THAILAND is something of a bucket list destination for lots of Brits thanks to its white sand beaches, exotic islands and stunning architecture.
Luckily, there's one building in the UK where holidaymakers can experience a flavour of Thailand without forking out hundreds of pounds for flights.
Located in Wimbledon in south-west London, the Buddhapadipa Temple is believed to be the first Thai Buddhist temple to be built in the UK.
Also known as the Wat Buddhapadipa, the Thai Buddhist temple was first built in 1965 and was found in East Sheen - a 24-minute drive away from its current location in Wimbledon.
Wat Buddhapadipa was bought by the Thai government for £17,000, with monks welcomed into the temple in November of that year.
The temple underwent a huge expansion just ten years later, which led to its relocation to Wimbledon in the late 1970s.
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Designed by Thai architect Praves Limparangsr, the newly-renovated temple opened to the public in 1982.
The temple was crafted in a traditional Thai style, featuring white walls with gold and red accents and an ornate roof, and cost around 33 million Thai baht (£825,000) to build.
Believe to be the first Thai Theravada Buddhist Temple built outside of Asia, the Buddhapadipa Temple is a centre of meditation.
Although it is a Buddhist place of worship, people of all faiths and backgrounds are allowed to visit and can do for free, with services and meditation classes taking place at the temple every day.
Covering around four acres of land, the Buddhapadipa Temple is also home to other features including ornamental lake, a small grove, a lovely flower garden and an orchard, according to Visit London.
While the temple and its grounds are open every day, the main temple is only open to the public at the weekends from 10am to 3:30pm.
The Buddhapadipa Temple has been praised by visitors on TripAdvisor.
One person wrote: "A beautiful place to visit - especially for those feeling a little spiritually lost."
Another person added: "A tranquil and serene Buddhist temple, with beautiful gardens and shrine rooms.
"The exceptions to tranquillity are on festival days when it becomes a colourful hive of Thai cultural activities."
Someone else added: "I can't believe I didn't know this was in London."
While another person chimed in: "This hidden gem is a must-see, it is hard to believe you are still in London."
The Buddhapadipa Temple is a 30-minute from Wimbledon Train Station, which is connected to central London via the District Line.
The Thai temple isn't the only unusual landmark hiding in the English capital either as there's also Neasden Hindu Temple.
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Also known as Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Neasden Hindu Temple looks as though it would be more at home in Agra than London.
Some people believe it's the largest Hindu temple outside of India, while others have said it's one of London's seven man-made wonders.
It's no surprise that it looks like it's from India, seeing as that's where it was built originally.
Around 1500 sculptors spent three years carving more than 26,000 individual pieces, which were then shipped to London for its construction.
The temple is Europe’s first and was funded entirely by the Hindu community.
It was constructed using traditional Hindu architectural methods, so has no steel in it at all.
Secret London described it as "incredibly ornate" and it's no surprise with intricate carvings adorning the building outside and in.
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Here's what it's like to visit Neasden Hindu Temple
Travel Reporter Ryan Gray recently visited Neasden Temple, here's what he had to say.
"Neasden Temple is one of my favourite places to visit in London. It sticks out like an elegant sore thumb, providing a glorious decorative flourish among the tired suburban housing surrounding it.
"Inside is equally as fascinating, with the intricate hand-carved great hall upstairs an exceptional work of art.
"The story of the temple is equally as interesting, with 26,300 pieces crafted in India before being shipped over to the UK where it was assembled by thousands of volunteers.
"Friendly guides hanging around the outside of the temple will be more than happy to teach you all about its past, why it's there and what it means to the local community.
"It's also free to enter and more than worth the trip to Neasden for an experience that's slightly different and unique within London.
"What's more, over the road it has a restaurant that serves some of the best Indian food you can find in the city, along with a shop selling amazing Indian snacks, meaning visitors can explore India's culinary heritage as well as some of its spirituality."
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