A short drive north from Bangkok lie the ruins of the Historic City of Ayutthaya, one of Thailand's first three World Heritage Sites, inscribed 25 years ago. As has been noted, Ayutthaya was of the former capitals of Siam, and, like Yogyakarta in Indonesia, was named after the Indian city believed to be the birthplace of Rama, hero of the Hindu epic "The Ramayana". I visited Ayutthaya as a day trip from Bangkok in the fall of 2012, and enjoyed the opportunity to walk around the ruins of the ancient city. The city was built on an island, and I'm curious how often it was flooded during its time as a capital, since portions of the site were being drained from flooding during my visit. I appreciated the vegetation which provided a natural contrast to the red brick prangs of temples like Wat Matathat, and occasionally grew over some of the statues, including a head of Buddha which had been overtaken by a tree. Ayutthaya was inscribed for the Thai art and architecture embodied in the palace and temples of the city; although the city is now mostly in ruins, you can still sense the grandeur that must have existed when it was the capital of Siam.

Logistics: Ayutthaya can be reached by car, as well as by bus and/or boat tours, from Bangkok.