Phoebe: Hey, you guys! Phoebe here from Little Grey Box! Matt and I are in
Thailand and we are in the capital city, Bangkok. This place is huge, it has a
population of about 8 million people so there are a lot of buildings, there's so
much to see and do, there's so much great food and some interesting culture and
history to experience and today we're gonna get stuck into that and find out
just what there is to see, do and eat around Bangkok!
Phoebe: This is Chinatown in Bangkok. Founded in 1782 it is one of the largest in the
world. It is a sprawling Mecca of food, herbal
remedies, Chinese medicines, all kinds of things! There's all kinds of
stuff to buy, temples everywhere, it is a feast for the senses! I am seeing so much
good street food here already it is not even funny. It's well worth coming down
to Yao Wa Rat road, you want to start there, that is the heart, the hub. From
there just branch out, explore, get into some of those woven alleys as you never
know what you'll find!
Phoebe: The theory here is that you purchase these and then you burn them and that
sends them to your ancestors. So some things that you can send... if you're
missing some gambling in the afterlife you can send that. What about the latest
technology? Maybe just a fedora hat?! They've even got Gucci slides!
This is Wat Mangkon. 'Wat' is temple and 'Mangkon'
is dragon so this is the dragon temple. It is the oldest temple in Chinatown and
it is the most revered Chinese temple in Bangkok.
It's really beautiful in there monks are chanting and it's just a really cool
thing to come and see. That said, make sure you don't come during Chinese New
Year because apparently it is packed with thousands and thousands of peopl.e
We're on board Siam Hop, Bangkok's Hop-on-Hop-off bus service. Now they offer one
two and three day passes and they have four different
routes which will take you to different places depending on what you want to see and do, which is
really cool because you aren't just doing the same loop day in and day
out now what I love about this is it is fully air-conditioned. Guys it is so hot
out on the streets of Bangkok this is the way to get around you can see
everything there is an audio guide to give you more information as you go
around and what I personally love about hop on hop off bus tours is it's
great for figuring out what you want to see
and coming back to do those things in more detail later and you can just skip
the things that don't take your interest. We''ve jumped off at one of the stops along the hop
on a bus bus tour. This is Tah Phra Athit and it is near Khao San Road.
So here there's a fantastic little museum, a little art gallery, that
we just did a quick lap of. It's free to visit, you just have to register, sign the
ledger when you walk in. Outside, here, is Cafe Amazon this place is really cool.
You're served by deaf baristas so there are some hand signals printed on signs that you can use to
communicate with sign language. Now we also picked up these little snacks earlier
so this is coconut milk yeah now maybe some rice or
something in there to solidify it so these are easy to pick up you guys you can
just get these from street food vendors don't be afraid to dig in and give
things a try!
Mmm! Really lovely! That caramelised brown sugar with the
coconut in the middle is sensational! Okay
so one of the things I struggle with a lot when I travel is how to really get
into a destination and quite often you're walking around and you're saying
things like that's nice but how do you get into it? So guys the hop-on hop-off bus
are working with people in the communities. Now there is an organization
called Bang Lamphu Community Walk and what they're doing is reaching out to people like
these guys who are local artisans and they are taking that history and that
cultural artistic tradition they're connecting people with it! They run
guided tours which are totally free you guys they are by donation at the
end. Of course you know you would donate what you thought the tour was worth. It's
keeping local arts and tradition and culture alive and it's giving travelers
like you and I the chance to really really really get in there and connect
with the destinations, not just scratching the surface. You are
getting in there! These guided tours are fantastic!
Matt: So this is Khanom Buang and you
have to try this when you come to this area. So delicious, very sweet!
