8 unforgettable urban wonders of the world

Cities, big and small, can offer up some of life’s most memorable experiences – you just need to look a little closer.

Duck down laneways in Seoul. Uncover unique flavours in Bangkok. Meet new friends in the favelas of Rio. These urban wonders will give you stories to tell for years to come.

1. Seoul, South Korea

Travelling with: Leigh-Ann Pow

What did you obsess over during lockdown? Was it making bread complete with a bubbling, belligerent sourdough starter? Did you maintain your equilibrium by religiously doing the daily Wordle puzzle? Or perhaps you created your own home gym and spent the endless days, weeks and months feeling the burn.

Bukchon, a traditional hanok (Korean house) village.

My obsession was a little larger in scale. It was actually the culture of an entire country: Korea (officially the Republic of Korea, South Korea to some, The Land of the Morning Calm to others).

Gyeongbokgung Palace, the oldest and largest of Seoul’s Five Grand Palaces.

It wasn’t a random choice; my last international trip before the global shutdown was to Seoul, a city in a country that had long been at the top of my ‘must-get-there’ list.

Waiting for mandu (dumplings) at Gwangjang Market.

The behemoth capital of South Korea has a population of some 26 million – the same as the whole of Australia – which accounts for roughly 50 per cent of the country’s inhabitants. So, Korea was fresh in my mind’s eye and ripe for recollection, but my fascination went beyond mere instant recall. Sometimes a destination makes you pause, capturing your imagination in a way that transcends the lingering glow of having been somewhere new. Some destinations are transformational; Korea was that place for me.

Sunset views from Namsan Tower. (Image: Leigh-Ann Pow)

2. Bangkok fine dining, Thailand

Travelling with: Kee Foong

A crop of talented young Thai chefs is setting Bangkok’s fine dining scene on fire. Take Thitid ‘Ton’ Tassanakajohn, whose restaurants, Le Du and Nusara, nabbed the first and third spots on the influential Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 list.

Find something unique at Nusara.

What’s more, Nusara is located opposite Wat Pho with knockout views of the iconic temple. Not to be outdone is Potong by rising star Pichaya ‘Pam’ Soontornyanakij, who mines her Thai–Chinese heritage to delectable effect in a gorgeous century-old shophouse.

Pichaya ‘Pam’ Soontornyanakij is the youngest and first-ever female chef to receive a Michelin star. (Image: Gastrofilm)

Or Sorn, by Supaksorn ‘Ice’ Jongsiri, whose modern southern Thai creations are a spice-laden feast for the palate and eyes.

Fine dining at its finest at Le Du.

3. Budapest ruin bars, Hungary

Travelling with: Katie Carlin

You’ll find a plaque on the outside wall of Szimpla Kert that reads: “People used to live here.” It is a solemn nod to the Jewish people who once called Budapest’s Old Jewish Quarter home. The district remained in disrepair until the turn of the century when a dilapidated former factory was transformed into the first of several ruin bars.

Settle into the bustling ruin bar of Szimpla Kert in Budapest.

Drinks and music flow freely at Szimpla Kert of an evening, but come Sunday, the eclectic bar morphs into a weekly farmers’ market. On the other end of the spectrum is Mazel Tov; join the queue – it’s worth it.

Eclectic crowds and a vibrant atmosphere embody the Szimpla Kert experience.

4. M+, West Kowloon, Hong Kong

Travelling with: Kee Foong

For years, Hong Kong’s status as a global art capital was held back by the lack of a truly world-class museum. That changed with the opening of M+ in 2021 in the city’s West Kowloon Cultural District.

M+ is Hong Kong’s global museum of visual culture.

Designed by star architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, which also did the Tate Modern in London, the slab-like M+ is a waterfront beacon for visual culture.

The M+ Horizon Terrace forms an upside-down ‘T’ shape.

In addition to blockbuster exhibitions by the likes of Yayoi Kusama, it holds an unrivalled collection of Chinese contemporary art and a fascinating curation of Asian design, which runs from rice cookers and neon signs to a meticulously preserved sushi restaurant.

Explore varied design and architectural collections at M+ East Galleries.

5. Vidigal, Rio de Janeiro

Travelling with: Kassia Byrnes

Brazilian favelas have earned a blanket reputation for being unsafe, but not all of them are so. In fact, warm, welcoming and up-and-coming Vidigal is the best place you’ll go in Rio de Janeiro. Whiz through narrow, winding streets on the back of a motorbike.

View of the houses of the Vidigal Favela in Rio De Janeiro.

Hike Trilha Morro Dois Irmãos for the best views of the city. Samba the night away and bond with friendly locals, caipiroska in hand, at Bar 180° Alto. Visitors to Vidigal can also enjoy a night overlooking Ipanema Beach from Mirante do Arvrão hotel and indulge in tasty street food.

Bed down at Mirante do Arvrão.

6. Gaudí architecture, Barcelona, Spain

Architect Antoni Gaudí used the Catalan capital of Barcelona as a canvas for his unbound creativity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Blending elements of Gothic and Moorish architecture and drawing inspiration from nature, Gaudí was at the forefront of the Modernisme movement with a style unique in the world. His legacy lives on across Barcelona’s marvellous monuments, from the whimsical Casa Batlló, inspired by the sea, and the colourful playground of Park Güell to the unfinished masterpiece, Sagrada Família. All of which create a fantastical backdrop to a dynamic modern city that remains one of Europe’s most compelling.

Take in a sunrise from Park Guell, Barcelona.

7. Jamestown, Accra, Ghana

Travelling with: Catherine Marshall

Ghana’s soul has been salvaged from the remnants of colonialism at this historic port in the country’s capital, Accra. At sunset, bodies tire but spirits radiate. Boys somersault along the wharf; women stir pots of fufu; fishermen moor their pirogues in the powder-blue bay; rubber-limbed youths dance the Azonto. Ghosts haunt the alleyways, too: European merchants and slave traders who arrived in the 15th century, generations of West Africans who dwelt here. Today, fishing is Jamestown’s mainstay, but such is its energy.

The quaint beachside neighbourhood on Jamestown Beach. (Image: Catherine Marshall)

“Everyone comes to live here,” says guide Nii Tackie (Nice One) Tagoe. “We have musicians, footballers, boxers, dancers, teachers.” Houses spill onto the beach beside James Fort, a UNESCO property of Outstanding Universal Value. Its bulwarks hold back the tide still, 350 years after its construction, but the cries of slaves and other convicts have long fallen silent. Outstanding universal value resides not within the citadel, it seems, but in the life force recasting history beyond its dark shadow. 

Jamestown has a rich history that dates back to the 17th century. (Image: Catherine Marshall)

8. Beirut, Lebanon

Travelling with: Sarah Reid

Decimated by the 2020 Port of Beirut explosion, Beirut is a city with many scars. Yet, like Lebanon’s 15-year civil war before it, the tragedy has become part of the Mediterranean city’s story – a long, tumultuous tale that unravels slowly as you wander its streets, where Roman ruins nestle between mosques and churches, shelled mansions now house museums and new buildings rising up from the blast zone stand testament to the resilience of its residents.

Art breeds hope in Beirut.

We have curated the ultimate list of wonder-filled travel experiences; keep reading the 100 Wonders of the World for the full list.