The Secret Buddha Garden was built in 1976 by a fruit farmer called Nim Thongsuk and took around fifteen years to finish. This peaceful place can be found in the hills of Samui Island inside the verdant jungle. The garden is decorated with sculptures portraying both humans and deities in various poses. Getting there quite difficult so booking a tour in advance is highly recommended.

Koh Samui’s mummified monk at Wat Khunaram is an unusual sight but still offers a unique insight into Buddhist and Thai culture. The mummified monk Luong Pordaeng died in 1973 and his body has been on display in a glass case at the temple ever since. Remarkably, the monk’s body shows little sign of decay.

The collection of streets between the city centre and the Jeker quarter is known as the Stokstraat quarter. It’s that historic corner of the city between two statues, ‘De Mestreechter Geis’ and ‘Slevrouwe’. All of these streets ultimately lead to the ever-charming, intimate and romantic Onze Lieve Vrouweplein. In this part of the city, you can find the warmth and charm of a classic Maastricht pub on virtually every corner. The quarter takes its name from what may be the city’s most famous (or infamous) street. Today, Stokstraat is known as the place for the most exclusive and luxury shops in the Netherlands, but it was not always so. If there’s any street that has seen its fortunes turn over the years, it’s this one. In the Middle Ages, its reputation was dubious thanks to its many bathhouse-brothels; later, the street enjoyed a renaissance with many reputable merchants established in it, until, as the Industrial Revolution took hold and the city centre became overpopulated with wave after wave of migrants from the countryside, the street became synonymous with grinding poverty. Living conditions here became so dire that there was even talk of demolishing the entire street. The Stokstraat quarter of today is the result of a dramatic redevelopment between 1950 and 1973, which succeeded in preserving its historic character but transforming it into a fashionable address for living, shopping, and dining.