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Theairplaneguy4ever

The oddity of air travel is that by sitting in a metal tube for a few hours you are transported to a whole new place, one that you have never seen before. As if by some odd magic. For some, air travel has become cumbersome. A harrowing experience in getting to work, or perhaps a sleepless night over the Atlantic for that Greek holiday. Many do not think of the journey as being part of the experience. The essence of travelling.

Welcome to my experience of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Airlines. This is the follow up to the Chiang Mai-Bangkok TR on Thai Airways, continuing my travels during the summer.

As with the previous experiences, this TR will be from a humble budget traveler's point of view. So, if you were expecting some posh-nosh high tea at the Peninsula with the Queen, then I'm afraid you'll be disappointed.

Finally, before we start, this is a huge TR. You might want to read it later if you do not have the time now. Cheers!

Booking & Pre-planning

Choosing where to visit is one of the hardest parts of travelling. My experience was no different. After a stay in Chiang Mai, there was just enough time to squeeze in a third destination. Of the many ideas on the table, some notable ones were Krabi, the small beach town on the west of Thailand, Taipei & Singapore.

My eyes fell on Hong Kong, just a two hour hop from Bangkok. It should be noted that I've already visited Hong Kong.
It was last September that I'd flew on Singapore Airlines to this magnificent city. A revisit over such a short span seemed unwise at the time, especially considering that the previous trip was in fact a leisure one. Of all the planned destinations though, Hong Kong eventually triumphed when budget came in.

Our travel agent, who fortunately was aware of my obsession with air travel, had already assembled a set of fares on this sector. Knowing that I loved to fly the more exotic carriers, an RJ and MH option, via KUL, was among the many suggestions. At the very top of the list though, was an airline which I'd seldom heard about. Hong Kong Airlines.

I didn't want to fly on Hong Kong Airlines. The picture I had was of old A300s with rickety old seats, hand-me-downs from the upper class airlines. The meals which were inedible in all aspects and the crew, who were probably retired prison wardens. Funniest of all, the airline did not even have a functioning website at the time. One thing that HX did have though, were timings. With the first flight out of Bangkok being operated by HX, it was impossible to dismiss.

Researching later, I found that Hong Kong Airlines was none of the above. One of many airlines of its parent group, HNA, who owned other airlines such as the five star Hainan (Hence, the similar liveries) and many weird and wacky carriers of China, the airline is most famous for attempting to fly all business class A330s to London, which unfortunately didn't succeed. Today the airline, operates regionally with a mixed airbus fleet of A330s and A320s. Seeing that it couldn't be as bad as I expected, I felt a bit reassured.

In the final booking stages, our travel agent had warned us that the airfares would not be refundable. Not being able to check fares on the airlines own website (Because it didn't work), I'd resorted to makemytrip. In the past, this site had been highly reliable, with the customer service being most excellent. Keeping this in mind, I'd searched a bit and found out a cheaply priced refundable ticket on the site. Skeptical, I chatted with an online advisor enquiring about the tickets and he confirmed that the tickets were indeed refundable. After calling up our local agent to let him know, I made the purchase, only to find in the ticket details that the ticket was non-refundable. Contacting the same online guy again leads to nothing as he quickly washes his hands and evades the issue. Great. In a last ditch effort, we called the call centre and after at least an hour, somebody finally picks up the phone. Now they're saying that the ticket is refundable. A relief? Not quite. Two weeks later another call comes saying that the ticket is in fact not refundable. Excellent. They've finally managed to make a decision. Not wanting to push the issue any further, I humbly ask to block our seats for the flight and it is done by the agent.

Hong Kong Airlines HX774 : Bangkok to Hong Kong

As is the usual case, here is the video trip report for this flight,

http://youtu.be/e84d6SBtjRg

I highly recommend using a pair of headphones for this one, as the music in the video will definitely sound better.

Highlights

Arriving at the transfer counters for HX, we find them deserted. With less than two hours left for the flight, I wonder if anybody at all will show up. Fortunately after a while, a young man arrives following another passenger, who happens to be flying in business class. There seems to be some trouble in issuing a boarding pass for this gentleman and the young man ends up running around the terminal to get the issue solved. After a good wait, he comes back, panting and perspiring and seems like he could collapse at any moment. He apologizes profusely and though we try to assure him that it is of no worry, he doesn't stop. Issuing our boarding passes, he goes an extra length to make sure that our baggage has been loaded onto the plane. After he leaves, I notice there is something wrong with the boarding pass. The window seat that I'd pre selected over the phone call isn't there. Instead, we're stuck in the middle row! We wait another half an hour, until the faint silhouette of the young man is visible again as he comes back to man the desks. Fearing that the seats wouldn't be changeable, I ask the man if it is possible to somehow change our seats.

