Italy is a country that has it all, from the high fashion capital of Milan with its upmarket boutiques and stylish coffee shops to the beautiful scenery in Lake Como. But far more than sightseeing and coastal getaways, a holiday to Italy can be a panoply of quirkiness and unique experiences. Straight from the treasure box, here are five unusual ways to accomplish la dolce vita.

Low on funds, the Backpacker will do almost anything for a beer - which may entail enlisting themselves in wet t-shit competition or picking fruits in fifty-million degree temperatures. But their travels have made them extremely tolerant, empathetic, and interesting individuals. They are also very resourceful and can carve a bong out of an apple and make an ounce of shampoo last a year.

It hits me, enters my lungs and just then I know, I am going to puke. I smile, sit back, and wait. Since we had started the Ayahuasca ceremony everyone else in the room had puked. Like group therapy it went around in turn. The fact that I hadn’t yet vomited meant that I either hadn’t taken a large enough dose, or I wasn’t mentally connecting with Mother Ayahuasca—the spirit of the brew.

We all grew up with the ol' familiar childhood characters, but you might be shocked to hear that those cute and cuddly Disney characters actually had a much more sinister beginning. we go behind the glossy cartoons to uncover how the world does children's classics.

Visitors to this profoundly creepy attraction learn that in the eighteenth century, as the city’s cemeteries ran out of room for fresh corpses, bodies were exhumed and relocated to a stretch of abandoned mining tunnels. What visitors may not realise is that there are nearly three hundred kilometres of tunnels that are not part of the official tour. These are the famous carrières de Paris, and exploring them is a secret — and sometimes dangerous — Parisian tradition.

There are only three mandatory things to do here: drink Pisco, watch the stars, and cleanse your soul. Turns out that not only is this region considered one of the best in the world for watching stars due to exceptionally clear skies, but it's also said to be the magnetic hot spot of planet Earth.

Travellers and travel agencies will tell you time and time again: Manila is a shit hole.

We strolled beneath neon displays in Old Vegas, listened to rock concerts next to the masses (all free) – drink in hand and spirits high –watched countless shows, including Zoomanity from Cirque du Soleil (amazing), ate a 3,000 calorie burger & gained three kilos, and shot off the top of a skyscraper.

The sight of a gloriously hairy pair of balls casually resting against an equally shaggy inner thigh was what gave it away. The owner of the scrotum was perched on his elbow, frowning pensively into a book as he lay sprawled against the pebbled shore like some lizard taking in the rays.