Koh Lipe is a beautiful Thai island, closer to Malaysia than mainland Thailand. It’s referred to as the Maldives of Thailand and it’s easy to see why. The white sandy beaches, beautiful blue water, hidden beaches and stunning sunsets make this island a perfect getaway.
Koh Lipe is more expensive than mainland Thailand and a few other Thai islands. It’s not pricey at all compared with the UK, Europe or the US of course, but if you’re on a backpacking budget you’ll notice the prices are somewhat higher than most of South East Asia. Additionally, there are plenty of restaurants on Koh Lipe serving Western or Indian food, and not many just serving local Thai food.
In light of all of this we set out to find the best local restaurants serving delicious Thai food on Koh Lipe without breaking the bank, and have shared that list below!
We’ve given the price of a Pad Thai as a benchmark dish, but prices for various dishes do of course differ from place to place.
Seven of the best local restaurants on Koh Lipe
Beaches of Koh Lipe
The best seafood
Despite the name, we actually couldn’t see any fresh seafood on offer so we decided not to order any of that, perhaps because we ate at lunch time… Regardless the food is decent and the portions are huge. The shining star of their menu are the smoothies – the best we had on the island and we went back to get another the next day!
There was a proper locals vibe at Tasneem’s both times we ate there. The people working at the restaurant are really friendly and attentive without being pushy and the food is great as well. We can definitely recommend the mango salad which was a delicious!
Pad Thai: 70-90฿ depending on whether you have veg only or add proteins
Thaidurm Restaurant
We found this place by accident and ended up going back twice, the seafood was delicious as was the Pad Thai and actually not as pricey for fish as other places we saw so if you want to try some on the island, here is a great option.
Just a word of warning – don’t be fooled by the juice stand across the road, they look amazing but if you get large one they’re super watered down which is disappointing.
This is a huge restaurant but it’s super busy here every night! The food is really tasty with generous portions and the service is quick and friendly despite them being so busy. There’s a lot of seafood on offer here which makes the prices a bit higher than other places on this list but the prawns we had in our Massaman curry were gigantic and delicious!
Serene restaurant is right on Walking Street which makes it very central on the island. We had lunch here twice as the food was very tasty and quick. The menu is well priced given its location and the one woman who does all the cooking here cooks in a classic open kitchen meaning you can see your food being made.
Despite a name that seemingly was entered into Google maps without any spaces, this place deserves a visit! It’s a bit rough around the edges but the staff and food are nice enough. The restaurant is fairly small but the service is very quick and the papaya salad has just the right amount of spice and lime – delicious!
This little local restaurant should absolutely be on your must eat list in Koh Lipe. We went back twice and loved every single mouthful. It’s basically a phò place and is amazingly cheap. There’s no menu, you just go to the counter and choose the meat you’d like (chicken or pork or a mix) and your noodles (thick or thin). For those of you who have visited Vietnam, it will bring back a flood of memories! It’s run by a really sweet couple, highly recommended!
Pad Thai: No Pad Thai here, but each dish costs between 60-80฿ depending on whether you choose a single type of meat or a mix!
There we have it! Seven local restaurants on Koh Lipe to eat delicious Thai food at, without breaking the bank. Let us know if you tried any of these – leave a comment below or find us on Instagram!
Thailand E-SIM Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng Luang Prabang to Vientiane
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Arriving in Singapore is a shock to the senses, it’s like a cross between Avatar, some science-y futuristic lab, and In Time – you know that film with Cillian Murphy, Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried where all the rich people just move about so beautifully in a clean, calm and quiet city.
Singapore is certainly rich and certainly expensive, especially if you’re coming to it from a backpacking trip around SE Asia. But there are plenty of ways to keep spending in Singapore down, and the budget intact. We visited for three days, saw loads, ate loads, stayed centrally, and it cost us £270 including accommodation and some fancy coffees (we just like coffee…this is optional!). The reason our spending didn’t soar into the thousands is because there is just so much to do that’s free in Singapore which is amazing, and helpful. Even better, the free activities don’t feel like you’re missing out, they’re genuinely cool. We’ll cover our full spend breakdown in another post but first, here is everything you can do for free in Singapore!
