iuDia On The River: Experience The Tranquillity Of Old Siam (Thailand)

After years of procrastination, finally I have landed myself in the historic city of Ayutthaya, an ancient capital in the Central region of Thailand. Today, known as the Ayutthaya Historical Park, which was listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, is one of the most remarkable ruined cities in Southeast Asia. Although Ayutthaya is only one hour drive from Bangkok and most of the main attractions can be covered within a day, we chose to stay in this beautiful city for 3 days, so that we can slowly explore the ruined temples and experience the city fully without rushing.

When come to choosing an accommodation, I always find it interesting to look at the boutique hotels, because I like to admire how a boutique hotel is uniquely set up and usually come with a theme and awe-inspiring style. When we were in Ayutthaya, we stayed with iuDia On The River, a cultured, refined and elegantly furnished boutique hotel located in the heart of the ancient Ayutthaya ruins.

iuDia On The River offers well equipped facilities including river view suites and deluxe guest rooms with a majestic view of heritage ruins, in-house cafe, intimate Siamese courtyards and swimming pools. Inspired by the receptive culture of Ayutthaya, iuDia has their guest rooms named after the famous visitors of the ancient capital; and each room features modern Thai style setting with a twist of a special theme related to the famous visitor.

When we arrived at iuDia, we were greeted by the tall grandeur iron gate on the red brick facade which resemble the walls of Ayutthaya temple ruins; walked through the passage and we were lead to the reception desk. A big welcomed by the friendly staff and followed by showing us the room for our stay.

River-view Room - Sheikh Ahmad
The room that we got was named after Sheikh Ahmad, a Persian merchant who settled in Siam around the 16th century and it was a river view room that came with a lovely view of the Wat Phutthai Sawan Temple built by the first king of Ayutthaya. Our room was extremely spacious with a very high ceiling; a touch of elegance was added to the luxurious bathroom with a gorgeous freestanding bathtub and classy bathroom accessories. The interior decoration together with the selected period artifacts and ceramics portrayed a middle east nostalgic atmosphere that was in harmony with the name of the room. The room was fully furnished with air conditioning, internet access, satellite TV with DVD, tea/coffee making facilities, mini bar and private en-suite bathroom with personal care amenities.

Swimming Pools & Relax Spaces
The riverfront pool is one of the two swimming pools at the iuDia; the pool along the Chao Phraya river comes with a splendid view of the Wat Phuttai Sawan both day and night. There is another plunge pool with transparent glass wall for dipping, especially after a hot wearying day out around the ancient ruins. In iuDia, there are no shortage of places for relaxation; choose from around the pool to along the river to unwind yourself.

Exterior/Interior Decorations
iuDia On The River is like a mini heritage museum with many tasteful art pieces like antiques, artifacts, ceramics, wall displays and etc. It is definitely worth walking around the premises and admire the wonderful decor.

Breakfast @ iuDia Coffee
iuDia offers complimentary breakfast for all stays and it is served in the iuDia Coffee cafe. For our breakfast, we were given 2 choices, American and Thai style. We tried both styles; the Thai style tasted good, but both of us preferred the American style as it tasted more delectable. Besides the food quality, not forgetting the attentive service provided by the waiter that gave a great value add to our stay.

Location

iuDia On The River is located on the U-Tong Road in the southern peninsula of Ayutthaya, which is less than a 10 mins Tuk Tuk ride from the Ayutthaya Railway Station and Minivan Station. During our stay, we made use of the free bicycle rentals at iuDia to explore the surrounding ruined temples and discover the local culture leisurely at our own pace.

[3 Famous Temples Nearby iuDia On The River]

1. Wat Maha Tat
Location: Click Here for Map

2. Wat Lokkayasutharam
Location: Click Here for Map

3. Wat Phra Si Sanphet
Location: Click Here for Map

On the whole, we had an exquisite stay in iuDia On The River. We enjoyed every moment at iDua from the spacious comforts bedroom, the luxurious bathroom to the riverfront pool with a splendid view. At iuDia, you can imagine yourself travel back in time and immerse yourself in the tranquility of old Siam. Trust me, a day trip in Ayutthaya is never enough; you should give yourself more time to walk through the ancient city slowly and discover the wonders of the past!

<< iuDia On The River >>

Address: 11-12 U-Tong Road, Moo 4, Pratuchai, Ayutthaya 13000 Thailand

Tel: +66 (0) 8 6080 1888,  +66 (0) 3532 3208

Rate & Reservation: Click Here

Location: Click Here for Map

Year Visited: 2017 Feb

Related Post:
- Where to Eat in Ayutthaya

We would like to thank iuDia On The River for supporting Endless Traveling Map by offering us one complimentary night stay. This post was written on a voluntary basis and all views are my own. No other form of compensation was involved.

Written by: Q.J.
Photography by: Q.J. & K.K.