Bang Pa-In Palace

The Bang Pa-In Palace lies on the banks of the Chao Praya River some 60 kilometres north of Bangkok. The Original summer palace dates back to the late Ayutthaya period, in the reign of King Prasat Thong. In 1632 he had a palace built here as a summer retreat. The oldest of the buildings is the Pra Thinang Aisawan Thipphaya-Art, a formal pavilion surrounded by royal residences. Soon after, a Buddhist monastery, Wat Chumphon Nikayaram, was erected in memory of the King's mother who was a native of the area. The hall was used to conduct some of the royal ceremonies. The place remained a popular summer retreat until the end when the capital moved from Ayutthaya to Bangkok.

I was amazed at the architecture of Aisawan Thippaya-Art in its water setting (picture 1) and Tavaraj Kanlai Gate (picture 2), and climbed to the observation tower inside Ho Withun Thasana (pictures 3 and 4) for the most incredible view across the Palace grounds. Whilst taking a photo by the water's edge I happened to turn and glimpse a huge water monitor making its way up the bank behind me. The grounds were immaculate and I was intrigued by the topiary. I find myself saying this quite often, but this is a tourist destination not to be missed. If you intend visiting Ayutthaya Historical Park, do ensure that you take in Bang Pa-In Palace as well. You'll be glad you made the time.

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Madame Tussauds Hong Kong

Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, part of the renowned chain of wax museums founded by Marie Tussaud of France, is located at the Peak Tower on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is the first and one of the only two permanent Madame Tussauds museums in Asia, the other being the Shanghai branch, which opened in 2006. The Hong Kong branch houses nearly 100 wax figures of internationally-known personalities, with Asian figures taking up more than a third of the total, of which sixteen were Hong Kongers. The wax figures are featured in a range of themed settings such as Hong Kong Glamour, Music Icons, Historical and National Heroes, The Champions and World Premiere.

I was like a kid in a candy store, stopping to be photographed with the likes of Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, Madonna, Cecilia Cheung, The Beatles, Muhammad Ali, Marilyn Monroe, Barack Obama, and Eddie Murphy, to name a few. Let's face it, this is as close as I'm ever going to get to most of them, but I can dream, can't I? Some are obviously more realistic than others and uncannily lifelike. Upon my arrival I had my photograph professionally taken with Jackie Chan and later, on my exit through the gift shop, I stopped for one last photograph with Benny Hill.

A special highlight for me was Madame Tussaud's all-new and permanent scare attraction 'Scream: Escape the Asylum', next to the World Premiere section. Daring and brave guests must take a perilous journey through a darkened asylum for the criminally insane, in which the inmates have broken free. Filled with dark corridors, intense gore and rampaging psychopaths, guests will have to use all their mental and physical abilities to escape the asylum, before they become permanent residents themselves. All in all, a lot of fun. You simply can't visit The Peak without a visit here.