Say the word "Maldives," and it immediately conjures images of a dreamy vacation unlike any other. There's no doubt you've seen those mesmerizing snapshots of infinity pools, floating breakfasts, and manta rays gliding through crystal clear waters—and that's just during the day. At night, there's another treasure to behold. About 121 miles northwest of the capital Malé, the shores of Vaadhoo Island are home to millions of phytoplankton that light up the ocean waves, making it look as though the stars themselves have decided to take a dip (hence its name, Sea of Stars). While this natural phenomenon is visible in daylight, it's nothing short of spectacular at night.

There's an apex predator that roams tropical waters with a hunting routine quite unlike any other. The thresher shark, known for its unusually long tail, swims with elegant vigor toward an unsuspecting school of fish in search of its next meal. Then, with the precision of an airplane landing, it whips its tail upwards in an arc to stun an unlucky few. With speeds reaching upwards of 50 miles per hour, this impressive maneuver happens so fast that you might blink and miss the whole thing.

If you ever get tired of crowds of people on your travels, you could always opt for an adorable crowd of felines instead. About an hour northwest of Taipei in the hills of Taiwan’s Ruifang district, the quaint village of Houtong is known for having more cat residents than humans. As you step off the train in Houtong and cross an award-winning, cat-shaped bridge, you’ll find hundreds of free-roaming furballs and an entire infrastructure to celebrate them. Here, the strays are treated like royalty.

For even the bravest among travelers, the idea of swimming with millions of jellyfish is not exactly appealing. While it would certainly be a memorable experience, it could also be a disaster waiting to happen. Yet in Kakaban Lake, Indonesia off the coast of Boreno, the bloom of peaceful invertebrates are not your usual scyphozoans—the scientific term for sea jellies. Though they possess the hallmark bell-shaped body and strings of tentacles, these animals evolved in a space without natural predators and, therefore, don’t need a stinging defense. If you’ve ever dreamed of swimming with wild jellyfish, this is your chance.

If you've ever watched the hit film "Frozen" and wished you could jet to the magical land of Arendelle—that is, the fictional Nordic kingdom that Elsa and Anna call home—now's your chance. Disney recently opened “World of Frozen” at Hong Kong Disneyland just in time for the movie's ten-year anniversary. The park is part of Disney's $60 billion expansion over the coming decade and the first of two Frozen-inspired kingdoms (the other is slated for Paris). The park features two rides, an interactive theater experience, a live band, shops, eateries, and Norwegian architecture and landscapes true to the film. And, yes, there's an ice castle built above a quaint village with all your favorite characters (and a few new ones) sprinkled throughout.