Places vveracarvalhocosta Wants to Go

An enormous Buddha peers through a gap in its ruined chamber.

This elephant kraal is the only one remaining in Thailand, dating back to the 16th century when these massive mammals were integral players in war and trade.

Riding on a pair of architectural dragons, this Thailand temple holds murals full of lurid imagery.

This elegant carving of the Buddha guards a small Buddhist temple within a cave.

This nugget of paradise earned its name for obvious reasons.

In Phetchaburi, Thailand, a roadside vendor cooks his fare with 1,000 mirrors and the power of the sun.

An immersive exhibition that meditates on death and life.

This serene bamboo walkway allows Buddhist monks from remote temples access to the nearby village.

A mile-long navigable cave adorned with stalactites and stalagmites reaching up to 65 feet tall.

A shrine honoring a legendary ghost bride lies within this vibrant temple.

This mountain sunrise is one of the most breathtaking views in Thailand, yet well off the tourist trail.

On a river island north of Bangkok, a small bar helped lead a home-brewing rebellion.

Gruesome statues of people reborn in Buddhist hell stand among the ruins of an 11th-century sanctuary.

Acres of salt crystal pyramids dry in the sun along Thailand's "salt road."

A meditative walk up 353 stairs leads to a majestic white Buddha overlooking Pai.

The skeletons, demons, and corpses serve as a warning of the terrors of Buddhist Hell.

A shrine built to combat the bad karma of a commercial venture.

The cursed island of black pebbles.

Thousands of bats stream out of caves every night on the edge on Thailand's second largest park.

Bizarre dirt trail winds a narrow path above the tree line.

Surat Thani's official flower—and the world's largest—smells of rotting meat.

This extensive collection of dead bugs may be the world's most idiosyncratic and personal insect museum.

Buddha shrines hide within dark tunnels at this unique forest temple.

The long underground cave's curiously shaped stalagmites have inspired many legends.