A Day Trip to Siam's Ancient Capital | Ayutthaya, Thailand
After relaxing at the beach in Pattaya for a couple of days celebrating Chinese New Year, we decided to head into the countryside to explore a more historical facet of Thailand.
Before heading north, I didn't have a single clue about Ayutthaya and its cultural significance. I will give a quick summary of the information I should have looked up before going there.
According to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, Ayutthaya, the capital of the Siamese Kingdom, used to be "one of the world's largest, most cosmopolitan urban areas and a centre for global diplomacy." After being burned down by the Burmese in the 18th century, only ruins of monasteries and temples spread out across the countryside remain. The Ayutthaya Historical Park has since been named a world heritage site and is a popular tourist attraction not too far from Bangkok.
Our day trip was rather spontaneous. In the morning, the kind host at the "Neighbor Phuthon" bed and breakfast organised a last-minute driver for the day. (If you're staying in Bangkok, I would highly recommend this place. Both the host and the "homemade"-style breakfast are awesome. It is in the centre of the city and just a short walk away from the Grand Palace and the bars on Khaosan Road.)
We got in the car and less than two hours later we pulled up to our first stop: Wat Chaiwatthanaram, one of the most famous Buddhist temples in Ayutthaya.
To maintain the temples and to fund renovations, especially after the historical park was partially damaged during the 2011 Thailand floods, a small 50 Baht entrance fee is charged at each site.
Upon entering, what struck me most was the impressive stone architecture of the structures. Over the years, the sites have been preserved surprisingly well. Although impressive already in its current form, a model of the temple at the entrance eludes to what this once majestic temple used to look like.
The slightly misty atmosphere and morning sunshine offered a unique photo opportunity. With some minor editing, the site looked almost like a scene from an Indiana Jones movie.
This location and architecture was specifically chosen to reflect the glory of the Prasat Thong dynasty. Situated right on the Chao Phraya river, the 35-metre central prang majestically dominates over the surrounding environment. Lined with more than 100 Buddha statues, countless murals and reliefs depicting the life of Buddha, this place must have been an exceptional spiritual sanctuary. Unfortunately, most of the statues and murals have been badly damaged. Nevertheless, amazing photo opportunities were around every corner.
About an hour later we got back into our car and were driven to the next temple: Wat Phra Sri Sanphet, in my opinion, the most impressive of sites in Ayutthaya. This temple used to be a holy part of the Royal Palace and features three chedis, large chapels with a unique cone-like shape.
Our next stop was the Wat Ratburana temple. Of the once large entrance hall, only the walls remain today. In the middle of the site was yet another tower, surrounded by ancient temple remains. I felt like this would be the perfect opportunity to create a hyperlapse, so here it is.
Eventually, the intense afternoon sun made our excursion quite exhausting, and we made our way back to Bangkok.
After our dose of beach vacation, it was great getting to know a less publicised tourist attraction. It was fun immersing ourselves a little into the country's history and culture and coming home with some great pictures.
Before heading north, I didn't have a single clue about Ayutthaya and its cultural significance. I will give a quick summary of the information I should have looked up before going there.
According to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, Ayutthaya, the capital of the Siamese Kingdom, used to be "one of the world's largest, most cosmopolitan urban areas and a centre for global diplomacy." After being burned down by the Burmese in the 18th century, only ruins of monasteries and temples spread out across the countryside remain. The Ayutthaya Historical Park has since been named a world heritage site and is a popular tourist attraction not too far from Bangkok.
Our day trip was rather spontaneous. In the morning, the kind host at the "Neighbor Phuthon" bed and breakfast organised a last-minute driver for the day. (If you're staying in Bangkok, I would highly recommend this place. Both the host and the "homemade"-style breakfast are awesome. It is in the centre of the city and just a short walk away from the Grand Palace and the bars on Khaosan Road.)
We got in the car and less than two hours later we pulled up to our first stop: Wat Chaiwatthanaram, one of the most famous Buddhist temples in Ayutthaya.
To maintain the temples and to fund renovations, especially after the historical park was partially damaged during the 2011 Thailand floods, a small 50 Baht entrance fee is charged at each site.
Upon entering, what struck me most was the impressive stone architecture of the structures. Over the years, the sites have been preserved surprisingly well. Although impressive already in its current form, a model of the temple at the entrance eludes to what this once majestic temple used to look like.
The slightly misty atmosphere and morning sunshine offered a unique photo opportunity. With some minor editing, the site looked almost like a scene from an Indiana Jones movie.
This location and architecture was specifically chosen to reflect the glory of the Prasat Thong dynasty. Situated right on the Chao Phraya river, the 35-metre central prang majestically dominates over the surrounding environment. Lined with more than 100 Buddha statues, countless murals and reliefs depicting the life of Buddha, this place must have been an exceptional spiritual sanctuary. Unfortunately, most of the statues and murals have been badly damaged. Nevertheless, amazing photo opportunities were around every corner.
About an hour later we got back into our car and were driven to the next temple: Wat Phra Sri Sanphet, in my opinion, the most impressive of sites in Ayutthaya. This temple used to be a holy part of the Royal Palace and features three chedis, large chapels with a unique cone-like shape.
Our next stop was the Wat Ratburana temple. Of the once large entrance hall, only the walls remain today. In the middle of the site was yet another tower, surrounded by ancient temple remains. I felt like this would be the perfect opportunity to create a hyperlapse, so here it is.
Eventually, the intense afternoon sun made our excursion quite exhausting, and we made our way back to Bangkok.
After our dose of beach vacation, it was great getting to know a less publicised tourist attraction. It was fun immersing ourselves a little into the country's history and culture and coming home with some great pictures.
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