‘There is no path to peace. Peace is the path’ – Gandhi

The quote above was a personal reflection of my trip for the day to Ayutthaya(Former capital of Thailand). We started the day as usual with a hearty breakfast at Banyan Tree Club Room and then proceeded to the lobby to patiently wait for our transport. Due to traffic, our pre-booked taxi came later than usual.

Personal reflection of the day: Board the correct transport. My Friend and I unfortunately did not notice the transport properly and ended up taking a regular taxi that we thought was from the company “Happy Taxi” and almost ended up being cheated. Thankfully we figured that something was fishy and got out of the taxi when the taxi driver seemed unsure of the booking we made prior to that day. He did not even have the courtesy to drop us back at the hotel but rather left us on the opposite side of the road to cross back.

Finally, we saw that our transport (www.Thaihappytaxi.com) was waiting at the hotel lobby when we crossed back. It was time to start the 1hr and 30min journey to Ayutthaya.

Welcome to the magical kingdom of Ayutthaya!

Well, one may not find it as magical as it used to be in the 10th Century. However if you are a fanatic for historical parks and culture dating 600-700 years ago, this would be your garden of eden. Many of the temples in Ayutthaya are situated around one another. We were very fortunate to have had an assiduous driver, who brought us safely around. Although it would have been nice if he knew more english to have a conversation, nevertheless he was patient and gave us ample of time to venture around the premise.

Attraction: Bang Pa- In Royal Palace

Price: 100 Baht

Attire: Men-Long pants, no singlets, and covered shoes. Women- Fully covered bottoms, no singlets and appropriate footwear.

He first brought us to Bang Pa- In Royal Palace. This place honestly reminded me of Singapore Botanical Gardens, but with intricately carved statues greeting us and well maintained bushes. Yes! I said bushes. They honestly had some really interesting designed bushes at this palace. It’s a nice walk around, especially if you have the time to waste:) There are buggies for rental if you would rather cruise through the attraction. It is pricey though and personally I feel that walking around gives you more to absorb from the ambience.

The average prices of the ruin temples in Ayutthaya range from 100-150 Baht. These temples are a must see when you arrive at Ayutthaya. Feel free to rent a bicycle to move around the area from temple to temple. Since we had our transport fixed, we did not venture on bicycles, but rather on our feet. Be careful not to be scammed by ‘tour guides’ there. My friend and I moved around the whole day without a tour guide. We felt that walking around and taking pictures of the beautiful landscape fulfilled out experience.