"Of Course! Which one do you want?"

36A is my assigned seat as we walk to the gate. I am glad that an angel in disguise was there to save us from our seat predicament, caused by the wretched makemytrip, whom which I will never associate again. I issue a fair warning to anyone who might be interested to book on this site. Don't.

At the gate, boarding is announced after a short wait and I notice that our plane is an A330-300, as scheduled. The A330-300 is the flagship of Hong Kong Airlines and I'd be flying on B-LNM, one of four in the fleet. This plane was less than a year old at the time of flying.

1st time on B-LNM
3rd time on an Airbus A330-300
4th time on an Airbus A330
19th overall Airline

Upon entering the plane, I am shocked. Is this really Hong Kong Airlines?! The maroon-red colors of the plane, the impeccably clean interior and the big PTV screens on the back of the seat, have far exceeded what I expected! As I settle into my seat, I am also amazed at the incredible legroom of the HX A333, which I feel, surpasses even the EK 777s in terms of space. At a 32J 260Y configuration, HX planes are certainly not dense, but how can there be even more legroom than SQ's A333 which have 285 seats?

Meal service is of two choices, the western or Chinese options. I go for the western, which has a not so good tasting omelet, though everything else is quite good. The portions are excellent for a 2.5 hour flight.

The IFE on HX was a dream to use. Perhaps the best touch screen I have ever been fortunate to use. Almost iPad and iPhone levels in terms of sensitivity, I believe the IFE systems HX use are the same as that on the Air India 777s. The selection is good enough, with around 30-40 movies and a wide range of music to listen to, though not as expansive as Emirates' ICE or Singapore's Krisworld. Considering that HX operates completely regionally though, I find it most impressive that they have IFE system to begin with. A certain "regional" subsidiary of the famed airline of Hong Kong, which happened to win skytrax's "Best Regional Airline" award, didn't even have PTVs until recently.

Flying on this sector is quite the experience. Not a single person other than of Chinese ethnicity is visible in the economy section. Most seem to be Southern Chinese holiday goers returning home by connecting through the HX network. The feeling is that of flying on a Middle East bound flight from India from a foreigner's side.

The crew on this flight are nothing to write home about, not even breaking a single smile through the whole flight. But they certainly treat us better than the other Chinese tourists, who don't stop yapping through the whole flight and are constantly yelled at by the crew. As with recent controversy, I do not believe that the way people are treated on the India-ME sectors by European crew have anything to do with racism, rather it is the general attitude of the people on these routes.

As we land in Hong Kong and this short experience concludes, I am most delighted with Hong Kong Airlines. After a pre-flight session of heighted skepticism regarding this flight, I am glad to be wrong about my preconceptions of this wonderful carrier. Though there are certainly many improvements to be made, and products across different aircraft types to be stabilized, Hong Kong Airlines makes it to my top airlines of the world list. I eagerly await for the next chance I get to fly this underrated airline of Asia.

Back to Hong Kong!

Walking out of the airport, there is the odd sense of familiarity with everything about, as in a distant dream. The place doesn't seem to have changed a single bit and retains the same charm of my not so distant last visit.

Plans are made to get into the city. The airport express is the most logical and obvious conclusion and we hop on the first train to alight at the Hong Kong or Central station. Spending the previous night hard at work trip reporting, it's instant lights out for me on the train.

Once at the station, we board the H1 bus that will take us to our hotel, a Holiday Inn Express, at Sheung Wan on the Island. The bus drop is complimentary and is included in the Airport Express ticket.

This tiny little room is our residence at Hong Kong. There is only one way to stay while in Hong Kong, in my opinion, and that is on the Hong Kong Island. This HI Express was the closest "cheap" hotel near to a metro station, in this case, Sheung Wan on the Island. With a complimentary breakfast spread thrown in with the room rate, it was a steal.

After a quick shower and such, we are out of the hotel to start the first day of exploration. The local area of Sheung Wan and Soho is selected for a quick walking tour.

The sleepy street outside our hotel. Even at the most busiest of hours, this particular street seems to be deserted.

