Bangkok & Hong Kong May 2016
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Day 1. Starting our journey to Bangkok
The start of a new adventure and a ‘new’ country for us visit! I woke up with nervous excitement but having everything packed and ready was able to enjoy a leisurely breakfast at home before setting off. We had booked an evening flight from Manchester which meant I could travel into the city and spend…
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Day 2. Dubai to Bangkok with Emirates
Our transit time in Dubai airport was 2 hours 15 minutes and we needed to take the Sky Train to Concourse B for our connecting flight. I wasn’t really hungry but we sat down in a cafe for a tasty snack and a drink to keep us awake as well as passing a little time. …
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Day 3. River Boats and Temples of Bangkok
We had a full night’s uninterrupted sleep not waking until 7.30 am local time which was good. The hotel breakfast had plenty to choose from and we enjoyed a relaxing start to the day sitting by the restaurant window observing Bangkok’s chaotic traffic pass along the road. Tuk-tuks, scooters, cars, vans, cyclists and old fashioned…
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Day 4. Jim Thompson House, Bangkok
We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant then walked to Surasak BTS station to take the Sky Train to the National Stadium from where it was only a short walk to Jim Thompson House – our first place to visit. Jim Thompson was an American entrepreneur and soldier who founded the world renowned…
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Day 5. Travelling Emirates from Bangkok to Hong Kong
Our final morning in Bangkok but plenty of time to enjoy one last omelette cooked to perfection from the hotel’s egg station. After checking out of the Holiday Inn Silom we returned to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport via the BTS Sky Train, changing at Phaya Thai for the Airport Express. Thankfully, it was much quieter than…
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Day 6. Riding the Hong Kong Peak Tram
Waking up to our first morning in Hong Kong we enjoyed breakfast in the hotel then walked the few steps to North Point MTR station where we purchased Octopus travel cards HK$150 each including a refundable deposit of HK$50, (only cash accepted for visitors). We topped up the cards an additional HK$100 each then took…
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Day 7. Ngong Ping and the Po Lin Monastery, Hong Kong
After breakfast we took the MTR to Tung Chung so that we could take a ride on the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car to visit the Po Lin Monastery and the Big Buddha. The MTR was crowded with commuters but queues are orderly and trains run at one minute intervals. The cable car station is adjacent to…
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Day 7. Happy Valley Race Course, Hong Kong
After a very short rest we left the hotel at 5.15 pm and took a tram to Happy Valley in order to spend the evening at the Hong Kong Jockey Club ‘Happy Wednesday’ race meeting. We spent a memorable evening here on our last visit to Hong Kong and were eager to return. Ground entrance costs…
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Day 8. A ferry from Central to Cheung Chau
After breakfast we hopped on the MTR to Central so that we could take a ride on the Hong Kong Observation Wheel which stands 60 metres high and has 42 cabins. The wheel has been open less than two years so we hadn’t been on it before. Tickets cost HK$100 each and there was no…
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Day 9. A Day in Macau from Hong Kong
From North Point station we took the MTR to Sheung Wan as we wished to take the Turbojet ferry to Macau. Ferries depart at 15 minute intervals on hydrofoil boats, the journey taking only one hour. A single fare is HK$164 and there is no discount offered if you buy a return. We just purchased…
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Day 10. Nan Lian Gardens, Hong Kong
After a leisurely hotel breakfast we took the MTR to Diamond Hill, Kowloon so that we could visit the Nan Lian Gardens, a haven of tranquility set amidst a myriad of towering apartment blocks. The gardens which only opened to the public in 2006 are designed in the Tang style and cover 3.5 hectares. The idea…
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Day 11. Visiting Stanley in Hong Kong and Emirates to Dubai
Our final day in Hong Kong – how quickly the time has passed by! A leisurely hotel breakfast followed by quickly packing our suitcases before checking out. It has been an enjoyable second stay for us at the Ibis North Point, a convenient location, good value and rooms with superb views, we’d certainly consider it…
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Day 12. Emirates Dubai to Manchester
Our Emirates flight touched down in Dubai 50 minutes ahead of schedule so we had a walk through the terminal before settling down with drinks and snacks in one of the cafes. The terminal seemed much quieter than when we had passed through on our outward journey. Two years ago we had a nine hour…
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