James Williams has one of the most coveted jobs in the world. As host of In 24 Hours, a CNN monthly travel series that delivers insights on high-end experiences in major cities around the globe, his job has brought him on several exciting and outrageously glamorous journeys since its beginning in late 2015.
So far, Williams can cross riding on a camel in Marrakech, cage diving with sharks in Cape Town, cruising in a Ferrari in Milan, flying over Manhattan in a helicopter and meeting Jimmy Choo in Hong Kong off of his bucket list. And these are pretty much the tip of the iceberg of what he has been doing as the host of the luxury travel show during the past two years.
"I won the job lottery," said the Australian-born Williams, 33, during our recent meeting at the Plaza Athenee Bangkok. "I don't know how I got so lucky."
In 24 Hours' next episode, to be aired next Wednesday at 4.30pm on CNN International with reruns, Bangkok is featured as a destination of extravagant leisure. The Thai capital is a "world-class" city, according to Williams.
James Williams. Photos: Pornprom Satrabhaya
"I've always thought of Bangkok as being a very strong marketplace for luxury travel. The hotels and infrastructure that Bangkok provides really suit luxury travel well, as it has been for hundreds of years," he said.
He cited the 5-star Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, which has been in operation for over a century, as one of the testimonies for the city's long noted history for luxurious wanderlust. And with the Michelin Guide coming later this year, it all the more affirms Bangkok's position within the global high-end market for top spenders.
Some of the things Williams did here include riding on a long-tail boat at sunrise down the Chao Phraya River, going to the rooftop of the MahaNakhon building with its owner, getting an exclusive tour at Wat Pho with a monk, as well as trying his hand at muayThai at Siam Hotel -- all of which we will get to see in the Bangkok episode of his show.
Williams first came to Bangkok when he was 18, and back then he was fresh out of high school, backpacking with his friends. He found himself near Khao San Road, spending his nights in cheap hostels. Of course, that is in stark contrast to how his most recent trip to the city went, with him nestling in a 5-star hotel and dining with renowned chefs. A great world for both, he said, makes Bangkok a special treat in its own right.
From New York to Buenos Aires, Shanghai and Montreal, and now to Bangkok, Williams said the destinations for In 24 Hours are chosen based on the range of high-end experiences the cities can offer, as well as the visual flair they can bring to the show.
"We have the option that we can choose anywhere we want in the world, really," he stated. "But since it'll be on TV, it has to be a visual city that can grab you. One that is interesting, beautiful, and has a complexity in movement and life.
"You realise that a lot of cities have similar experiences. You can go to any city and there's an expensive hotel and restaurant. But that makes it even more important that when we come to a city like Bangkok, we seek out things that are different and special about Bangkok."
While it can be a challenge to always be on the lookout for new destinations, Williams said the key is still about inquiring into the things that are special and true to the spirit of each city, looking deep into the heritage, customs and the people's way of life.
"It gets a bit difficult, but that just means you have to work a little harder."
Trying out a muay Thai lesson. CNN
The show has been focusing on capitals and major cities around the world, though the host revealed they may dive deeper into smaller cities in the future. "Say, for Thailand, we could do Chiang Mai next," he said.
If he could plan his own 24-hour itinerary, Williams said he would go for Las Vegas for the "fun, outrageous, loud and naughty things". That, or his hometown Melbourne, a place he barely visited in the past decade.
"It would be fun to see it in a different perspective," he commented.
Since his childhood, Williams has always been a big traveller, influenced by his family who would always go on trips together. And he would watch local travel shows like Getaway and The Great Outdoors as a kid, always admiring the show host as having the greatest job on Earth, not knowing he would one day be doing the same.
But he didn't set out for his current job from the start. As a law and media studies graduate from Monash University in Australia, Williams initially planned to take after his stepfather and become a lawyer. However, he found the job boring. Later, he began working for Sky News in the UK, and joined CNN in 2010 as a reporter and producer.
"We're all told when we grow up we need to be doctors or lawyers. So I went and did that for a while but it wasn't for me. This job is much more my speed, which my family agrees with," he said.
If there's any downside at all to his job, Williams thinks it's the fact that he has to be away from his family and friends. He is currently based in New York, renting a pricey apartment that he barely gets to sleep in as he spends about 75% of his time living out of a suitcase, hopping in and out of hotels around the world. His family lives half-a-year in Australia and half in France. It's been a decade since he's lived in the same country with them.
"But with Skype, you see them every couple of days. It doesn't feel so far away when we actually see someone on the screen," said Williams. "It makes the world feel a lot smaller."
For a man who defines his job as being one of the greatest in the world, Williams said he's having a hard time imagining his future and what he could be doing if he's no longer on the show.
"There's a little bit of terror inside me as to what I'll do next," he admitted. "I think anything I do next will be a step down from what I'm doing now."
His solution is to not worry about things that are yet to come and try to have as much fun as he can with this rare opportunity he's been given.
"I would be quite happy just to keep doing this for the rest of my days. The opportunity to travel and meet people and do interesting things -- you can't ask for any more out of a job than that."
The Bangkok episode of In 24 Hours airs next Wednesday at 4.30pm on CNN with reruns available on weekends. Visit www.edition.cnn.com/specials/travel/in-24-hours.
How to travel James Williams style
The globetrotting guru has a few of pieces of advice for fellow travellers:
One, adjust your watch to the new timezone after boarding the plane and try to follow the sleeping pattern according to that timezone to avoid getting jet lag.
Two, be smart about collecting points with your credit cards, flights and hotels.
Three, try doing something scary once in a while while on trips. Try bungy jumping. Strike up a conversation with people of different cultures. Experience a new, foreign environment that may get you a little anxious and uncomfortable.
"As scary as a new experience can be, if you put yourself out there and do something different and challenge yourself, then after it's over, it always feels like you're really glad that you did it," said Williams.