12 completely free things to do in Singapore
All of these places, activities, sights are actually free – no hidden costs here. Let’s get into them:
1. Gardens by the Bay
The Gardens by the Bay are a famous Singapore landmark primarily known for the stunning architectural trees covered in climbing plants and flowers. The gardens themselves are also beautiful and cover a large distance around the bay by themselves. The twice nightly light show set to music takes place in Garden Rhapsody and is free to watch. Join the crowds to sit beneath the trees and watch the shows play out. Happily you will always get a good view as the show happens at a height of 25-50 meters.
Timings: the light is on 7:45pm & 8:45pm every night; the gardens are open 24/7
2. Thian Hock Keng Temple
Located in a busy and popular part of Singapore’s Central Area is this small Taoist temple. Although the majority religion in Singapore is Buddhism, almost 10% of Singapore’s residents declared themselves as Taoist in the 2020 census.
Even though this temple is directly on the street it feels tucked away and secret. People rarely stay for long as it’s size doesn’t require a lot of time, and locals quietly slip in and out to pray and leave donations. It has amazing decorations, especially its doors, and is a quiet, peaceful space that deserves a visit.
Singapore is almost 47% green space which apparently makes it the greenest city in Asia! This is great for loads of reasons, biodiversity and climate protection being two key ones, but for tourists and locals it also means that there are things to do in Singapore which involve nature. This green stretch runs along the west and south of Singapore for 24kms and has a ton of access points to metro stations and pathways back into built up areas which makes joining this path easy. Cars and motorbikes aren’t allowed and cyclists are meant to stick to a 10kmp/h speed limit (not sure that’s adhered to!) but the point is to maintain this space as pleasant for everyone.
If you walk along the route it’s entirely free, if you’d rather cycle use ‘hellobike’ for the best rates and ease of use.
HelloBike is an app based bike rental, all you need to do is download the app, find a nearby bike, scan the QR code to unlock it then off you go. Keep an eye on the time/spend and find an accepted park up spot. The map on the app will show you your options and you’ll need to scan the QR code (usually on the floor) by the parking bay to end your rental. HelloBike also has sign up discounts so if you’re cycling in a pair or group you can gift free 30 minute cycle and reduce your overall cost! Without the freebie, a 1hr cycle is $2.50 (£1.50).
Timings: Open 24/7 but as the corridor is also used to provide animal crossings and protect wildlife the route isn’t lit with street lights when it gets dark – so take care if you’re walking or cycling at night.
4. Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
This is an absolutely gigantic modern Buddhist temple covering four floors. It’s centrally located in Chinatown and has a lot going on!
The temple was only built in 2007 and is highly decorative, the amount of fundraising, planning, and local input into this space to make it the highly decorative and bustling temple it is, is impressive, if not a little overwhelming!
The temples houses two floors of museums. One covers relics and the Buddha Tooth Relic specifically and how the temple was built. The other floor discusses Buddhism and the Sangha, the Buddhist community. The top floor houses the relic itself inside a reliquary made of solid gold.
In addition to the museum there is a roof terrace and mezzanine level. Take your time to visit this place, it’s usually busy as it’s an active temple and there’s a lot to see and take in.
You need to dress respectfully here but there are sarongs on offer for free to borrow for your visit.
Just north of the Bukit Timah area of Singapore is a huge nature reserve full of jungle trees, walking trails, bird and monkeys.
One of the famous trails here is the Tree Top Walk, a 250m free hanging suspension walkway between the trees. This bridge forms part of a longer trail, so do be aware that you can’t just do the walkway and head back to the car (or whatever mode of transport you might be taking!). There are a couple of routes to get to the walkway but the most straightforward way is to take the MacRitchie Tree Top Walk trail which is 7kms loop and starts (and ends) from the Windsor Nature Carpark. This point is easily accessible via the metro and a short walk, or a bus that will drop you close to the car park.