The plan is to visit the nearby Man Mo temple, a shrine of the Taoist God, Man Tai, followed by taking a ride on the world's longest outdoor escalator, the central Mid-Levels escalator, which goes half way up Victoria peak. Of course, the escalator isn't one single piece, and is broken up along the entire climb. I hear that there are many Cafes and Chinese eateries along the stretch, so I am more than enticed for the visit.

Walking the streets is a good way to see the daily life of Hong Kongers. Only the elderly seem to be roaming the streets at this time though.

Arriving at the temple, there are very few people around. A few Cantonese tourists from China seem to be the only people keeping us company. The small temple is over 150 years old and was built in 1847. The feeling is surreal as I enter.

I notice a sign written in Chinese characters outside the entrance. A big red cross over a camera is one of the many pictures on its top. I raise my camera and look hesitantly at the guard sitting at the entrance, but he only smiles back, which is enough of an approval for me.

The sweet smell of incense fills the air, as a few people silently pray to themselves while bowing their heads near the deity of the temple. We walk around the temple, taking in the sense of serenity and spiritual harmony.

There are many Chinese characters inscribed on bright red paper hanging from the ceiling's incense rings. What they mean remains a mystery to me.

After being thoroughly enlightened, we head to our next destination, the Mid-Levels escalator. Along the way, we come across the main market of Sheung Wan. Contrary to our hotel's street, this place is alive with people bustling along in their daily routine. As you may know, the street markets are a haven of yours truly and we spent so much time here, that we nearly forgot to visit the escalator.

There are numerous small, Chinese style bakeries here. Wanting to sample the famed Hong Kong egg tarts, I duck in to the one on the extreme right. They are priced at HK$5 and taste quite good (I unfortunately didn't take a picture). But are nowhere near the perfection of the Portuguese egg tarts from Macau. There are also a good number of Cantonese style hole-in-the-wall restaurants, but with so much time lost, it is pushed back till after we visit the escalator. A mistake which should not have been made.

Fresh meat anyone?

As you may see in the video, the Mid-Levels escalator is nothing spectacular, though a record holder. It fulfills its duty earnestly, being a people mover, transporting the many people who appear to be going to work or to shop at the SoHo area.

We ride the escalator a good 150m and "connect" to another one, before getting off at an area which doesn't seem the least familiar. In search of the previous market, we decide to hike there instead of taking the escalator.

After haplessly wandering in search of the market, we end up onto the Queen's road, adjacent to our hotel's main alley. With time lost already, it didn't seem worth pursuing the idea to sample some Cantonese cuisine at the nearby market. A nearby McDonalds (Yes, I know) is the only place visible and we grab a quick lunch, before making our way back to the Holiday Inn Express.

Being fatigued from last night, a nap is long overdue and a good rest is what we have. By the time we are ready to get out again, it is 4:00pm. We hurriedly walk to the Sheung Wan MTR station to head to Central before connecting to the Tsim Tsa Tsui line. Our destination - Mongkok.

The trains in Hong Kong seem to be perpetually overcrowded and no matter how much the frequency of trains is increased, they seem to be at full load. This is the only picture I managed to click of the trains, a sign at the Central station had me put off:

"Report photo taking with crime for benefit everyone"

I'm sure that even the Queen must have winced at that grammar. But, photo taking and report were enough to make me wary and quickly bag my Sony.

Now, Mongkok, if you were not aware, is the prime shopping and retail area of Hong Kong. It's also where a lot of the famous camera shops are located. Last year I'd bought a bit of equipment from Mongkok, and the rates were cheap as dirt. Hong Kong benefits from no import duty and low taxes, perhaps why it is considered a shopper's paradise.

There is another nice little bakery to our left, outside the Mongkok MTR station. This one is a bit fancier and has much more neatly laden and creative goods. This here is fried dough balls coated with sugar and drizzled with chocolate sauce, for HK$10, it is delightful! A cute little chocolate bear is also bought, but sadly, he never lived long enough to see a camera lens.

There is always something new to see in Mongkok and being the most densely populated area in Hong Kong, there is barely enough space to walk because of so much people. The neon signs are also what makes this place famous. I'm sure many here are familiar with the shopping at Mongkok, where you can get any sort of item you want, from electronics to fashion accessories. We instead hike on,

The ladies market is around 300m from Mongkok and you can get all sorts of cheap stuff here. Although the quality is questionable, the prices are cheap enough to not make you regret the purchase.

