Tucked away in the sleepy northern city of Lampang, far from the beaches and big-city buzz of southern Thailand, lies a temple wrapped in silence, legend, and shimmering gold. **Wat Phra Kaew Don Tao** may not be on every traveler's radar, but this quiet sanctuary once held one of the most revered objects in all of Southeast Asia — the Emerald Buddha.

Tucked within the quiet town of Minamiaso in Kumamoto Prefecture lies a sacred pool of impossibly clear water: Shirakawa Suigen. This isn’t just a pretty pond. It’s the literal birthplace of the Shirakawa River, one of the major water sources for the entire region. What makes it truly special isn’t just the water’s purity—but the sense that you’ve stumbled upon something quietly magical.