The nature reserve gets very busy at the weekends as locals take to the area to hike and catch up with friends. There’s still plenty of room for all, but for a quieter walk try to go during the working week.
Timings: The nature reserve area is open 24/7 however the Tree Top walk bridge is open as follows: Tuesday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm, Saturday/Sunday 8:30am-5:00pm, Monday Closed.
6. Marina Bay light show
Singapore’s Marina Bay area is impressive! It’s the center of gigantic and fancy hotels, a humungous shopping mall and beautiful designer shops on the waterfront. There is also a large sweeping boardwalk right by the water and easy access to Gardens by the Bay. From Thursdays to Sundays, twice a night, there is a beautiful fountain light show, set to music. Singapore does these kinds of entertainments really well, and this is no exception.
The show lasts for 15 minutes each time and you’ll want to get a good spot as the crowds do come here and the view is onto the water. Google directions can be a little confusing on where to put yourself, so head for the Apple Store on Marina Bay and then find a spot between the Apple Store and Louis Vuitton for a great spot to watch the free show!
Singapore’s Little India is an amazing place – we loved exploring it and there was so much to see. Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple is small but beautiful and brightly decorated temple in Little India.
It’s an active spot so you’ll want to stand to the side to avoid getting in the way of people paying their respects and making offerings but visitors are welcome to observe. You will need to remove your shoes and store them on the shelves outside and cover up. There are free sarongs to borrow for your visit by the entrance.
Timings: 05:30am-12:00pm & 5:00pm – 9:00pm every day
8. Botanic Garden
The Botanic Garden in Singapore is situated in the Tanglin area of Singapore and provides a large and manicured space for people to come and relax, enjoy the greenery, or visit specific exhibitions.
As well as simply being a huge park to meet up with friends, picnic in, or just wander about for a couple of hours – the park runs monthly free tours (usually on Saturdays) facilitated by volunteers on different topics. You can find the latest calendar of events here.
The Botanic Garden also houses some free art exhibitions, check out the Botanical Art Gallery for their latest exhibitions. In fact, the only exhibit that charges a fee is the Orchid House in Singapore’s Botanic Garden, and while it is spectacular (it was the only thing we actually paid for during our stay in Singapore), it isn’t for everyone – making the Botanic Gardens another great free activity!
This colorful house of a former sweet shop owner, is the last surviving Chinese villa in Little India. It was built in the 1990s and while you can no longer go inside, the outside is stunning and should definitely form part of your wanderings around Little India.
Timings: No entry – available 24/7 for photos and admiration
10. Sultan Mosque
As you walk past the Sultan Mosque crossing the road on Arab Street, it looms out of nowhere looking too big for the street it’s on. The mosque has been around in one form or the other since the 1820s, on Kandahar Street you can see a side by side painted map of the area from the 1920s and 2023 – the Sultan Mosque looked a little different back then but stayed in the same location.
Visitors are welcome to observe for free and there are sarongs and cover-ups provided if you’re wearing shorts, sleeveless tops and your hair (women) is showing.
Singapore has such a varied history with numerous different cultures over it’s many years before independence that it’s no surprise the architecture is an intriguing mix as well. In addition to the interesting architecture, there is also modern street art all over Singapore, usually in theme with the area as well. It’s easy to spend hours wandering the streets and looking around you but we would recommend these areas to begin your self guided walking tour! Murals on Arab St, cute buildings and murals on Haji Lane, beautiful houses and walkways in the Blair Plain conservation area, and Serangoon Road for murals in Little India.
12. Jewel at Changi Airport
Really, an airport? Yes! This isn’t just any Airport – it’s a Singaporean Airport… and trust us, that makes all the difference!
The Jewel is really a gigantic mall attached to Terminal 1 of Changi Airport. But the thing most people will be there to see is the indoor jungle room, complete with colossal waterfall. It’s easy to get here from whichever terminal you land at, you can either walk or take the free sky train or shuttle bus. Here is a handy ‘how to get there’ guide to help.