The crowded ladies market. So much to buy and so little time to do it.

As we walk around, we come across this vendor.

She is selling a very famous street food here in Hong Kong. The stick eats of Hong Kong, consist of many weird and bizarre works of meat, either grilled or perhaps even boiled, which are skewered onto a stick. The aroma permeating from the shop is overpowering. I go up and point at what looks to me as grilled pork and ask what it is. The lady mutters "Beef" as she is quickly services the other familiar Chinese customers, who most likely know what they're doing, unlike clueless me. Following in the footsteps of Andrew Zimmern, I take the plunge and order one for HK$15.

She places it in this steel tray. I follow the elderly Cantonese gentleman next to me, who happens to be dining on something much more exotic - starfish, and drench my stick eat with what appears to be fermented soya sauce.

I take a sniff at it. It doesn't seem to smell that bad, so I take a bite.

And gag and nearly lose my lunch right there.

It tastes of rotten meat and has a strong fermented taste to it. I'd had enough and quickly dispatch of it in the next garbage bin I can find. I guess the advice that, "If it looks good, eat it!", isn't applicable in China and my appetite is thoroughly lost for the day. What a disappointment.

We now head back to the MTR station to head to the adjacent Prince Edward station. This is to visit the goldfish market in Hong Kong, although there are no plans to buy anything, I thought it would be nice to have a look.

The goldfish market is right outside the Prince Edward MTR station and the colorful fish tied up in plastic see-through bags are fun to watch. Hey, though I don't really like animals and don't fancy furry creatures either, I used to be quite the ornamental fish fanatic. The aquarium here at Kochi, used to be home to a large variety of fish and I'd been quite fond of them. Unfortunately, they were all wiped out in a fungus attack, which was quite sad.

From the Prince Edward MTR station, we head back to Central. The time now is 6:45pm and we are heading for "The Symphony of Lights" show by the bay at Tsim Tsa Tsui. Though, we could easily just get out at the Tsim Tsa Tsui station and walk from there, that would be no fun.

The star ferry has been the prime mode of crossing the Victoria bay for over a century now. It is one of the most famous icons of Hong Kong. From the Central MTR station, a long walk leads you to the star ferry pier. The cost is a flat HK$2 to cross the bay.

The evening sun now offered spectacular views of the Hong Kong skyline and while everyone is hurrying to make the tram, I take a while to admire the beautiful scene.

We sit at one of the last few rows of the ferry. We push back smoothly and the flight time, oops, cruise time will be a short 15 min. The loads seem to be on the lighter side today, which I am grateful for, as this way you get to enjoy the journey a bit more.

The IFC tower on the left is the tallest in Hong Kong, which I would've liked to check out. Hopefully, one day I am motivated enough to go there and take a peek from the restaurant above.

This picture adequately defines why Hong Kong is known as the city where the East-meets-West. In the foreground is an ancient Junk ship and in the background is the modern ICC tower which is embellished by the "Love Hong Kong" slogan. I agree. I love Hong Kong as well!

I swear that this picture is minimally altered. Another ferry, named the "Night Star" (Yes, I researched), heads back to Central as the sun sets.

As we walk to the Avenue of Stars waterfront where the show is best viewed, here is a picture of the famous clock tower of Hong Kong, built in 1913. The time it reads is 7:17pm, and I cannot believe that there is still daylight at this hour.

This picture here is my favorite of the lot, and though I can find a million faults with it, I love it! Crowds had just started building up for the 8:00pm show and we sat down on the railing admiring the skyline.

The show lasted 15 min and was quite the spectacle, though I didn't understand a bit as Thursday's show is in Mandarin. Though the whole thing is quite subtle and unnoticeable amidst the normal skyline of Hong Kong, it definitely is a must see in Hong Kong.

After the show ends, we head in search of the Tsim Tsa Tsui MTR station. There is a help desk, but the ladies there only speak Cantonese. So I use the universal hand point-&-question gesture, pointing at the star ferry terminal (& the sea if you didn't know) and asking "MTR?" like a silly sod. They are friendly and smile while pointing us in the right direction. No matter where you go, there will always be a few nice people in the world to help you out!

The East-West Tsim Tsa Tsui MTR tunnel is quite the architectural feat, connecting the two MTR stations, East Tsim Tsa Tsui and the main Tsim Tsa Tsui station. Unfortunately, remembering the earlier sign, I stayed my camera.

