Lumphini Park, Bangkok

Lumphini Park was given to the city by Rama VI in the 1920s on what was then the edge of Bangkok and is now the middle of it. Fifty-seven hectares of lawns, banyan trees and artificial lakes sit directly against the towers of Silom and Sathon, and the contrast is the point - it is the one large piece of open ground in central Bangkok.

It is used hard and early. Runners circle the perimeter before dawn, groups practise tai chi and Thai aerobics on the lawns, and pedal boats go out on the lake through the day. The park's water monitors - large lizards, entirely wild and often well over a metre - live around the water and are the thing most visitors remember.

An open-air public library, a Chinese-style clock tower and a statue of Rama VI at the main gate complete it. The park has its own metro station and is a short walk from the Sala Daeng Skytrain interchange.