Depending on where you’ve flown from and how much energy you have, the best time to see the Jewel is probably when you arrive so you aren’t worried about missing your flight or dealing with desk drop off times. Otherwise we would recommend leaving a good hour to see the Jewel and get to your check in desk, just in case!
Timings: open 24/7 but the shops in the small usually open 10:00am-10:00pm daily
That’s a wrap!
So there you have it, 12 absolutely free things to do in Singapore! Let us know if there’s any we’ve missed or the timings have changed etc. You can get in touch by leaving a comment below or send us a message on Instagram.
This post contains some affiliate links for products that we use extensively on our travels and have decided to partner with. Did you know you can support us, at no additional cost to you, by clicking through and making a purchase using those links? Thank you in advance!
They can’t all be winners. If you’re looking for a blog post proclaiming Luang Prabang as the center of gastronomical heaven then you are going to be disappointed. Luang Prabang has a ton of restaurants, cafes and other forms of eateries – with a wide range of food available. We spent over a week here so tried as varied a sample as we could. We’re massive foodies so usually this isn’t a chore, but unfortunately for us we couldn’t really find many food spots that really wowed us – especially compared to northern Thailand… We mixed up smaller local restaurants with those serving slightly more western influenced cuisine, though the latter was partly through desperation as much as it was desire.
We began with a jaunt to the night market on our first evening. It was lively with a mix of locals and tourists, but predominantly tourists. The towers of beer Lao were flowing for the young gap yah lads, enjoying on meat-on-a-stick options. At 27,000Kip a bottle this was not expensive by any means… Food wise, Jonny had some Laos Khao Soi whilst Emily took a punt on some fried noodles. Neither was memorable. This partly began a trend of us feeling underwhelmed by the food…so, without further adieu, let’s get into it!
10 Restaurants in Luang Prabang
Breakfast at Two Little Birds, Luang Prabang
Here is the list of all the restaurants we tried in Luang Prabang and our honest scores. Please remember we all like different food and have different palates – you might end up loving the places we didn’t and vice versa. Hopefully, this is helpful and will point you in the direction of some delicious places to eat.
This restaurant had great reviews on google maps so we were quite excited. It also offered a menu with local Laos dishes. Emily went for a Phat Thai whilst Jonny ordered pork with Thai basil. Decent enough but not deserving of the google maps accolades – 6/10 score.
This place was local, and was always busy – we realised it was busy because each dish took about 45 minutes to cook. It was also fully committed to a Thai based shopping channel on a flatscreen TV, blaring out the current special deal (buy 5 – get 5 free!!).
The place was rough and ready, but we’d eaten in loads of places like this before with no problems. Jonny had pork and rice whilst Em went for fried soy noodles. There was an odd treacle undertone to the noodles but Jonny’s dish was good. Em was scathing of the dirtiness and dish, dropping a 3/10 whereas Jonny was slightly more generous with a 6/10.
Whilst we didn’t receive a top meal, I am at least now the proud owner of 10 bars of soap and a tub of collagen powder (plus free shipping!!).
Well, well, well. Laos food, localish prices and in the quaint old town to boot. Good enough to eat in twice.
Jonny sampled the belly pork and rice the first time, and chicken fried rice the second. Emily was so thrilled with her crispy fried pork and rice she had it twice (it also came with half a boiled egg!). Good eats and good prices – 7.5 / 10 from us both – pretty decent even if not overwhelmingly knock-out.
This should definitely be on your must eat list for restaurants in Luang Prabang.
Whilst eating the Laos version of the Bahn Mi – the Khao jee pâté – I was reasonably happy. It had an interesting set of fillings, with a pretty spicy element and some fresher coriander. Not amazing but not bad. We took two (one spicy, one not) to the waterfalls with us. Jonny spent the middle of the night stuck to the loo and thinks, based on what else we ate that day (either shared or not shared) this was the likely culprit.
Grim, but we’ll say no more. Originally a 6/10, reduced to 2/10 for obvious reasons.
