couldn't swim in them sadly!
Burj Khalifa - Dubai, UAE
This iconic building is not only the worlds tallest building, but it's pretty impressive too when you are up close and personal with it. Having been to Dubai a few times, you can literally see this building from everywhere, whether it's landing or taking off from Dubai International Airport, approaching from the desert or driving down the main freeway.
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The highlight for me personally is not only the fact it's tall (really tall!), but the fact it has a variety of different selling points that draws me in. Firstly, the fountains at the base of the building - these come on around 6pm each day in 30 minute intervals to everything from traditional Arabic music to Whitney Houston! Secondly, the viewing deck at level 125 'At The Top' gives you a great panoramic view of Dubai, just don't go up if you are scared of heights! The lift is so quick your ears pop! Thirdly, each time I've been there, huge projections are put on to the building which is pretty damn cool for something so big!
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