Authentic Thai Experience in Ayutthaya - AMAZING”

I have absolutely had a wonderful stay at Baan Are Gong Riverside Homestay. I almost didn’t make it to Ayutthaya and boy oh boy! I would of missed out. This 24 hour side trip from Bangkok has turned into one of my most memorable moments in Thailand. It’s a major highlight of my trip. The staff is just super friendly. I mean, they’re amazing. I arrived early and they let me check in within an hour. The restaurant is right on the river. Great views! Very peaceful. I got a Thai style room for the night which was a total experience! The door to my room was honestly like stepping through the wardrobe into Narnia. Air con worked extremely well! The bed was way more comfortable than what I’m sleeping on back in Bangkok. Ayutthaya is a bit confusing. You need transport to get around. The Homestay has a tuk tuk tour and a river boat tour. I decided on the boat tour and was so glad I did! It was great!!!! You go to three temples. And honestly it was perfect for me. I got my fill of Ayutthaya. 💜

Awesome, and interesting experience”

One word - awesome, we took train to Ayutthaya, and the homestay is just walking distance from the train station. The aunty is the only receptionist and she is attending to detail so we feel warm welcome, she provides all the information needed to visit around Ayutthaya. The homestay is actually a wooden house by riverside, and the design is really unique so you get to experience living in wooden house, some of the wall has beautiful painting on them as well. You can either book the upstairs or downstairs room, for upstairs room you need to use shared toilet, guess what? The shared toilet is amazingly clean and that's how good they maintain it. I would highly recommend this homestay to anyone who is planning to visit Ayutthaya.

Wonderful Experience ”

I only stayed one night at Baan Are Gong, but it was well worth the money I paid. Right next to the water taxi it’s easy to get across to the main area of Ayutthaya where you can rent bikes and explore the city. Don’t rent them on the Baan’s side of the river as you have to pay more to cross with the bikes. I also booked the night water tour with them for 180 Baht; worth the money to see the sunset over the temples!! I was scheduled to take the night train to Chaing Mai after my day in Ayutthaya. The owner let me keep my backpack at the Baan after checking out while explored the city and allowed me to hangout for the afternoon and take a shower before leaving. I would definitely recommend this place!

Great location”

if you are arriving by train you could not pick a place to stay. just walk out the front entrance of the station ,cross the street, walk down to the river and you are there! just to add to the convenience the ferry across the river is at their front door. the rooms are nicely equipped with flat screen tv, a large bed, small but serviceable bathroom and ac....cost about. the staff is friendly and helpful and they can arrange transfers and bus tickets for a small fee....usually less than going to the bus terminal yourself. highly recommend the sunset boat trip around ayutthaya . only bhat. i rarely take this kind of touristy thing but this is worth the cost. i will be staying at the baan are gong o my next trip to ayutthaya .

lovely relaxed guesthouse with character close to ”

We had a lovely stay at Baan are Gong. It was only 3 mins walk from the train station. The staff were warm and welcoming, presenting us with bottles of cold water on arrival. They gave us a map of Ayutthaya explained about bike hire and the ferry next door. They stored our bags for us after we checked out next morning , since we were leaving on the night train. They even let us use the shower in the evening. We had our meals in their restuarant by the river. Enjoyed the food and also made the best english tea in Thailand! We stayed in aircon room downstairs, but saw upstairs which is a beautiful antique wooden house. Lovely place.

Great location, good rate but a bit noisy”

Nothing wrong with the Baan Are Gong, except that it is built in such a way that if people upstairs walk, it sounds like a herd of elephants is passing by. I had a downstairs room just next to the reception so that didn't help for a quiet stay. I think the upstairs rooms are better. Apart from that staff are nice, food in the riverside restaurant is great (the breakfast is strongly recommended) and the location is perfect; a 2 minute walk from the railway station and right at the pier where a small boat can help you cross the river into town.

