00:00Soy Lili Douse y este es Grand Voyager.
00:05Desde mi base en Qatar,
00:07he viajado el mundo para descubrir increíbles lugares
00:09filled con cultura,
00:11luxury
00:11y adventure.
00:13En el camino,
00:14encuentro la gente,
00:15entro el sabor,
00:17y experimento los momentos
00:18que hacen cada destino
00:20unforgettable.
00:25Today,
00:26I'm travelling from Qatar
00:27to the heart of Southeast Asia.
00:30I'm in a place where ancient temples
00:32stand side by side
00:33with modern skyscrapers.
00:36Swarika,
00:37and welcome to Thailand.
00:39I'm here in Bangkok,
00:41a city where ancient traditions
00:43meets non-stop energy,
00:45colour,
00:46and life.
00:48I start in Thailand's cultural heart.
00:51with Alex from Thai tour guides,
00:53meeting at the Grand Palace,
00:54a symbol of royal history.
00:57The Grand Palace compound
00:59and cover an area,
01:0161 acres.
01:0261 acres?
01:04We're not covering 61 acres today.
01:06No,
01:06we just visited the temple
01:07and the king's residence.
01:10It was the king's residence.
01:11Built in 1782,
01:13the Grand Palace is a vast complex
01:15of royal residences,
01:17ceremonial halls,
01:18government buildings,
01:19and sacred temples.
01:21At its heart,
01:22sits the temple
01:23of the Emerald Buddha,
01:24surrounded by ornate courtyards
01:26and intricate Thai architecture.
01:29The mosaics tell their own
01:30story of change.
01:32Alex traces the patterns with me,
01:34explaining how the temple's signature style
01:36developed over the centuries.
01:38They start decoration
01:39in King Rama III,
01:41like this ceramic.
01:42This is from China,
01:44Chinese,
01:45because we import.
01:47That's why it changed.
01:48Different era,
01:49different decoration.
01:51Today,
01:51the Emerald Buddha
01:52stands as a mesmerizing sight,
01:54which is notably
01:55draped in gold leaf throughout.
01:57Moving deeper inside the complex,
02:00Alex leads me
02:00to the king's residence,
02:02once the private world
02:03of Thai royalty.
02:05This is the throne hall.
02:06The throne hall,
02:07the function used for
02:08when we have like a celebration
02:09for the king's birthday,
02:11queen's birthday,
02:12and then we have a big ceremony,
02:14like a coronation ceremony.
02:15Leaving the palace behind,
02:17we head to the Chow Friar River
02:19and board a traditional long-tail boat.
02:21This historic river is the perfect way
02:23to see how old and new Bangkok collide.
02:27How long have people been living
02:28on the canal here in Thailand?
02:30Wow, generation to generation,
02:31about 500 years.
02:34Yeah, probably more than 500 years.
02:36Before roads, Bangkok ran on water.
02:38This natural waterway is connected
02:40to a vast network of man-made canals.
02:44After a scenic ride,
02:46the boat drops us near
02:47one of Bangkok's oldest royal temples.
02:49Its centerpiece is the Reclining Buddha,
02:52a 46-meter golden statue
02:54that dominates the entire hall.
02:59Some people, they say sleeping Buddha,
03:01not sleeping,
03:02just reclining or relaxing,
03:04lay down.
03:05And so this temple,
03:07very famous for Thai massage.
03:10This is the birthplace of Thai massage.
03:12Our final stop is Bangkok's
03:1424-hour flower market,
03:16bursting with Bloom's
03:18central to Thai culture.
03:19We use the flower for offering,
03:21like the yellow one,
03:23the merry-gold,
03:24we use for offering the Hindu,
03:26the Hindu god,
03:27and some flower,
03:29lotus flower.
03:30We use for offering the Buddha.
03:32Walking through the flower market
03:34is truly breathtaking,
03:36with every person you meet
03:37greeting you with kindness.
03:39I've had an incredible time
03:40exploring the city with Alex,
03:42but now it's time to head to my hotel.
