THAILAND Travel Guide: Bangkok | Little Grey Box

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 sothere are a lot of buildings, there's so much to see and do, there's so much greatfood and some interesting culture and history to experience and today we'regonna get stuck into that and find out just what there is to see, do and eat aroundBangkok! 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, allkinds of things! There's all kinds of stuff to buy, temples everywhere, it is afeast for the senses! I am seeing so much good street food here already it is noteven funny.

It's well worth coming down to Yao Wa Rat road, you want to startthere, that is the heart, the hub.

From there just branch out, explore, get intosome of those woven alleys as you never know what you'll find! Phoebe: The theory here is that you purchasethese and then you burn them and that sends them to your ancestors.

So somethings 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 Chinesetemple in Bangkok.

It's really beautiful in there monks arechanting and it's just a really cool thing to come and see.

That said, makesure you don't come during Chinese New Year because apparently it is packedwith 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 threeday 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 isfully air-conditioned.

Guys it is so hot out on the streets of Bangkok this isthe way to get around you can see everything there is an audio guide togive you more information as you go around and what I personally love abouthop on hop off bus tours is it's great for figuring out what you want tosee and coming back to do those things inmore 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 fantasticlittle museum, a little art gallery, that we just did a quick lap of.

It's free tovisit, 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 coconutmilk yeah now maybe some rice or something in there to solidify it sothese are easy to pick up you guys you can just get these from street food vendorsdon't be afraid to dig in and give things a try! Mmm! Really lovely!That caramelised brown sugar with the coconut in the middle issensational! Okay so one of the things I struggle with alot when I travel is how to really get into a destination and quite oftenyou're walking around and you're saying things like that's nice but how do you getinto it? So guys the hop-on hop-off bus are working with people in thecommunities.

Now there is an organization called Bang Lamphu Community Walk and what they'redoing is reaching out to people like these guys who are local artisans andthey are taking that history and that cultural artistic tradition they'reconnecting people with it! They run guided tours which are totally free youguys 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 andculture alive and it's giving travelers like you and I the chance to reallyreally really get in there and connect with the destinations, not justscratching the surface.

You are getting in there! These guided tours arefantastic! 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 ChineseBuddhist community help out at the Muslim temples.

That is just beautiful, everybody here works in in harmony there's a certain peace andrespect like they're working together for the betterment of each community andI just love that it's so nice to connect with them! We are grabbing afternoon teahere at Gingerbread House they do beautiful Thai sweets and tea's andcoffees we've gone for some mint-lime sodas and Matt's gone for a lemon soda oh thatlooks so refreshing and here we've got a beautiful Thai sweet okay that's really really good! The heatin Bangkok is no joke so when you are packingI 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 melike um a paper fan and that's one other way I can keep cool.

You need todrink a lot of water and you need to make sure you're dressing appropriatelyso that is light breathable garments cotton is your friend anything light andbreathable.

Obviously if you are planning on visiting some templesyou 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 butyou 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 ofBangkok's famous Chinatown district now this place has a 1930s shanghaiaesthetic to it but actually began life in 1892 as a trading house it was latertransformed into Bangkok's first-ever Chinese opera theatre which wasfrequented by members of the Thai royal family now after undergoing a fewdifferent leases on life it is Shanghai Mansion and this beautiful hotel.

I have never stayed anywhere with quite this decor before, it's awesome.

Thehop-on hop-off bus that we've been getting around on today, one of the stopsis located right outside.

We had breakfast this morning it was absolutelyfantastic! So we flew from Australia to Bangkok with Thai Airways you guys andwe were lucky enough to be upgraded to business class as we were working withthe airline and it was just a great experience so much legroom lots of foodon offer and some great movies to choose from too.

Now when you arrive in Bangkokyou are going to want to have a plan in place for how you're going to get fromthe airport to your hotel there are a few different ways to do it you canorganise a taxi make sure that it's metered.

There are trains as well.

I have tosay above and beyond my favorite way to do it is private transfer.

Now look Mattand I are by no means the richest people on earth butprivate transfer just takes all the guesswork out of it.

I've organized themmyself before you just book online, choose a company that you like the lookof, prepay and the driver is there waiting for you and takes you right to yourhotel no mess no fuss.

Alternatively some hotels may have a shuttle service fromthe airport to your hotel if you were tossing up between two different hotelsand one of them offers that shuttle service I hands-down recommend goingwith them.

We're at R-Haan, one of Bangkok'sMichelin star restaurants.

Only in Thailand could you go to dinnerto 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 anddelicious, not too filling but now it's time for main and theyhave 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 inBangkok to an end.

I've been here about four or five times now I've never had aday like this I've never felt like I've really gottento know Bangkok before but today everything is amazing I felt like weconnected with the people we saw the real heart of the city and we have triedso much good food you guys.

I am exhausted I am so so tired right nowso we're gonna head in and get a good night's sleep and then do it all againtomorrow.

Phoebe: Gooooood morning you guys! Alright, it is our secondday 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 shoppingmall here in Bangkok and we're about to go into DII for some treatments youguys 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 thereand unwind.

