Cooking up a storm, Chanthaburi, Thailand

Taken on: 25th July, 2012. Copyright: All Rights Reserved - See travelfishery's page of Flickr

Read more about Chanthaburi

Known for its bountiful tropical fruits and seafood, stunning waterfalls, relaxed coastal region, rich history and a distinctive cultural blend, Chanthaburi has something for all tastes.

The eponymous provincial capital -- also known as the "city of the moon" -- is a melting pot of Asian cultures whose people have flocked here seeking fortune in the city's lucrative gems and precious stones trade. From the faces of the inhabitants to the architecture lining the streets, you'll see influences from the Thai, Khmer, Mon, Vietnamese, Chinese, Shan, Burmese and even French, who ruled the province between 1893 and 1905.

Decaying but charming French-built shophouses and historic Thai-Chinese temples are tucked over narrow old alleys that snake alongside the Chanthaburi river. Thailand's largest church, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, looms over the centre of town as a living monument to Chanthaburi's community of Roman Catholic Vietnamese, ... Read our complete Chanthaburi travel guide

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