Phoebe: We were just at a mosque, the leader of the mosque was just saying to us that the
Muslim community works side by side with the Chinese community they help out
at Chinese temples the Chinese Buddhist community help out at the
Muslim temples. That is just beautiful, everybody here works in
in harmony there's a certain peace and respect like they're working together
for the betterment of each community and I just love that it's so nice to connect
with them! We are grabbing afternoon tea here at Gingerbread House they do
beautiful Thai sweets and tea's and coffees we've gone for some mint-lime sodas
and Matt's gone for a lemon soda oh that looks so refreshing and here we've got a
beautiful Thai sweet
okay that's really really good! The heat in Bangkok is no joke so when you are
packing I really recommend packing an umbrella
because it's the only thing that offers some cool and shade from the intense midday
heat I also usually carry a fan with me like um a paper fan and that's one
other way I can keep cool. You need to drink a lot of water and you need to
make sure you're dressing appropriately so that is light breathable garments
cotton is your friend anything light and breathable. Obviously if you are planning
on visiting some temples you need to have some temple appropriate
clothing too with shoulders covered, knees covered. In that situation a scarf
and a long skirt will do just fine but you guys do not underestimate this heat
drink plenty of water and pack a 'brolly (That's Aussie slang for umbrella). So we are staying here at
Shanghai Mansion located in the heart of Bangkok's famous Chinatown district now
this place has a 1930s shanghai aesthetic to it but actually began life
in 1892 as a trading house it was later transformed into Bangkok's first-ever
Chinese opera theatre which was frequented by members of the Thai royal
family now after undergoing a few different leases on life it is Shanghai
Mansion and this beautiful hotel. I have never stayed anywhere with quite
this decor before, it's awesome. The hop-on hop-off bus that we've been
getting around on today, one of the stops is located right outside. We had
breakfast this morning it was absolutely fantastic! So we flew from Australia to
Bangkok with Thai Airways you guys and we were lucky enough to be upgraded to
business class as we were working with the airline and it was just a great
experience so much legroom lots of food on offer and some great movies to choose
from too. Now when you arrive in Bangkok you are going to want to have a plan in
place for how you're going to get from the airport to your hotel there are a
few different ways to do it you can organise a taxi make sure that it's
metered. There are trains as well. I have to say above and beyond my favorite way to
do it is private transfer. Now look Matt and I are by no
means the richest people on earth but private transfer just takes all the
guesswork out of it. I've organized them myself before you just book online,
choose a company that you like the look of, prepay and the driver is there waiting
for you and takes you right to your hotel no mess no fuss. Alternatively some
hotels may have a shuttle service from the airport to your hotel if you were
tossing up between two different hotels and one of them offers that shuttle
service I hands-down recommend going with them.
We're at R-Haan, one of Bangkok's Michelin star restaurants.
Only in Thailand could you go to dinner to a really fancy restaurant and have
the first course be a shot!
Phoebe:So, the first few courses have been amazing! The flavors are so big and
everything is just delicate and delicious, not too filling but now it's
time for main and they have put out this feast there's so much food on his table.
The smells, you guys, it is spicy it is coco-nutty, it is creamy it is
everything. This is a good dining experience!
So that brings our first day here in Bangkok to an end. I've been here about
four or five times now I've never had a day like this
I've never felt like I've really gotten to know Bangkok before but today
everything is amazing I felt like we connected with the people we saw the
real heart of the city and we have tried so much good food you guys. I am
exhausted I am so so tired right now so we're gonna head in and get a good
night's sleep and then do it all again tomorrow.
Phoebe: Gooooood morning you guys! Alright, it is our second day here in beautiful Bangkok and we
are starting the day with a bang!
Phoebe:We are here at the Central Embassy which is a high-end shopping mall here in Bangkok and we're about to
go into DII for some treatments you guys I am ready to get my chill on yes
that long-haul flight say goodbye to that stress, and those tired legs from walking around
all day yesterday oh let's get in there and unwind.
I am so relaxed that was a fantastic experience the therapists really
listened to us I love a strong massage and quite often strong to some people
means like too much elbow or not strong at all
you know the therapists, they knew exactly what strong should be just a
really good quality massage. Look when we travel to Southeast Asia there is a
temptation there to indulge in five-dollar messages but the thing about
a five dollar massage is you get what you pay for so you guys I personally
think at this stage of my life it's worth coming somewhere like this and
having one really good experience that actually leaves you feeling amazing
afterwards, so DII - highly recommend! Now if a massage isn't quite your thing I
got the scoop from the locals that the food court here at the Embassy is
actually incredible there's lots of great food down there it's not crowded and if
you're up for a spot of luxury shopping you can do that too.
Over 70 years ago Jim Thompson founded the world-renowned silk company has become a
a hallmark of Thai sophistication and design. Jim is actually credited with
helping to revitalize the Thai silk industry in the 1950s and 60s
so this restaurant, Spirit, really is here to pay tribute to Jim Thompson and his
spirit and his approach to life and design. The restaurant here is all
about refined Thai flavors and they've sourced a number of
beautiful recipes from all over Thailand they really hero those iconic Thai
flavors. You've probably heard of Jim Thompson if you haven't when you see the
silks you will immediately recognize them now this restaurant is located
right in the heart of Bangkok so is an easy place to visit and a really
tranquil Oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the streets. The gardens are
beautiful the restaurant is lovely and now we're going to find out just how
good the food is!