Awesome stay ”

One word - awesome, we took train to Ayutthaya, and the homestay is just walking distance from the train station. The aunty is the only receptionist and she is attending to detail so we feel warm welcome, she provides all the information needed to visit around Ayutthaya. The homestay is actually a wooden house by riverside, and the design is really unique so you get to experience living in wooden house, some of the wall has beautiful painting on them as well. You can either book the upstairs or downstairs room, for upstairs room you need to use shared toilet, guess what? The shared toilet is amazingly clean and that's how good they maintain it. I would highly recommend this homestay to anyone who is planning to visit Ayutthaya.

If only they were all like this...”

Its a homestay not a Hotel... With this in mind I dont think you can regret staying here as far as value for money or location, especially if your getting the train up from Bangkok. The hostess is extremely helpful. Located on the riverside. We got an aircon room with separate bathroom. Great water pressure, comfortable bed, english cable, good wifi in the room. The restaurant area is in a traditional riverside style ie wooden benches and tables but clean and the food though very slightly higher priced than 'street' food nearby is much cleaner and actually more flavoursome. Normally I wouldnt bother writing a review but in this case it was actually a treat staying here.

I felt welcomed. Staff were friendly.”

Don't get me wrong, Baan Are Gong is not a 5 star Hilton sort of gaff. It's a small friendly, boutique style place. The staff work hard. The rooms were stylish, pleasant and simple. Definitely had a Robison Crusoe feel as you scamper across the restuarant... inside the place is kept very clean, and the teak interior is wonderfully stylish... Most rooms have traditional features such as a small step to prevent bad spirits... and there are some wonderful antiques on the second floor. There was a down side... the wonderfully quaint teak window shutters open onto a burnt-out building (somewhat simillar to brighton's torched pier) - I did not mind it, but some might. I liked the land lady. I felt she was down to earth and, more importantly, down the line and frank. I heard her saying to some customers who were leaving a small tip "are you sure... that's ok, you might need this money for something small, like boat fare or to use loo somewhere. Coins are important when travelling. The cook had a wonderful sense of humour and is keen to teach you a bit of Thai - I learned "ab nam" (shower/ rain) and some other small but useful words. Basically, I felt the staff were genuine... the food is pricer than food stalls, but hey, I'm sure the overheads are greater. I liked it warts and all. Let's face it, it's not going to be five star at a tenner a night... 5 star is five star the world over, right? but I would thoroughly recommend this place... one small peeve, if you want to be out late the ferry servce stops at 10 - but there's alwasy a tuk tuk or taxi over the bridge :)

Beautiful teak homestay right on the river”

We fell in love with this traditional homestay the moment we arrived off the train from Bangkok. It is a lovely big home with many rooms, our room was very private, clean, functional and comfortable with air con, bathroom, cable TV & WiFi. We were made to feel at home with authentic Thai food cooked fresh in their kitchen ($1-2), tall Chang beer was only $1.50 and the sunsets from the balcony overlooking the river were simply beautiful. Our host booked a sunset river cruise for us one evening where we visited 4 different Wats around the island of Ayutthaya - a great experience at a cost of only $6 each. The homestay is located down a small lane opposite the train station, so it's very easy to get to. Around the corner you have the convenience of a Tesco & 7-11 for any essentials you need, as well as a food market open during the afternoons and early evenings. Over the river (ferry runs constantly at a cost of about 10 cents) you'll find the local markets, shops and tuk tuks ready to take you to the next Wat. As a whole, we really could not fault our accommodation and we enjoyed every moment spent in this amazing place. However, if you are a high-maintenance hotel patron, this may not be for you. Keep in mind you are staying in someone's home and you should therefore respect it as such.

Amazing homestay”

We left Baan Are Gong only a few days ago and are already trying to squeeze in one more night there what says enough about our opinion of the homestay. The family is incredibly kind and made us feel right at home. They gave us great tipps and even went to the local market for us as it takes place at 6am. The food in the Restaurant is freshly made and delicous. Not only the people but also the hostel cat and dog snatched a piece of our hearts as they are very cuddly. We would definitly recommend it!