03:47For this trip,
03:48I'm staying at the Four Seasons Bangkok,
03:50a five-star hotel
03:52right on the banks of the Chow Friar River.
03:55From the moment you arrive,
03:57the resort surrounds you
03:58with a perfect blend of modern elegance
04:00and traditional Thai charm.
04:03Bangkok might move fast,
04:05but here time flows like the river.
04:07Peaceful, elegant,
04:09and full of Thai hospitality.
04:11To kick my day into high gear,
04:14I've signed up for a Thai kickboxing class
04:16in the hotel's state-of-the-art gym.
04:18After the instructor wraps my hands,
04:21we dive straight into an intense session,
04:24learning the fundamentals
04:25of Thailand's national sport,
04:27from punches and kicks
04:28to using my knees for defense.
04:31There's definitely a lot to learn,
04:33but after some trial and error,
04:35everything clicks,
04:36and I'm finally able
04:37to string the movements together.
04:42After a demanding workout,
04:44I've booked a traditional Thai massage
04:46in the hotel's spa.
04:47It's a great place to relax and reset.
04:50A traditional Thai massage
04:52is both energizing and deeply restorative.
04:55Unlike oil-based massages,
04:57it uses rhythmic pressure,
04:59assisted stretching,
05:01and gentle joint movements
05:02to release tension.
05:06To round out the hotel's luxury experience,
05:09I stop for lunch
05:10at one of its five on-site restaurants,
05:12Palmier by Guillaume Gelio.
05:14It's the perfect place to slow down
05:16and watch the world drift by
05:18before heading back into the energy
05:20of the bustling city.
05:23To explore more of Bangkok,
05:25I'm meeting with Wat
05:26from Must Try Bangkok Tours.
05:28We are heading out on a bike ride
05:30around the capital.
05:31The best way to go around is a bicycle
05:34because you can go in a small alley,
05:35see a hidden way,
05:36and you can stop anywhere you want it to.
05:38We set off through some local back streets
05:40before cycling our way to the river
05:42where Wat explains more
05:44about how Bangkok has evolved over time.
05:47At what we are at right now
05:48is old Bangkok.
05:50Over there, there's a new Bangkok.
05:53And how long ago was old Bangkok
05:55developing the new one?
05:57Bangkok, old Bangkok,
05:58beginning around 250 to 280 years ago.
06:02And new Bangkok is around 150 to 180 years ago.
06:06We cycle along the river to our first stop,
06:10a fifth generation curry noodle spot
06:12with hardly any seating.
06:14Locals gather outside, drawn by the food,
06:17not the frills.
06:17The noodles itself are Asian cultures
06:21from thousands of years.
06:24But curry, actually from India.
06:26From India.
06:27But chilli, actually from
06:28to Thailand or to Asia by Portuguese.
06:33But from South America, from Mexico.
06:37Wow, so all around the world,
06:39it's very international.
06:41We then set off through some small streets
06:43and narrow roads,
06:44where Wat brings me to try
06:46some local street food
06:47and explains why this is so popular in Thailand.
06:51So food here in Thailand
06:53is a small portion.
06:55It's decided to make people
06:57keep eating and eating and eating.
06:59Firstly, we try some delicious
07:01and unique fruits.
07:02Starting with mangosteen,
07:03moving to jackfruit
07:04and even longan.
07:06Everything tastes so sweet and delicious.
07:09It's like candy.
07:11It's like eating a sweet.
07:13Mm-hmm.
07:14Next up, we try one of Thailand's
07:16most famous desserts,
07:17mango sticky rice.
07:19It's every bit as good as you'd expect,
07:22with the perfect balance of sweetness
07:23and bright, tangy flavour.
07:26We hop back on our bicycles
07:28and head to a calm Riverside cafe.
07:30So, yeah, how did you like it?
07:32I had such an incredible time.
07:34The bicycles are the best way
07:36to see as much of the authentic side of Thailand.