We catch the Tsuen Wan line to Central from Tsim Tsa Tsui before connecting to the Island line to get off at the last stop, Sheung Wan.

It is now 9:15pm by the time we reach at our hotel. The bakery on the right was still open, which gave me a chance to buy some more of the egg tarts of Hong Kong. Again, they were not quite the finesse of Macau, but still better than the earlier ones.

We grab a quick bite from McDonalds again, not in the mood for anything adventurous, before crashing at the hotel for the night.

Day 2 - Ocean Park

No. I was not responsible for being at the Central bus stand, in line for the 10:00am service to the theme park. Leave that to our family's zoo loving patriarch. I am most displeased with missing out on the street eats in Hong Kong, now back in the mood to eat after yesterday's experience.

The journey from Central takes around 40 min in light traffic and we arrive at the boring touristy place.

Annoyed with being coaxed in to coming here, this section will be short.

More pandas. Ocean world having a bigger budget than the Chiang Mai zoo, the animals seem to be in a better condition, with better environments.

The seals don't seem to be enjoying the south China sun and are hiding in the shade.

The Ocean Park, being on two sides of the mountain, they have a cable car service linking both parts. The chairs, as you can see, seem to be glued on to the rickety metal spheres and do not seem the least bit safe.

Oh dear. I am worried we might be rolling down the hill any moment. I pray maintenance hasn't screwed up last night.

With that, we finally exited the theme park, to my relief, and boarded the bus back to Central, the time now being 1:00pm. The traffic is much worse than before and seeing that we'd lose a lot of time in reaching Central. We hop off at the Admiralty bus stand instead, hoping to catch the MTR. A quick lunch at our favorite restaurant, McDonalds, has left as thoroughly vitalized with beef juice and fatty spuds.

Our next stop is the Causeway Bay MTR station, where lies a very interesting shop.

The SOGO, is a Japanese-style department store at Causeway bay and is one of the largest of its kind in Hong Kong. You may have guessed out the reason for the visit by now, if you had previously read my TRs. It is for instant ramen.

On our earlier visit to Hong Kong, we'd stayed at The Excelsior, which happened to be in Causeway Bay. By sheer happenstance, we'd run into this quirky little store, right above the Causeway Bay MTR station. Back then, the variety of Ramen available had made my eyes bulge. And so, we returned.

I'm pleased to say that a total of seven varieties of ramen have been purchased, accounting to another year's supply, adding it with our Bangkok purchase.

There are also a wide variety of Japanese eats available as well. Here is a red-bean filled mochi bun. It tasted quite good, the texture of the mochi being pleasantly surprising. The filling was nice as well, being on the fence between sweet and savoury.

From Causeway Bay, our next destination is the Temple Street night market. The Temple Street night market is one of the icons of Hong Kong, and a prominent place to get something to eat or simply shop cheap. It is located between Jordan and Yau Ma Tei, on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong.

We board the next train from the Causeway Bay MTR station to head to the Jordan station.

Being just past 5 pm, many of the neon signs are still dark on the street leading up to the market. From the MTR station, it is a quick 5 min walk to the market.

At the actual market, there is a never ending trail of run-down shops, selling almost anything. The pen drives here are cheap at less than HK$40 for an 8 GB one. They are also quite artistic being of every different personality you can imagine of. I grab a few, one of which is a Yoda figurine from Star Wars.

Many of the famous restaurants have still not raised their shutters at this hour and I am once again eluded by the chance to sample some Cantonese cuisine. From the picture above, you can realize how lively the place is even at this time, as cars beep their way through illegally, with no regard for the safety of pedestrians, as they yell back exasperated.

A few seafood restaurants have opened their stalls outside the night market. But they seem too exotic for my taste buds, selling some very peculiar sea creatures.

A nearby 7-11 seems to be the only sane option to grab a snack. Hot dogs are the only thing available and I grab one.

Being in China, the strange and uncharacteristic flavors or tastes unleashed by the many multinational food corporations are not unnoticeable. A green minute maid bottle catches my eye on of the shelves on the store. On it reads, "White grape and Aloe Vera flavor". I grab one of these as well, and it tastes quite delicious (No picture, unfortunately), the taste of Aloe Vera is imperceptible.