Slight disappointment here as there was no crispy pork left when we arrived – there was however just normal pork, so seemingly Jonny once again went rice and pork Emily chose more noodles but was not impressed, partially due to a few bits of grissly meat. Not memorable enough for a rating from Emily, but about 5.6/10 from Jonny.
Found by complete surprise as we were hunting for something else, a French-owned (quelle surprise in Labuang Prabang) brand new restuarant which opened on Nov 15th 2023.
We spent more on this meal than any other so far this trip, coming in at a whopping 380,000Kip (£14.51) for two mains and two fresh orange juices. However, the food was really tasty and huge portions.
Jonny had, wait for it, belly pork with sticky rice, but accompanied with some pickled radish and cucumber. Emily had a Carbo-sayo-nara which was fresh soba noodles with nori miso sauce, chiitake mushrooms, soy cured egg yolk and parmesan chips. Ooh la la. Both were knock out and such large portions that they basically finished us off.
Emily rated this a 9/10 and Jonny did too. Definitely pay this restaurant a visit when you’re in Luang Prabang, it also has an incredibly aesthetic interior design touch.
This was another good meal, but once again at a price point above the ‘average’. Emily enjoyed her pumpkin curry with sticky rice, and Jonny really loved the slightly spicy fresh fish from the Mekong, grilled in banana leaf.
After eating Jonny asked which fish it was, and to be told (thanks again google translate) it was Barb. A quick google later told us that the Mekong is home to some super-sized fish, as a result of the river’s prehistoric nature, and the deep pools that make it up (upto 80m deep in places, protecting fish during dry season) and a lack of natural predators (beyond humans) have enabled giant fish species to flourish (including the Giant barb, Giant catfish). Unfortunately, once source I read (after eating) suggested that the Giant Barb is endangered (fish stocks generally in the Mekong are reduced by about 90% from the origins due to fishing practices. A real challenge to manage this I expect, especially for a river that flows through several SE Asia countries whom depend on it for livelihoods.
Anyway, back to the ratings, Emily scored this restaurant an 8/10 and Jonny an 8/10 too. Another to put on the must eat list for Luang Prabang restaurants.
This was a specific punt at some blander western food as a result of the-night-that-shall-not-be-discussed (see sandwich incident above).
We were surprised at the quality of the pizza that Emily had and Jonny’s burger. Far greater than our low expectations, and the lack of spice was probably just what Jonny’s immodium lined stomach required. Jonny’s slight nag was the chip portion which ran to 9 chips, but they were super hot and straight from the frier so tasted good.
Emily rated her pizza at 7/10 and Jonny gave the burger 7/10. Drinks were slightly more expensive here than elsewhere, but cold filtered water was brought to the table free of charge.
Would definitely recommend if you’re looking for a Western restaurant in Luang Prabang.
This was a hot spot for backpackers /tourists due to offering a very veggie / vegan friendly menu.
We utilised it for breakfast as they did a pretty good smoothie bowl coming in at 35-50,000KIP (though an extra 18,000 for a small bowl of granola on the side). It offered us a healthier breakfast option compared to pastries and was necessary given our accommodation didn’t include breakfast (we spent 8 days total in Luang Prabang).
We collectively rated them 8/10. This place regularly makes it to the top of people’s lists in Luang Prabang and for good reason.
French bakery which did reasonable baguette – Jonny had some with bacon and eggs and it was quite good.
Em had a croissant with jam (actual jam rather than sweet jelly type stuff) though her profesional opinion was that insufficient resting time meant the croissant was on the denser side. We also both tried a pain au chocolat, which was pretty good.
We’re not talking France quality here, but pretty good none the less. 6/10 from Em, 6.5/10 from Jonny.
Final thoughts
Overall we were a bit disappointed that we didn’t find better local dishes, plus one night of terror, meant that overall our inner foodies were left a little sad. We’d love to hear from you if there are any places we missed that you think should be on this list! Leave us a comment or get in touch on Instagram.
This post contains affiliate links for sites that we use extensively on our travels and have decided to partner with. Did you know you can support us, at no additional cost to you, by clicking through and making a purchase using those links?Thank you in advance.
