Ayutthaya

Here’s something you didn’t know: Ayuttaya used to be the epicenter of Southeast Asia. This city, about an hour north of Bangkok, was the capital of the Siamese Empire way back in the day. Here in today though, its a great place to go for a day trip to immerse yourself in the beauty of Thailand’s illustrious past.

Where to stay: Sala

Did we stay here overnight? No. Would I? Absolutely. It’s a beautifully designed hotel right on the river with views over a temple and wonderful restaurants and bars.

Where to have a local brunch to start the day: The Summer House

This is a cute spot on the river with a nice garden area and great local food. Make sure to have the river prawns, as that is the specialty of this region.

Where to see what the Japanese did back in the day around here: Japanese Settlement

Spend like an hour learning about the Japanese history in Thailand and enjoying the nice little gardens and architecture. A cute pit stop. Necessary? No. But if you have the time, why not?

Where to hope your prayers are answered: Wat Phanan Choeng

Come here, light your candles, follow the people around and do as they do. Make sure you stay respectful here, as this is a holy temple for the local Thai community. And definitely be sure to head to the pier and feed the thousands of wonderfully oversized fish.

Where to see the famous Buddha covered in tree trunks: Wat Maha That

This temple is famous for the Buddha enveloped in the tree trunks, which is super cool, but the actual temple itself was one of the nicer ones in the area. Plus, this temple had the most trees which meant the most shade which meant the most enjoyment.

Other temples to see:

At this point, I’m not going to describe each temple, because they are basically the same with some unique properties for each. So here are the temples we saw:

Wat Ratcha Burana

Wat Phra Ram

Wat Phra Si Sanphet

Wat Chaiwattanaram

Phra Chedi Chai Mongkol (and be sure to have the green crepe-type dessert just outside in the parking lot)