07:38And you can see how local people are living
07:41with a calm, slow and peaceful life.
07:45Having experienced the many sides of Bangkok,
07:48it's time to venture beyond the inner city
07:50for my final discoveries.
07:53For the next part of my journey,
07:55I'm exploring another canal in Thailand.
07:57I'm meeting Joy from Thai Tour Guide.
07:59Welcome, Lily.
08:01Hi, Lily.
08:03It's Joy.
08:03Swatika.
08:04Swatika.
08:05Enjoy.
08:06Now you can see now,
08:07this is the pier of the floating market.
08:09You can see the old boat, the junk.
08:12Before we go by, like the trading,
08:15everything we put in the junk like this.
08:17I then learn how Thai people traditionally carried goods
08:21to and from their boats.
08:22A centuries-old method that relies entirely on balance.
08:27Joy leads me to board a boat to reach the floating market.
08:33See, they're selling everything.
08:35The hat is a Thai farmer's hat or something.
08:38This is bamboo.
08:40I love this bamboo hat.
08:41Yeah.
08:42The bamboo hat.
08:43You see?
08:43So beautiful.
08:45It truly is a sight to behold,
08:47with so many vendors offering an array of foods and goods.
08:54Floating along the canals in Thailand,
08:56you really feel together with the people.
08:59This is their community where they sell goods and smile.
09:03They make you feel at home.
09:05Next, we explore the Make Long Train Market.
09:07One of the most unique markets in the world.
09:10When the train rolls through, stores are quickly pulled back,
09:14then reopened once it passes,
09:16offering a fascinating glimpse into local life and commerce.
09:20The energy in Thailand is electric,
09:23but people at the same time are so kind,
09:26so peaceful, so relaxed.
09:28The contrast is breathtaking.
09:31Joy walks me through the market,
09:33stopping to show me some of the delicious goods on offer.
09:36From deep-fried banana to Thai coffee.
09:40It is delicious.
09:43As my journey draws to a close,
09:46Joy guides me to a truly special part of Thailand,
09:49the historic city of Ayutthaya.
09:51Now, we are at the Ayutthaya.
09:55See, the second capital city of Thailand.
09:57You can see so many temples.
09:59500 temples at Ayutthaya Province,
10:02and we have around Thailand 43,000 temples.
10:06Founded in 1350, Ayutthaya was once one of the largest
10:11and most prosperous cities in Southeast Asia.
10:13The city thrived as a centre of trade, culture and diplomacy
10:18for over four centuries.
10:20Today, Ayutthaya is a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
10:23famous for its stunning temple ruins
10:25that offer a glimpse into Thailand's rich past.
10:29We start by exploring one of the city's oldest sites.
10:32This temple is in the early Ayutthaya period, about 1374.
10:381374 means 600 years already.
10:41Walking through the temple,
10:42you can almost step into the past,
10:45picturing the people who once filled these sacred spaces.
10:49Next, we head to the largest temple in the ancient royal palace.
10:53Now, we are at the Wat Prasi Sanpet Temple.
10:57This temple before, it means the residence of the king.
11:00From the 1350 until 1488.
11:04It means not the temple, this is the residence of the king,
11:06the king living here.
11:08It's three towering stupas once housed the ashes of Ayutthaya's kings,
11:13making it a symbol of both religious devotion and royal power.
11:18Now, you can see this building,
11:19we call the building for the place of the high standing Buddha,
11:2416 meter high.
11:26Yeah, 16 meter high made by the gold,
11:29347 kilogram gold.
11:31Ayutthaya is truly breathtaking,
11:34and seeing it up close is a fitting way to end my journey here.
11:39Thailand is a country where modern skyscrapers
11:42rise amongst ancient temples.
11:45There's so much to this country,
11:47from the incredible food,
11:49the smiles on people's faces,
11:51and of course, the culture.
11:53But now, time for my next adventure.
11:55...
11:55...
11:58...
11:58...
Comentarios