Temple Hopping in Ayutthaya, Thailand (26 Photos)

We spent a day  trip in Ayutthaya to explore some of its temples and see what it has to offer. This is a province of Thailand which was once the capital of Thailand and is located north of Bangkok.

It took about 2 hours travel time from Bangkok to Ayutthaya (including traffic). As we brought my mother-in-law and sister-in-law with us, we opted for a comfortable limousine service. Pick-up time was from 7:30am, and we arrived in the city about 9am plus.

Ayutthaya was the second capital of the Siamese Kingdom but is now an archaeological ruin, characterized by the remains of tall prang (reliquary towers) and Buddhist monasteries of monumental proportions, which give an idea of the city’s past size and the splendor of its architecture. – source

yellow (or orange) cloth wrapped around Buddha statue in Ayutthaya

Thailand: Our Ayutthaya Day Trip in Pictures

I’ve been in the busy city of Bangkok before and even spent one month plus in the city while I was having a digital nomad lifestyle.  I was able to visit Chiang Mai too, but the environment in Ayutthaya is even more laidback. We visited about 3 temples in the area. Here are some pictures from our trip.

Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon

Our first temple was the Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon. There’s a stupa in the middle which contains relics and you have to climb a flight of stairs to see what’s inside. This strucutre is surrounded by gradens and buddhist statues.

Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon

giant statues

people climbing the stairs. Inside there’s like a dry well where people throw coins
the surrounding part, you get a view of the park from all sides.

view after climbing the stairs.

another view

Not much to see from the top but the climb was definitely not an easy feat as the stairs were steep. We went down after only a few minutes to take a breather.

selling scarves

walking, some of these statues were still waiting to be wrapped

close-up

water below, children seemed curious

The temples are filled with tourists and there were plenty of vendors selling items and souvenirs outside. Good business especially with how many visitors Thailand has on a daily basis.

durian ice cream!

Ayutthaya Historical Park and Wat Mahathat (Buddha Head Wrapped by a Fig Tree)

Our 2nd stop was the Ayutthaya Historical Park which included the Mahathat Temple. This temple has the famous Buddha head wrapped by a fig tree and is one of the famous images of Ayutthaya.

entering Ayutthaya historical park

statues

it was a great day to tour, that afternoon it rained heavily #weatherinAsia

Buddha statue on a tree in Ayutthaya

Buddha head wrapped by a fig tree

After seeing this, we didn’t bother exploring the park as we were running hungry already and we were tired of walking. If you stay in the city longer, you can hire bikes and tour the various temples at your own pace.

temple

red bricks

reminds me of the temples in Cambodia

We explored the area some more and had lunch. I didn’t get to take photos of our lovely and meal but we were so full and satisfied. Thai food is one of the best, rich in spices and flavor.

We got out and tried to look for the last temple to visit.

rooster statue on the side of the road

elephant – still a famous tourist activity

Wat Lokayasutharam – Temple of the Reclining Buddha

Our last stop was the reclining Buddha. What makes this different from the reclining Buddha in Bangkok is that this statue is that it’s totally free from any obstruction with the sky as it’s backdrop. The one in BKK was inside a building, so you couldn’t see it in full view.

reclining Buddha in Ayutthaya

reclining Buddha

This trip to Ayutthaya was a welcome sight as I haven’t visited this city before. It reminds me of Siem Reap, Cambodia because of how relaxed the atmosphere is. The temples and the trees also keep makes the place more quaint. It’s like a bigger city compared to Siem Reap.

After this, we spent a few moments in some souvenir shops, and then headed back to Bangkok to do some more shopping. 3

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Our Tour Guide:

One of the staff in the hotel we stayed recommended a driver/tour guide service for a day.I forgot the name of our tour guide, but you can contact their company here – Phuket Maikhao Sakhu Co. Ltd. (76) 205 225