Our last stop in Thailand before we went back to Bangkok is the Kingdom of Ayutthaya. Actually, I never heard of Ayutthaya before so I really don't know what to expect with this city. I don't know if it's like Bangkok or Chiang Mai, or is it a small rural area? Ayutthaya is 80 km above Bangkok and is only 3 train stations apart, if I remember it correctly.
The famous buddha head in Wat Mahathat
We departed Chiang Mai and took a night sleeper train going to Ayutthaya. How was my first time on a sleeper train? Just so-so. Aside from the fact that it's actually my first time to ride such mode of transportation, there's nothing special to it. Well of course aside from the reclining beds which I was thinking upon riding the train on how will they transform the seats into a bed, there's no more other stuff to be excited about. The train was okay. I don't know if travelling by train is faster than travelling by bus but either way, it's a new experience, right? To be honest, I wasn't really able to sleep. It was very shaky.
We arrived at Ayutthaya at around 4 am. And since we're backpackers that time, our plan is just to have a day trip in Ayutthaya therefore we no longer need a room accommodation. But as I mentioned, I wasn't able to get a good sleep. And it's very early in the morning! So instead of sticking to the original plan, we try to find a guesthouse near the train station so we could rest for awhile before touring around Ayutthaya. Lucky us, we found a nice place to had a 2 hour power nap and to serve as a locker/repository of our belongings. The room was pretty nice, it was small but at least we got to power nap before a full day biking and sight seeing in Ayutthaya.
To tour around Ayutthaya, we rented a bicycle, which is by the way very convenient. With just a map onhand, we roamed around and see what Ayutthaya has to offer.
Just a little background, Ayutthaya, just like Chiang Mai, used to be the Thai capital. The Ancient city of Ayutthaya is also one of Thailand's major attraction since it's included in UNESCO's list of world heritage. Today, many ancient ruin can be found in Ayutthaya. It was the ruins left from the fight between the Thais and the Burmese. These kind of stories makes me really more interested on the relationship of these nations. I mean they were enemies before and now they're rebuilding connections. Indochina is really interesting.
Coconut ice cream anyone? :)
There are a lot to see in Ayutthaya but just like our tour in Chiang Mai's old city, we just went to the major ones as it is not possible to just tour it in a day.
After going through the major ruins, we went back to our room and prepared to depart for Bangkok. This was our last stop before we actually went back home. We took the train again to go to Bangkok. travel time is roughly 2 hours to 3 hours.
Our flight back to Manila is early in the morning the next day so what does backpackers do in this kind of situation? We stayed in the airport until morning and waited for our flight.
It was very fast. I just went to 4 places in Thailand, 3 of which are major cities and I still can't process that I've been to Thailand because it's part of my bucket list! I am looking forward in going back because I believe there are many more things I can discover in Thailand. I still have yet to visit Phuket. I am also very thankful because my father knows Thailand like he's been living there for a long time already.
Well, he stayed there for almost a year so maybe that's why he knows Thailand like a local. Also, I am very proud of myself because travelling a la backpacker is not easy! HAHA! Travel light you say? Ahm... HAHA lol. But I survived, so that's an achievement already. Being a backpacker has many pros too you know! Aside from budget travelling, you also get to see travelling on a different perspective. Patience and discipline. And it's hard! Arte ko pa naman! =)))
All in all, this was a very memorable trip to me. Because of this, I want to pursue a Southeast Asia backpacking trip alone. Well, if time and money permits. It would be a nice experience I guess.
So this is where my Thailand diaries end. Until my next out of the country travel! :D
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23 comments
HEY! That is so nice. I love the architecture... imagine the history, the stories behind it. But the buddha head doon sa tree, that was absolutely fascinating!
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Yup. The architecture is very nice. And the buddha head is really a must see! :)
DeleteAwesome trip! oh, and, great photos too! the place is picturesque. Did you book it by yourselves or through a travel agency? :)
ReplyDeleteEverything is Instagram worthy! hehe. We tour the city by ourselves since we're a backpacker that time and we are budget travellers. heheh
DeleteYay! Haven't been to any other country! Looking at your photos, I think I need to wait for any seatsale and book my flight to Thailand! Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteBon Voyage! :D
DeleteLovely photos! I hope to visit Thailand one day.This place looks so interesting.The coconut ice cream looks delish!
ReplyDeleteThank you! hehe. And yes, the coconut ice cream is really delish!
DeleteI would have taken a nap too if I didn't get to sleep while traveling. I noticed that the temples in Thailand are very similar to those in Cambodia. I'd been to Siem Reap already, I'd love to try Thailand next time. And I will keep Ayutthaya in mind.
ReplyDeleteYou really have to see Thailand. It's an amazing place. And you've never been to Thailand if you didn't visit Ayutthaya. :)
DeleteI love how they preserve the temples and the ruins. A friend who'd been in Thailand said that there is such a thing as temple overload when you go there but if they look as amazing as these, I really wouldn't mind.
ReplyDeleteIt's true. They have a lot of temples. Each one is unique. :)
DeletePrettttttyyyyy. Not to crowded there, I hope? This has been on my bucketlist since forevs.
ReplyDeleteWell, there are some that's crowded. There are some that's not really too crowded. Go and book your ticket now to Thailand! :)
DeleteThe buddha head looks creepy. Haha. I would also love to try backpacking but I think it's not for me. I'm too lazy, I easily get exhausted and I usually just stay in a hotel when we go visit other places. Haha
ReplyDeleteWhyyyy!! Hahaha. You're missing cool experiences by staying in the hotel! :)
DeleteWhat beautiful pictures! While I will probably never get to visit overseas, I love seeing it through someone else's eyes! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI like its architecture and tradition. I am also a follower of slow traveling. I can spend two weeks in a City. Wonderful discovery. :)
ReplyDeleteThailand is very rich in culture and architecture. You've captured it well. The place looks amazing. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love all your pictures! They looks as real as those from the post cards. Also, Thailand is really pretty. I hope to visit it and go backing around Southeast Asia too. :)
ReplyDeleteHuhu I've been reading a lot of travel blogs now and I just want to pack and go! Haay I hope I could visit Thailand someday too :)
ReplyDeleteairinaapril.blogspot
All the more reason for me to go visit Thailand but as much as I want to be a backpacker there, I don't think I can. I'm scared. I'll go there with family and friends instead and explore those places.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know Ayutthaya is that close to Bangkok! I was in Bangkok to work, without much time, so ended up not going to Chiang Mai or Phuket for lack of time... Well, this was more than 10 years ago, when there was not a lot of detailed information for foreigners... Would love to go back to Thailand!
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting my blog! Comments are very much appreciated. :)