Biking the Ruins of Ayutthaya

Our Gang Navigating the Streets of Ayutthaya

I don’t know what it is about a bike.  Maybe it reminds me of my childhood. Maybe it’s just the idea of going fast without much effort.  But to date, the best travel days I’ve had were on a bike.  I’ve cycled through back roads in Luang Prabang, Laos.  I’ve peddled around Himeji Castle in Japan.  But one of the most entertaining days of biking was in Ayutthaya, Thailand.

We called ourselves the JT Gang.  We were “JT” because we’d just gone on a huge shopping spree for Jim Thompson products in Bangkok—although our friend Johnny Tam will say that JT stands for him. Second, we were a gang: nine Americans on vacation, a few for the first time in Asia.  We were like locusts, taking over a hotel and drinking the mini-bar dry.

Thailand Travel is Always Better on Two-Wheels

On our third day in Thailand, we’d made our way to Ayutthaya.  The sun was merciless, the heat clinging to our backs.  But we didn’t care.  We had our bikes.  In a long snaking line, we peddled from our small guesthouse called Luang Chumni Village.  We zipped through some of the most historical sites in Thailand.  We saw the face of Buddha in tree roots and the main temple square.  We found roosters and stray dogs and even a riverside restaurant for lunch.  We prayed at the reclining Buddha, laughed for hours as traffic cut our group in half, and wide-eyed drivers wondered what we were doing.

With Bikes, We Had Enough Energy for Quiet Contemplations at the Ayutthaya Ruins

Visiting Ayutthaya can be overwhelming, especially in the heat of summer.  But for a few bucks, a bicycle rental turns a humid day into a crazy, gut-laughing adventure.  Most guesthouses will be able to supply good bikes and chains.  Inquire and have fun!

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