Relive the past in Ayutthaya, Thailand!

Ayutthaya is the former capital of Thailand. Long time ago, it used to be a glorious city and the center of commerce and trade. However, the Burmese invaded them and burnt the whole city down around 1700s. Sadly, it was never rebuilt. Today, the Ayutthaya ruins is a living proof of the city's former splendor and glamour.

There are many ways to get into Ayutthaya from Bangkok. You can use different types of transportation like taxi, bus, boat or train. For our Ayuttahaya trip, we booked a tour with River Sun Cruise. They offer a one day Ayutthaya tour for 2100 baht per person.

The tour includes a round trip hotel transfer. We were advised that they will pick us up at 7:00 in the morning. So, before 7:00 am we were already waiting at the hotel lobby. The hotel staff prepared us two packed meals because breakfast opens at 7:00 am. However, the driver who will fetch us at the hotel was late. We were already waiting for minutes so Magnum, one of the concierge, advised us to have our free breakfast in the restaurant while waiting for the driver to arrive. As a result, we already had our breakfast then we still have the packed meals as our baon for our tour. haha!

At the parking lot, we were the last tourists to ride the Bus. Our tour guide Donna explained that there was a road accident that made the traffic worse that's why the driver wasn't able to fetch us on time. Oh well, Bangkok is as notorious as Manila when it comes to heavy flow of traffic.

During the bus ride to Ayutthaya, Donna entertained us with her stories about Thai culture and um..about herself. The scenery during our trip showed the rural area of Thailand. We passed by many rice fields, houses and temples.

The first stop of our tour is the Bang-pa-in Summer Palace. The architecture inside this Palace is a combination of Thai and Chinese culture which gives the place a majestic appeal. I enjoyed this stop because it was less crowded than the Grand Palace that's why it was more comfortable to roam around and easier to take pictures.

Bang-Pa-In Summer Palace Map and Donna -- our very enthusiastic tour guide

Second stop is Wat Maha That a.k.a Temple of the Great Relic. This is the start of reliving the past in Ayuttahaya. The stunning old relics made me wonder how beautiful this place was when it was not yet sacked by the Burmese.

When taking a picture with a Buddha image, human head should always be below or lower than the Buddha's head. Otherwise, you'll be scolded by Thais. On the below picture, we have to kneel down as a sign of respect.

Third stop is the Wat Na Phra Mane. Here, you can find the black stone Buddha from the Mon period and the giant golden Buddha. Inside the temple, we learned that Thais also pray to different gods every day. There is a god for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and for Everyday. I also learned that monks are not allowed to touch a female but I forgot to ask Donna the reason why.

Last stop is Wat Lokayasutharam. This is where you can find the large reclining Buddha, 32 m long and 8 m tall. The reclining Buddha is bare and not covered by an orange clothe like the pictures posted in the internet. I guess the Buddha is only covered during special occasions.

After the tour, the bus took us to the pier for our river cruise experience. A buffet lunch on board is also included in the tour which is really nice because we were all hungry after all the walking and sight seeings. While enjoying the view of Chao Phraya River, complimentary coffee or tea was also given to tourists.

Going back to Bangkok via river cruise is really a good idea because traffic can be really heavy if you travel on road.

Our new found friend from Malaysia! --- Soo

We arrived at River City Pier in Bangkok where drivers that will take us back to our hotel were already waiting. Overall, the Ayutthaya tour is a memorable experience and a must place to visit when you're in Thailand.

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