As huge coffee lovers, this post covers some of our absolute favourite cafes in Chiang Mai. Thailand is one of the top coffee producers in the world, but until recently this has largely been focused on producing Robusta for commercial use. Now though, there is an emergence of Arabica and Robusta being grown for domestic which is trickling down into small batch coffee producers, roasters and sellers. Chiang Mai is an amazing place to visit for many reasons, but you can now add coffee to that list as well.
Below we’ve set out the cafe’s we love, which focus on great coffee, great locations, and (for the digital nomads among us) great places to work.
Weave Artisan SocietyNu Nu Nini’s CafeMacnuts CoffeeMa LuneGallery Drip Coffee
Macnuts Coffee
Macnuts Coffee is a just outside of Chiang Mai Old Town, to the North and very close to Wat Lok Moli temple which makes this a perfect stop off point if you’re in that part of town visiting the temple.
It’s more of a ‘hole in the wall’ for takeaways but it has a bit of seating outside in the shade. The real selling point of this place is the quality of the coffee and the care that goes into making it.
The cafe has it’s own small roastery and shares it’s skills online, you can often see the baristas recording their roasting and coffee making process. The shop also sells coffee both in small bags or wholesale.
The staff are friendly, coffee is delicious and the menu is small, meaning the focus is on getting things just right.
Ma Lune isn’t instantly noticeable when walking along Wua Lai road, but it would be a shame to miss it. With it’s beautiful wooden chairs and tables, great music and relaxed, welcoming vibes it’s absolutely a must visit if you’re looking for a great cafe in Chiang Mai. It’s very close to the Silver Temple if you’re visiting that as well.
The cafe also welcomes digital workers so this is a great spot if you’re looking to set up camp in a cafe in Chiang Mai to get some work done.
Ma Lune focuses on coffee from Northern Thailand and offers lots of choice of different coffee beans for your coffee. The owner is very knowledgeable and we had a great conversation with him about the recent rise and interest in small batch coffee roasteries in Thailand. Chiang Mai absolutely is the capital of this, with the owner moving from Chiang Rai to open up his cafe.
We almost didn’t go here on our hunt for good coffee in Chiang Mai, but I’m so glad we did. The building is a little hard to find, as you’re walking towards it you’ll feel like you’ve got lost and you’re just in a dusty car park! Keep going, it’ll spring up.
The coffee is great but the building and vibe is what make this place amazing. Weave Artisan Society is set in a huge warehouse, with beautiful polished concrete, lots of green plants, tall windows, a stunning bar and loads of co-working space – you’d be forgiven for thinking you had stumbled into a cafe in Shoreditch, London.
You could absolutely stay for a few hours here with a good book or your laptop. So if you’re looking for a good places to work digitally in Chiang Mai, this is also a great option.
This cafe does a range of pastries and cakes as well which are delicious. The coffee is a little more pricy than other places but you’re paying for the hipster space here!
A pizza restaurant, chocolate shop and jewelry store also share the building which makes it a fun and vibrant place to spend some time.
This cafe is actually set within the Arts and Culture Centre, which is well worth going to, but the cafe on it’s own (which you can access separately) is so cute.
As the name suggests they specialise in drip coffees with beans from all over Northern Thailand, but they also do a delicious iced latte, cold brew etc.
It’s quite small, very welcoming, and has a great selection of coffee, tea and cakes. In addition the background music and calm views into the courtyard make this cafe a tranquil option if you’re after a relaxed coffee in Chiang Mai. There’s also lots of lovely art work to gaze at or buy and it’s a perfect spot to plan your next move in the town as it’s very central.
Alt Chiang Mai is a concrete polished, focused kind of place. It does good coffee but is more focused on being a co-working space with a cafe on the side.
There is a separate co-working and co-living space to the cafe, meaning you can either drink and chit chat without annoyed glances or tap away without distractions. You need to book a desk to work here and can do that online, details below.
The space exudes modern calm architecture, has decent music playing in the cafe and some beach style outdoor furniture if you’d prefer to sit on the terrace and people watch.
