A different side of Hong Kong

Date of travel: 20-24 Nov 2014

Would you believe that this is Hong Kong's Lan Kwai Fong?

I had been avoiding Hong Kong for awhile, because there seems to be so much you can do there. Or so I thought. It's been 6 years since my previous trip, nothing much has changed, but yet I managed to find some unique things that I hadn't tried before.

1) First up, we stayed at Sheung Wan, which is on the Western side of Hong Kong island. The Ibis Hotel here had a sneak peak of the harbour, and I could view the Hong Kong Harbour Light Show from my room window. Just download the app, and listen to their music that plays in sync with the light show. Awesome technology. The area of Sheung Wan is filled with local charm, medicine shops, dried seafood, and an Edwardian style Western Market.

Ibis Hong Kong Central & Sheung Wan

The Harbour Lights show visible from my room window

Western Market

Noto Peninsula, Japan

Date of Travel: 28 July 2014

One of the salt farms along the Noto Peninsula

Departing from Kanazawa, we took a day-trip to Noto Peninsula. It was a beautiful day, and the moment we hit the coast, I felt like I was driving in Australia. Even one of the rest stops felt like I wasn't in Japan anymore. Our first stop was the Chirihama Beach, where you can drive your car onto the 8km beach.

Kanazawa, Japan

Date of Travel: 26-29 July 2014

Kanazawa Station

This is a continuation of the previous post at Takayama & Shirakawa-Go.

3 nights at Kanazawa is too long. You end up doing many things that you normally wouldn't do. So here's our drive trip to some really small towns around Japan. We arrived Kanazawa late at night and checked-in to the newly opened Holiday Inn Kanazawa. At 13,300¥/night with breakfast for a huge twin room, it was worth every penny. On the night that we arrived, we walked to the nearby Omicho market and somehow wasn't impressed with the restaurants there. We randomly picked a restaurant nearby, and wanted to go back to take our car and head out for a drive. On our way back, we heard fireworks and only JUST realized that the big fireworks festival was on that night. We ran back to the hotel and asked them where is the fireworks, and wanted to drive there. The reception pointed us to the 15th Floor. He insisted we go there. And so we did, and we arrived at the hotel's library which was pitch black, and everyone was sitting by the windows catching the fireworks. So lucky, we got to enjoy the hour long fireworks in the comfort of our hotel.

This room has 2 single beds, and 2 toilets! This picture show half of the room, the other half is exactly the same.

Seafood is very fresh in Kanazawa

Takayama and Shirakawa-Go, Japan

Date of Travel: 25 Jul 2014

Shirakawa What?? Where? Huh?
Shirakawa-Go is a UNESCO Heritage Site in Central Japan. It is famous for these houses shaped like hands in prayer, and whose roof has no nails. Most houses have 3 layers, such that when winter comes, you have to go in and out of your house from the top most level door.

We were one of the fortunate few who managed to fly to Nagoya where AirAsiaX once flew to. After landing at 4:20pm, we picked up our rental car for our adventure in Central Japan. It took approximately 3.5 hours to reach Takayama, what I call a transit town for Shirakawa-Go. By 8:30pm, everything was really dead. We were lucky to reach the restaurant on time, before last order of 9:00pm. Try locate Ajikura Hida Beef restaurant, Hanasato-machi 4-147, Takayama. Tel: 0577-371129. After dinner, we checked in to Takayama Super Hotel.

Our rented Nissan March, 4 days rental for 30240¥ (RM967)

The GPS system is really easy to navigate in Japan

Ajikura Hida Beef Restaurant

Ox Tongue is my favourite!

Chiangmai 4D/3N with a big group - Day 3 & 4

Date of Travel: 10-13 May 2014

Waterfall at Doi Inthanon National Park

Day 3

We decided to enjoy nature today, and headed to Doi Inthanon National Park. It is the highest mountain in all of Thailand, 8415 feet above sea level. Entrance fees were THB100/person and THB30/car. Our first stop was this lovely waterfall. The kids went down to the water to play, refreshing cool air.

Chiangmai 4D/3N with a big group - Day 2

Date of Travel: 10-13 May 2014

Making T-Shirts at Borsang umbrella making factory

Day 2

Today is a very relaxing shopping day. We did not want to drive too far out of town, and we do not support riding nor watching animals do silly tricks. So we visited the Samkampaeng area, which is known for their Home Industries. First stop was Borsang paper umbrella making factory. We made history today. We are the first and only group to stay here for 3 hours, when most stay 30 minutes at most. What did we do here??? We made T-Shirts.

Chiangmai 4D/3N with a big group - Day 1

Date of Travel: 10-13 May 2014

At Doi Suthep Temple, Chiangmai

12 adults and 4 children flew to Chiangmai for a fun-filled holiday. AirAsia had a promotion which included the Royal Princess Chiangmai hotel, airfare + 3 nights hotel at RM635 per person. We started out with just 4 persons, and our group size grew really fast. We needed the help of a tour guide to help us move around more easily, and I selected Sutthi Hampitak +66899534407 thihampitak@yahoo.com. He charged us THB15,000 for 3 days in 2 x 12-seater vans, based on my itinerary.



Day 1
Arrived Chiangmai at 8:40am. Sutthi came with 2 x 12-seater vans, and boy were they comfortable. I asked him to bring us to a local market first, then up to Doi Suthep temple. You can climb 309 steps to the top, or pay THB50 for a tram car ride, to and fro. Everyone was already tired from waking up at 4am that morning, so we had a relaxing lunch and back to the hotel. Some of us chose to sleep, others went for a massage at Let's Relax just across the road from our hotel. For dinner, I had reserved a table at a very popular French restaurant in Chiangmai called Chez Marco 15/7 Loi Kroh Road, +6653207032. After dinner, all 16 of us squeezed into a truck to Wualai Road night market, a.k.a. Saturday Night Market.

"Papa, why is it so smelly in here?"

"Papa, why is it still smelly outside?"

Riding the tram to the top of Doi Suthep