Robinson Ayutthaya

Temple days in Ayutthaya are hot, dusty and mostly outdoors, which is the entire argument for this place. It's an air-conditioned mall with local and international brands, cafes, restaurants and a food court, and it does the one job a mall needs to do in a heritage town, giving you somewhere cool to sit, eat something quick and buy the thing you couldn't find in any of the small shops around town. Reviewers keep mentioning exactly that, tracking down an item nowhere else stocked.

Don't come expecting bargains. Prices here run above what you'd pay at Ayutthaya's markets for similar quality, and if you're shopping for souvenirs or clothes on a budget, the markets win. Come instead for the food court, the aircon and the practical stuff, sunscreen, a phone charger, a shirt that isn't soaked through. It gets busy in the evenings and at weekends, so a weekday early afternoon is the calmer visit.