This isn’t exactly a cosy cafe, but you’ll feel very productive and in tune with your inner digital nomad here.
This place isn’t exactly hipster, nor does it specialise in northern Thai coffee grown from small batch farms. It is, however, absolutely charming and a great spot to sip and people watch.
It gives off strong French cafe vibes and is popular with local expats for their morning pastry, coffee, and read of the papers. There is an upstairs with aircon but we preferred to sit on the ground floor near the street and watch the morning market in full action.
Their pastries are delicious and their coffee is also very good, especially the cappuccinos and lattes for the morning.
Ayutthaya was the second capital of the Siamese Kingdom, and was founded in 1350. According to the UNESCO description it flourished from the 14th to the 18th centuries, during which time it grew to be one of the world’s largest and most cosmopolitan urban areas and a center of global diplomacy and commerce.
Unfortunately, along came the Burmese and burnt a considerable amount of the old city to the ground, leaving mostly ruins of temples. However, there is enough that remains to understand how impressive the city would have once been and it was well worth a visit. We stayed two nights but you can easily day-trip from Bangkok.
Ayutthaya is located only an hour north of Bangkok making it an easy day trip or stopping off point on travels heading up to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and further north. We use 12Go Asia for all our trains, buses, ferries etc. when we can. We’ve included direct links below to the journeys on 12Go, just change the date and you’re all set.
There are a couple of ways to get to Ayutthaya from Bangkok. A very regular train that starts running at 07:10 and finishes at 23:23 will cost about £2.50 and has a journey time between 45-90 minutes depending on the train. Make sure you book a departure station in Bangkok that suits you best, there are a couple of stations the train leaves from. Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal is near Chatuchak, whereas the alternative station is Don Mueang which is a lot further north.
An alternative route is to take a minivan from Mochit New Van Terminal which is close to Chatuchak as well, or Khao San Mama Travel on Khao San Road. Both departure points are easily accessible using a cheap Grab taxi. Of course you can take the metro and trains but these tend to be sometimes slower than hopping on a Grab bike or taking a car depending on the journey. The minivans also run very frequently throughout the day and just leave when they’re full enough, so you’ll need to be slightly flexible on your timings if using these.
Once in Ayutthaya, both the train station and bus station are in the same area. There will be tuk tuks waiting to offer you lifts, don’t forget to negotiate a decent price or just use Grab to make the journey simple! If you haven’t downloaded Grab yet, then we’d absolutely recommend it for travelling around most of SE Asia.
We took a minivan from Mochit New Van Terminal and it left bang on time and got to Ayutthaya even a little ahead of schedule. As we were visiting Ayutthaya on the way to Chiang Mai we didn’t take a return journey to Bangkok, but both the trains and busses run frequently in both directions.
Alongside the central archeological site which contains a lot of ruins, the city has beautiful temples all around the outside. The central temples are easy to cycle around and there cycle paths laid out. If you’re staying in Ayutthaya most hotels and hostels offer free bikes, but if not (or if the quality is poor) then there are plenty of places offering bikes for rent around town.
To visit temples further out, we’d really recommend you rent a moped or hire a tuk tuk for the day! Don’t do what we did… We decided we’d use our hotel’s bikes to cycle to a few temples. We were naïve (borderline psychologically insane) as we thought doing a grand tour via bike would be great. Humidity, 33 degree heat, cycling over dual-carriageway bridges not designed or intended for bikes resulted in one of the sweatiest days of our lives. If you visit Ayutthaya don’t cycle 25km like we did, save that for the inner temples!
Dual carriageway selfie – the drivers and roads were all absolutely fine though, just not designed for cyclists!
Which temples to visit in Ayutthaya
There are so many temples in the center, and on the outskirts, of Ayutthaya. Some now look pretty modern as they’ve been built over ruins to protect them or incorporate them into new temples, others are still ruins as we would expect to see them. Here’s a list of all the temples we saw and would recommend, along with a priority version if you’re pressed for time.
5 must see temples in Ayutthaya
These temples are all within cycling distance of each other, you can walk them too, and are very central, meaning you can easily see them all within a day trip and are nearby enough places to grab a bite to eat to break up the day.
