New travel guide highlights secret marvels of the world

EDITORS at Lonely Planet have written a book that compiles weird and wacky sites from around the world, like a museum at the bottom of the sea, singing trees, and a Japanese island where cats outnumber humans by six to one.
Secret Marvels of the World is a departure from mainstream travel guides which highlight iconic touristy sites, and instead features little-known gems with strange and fascinating stories.
Intrepid globetrotters looking to explore the road less travelled in Hawaii, for instance, may want to block off some time between beach, golf, surf and yoga to discover the world's largest maze.
Readers will also learn where they can swim with pigs on the beach and where they can find a replica of the UK's infamous Stonehenge, created using vintage cars, aptly called "Carhenge."
The book also lists some of the eeriest and scariest attractions for thrill-seekers, like "unsettling hotels," "spine-chilling corpses," and bizarre disaster sites.
"Secret Marvels of the World: 360 extraordinary places you never knew existed and where to find them" hits US bookshelves Aug 15, and retails for US$24.99.
Armchair travellers who are a little less intrepid can also behold some of the world's marvels in National Geographic's Rarely Seen: Photographs of the Extraordinary. — AFP Relaxnews