Chitralada Palace, Bangkok

An oasis in the chaos of the city, the Palace is a wonderful place to loose yourself for a few hours. Visiting in early morning and/or later in the afternoon are best to avoid the heat of the day as well as take advantage of the sun's angle for better photographs.

The gardens are quite well manicured and the buildings are over abundantly decorated with stones, glass and mirrors.

As with all temples in Thailand, you need to dress appropriately and cover your knees and shoulders.

Chitralada Palace, home to the much-loved King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit. It was built by Rama VI, and the grounds are huge, substantially bigger than, for instance, Lumphini park, Bangkok's biggest park.

This place will only be viewed outside as this isn't open to tourists.