Things to do in Ayutthaya, Thailand

Our second point of call after Bangkok was the former capital of Thailand, Ayutthaya.

The also post covers:

• how we got to Ayutthaya from Bangkok
• where we stayed
• good places to eat and have coffee
• sights we saw
• how much we spent
• overall impressions

Ayutthaya train station

Getting there

Ayutthaya is about 80 kms from Bangkok and conveniently on the train line route.

Bangkok train station

For 65 baht each we got the train from Bangkok train station. We got our tickets at the station, but you can also book online on Thairailwayticket.com. The journey takes about 2 and half hours.

You can also get there other ways, like a minibus or tax, but the train is by far the cheapest option, and more scenic.

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the train. You get a comfy seat, the luxury of a loo and a meal (at an additional cost)  - together with the beautiful scenery outside your window.

Watching the world go by

Atmosphere

Having come from Bangkok, we were grateful for a bit of peace and quiet. Even though Ayutthaya is a city, it's a lot more condensed, with less people and traffic.

Everything is near enough within walking distance too. You have a lovely night market with delicious food, little coffee shops and a few temples - about 19!

Accommodation

We stayed at AllSum hostel in a 6 bed dorm for 3 nights - our first dorm experience. The room had AC which was an absolute blessing because it was so hot outside. You also had a curtain around your bed for privacy and a free breakfast (toast and fruit).

Reception and communal area at AllSum Hostel

There's four communal areas you can lounge in: downstairs in the reception area, the garden, a landing area - and there's also a balcony with a table and chairs too.

The location was close enough to town and walking distance to the night market and Wat Phra Mahatat.

I would highly recommend AllSum as it's cheap, clean and in a great location.

Ayutthaya night market

We really loved this market. It was small, but thriving with great food, crafts and clothes stalls. It's open everyday from 5pm till 9pm.

Ayutthaya night market

We were pleased to see a few veggie stalls as in Bangkok we hardly found any.

We had our first veggie pad thai from a family run stall. It was made fresh in front of us by what I assume was the grandmother, with her grandson serving us. It was really sweet -  literally, because she put sugar on the pad thai which I've never seen before, it was delicious! Also for 35 baht each, you can't complain.

Our second pad thai from the market stall - delicious!

Other places to eat

Near Wat Phra Mahatat, there's a really cute restaurant called Coffee Old City. It's cheap and has veggie options - plus it has really good smoothies and shakes. I'd recommend it if they've been trekking around the temples all day.

Fried rice and a banana & chocolate smoothie

Coffee

For coffee, there's a few quirky places you can go.

We first went to The Jim's cafe, which is a modern cafe selling quality coffee and pastries. Nothing different from what you might get in Bangkok or East London, but it was nice.

Our favourite place though was Basic Space coffee. It's only small, but it had a lot of character and a really relaxed feel to it. You could easily draw or read your book in peace here. I also had my first Thai iced coffee and it didn't disappoint. I'm usually a flat white drinker, but when it's really hot, you have to get on the iced coffee.

An absolute blessing when it's 35 degrees outside

Wat Phra Mahatat

Open 8am till 6pm - everyday
200 baht entry for foreigners (which is on a big red sign - Bit rude!) 

This beautiful red bricked temple is one of the biggest and most significant in Ayutthaya because it houses the Buddha's holy relic. In 1767, when the Ayutthaya kingdom fell, it was severely damaged by fire and abandoned. It's surprising it's still standing to be honest!

Here you'll also see the famous Buddha's head in the tree (that's if you can see it with the sea of tourists around it).

The famous Buddha's head and a sleeping dog (not part of the temple)

We went on a really hot day when there was a lot of tourists about so we didn't really enjoy it as much as we probably should have.

How much we spent

Over 3 nights in Ayutthaya, we spent:

• accommodation: £32.31
• food and drink: £54 (one day we had 4 coffee, because we're addicts)

Overall impressions

We really enjoyed Ayutthaya as it was a nice relaxing break from the hectic Bangkok and gave us a taste of what was to come in Northern Thailand. Well worth a visit for a few days if you have time. Also it doesn't smell like pollution and durian fruit.

Next stop: Lampang!

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