Ayutthaya sits on an artificial island at the meeting of the Chao Phraya, Lopburi and Pa Sak rivers, and taking to the water is one of the most relaxed and atmospheric ways to see it. A typical longtail-boat tour loops the island in one to two hours, usually in the late afternoon, gliding past a string of riverside monuments that are hard to reach or best seen from the water. Most circuits pause at or slow before three temples: Wat Phutthaisawan, with its handsome Khmer-style prang; the majestic riverside ruins of Wat Chaiwatthanaram, glowing at sunset; and Wat Phanan Choeng, home to a revered nineteen-metre seated Buddha and a lively working shrine. Drifting past fishermen, riverside homes and the occasional monastery gives a gentler, cooler perspective on the old capital after a hot day among the ruins. Boats can be chartered privately from several piers, and some Bangkok operators run full dinner cruises up to Ayutthaya and back.
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