I live not far from Ayutthaya and was thinking about taking a gaggle of the nieces and nephews to view the ruins in an attempt to expose them to their cultural heritage. Has anyone been there and engaged a tour guide that could be recommended? Also, how long does a tour take, ie. is the place huge? Got to think about arrangements for the smaller kids if more than an hour in the sun is involved.

thanx...tutsi

Tutsi, I live not far from Ayutthaya and am there most days, at some point. I,ve spent a fair bit of time wondering around most of the ruins and it would take a lot longer than an hour or so for a full tour. I'll be talking to a tour guide tonight and can ask her what she reckons and PM you if you want.

Tutsi, I live not far from Ayutthaya and am there most days, at some point. I,ve spent a fair bit of time wondering around most of the ruins and it would take a lot longer than an hour or so for a full tour. I'll be talking to a tour guide tonight and can ask her what she reckons and PM you if you want.

yeah...we've got a minivan so that we can drive to different sites within the complex; would just need a guide to explain the significance of the different places. Please PM with the guide's contact details for the wife to discuss with her. Thanks for your help.

There are a lot of ancient temples in Ayutthaya - 360 of them, the locals say. I think your nieces and nephews would get bored long before seeing all of them. I'd suggest that you try and make the trip as varied as possible. For example:

(1) Visit Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon

(2) Head down the same road to Wat Phanangchoen. Have a quick look at the temple. There is a large Buddha figure there at the back, but when I was there last month it was covered in scaffolding. Then walk to the riverside and take a boat trip around the island. The standard trip lasts one hour and costs about 500 Baht for two farang.

(3) For lunch try the buffet either at the Krung Sri River hotel or River View Place.

(4) Visit the elephant kraal and have an elephant ride.

(5) Visit the boat museum.

(6) Visit the Historical Study Centre. (Built as a gift from the Japanese, it has some good explanations of the history of Ayutthaya in Thai, English and Japanese.)

(7) Visit Wat Chai Wattanaram.

(8) Finish the day with dinner at a riverside restaurant. Sai Thong and Baan U-Thong are both reliable. They're on U-Thong Road, east of the hospital.

Other things you might like to consider are:

(1) The water park

(2) The house of the woman who makes fish out of leaves

(3) Boat noodles

(4) The planetarium. (Not been myself, though, so can't recommend.)

There are a lot of ancient temples in Ayutthaya - 360 of them, the locals say. I think your nieces and nephews would get bored long before seeing all of them. I'd suggest that you try and make the trip as varied as possible. For example:

(1) Visit Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon

(2) Head down the same road to Wat Phanangchoen. Have a quick look at the temple. There is a large Buddha figure there at the back, but when I was there last month it was covered in scaffolding. Then walk to the riverside and take a boat trip around the island. The standard trip lasts one hour and costs about 500 Baht for two farang.

(3) For lunch try the buffet either at the Krung Sri River hotel or River View Place.

(4) Visit the elephant kraal and have an elephant ride.

(5) Visit the boat museum.

(6) Visit the Historical Study Centre. (Built as a gift from the Japanese, it has some good explanations of the history of Ayutthaya in Thai, English and Japanese.)

(7) Visit Wat Chai Wattanaram.

(8) Finish the day with dinner at a riverside restaurant. Sai Thong and Baan U-Thong are both reliable. They're on U-Thong Road, east of the hospital.

Other things you might like to consider are:

(1) The water park

(2) The house of the woman who makes fish out of leaves

(3) Boat noodles

(4) The planetarium. (Not been myself, though, so can't recommend.)

thanks for the info...I wanted to stay focused on the ruins and what they represent in terms of thai culture and history. So, was thinking of spending a morning going around the more significant sites then having lunch and returning to Suphanburi. You're right; a whole day with nothing but ruins would not keep the kids' attention for long. The wife might think of other activities and I'll advise her of your post.

Oswulf

Where's the waterpark mate?

Oswulf

Where's the waterpark mate?

Not 100% sure. Only been there once. It's on one of the roads out of Ayutthaya - either the Sena or the Angthong road. It's part of the Krung Sri group, and its location is shown on a model of the town inside the Krung Sri River hotel. Sorry I can't be any more precise.

Tutsiwarrior. PM'd you with a tour guides number.

hope you have a good day out with the kids.