Thailand is one of the biggest tourist hotspots in the world. Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Pai, and the islands in the south are famous around the globe. The issue with these destinations is that they quickly become built to suit tourists. This makes your holiday experience easier and convenient but you lose the opportunity to experience the beautiful traditional culture that other destinations in Thailand have to offer. No place represents this more than Ayutthaya. The ancient capital of Thailand.
Thailand was my first destination for my travels. I landed and spent a few nights partying on the Ko San Road on Bangkok. I then took a minibus to make the 90km journey to Ayutthaya. The minibus journey was a tough trip. It took about 5 hours to crawl through the Bangkok traffic and reach our destination.
Upon arrival at Ayutthaya, we found our way to the beautiful guesthouse that we were staying in. The guesthouse was a traditional Thai wooden house and it was run by a local family. The mother of the family was a sweetheart who took every measure to look after us while we were there. They even provided us with tea, coffee and complimentary breakfast for just a couple of dollars per night.
The guesthouse was situated about 500m away from the temples. Ayutthaya was the capital of Siam, the ancient Thai civilization. What is left of this move great city, are the ruins of their grandest designs. This site is a hot spot for backpackers and tourists as a result. The temples were very affordable to visit. I can’t remember the exact price of admission to the park but it wasn’t more than a tenner. We decided to rent bicycles from our guesthouse as the park temple park was large and the heat was tough to cope with.
So I set off on my bicycle to see the sites. We were met with beautiful sites and ruins of what would have once been great temples. The colors and intricate designs caught my eye. This accompanied by the trees that had reclaimed and grown around the ruins left me speechless.
After exploring the site and climbing some of the towers to get a better view, it was time for lunch. To eat I hesitantly decided to eat at a small local restaurant that overlooked the temples. They served Thai food that was delicious. This was easily the tastiest green curry that I tasted throughout my travels in Thailand. After enjoying my meal and taking the time to appreciate the view, it was time for the bill. The meal for two people with drinks totaled out at less than 10 dollars. I couldn’t believe the value, especially given the location!
I spent the next two days doing much of the same. Relaxing at the guesthouse, cycling around the temples, and enjoying the cheap but delicious food. Ayutthaya is a beautiful, quiet, and historically significant destination. It is worth a visit and it is probably my favorite spot in Thailand.