Great Spot, Fantastic People”

Great little spot. The attached restaurant serves delicious thai food (and American style breakfasts) for very affordable prices - and menus are in English. The best thing about Baan Are Gong was the staff; everyone was incredibly friendly and eager to help teach us thai - one staff member even (very kindly) drove us half way across the country! Khop Khun maak krhap Baan Are Gong!

relaxing place to stay”

Just located near the train station and pier, about 15 mins from minivan stop on foot. The place is like home, staffs are very friendly. Ayutthaya feels much hotter than BKK, my friends and I stayed in a room with a fan, the fan is enough for us, but the sound insulation's not good. BTW, there's a clingy cat. I bumped into it at riverside seats on 2F, so cute.

One of our favorite places”

We had such an amazing time at Baan Are Gong. From the second we walked in the door the staff was so helpful and attentive. We decided to get the Thai style room which was hands down our favorite room we have had so far in Thailand. The walls are a little thin so we could hear the other customers but thats all part of the fun in my opinion. Our room was booked the next night so we switched to a deluxe room which had much thicker walls so if you are a light sleeper I would opt for that style room. The dining area over looking the river is awesome and the whole family that works there is so great. Highly recommend this place!

Great tranquill stay”

I can highly recommend Baan Are Gong. The location is ideal right next to the ferry to the island ((5b to cross) restaurant overlooking the river. Room was spotlessly clean and quiet. Only downfall for sick husband was Sat TV did not work. The food in the restaurant is some of the best I've had in Thailand and at very good prices. The owner personally cook Tom yam soup spices as medicine for my husband. Go you'll like it there. They also offer an afternoon boat tour.

A good place for a first night in Thailand”

I booked this hostel as I took the train first from Bangkok to Ayutthaya and the next day from Ayutthaya to Changrai, because of convenient location (close to the train station and quiet) and good reviews. And I was not disappointed. The house really has style, the people there are super friendly. E.g. the restaurant was closed during my stay but they allowed us to sit in the restaurant area and consume taka-away food (there are enough food stalls in the vicinity). Also, they do not rent out bicycles themselves, but there are several rentals in close walking distance.

incredible thai-style guesthouse, superb!”

I can not emphasize enough how incredible Baan Are Gong was! Not only was the home absolutely beautiful, but we were also blown away by how accommodating the staff was. They waited up to ensure that we could check in despite arriving on a late train, allowed us to check-in late, and offered us showers after biking around ayyuthaya despite the fact that we had already checked-out by that point. Take the long tail cruise at sunset if you can (you actually get to stop and explore some of the more remote temples, which are all stunning!). The breakfast is also generous and delicious - I loved their muesli and yogurt! overall, one of my favorite accomodations ever!

Lovely old wood, family style accomodation”

Cute rooms, lovely wood! Loved the family style accommodation. Very affordable, and great river views from the patio. We had a very relaxing stay at Baan Are Gong. The location is perfect if you are traveling by train, no taxi or tuk tuk needed, as it is just down the road from the station. We are both vegetarian, and getting vegetarian has been challenging in Thailand. Owner went out of her way to make Thai Curries without any fish sauce to accomodate our needs. The food was delicious and affordable!

I love this homestay, i will come back”

I was there in 2 days, I love Ayutthayya with this homestay. My room with 1 double bed and 1 single bed in 2nd floor. I feel comfortable with it, i like the location of this homestay, near the Ayutthaya historical park, near the river. The owner is friendly and polite. But you must keep quite in night. If i come back ayutthaya, i will stay this.

Look beyond your first impressions!”

Staying in an 'antique' building like this feels like being inside a huge china cabinet from a begone age. Unfortunately a similar building next door must have burnt down and the remaining shell has not been removed, so you might feel like you're walking into a demolition zone! I loved being so close to the town side of Ayutthaya (access by 4 baht ferry until 10pm) as I was taking the train, but some of the bigger temple sites are on the opposite side of the city. I walked around the city - not a good idea as the maps are often not to scale and the distances are far - there are many places to rent bikes/motorcycles. etc. If you have to chose between Ayutthaya and Sukhothai, I'd see Ayutthaya as the historical sites are scattered all around the city, rather than being in 'zones'.