I am so relaxed that was a fantasticexperience the therapists really listened to us I love a strong massageand quite often strong to some people means like too much elbow or not strongat all you know the therapists, they knewexactly what strong should be just a really good quality massage.

Look when we travel to Southeast Asia there is a temptation there to indulge infive-dollar messages but the thing about a five dollar massage is you get whatyou pay for so you guys I personally think at this stage of my life it'sworth coming somewhere like this and having one really good experience thatactually 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 thatthe food court here at the Embassy is actually incredible there's lots of greatfood down there it's not crowded and if you're up for a spot of luxury shopping you can dothat too.

Over 70 years ago Jim Thompson founded theworld-renowned silk company has become a a hallmark of Thai sophistication anddesign.

Jim is actually credited with helping to revitalize the Thai silkindustry in the 1950s and 60s so this restaurant, Spirit, really is hereto pay tribute to Jim Thompson and his spirit and his approach to life anddesign.

The restaurant here is all about refined Thaiflavors and they've sourced a number of beautiful recipes from all over Thailandthey really hero those iconic Thai flavors.

You've probably heard of JimThompson if you haven't when you see the silks you will immediately recognizethem now this restaurant is located right in the heart of Bangkok so is aneasy place to visit and a really tranquil Oasis away from the hustle andbustle of the streets.

The gardens are beautiful the restaurant is lovely andnow we're going to find out just how good the food is! All right you guys so it has been a secondsince I saw you lost if there is anything you need to know about Bangkokit is that the traffic is crazy! Getting from point A to point B can take aminute and in this case point B was our brand new hotel that we checked intoearlier.

When we got here we were pretty pooped so we decided to enjoy theroom and have a bit of a nap I will show you our room here at Millenium Hiltonin a second, well in a minute, but for right now we're gonna go and get somedinner at a delicious little restaurant which is very nearby to here so let's godo that! Let's eat some more great Thai food and then let's check out therooftop 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 thatdelicious dinner it is time for a nightcap and we have come here to the360 rooftop bar on top of the millenium Hilton where we are staying not theMillennium Falcon, the Millenium Hilton You guys I've gone for a piña coladabecause I am feeling my tropical vibes here in Thailand and yeah this looksamazing let's try! Oooh! It's really boozy! so this is our room atMillennium Hilton and I want to give you guys a bit of a room tour because thisplace is really cool it's very very modern so where Shanghai Mansion hadthat 1930s kind of Chinese vibe going on this is very very clean modern elegantvery classy and classic that bed looks very very comfortable as you can see andI can confirm it is comfortable those pillows are amazing you just kind ofsink into them we have a huge telly on the wall here so it really depends whatyou want when you come to Bangkok you can have that more boutique kind of feellike Shanghai Mansion and that's more kind of an earthy experience I would sayor if you're into something a little more classic and classy and modern youcan come here to millennium hilton and have that experience right on the river.

Phoebe: Goooood morning you guys so it is our last dayhere in Bangkok we are flying out very very late tonight but we will try to pack asmuch as we possibly can into today.

Down here on the ground floor of ICON Siam isthis fantastic Thai food marketplace so you can walk around here and try alldifferent kinds of regional Thai local food and it is fantastic the way it'sset up some of them are in little kind of boats in the water and it's just areally really great way to beat the heat you guys and it is so outside.

Being hereit's lovely and comfortable it's about 10:30 in the morning right now and theyare already set up for the day so you can come here nice and early beat thatheat 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 beautifullocation this place is like a big greenhouse almost and all of these dishes, everything looksand smells phenomenal.

Now this beautiful spot is Lhong 1919 and it is a 19th centuryChinese mansion.

It has been fully restored and is open to the public and at the heartis a shrine to the goddess mazu and she is the goddess of seafarers this isa really beautiful peaceful spot along the river again it's away from thehustle and bustle of the things you usually see in Bangkok and I absolutelylove seeing the old-world Chinese architecture, it has a very laid-back vibeand it's an incredible spot for photographs! We are ending our last day in Bangkokwith a river cruise and some dinner on board it is going to be fantastic so thisis the Grand Chao Praya Cruise and I'm really excited I've never done one ofthese before again just another perspective on Bangkok that I haven'texperienced.

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 amazingtime here in Bangkok and I keep saying it but this time has been completelydifferent to any other time I've ever come here I didn't really feel like Iexperienced it properly I thought it was for backpackers and you know gettingdrunk and all that kind of stuff but there is such a different side to thecity that I never knew was there and on this trip we really really uncoveredthat and I feel like I properly connected to the locals and had maybe amore age-appropriate experience.

If you've ever been put off visitingBangkok because you thought it was too backpackery or whatever guys there is adifferent side and if it can appeal to me it can appeal to you and with that weare done! I really hope you guys enjoyed this video now if you don't already besure to subscribe and say Sawadee Ka (that's Thai for hello!) in the comments below have a great weekendyou guys and I will see you next week love ya! Phoebe & Matt xx.