A pre-wedding Honeymoon? (21 days around Asia)

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 4 (Part 4):

After the champagne and nuts a starter salad and prawn dish were presented. The salad was about as inspiring as Neils Greens, however the prawns were surprisingly tasty and the farro much better than I expected.



The main of Halibut with preserved lemon sauce was then presented. Not something I would normally eat but I didn't feel like the beef and I had eaten some version of rendang 4 times over the last week. The fish was quite tasty and very easy to eat. I do think steamed dishes are always a good go to on planes as it's pretty easy to consume reheated.



After lunch a couple of options were presented for dessert. I went with the Haagen-Dazs caramel biscuit flavour and boy was it a treat! I searched the rest of the trip for it but couldn't find it anywhere. If you like ice cream and biscoff this a must try.



I spent the remainder of the flight watching Samurai which I thought was really well done. I then discovered the live TV function which happenned to be showing an NRL game. Unfortunately it was the Cowboys vs Tigers, 2 teams I really couldn't care less about, however the novelty of watching it at 38 000ft combined with a pretty entertaining finish (5 tries in the last 30 minutes and a fair Tigers comeback) meant it was a really cool way to end the flight.



We started our descent into a hazy HK and landed about 15 minutes early. Unfortunately our trend of extremely long taxis at HKIA continued so we got to the gate about 20 minutes later. We were off quickly however the rest of the flight caught up at the train to immigration. That being said the immigration line was short and once again our bags were among the first to come off the belt so we were on our way to the Airport Express. After exiting past customs I went straight to the ticket machine and purchased 2 x one way tickets for the train. This might seem counterintuitive but for some reason there was a promotion on the Airport Express while we were there that meant one way tickets each way were cheaper than returns.

After a painless train ride to Hong Kong station we went straight to the taxi rank to get a cab up to the Conrad. Unfortunately this was among the only options as there is no longer a shuttle from the hotel. In classic fashion HK fashion we gritted our teeth for the short trip while our suitcases bounced around the bungee corded boot.





The doormen were prompt to take our luggage and directed us to check in. I had already checked in online and selected a room so it was just passport and payment formalities at the desk. Despite booking a base level reward room for one night plus cash for the second we were offered an upgrade to a King Executive Harbour View Room. Check in was very painless and the staff were lovely. Unfortunately we had just missed canapes in the lounge so headed straight to the room.



Awaiting on the bed was this cute display in recognition of our pre-moon.

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 4 (Part 5):

We showered in the quite spacious, albeit a bit retro, bathroom and changed to head out for a walk to find some dinner.




I wouldn't normally post a photo of just the toilet unless it was a fancy washlet, but this bloody phone on the wall was an absolute PITA. Everytime one of us sat down in here you would inadvertantly bump it and knock it off the wall - then panic trying to work out if you'd accidentally dialled anyone or hit the emergency button...



The vew from the room was beautiful but the weather was fairly cloudy with some on and off rain. Despite this we walked down through the Pacific Place mall attached to the hotel (also attached to the JW Marriot, Upper House and Shangri La) before emerging onto the streets of Admiralty and walking towards WanChai.

We ended up having Five Guys as neither of us felt like anything local given we had a very nice dinner planned the next evening. This was our 2nd time to Five Guys in Hong Kong as it is always far more convenient than the hour plus all locations in Sydney are from our home.



I again went for a grilled cheese with a beef patty, a popular and tasty 'hack' and one of the few things I've found on tiktok that lived up to the hype.

After eating we mosied back towards the hotel taking in some of the crazy high rise apartments on the way.



We explored a little of the hotel on our return including the pool which was lit up quite spectacularly of an evening.



The view of the twin towers of the Conrad and Shangr la was equally as impressive.



We returned to the room with turndown service having been completed and some tea placed on the desk which was a lovely way to cap off our travel day.

 

[ShelleyB]

I spent the remainder of the flight watching Samurai which I thought was really well done. I then discovered the live TV function which happenned to be showing an NRL game. Unfortunately it was the Cowboys vs Tigers, 2 teams I really couldn't care less about, however the novelty of watching it at 38 000ft combined with a pretty entertaining finish (5 tries in the last 30 minutes and a fair Tigers comeback) meant it was a really cool way to end the flight.

As a long-suffering Wests Tigers fan here (from the Wests Magpies side of the family) you should be grateful you don't care.

Enjoying the trip report!

 

[markis10]

I usually take the E11 bus to pacific place from HKIA, cheaper and quicker if traffic is playing nice, as well as being more scenic.

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

I usually take the E11 bus to pacific place from HKIA, cheaper and quicker if traffic is playing nice, as well as being more scenic.

I did consider this but the taxi was only about $8aud and a hell of a lot easier with 3 weeks worth of luggage.

 

[NoName]

Slightly late arrival but now locked in for this report.

 

[markis10]

I did consider this but the taxi was only about $8aud and a hell of a lot easier with 3 weeks worth of luggage.

I was suggesting the e11 bus from HKIA, since Covid I have used the busses extensively and have not put a foot on the AirPort Express train, helped by the incentive of the downtown checking not functioning until recently.

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

I was suggesting the e11 bus from HKIA, since Covid I have used the busses extensively and have not put a foot on the AirPort Express train, helped by the incentive of the downtown checking not functioning until recently.

Oh right didn't even consider that. How are they with checked luggage on those buses? They're the double decker yellow ones right?

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 5 (Part 1):

We only had 1 full day in Hong Kong this trip so decided we would make the most of it!

We started with a visit to the executive lounge for breakfast and coffees. The view from the 59th floor lounge was stunning and the weather a little more coperative than the previous evening with some passing showers but clear blue skies following.





The breakfast spread was quite impressive and the staff were very helpful. However the lounge certainly feels cramped despite having a considerable footprint given the low ceilings and long divided space. Coffees were once again from a machine providing the necessary caffeine but not quite scratching the itch for a good latte.

After breakfast we went straight down through Pacific Place to Admiralty MRT station. Our first goal today was to head to Quarry Bay and check out the infamous Monster Buildings. A very seemless train ride direct from Admiralty and we were there in about 15 minutes.

This area is becoming increasingly popular with tourists but doesn't seem to have quite hit the levels of places in Japan we later experienced so it still felt quite 'authentic'. The buildings themselves (and a lot of Quarry Bay) are quite surreal given how dense they are and provided for some cool photo opportunities. The residents and shopkeepers also didnt seem to mind the tourists around as long as you weren't getting in their way and everyone seemed quite respectful.





I'm a very big fan of Greg Girards work and a lot of his older Hong Kong photography focussed on places like this and in particular the walled city. It was cool to be able to check them out before they likely succumb to HK and Chinas push for modernity.

It was also staggeringly hot and humid this day. Not the worst we have experienced in HK, as in July 2023 it reached 40 during our visit, but enough to make us want to seek some AC and shade.

We headed down into a market below street level to walk around out of the heat for a while.



Before re emerging and heading towards Tai Koo station for our next destination.