All right you guys so it has been a second since I saw you lost if there is
anything you need to know about Bangkok it is that the traffic is crazy! Getting
from point A to point B can take a minute and in this case point B was
our brand new hotel that we checked into earlier. When we got here we were
pretty pooped so we decided to enjoy the room and have a bit of a nap I will show
you our room here at Millenium Hilton in a second, well in a minute, but for
right now we're gonna go and get some dinner at a delicious little restaurant
which is very nearby to here so let's go do that! Let's eat some more great Thai
food and then let's check out the rooftop and the room!
Phoebe: "What is it? Klong Kan?
Guides: "Klong San!" *Laughs*
Phoebe: "Klong San. Ughh! Oh nuts. I'm so tired. Alright.
Phoebe: "Okay. Klong. San."
Teddy: "Sometimes, it looks more natural
when we say incorrect right?! You say mistake.
Phoebe: "Tell that to YouTube!"
Phoebe: After that delicious dinner it is time for a
nightcap and we have come here to the 360 rooftop bar on top of the millenium
Hilton where we are staying not the Millennium Falcon, the Millenium Hilton
You guys I've gone for a piña colada because I am feeling my tropical vibes
here in Thailand and yeah this looks amazing
let's try!
Oooh! It's really boozy! so this is our room at Millennium Hilton and I want to give you
guys a bit of a room tour because this place is really cool it's very very
modern so where Shanghai Mansion had that 1930s kind of Chinese vibe going on
this is very very clean modern elegant very classy and classic that bed looks
very very comfortable as you can see and I can confirm it is comfortable those
pillows are amazing you just kind of sink into them we have a huge telly on
the wall here so it really depends what you want when you come to Bangkok you
can have that more boutique kind of feel like Shanghai Mansion and that's more
kind of an earthy experience I would say or if you're into something a little
more classic and classy and modern you can come here to millennium hilton and
have that experience right on the river.
Phoebe: Goooood morning you guys so it is our last day here in Bangkok we are flying out very
very late tonight but we will try to pack as much as we possibly can into today. Down
here on the ground floor of ICON Siam is this fantastic Thai food marketplace so
you can walk around here and try all different kinds of regional Thai local
food and it is fantastic the way it's set up some of them are in little kind
of boats in the water and it's just a really really great way to beat the heat
you guys and it is so outside. Being here it's lovely and comfortable it's about
10:30 in the morning right now and they are already set up for the day so you
can come here nice and early beat that heat and try lots of great local food
and leave with a full belly.
So lunch today is here at the Summit House Project. We're dining along the Chao
Phraya River and it is a beautiful location this place is like a big greenhouse almost
and all of these dishes, everything looks and smells phenomenal. Now this beautiful spot is
Lhong 1919 and it is a 19th century Chinese mansion. It has been fully restored
and is open to the public and at the heart is a shrine to the goddess mazu and
she is the goddess of seafarers this is a really beautiful peaceful spot along
the river again it's away from the hustle and bustle of the things you
usually see in Bangkok and I absolutely love seeing the old-world Chinese
architecture, it has a very laid-back vibe and it's an incredible spot for
photographs!
We are ending our last day in Bangkok with a river cruise and some dinner on
board it is going to be fantastic so this is the Grand Chao Praya Cruise and I'm
really excited I've never done one of these before again just another
perspective on Bangkok that I haven't experienced. Check out the look on the
drumming guys face. He is done! He's over it, he does this every night he's had
enough!
Phoebe: As you can tell we have had an amazing time here in Bangkok and I keep saying
it but this time has been completely different to any other time I've ever
come here I didn't really feel like I experienced it properly I thought it was
for backpackers and you know getting drunk and all that kind of stuff but
there is such a different side to the city that I never knew was there and on
this trip we really really uncovered that and I feel like I properly
connected to the locals and had maybe a more age-appropriate experience. If
you've ever been put off visiting Bangkok because you thought it was too
backpackery or whatever guys there is a different side and if it can appeal to
me it can appeal to you and with that we are done! I really hope you guys enjoyed
this video now if you don't already be sure to subscribe and say Sawadee Ka (that's Thai for hello!) in
the comments below have a great weekend you guys and I will see you next week
love ya! Phoebe & Matt xx