Tch tch, make way for world’s 50 most awesome bars, beaches and museums

Fancy getting drunk at the world’s oldest bar? Or playing a round of ping pong while quaffing down a pint? To make your life easier (and so much more fun), Lonely Planet has released a new guide: ‘50 Bars to Blow Your Mind’.

Fancy getting drunk at the world’s oldest bar? Or playing a round of ping pong while quaffing down a pint? To make your life easier (and so much more fun), Lonely Planet has released a new guide: ‘50 Bars to Blow Your Mind’.

To crack the top 50 list, watering holes had to fill a few demanding criteria. Bars had to offer great service, smart design, spectacular views, delicious drinks, “wow” factor and quirk, says Lonely Planet. (Lonely Planet)

To crack the top 50 list, watering holes had to fill a few demanding criteria. Bars had to offer great service, smart design, spectacular views, delicious drinks, “wow” factor and quirk, says Lonely Planet.

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“Whether they’re champions of the basics, create custom-made craft cocktails or do something dramatically different, these 50 spots are among the best places on the planet to enjoy a drink or two.”

Under the category of ‘Wow Factor’, for example, visitors to Hong Kong will want to add the Ozone Bar to their itinerary for the opportunity to tip back a cocktail in the clouds on the 118th floor of a towering skyscraper.

Baobab Tree Bar in South Africa.

While in Petra, swing by the Cave Bar, which holds bragging rights to being the oldest bar in the world, set in a 2,000-year-old Nabataean rock tomb which stays open until 4 am in the summer.

And if you’re looking for an authentic wine bar in Paris where you’ll be rubbing shoulders with the locals, head over to the 11th arrondissement and into the belly of Aux Deux Amis, a small, unassuming watering hole packed with Parisians, a natural wine list from local producers, bistro-style tapas and cheerful staff.

Other noteworthy addresses in the guide include a bar nestled in a 6,000-year-old baobab tree in South Africa, and a converted rec center in London filled with 17 ping pong tables including one from the 2012 Olympic Games.

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In addition to bars, Lonely Planet has also released “50 Museums to Blow Your Mind,” showcasing the world’s most intriguing, extraordinary and eccentric destinations with exhibitions that include the Torture Museum in the Netherlands, the Cupnoodles Museum in Japan and the Pencil Museum in the UK.

The third title to round out the trio, ‘50 Beaches to Blow Your Mind’, includes a beach in the middle of a meadow in Spain and an underground bay in Puerto Vallarta.

All titles retail for $11.99.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more.