Wat Worachettharam – stunning large complex close to the center
Wat Phra Si Sanphet – another large temple group, close to the center
Wat Phra Ram – very ornate but crumbling complex, close to the center and easily accessible
Wat Maha That – probably most famous for the Buddha head in the tree roots. Well worth a visit for lots of other reasons but this is also a beautiful part of the temple demonstrating how nature is slowly taking over
Wat Ratcha Burana – also central, close to the night market and Wat Maha That
6 more temples to see in Ayutthaya
If you have more time in Ayutthaya then we’d recommend adding these into your sightseeing as well. You will need to hire a scooter or take a tuk tuk to these ones though as they’re all outside of the center of town.
Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon – this temple is to the east of Ayutthaya center and has a large reclining buddha that is often draped in gold cloths
Wat Phut Thai Sawan – South of Ayutthaya center, rows of golden buddhas and a starkly white temple complex
Wat Chaiwatthanaram – a large complex on the edge of the river
Wat Suwandararam – interesting temple group with a mix of old ruins and more modern temples, a little south of the center
Wat Phanan Choeng Worawihan – large temple that looks new with a lot of parking infrastructure outside it, inside is an enormous golden Buddha. Near to a Chinese shrine on the river, Chao Mae Soi Dok Mak
Wat Sala Pun Worawihan – small temple group, along the river and west of the center
Keep in mind that as there are 41 temples and more ruins all over the region, this is not an exhaustive list and you may find others to see as well so combine our recommendations with your own research.
Entry fee for Ayutthaya temples
There is no charge to walk around the National Park, which is the area where all the temples are. This means that you can see the temples clearly from the streets around the low-walled complexes for free.
Not all of the temples cost the same, the entry fee prices vary between 20 – 50 Thai Baht.
The entry and exit points on some of the lesser visited temples aren’t very well manned and we accidentally wandered into a couple of temples without realising that you usually have to pay as there was no-one at the entrance to take our money! We found that they’re not very strict on payment for entry unless you turn up with a tour group.
Ayutthaya temples opening times
Most temples open from 8am to 5pm, but keep in mind that there is limited shade at pretty much all of the temples and in the hottest part of the day (11am-2pm) it’s best to take a break for lunch!
This does mean that if you’re doing a day trip from Bangkok to Ayutthaya you will be limited to the number of temples you’ll be able to visit. If you are going to see temples over midday then hats, water and shade-seeking are highly advisable!
Dress code for Ayutthaya
While there is no dress code for the National Park, when you enter the temples you will be asked to dress respectfully, like visiting any other temples in Thailand. That means knees and shoulders covered for both men and women.
Is Ayutthaya worth visiting?
Once you’ve seen one temple you’ve seen them all right? Wrong!! These temples are so different to others you’ll find in Thailand, especially on this scale. For this reason Ayutthaya is definitely worth visiting either from Bangkok as a day trip or on the way up to Chiang Mai.
How long should I stay in Ayutthaya?
If you only visit the 5 must see temples in the centre of town then you can easily make this a day trip from Bangkok.
If you’re keen to see more temples further out then we’d recommend a whole day (with a night stop over) given the closing time, as you might want to have the chance to see more in the morning the next day.
There isn’t much to do in Ayutthaya other than visit the temples so two full days is plenty for visiting Ayutthaya.
Ayutthaya top tips
Walk around the central temples in the evening to see them lit up, they’re absolutely stunning in the daytime and at night.
If you’re staying in Ayutthaya then we’d recommend you pick a central accommodation, we stayed a little out of town and it really added to the journey time to see the temples!
On the whole Ayutthaya is a bit rough and ready, with less infrastructure catered towards tourists compared to other places we’ve visited. Beyond the temples, there isn’t masses to do.
But…there are some fantastic places to eat including:
The night market was full of food and locals and was really interesting to walk through
delicious lunch at Malakor, Ayutthaya – helped break up a hot day!Reclining Buddha at Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon
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