On our second day in Thailand, we went out into Phuket for some sightseeing and souvenir shopping. The highlight of the day was the Big Buddha, the island’s most loved landmark. Sitting 45 meters tall atop the Nakkerd Hills, the calm face of Buddha looks out over the island with clouds and blue sky crowning his head. The 360-degree view is quite breathtaking, made even more beautiful by the sounds of the Buddhist monks’ chanting, the many small prayer bells tied to the trees and stairwell leading up to the top of the hills, and the wind. Costing approximately 30 million baht (almost $1 million USD), all of the Big Buddha’s expenses were purely from donations. Quite impressive!

To read more about our trip to Thailand, click here.