00:00Ich bin Lilly Daus und das ist Grand Voyager.
00:04Von meiner Base in Katar in Katar,
00:06ich gehe die Welt zu finden,
00:08zu finden unglaubliche Pläne,
00:10mit Kultur, Luxur und Adventure.
00:13Auf dem Weg, ich besuche die Leute,
00:15taste die flavors,
00:17und erlebe ich die Momente,
00:18die jeden destination un-forgett haben.
00:25Heute, ich gehe von Katar,
00:28zu der heart des Süd-East-Asien.
00:30Ich bin in ein Ort,
00:31wo ancient Temples stand side-by-side
00:33mit modernen Skyscrapers.
00:36Svarnika, und willkommen zu Thailand.
00:39Ich bin hier in Bangkok,
00:41ein Ort, wo ancient Traditionen
00:43meets nonstop Energie,
00:45color und Leben.
00:48Ich starte in Thailand's Cultural Heart,
00:50mit Alex von Thai Tour Guides,
00:53meeting at the Grand Palace,
00:54a symbol of royal history.
00:57Die Grand Palace compound
00:59und über die 61 acres.
01:0261 acres?
01:04We're not covering 61 acres today.
01:06No, we 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 sits the temple
01:23of the Emerald Buddha,
01:24surrounded by ornate courtyards
01:26and intricate Thai architecture.
01:29The mosaics tell their own story of change.
01:32Alex traces the patterns with me,
01:34explaining how the temple's signature style
01:36developed over the centuries.
01:37They start decoration in King Rama III.
01:40Yeah, like this ceramic.
01:42Yeah, this is from China.
01:44Yeah, Chinese,
01:45because we import.
01:47Yeah, that's why it changed.
01:48Yeah, different era,
01:49different decoration.
01:51Today, the Emerald Buddha
01:52stands as a mesmerising site,
01:54which is notably draped in gold leaf throughout.
01:57Moving deeper inside the complex,
02:00Alex leads me to the king's residence,
02:02once the private world of Thai royalty.
02:04This is the throne hall.
02:06The throne hall,
02:07the function used for when 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.
02:26How long have people been living on the canal here in Thailand?
02:30Wow, generation to generation,
02:31about 500 years.
02:33Yeah, probably more than 500 years.
02:36Yeah.
02:36Before roads, Bangkok ran on water.
02:39This natural waterway is connected to a vast network
02:42of man-made canals.
02:44After a scenic ride,
02:46the boat drops us near one 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,
03:00sleeping Buddha.
03:01Not sleeping,
03:02just reclining or relaxing.
03:04Okay, lay 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 24-hour flower market,
03:16bursting with Bloom's central 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,
03:26Hindu god.
03:28And 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 exploring the city
03:41with 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,
04:06time flows like the river.
04:07Peaceful,
04:08elegant
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.
04:19After 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 defence.
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 energising and deeply restorative.
04:55Unlike oil-based massages,
04:57it uses rhythmic pressure,
04:59assisted stretching
05:00and gentle joint movements
05:02to release tension.
05:06To round out the hotel's luxury experience,
05:09I stopped for lunch
05:10at one of its five on-site restaurants,
05:12Palmiers by Guillaume Galliot.
05:14It's the perfect place to slow down
05:16and watch the world drift by
05:18before heading back
05:19into the energy of 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.
05:32The 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 about
05:44how Bangkok has evolved over time.
05:47At what we are right now is old Bangkok.
05:50Over there, there's a new Bangkok.
05:53And how long ago was old Bangkok
05:55developed and then the new one?
05:57Bangkok, old Bangkok,
05:59began 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,
06:09a fifth-generation curry noodle spot
06:12with hardly any seating.
06:14Locals gather outside,
06:15drawn by the food, not the frills.
06:18The noodles itself are Asian cultures
06:21from thousands of years.
06:23But curry, actually from India.
06:26From India.
06:27But chilli, actually from Thailand
06:30or 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 decides to make people keep eating
06:58and eating and eating.
06:59Firstly, we try some delicious and unique fruits.
07:02Starting with mangosteen,
07:03moving to jackfruit and even longan.
07:06Everything tastes so sweet and delicious.
07:09It's like candy.
07:11It's like eating a sweet.
07:12Mm-hmm.
07:14Next up, we try one of Thailand's
07:16most famous desserts, mango sticky rice.
07:19It's every bit as good as you'd expect
07:21with 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 do 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.
07:39And 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.
08:00Welcome, 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 board, 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 hat or something.
08:38This is bamboo.
08:40I love this bamboo hat.
08:41The bamboo hat, you 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,
09:08one of the most unique markets in the world.
09:10When the train rolls through,
09:12stores are quickly pulled back,
09:13then reopened once it passes,
09:15offering 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.
09:32Joy 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.
10:14The 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 older sites.
10:32This temple 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,
11:20we call the building for the place of the high standing Buddha,
11:2416m high, yeah, 16m high made by the gold, 347kg 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 rise 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.
11:52But now, time for my next adventure.
11:56Thank you.
11:56Thank you.
11:59Thank you.
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