Why should you go there and how do you do it right?

If your children have had their fill of temple ruins and brick chedis, this zoo in Tha Ruea, northeast of Ayutthaya's historic center, is just the ticket. It's home to lions, tigers, giraffes, zebras, hyenas, crocodiles, orangutans, and many other primate species. The route is well laid out, allowing you to walk a loop rather than turning back. Visitors consistently praise the cleanliness of the enclosures. Feeding stations cost 50 baht per basket and are scattered throughout the zoo – this is where young children will have a blast, and your budget will disappear quickly.

Two honest reservations. The entire park is heavily commercialized and geared towards photo opportunities; many of the highlights require an extra fee. The shows are divisive. The performance of a lion being pushed around on a barrel has offended so many visitors that I would recommend skipping it and watching the giraffes instead. If such things bother you, they will bother you here as well.