As our shopping spree comes to an end, we hop on an MTR train again, to drop off the huge bags of what not bought over the last few hours. It is rush hour and the trains are packed to the brim, the lines to enter the trains almost extend till the next platform. We finally reach our hotel by 6:45pm.

Another of the weird and wonderful goodies of Hong Kong I grabbed, was this. Hong Kong milk tea. Milk tea can be considered as the national drink of Hong Kong. Milk tea is a simple preparation of black tea with condensed or evaporated milk and is sweetened till the English approve. Finding it in a mass produced bottle is certainly a only in Hong Kong moment. But noticing the Japanese lettering makes you realize that it is enjoyed worldwide, by people of all kinds. I certainly enjoyed it for one and will surely get another on my next visit.

After that, we were back on the MTR to head to Central, and the Central bus terminal.

Bus A15 departs regularly from the terminal with an interlude of at most 10 min. Being at one of the peak times, a double Decker bus is waiting for us instead of the normal single deck one. The cost to our destination is HK$22 per person. The bus is packed with barely any empty seats about. We could have took the more famous tram to our destination, but the infamous queues leading up to it had us worried and hence, this option.

We arrive at just past 8:00 pm and climb up to the free observation deck (The paid one is a waste in my opinion), and the view is spectacular.

The most iconic of all of Hong Kong's million attractions - Victoria Peak. I know this picture is out of focus and doesn't do justice to the actual view, which will take your breath away. There are a lot of people here gazing at the Hong Kong skyline like us, and a good wait is required before we make it to the front.

What a way to conclude our short stay in Hong Kong. Note that the Symphony of Lights show is going on currently and hence, that is why the colors surrounding the water seem abnormal.

It is now time to head back, and we are on the bus again, making our way back to Central, but as before we hop off at Admiralty for one very special experience,

The Hong Kong tramways are over a century old and are the only system in the world operating with double-decker trams. Being one of the oldest forms of transport in Hong Kong, it's historic status has made it as famous as the star ferries today.

We wait at the deserted Admiralty tram station to catch a short ride to Central. With the MTR becoming popular, the trams have all but become neglected.

The rate is HK$2 for this short hop to Central. Only the commoners seem to be travel on the Hong Kong and the loads are low today as well. The cold air blowing against your face as the tram speeds through the streets of Hong Kong, is quite the exhilarating experience. We walk to the Central MTR station and board the Island line to head back to Sheung Wan once more. The trains now are deserted as the time approaches 10:00pm.

Not wanting to end my experience in Hong Kong without a single whole Cantonese meal (& not wanting to disappoint our resident foodie from Delhi). We tuck in to this stall for a quick meal.

I order a parcel of pork meat balls with noodles, the same dish I had in Bangkok. Perhaps, the wonton soup would've made a better choice, but I quite liked it. Unlike the one in Bangkok, this one is a bit more flavorful while remaining less spicy. Despite my attempts to increase the heat, by adding three packets of chili, the bowl tastes exactly the same as it was when ordered. The chili here seems.. subdued.

A final stroll through Sheung Wan in remembrance of our trip follows before we return to the hotel just before 11 pm thoroughly exhausted.

I have certainly enjoyed these short two days in Hong Kong and my experience on Hong Kong Airlines. I regret having to leave so soon with so much more yet to see and eat. But the prospect of coming back to this wonderful city awaits, so till then, I eagerly look forward.

Thanks for reading this TR & watching the video.

How was your experience in Hong Kong, if you have been there? Did you see it all? I hope you enjoyed the city as much as I did.

Meanwhile, now that this long series is coming to a conclusion, here is a sneak peek at the next and probably last part of it,

Coming up next :

(Yes, it's an HDR)

Feedback and comments much welcome!
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India's first HD Video Trip Report Channel : www.youtube.com/Theairplaneguy4ever

sabya99 · Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 6:39 pm Post subject:

Nice photo journalism. How about some pictures of new Hong Kong airport ! Very Happy

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Sabya99

shivendrashukla · Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 9:10 pm Post subject:

What an amazing TR there. After reading your report, I have decided to save money and perhaps plan a trip to HK next year, with this report as a guide.

Amazing report.

Cheers
Shivendra

Theairplaneguy4ever · Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 10:07 am Post subject:

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

Dear Adithya, this was a real treat for the senses.
You had most of us aviation enthusiasts with you, right from the first line,
`Many do not think of the journey as being part of the
experience. The essence of travelling.'
Brilliant.
The details of the booking, and the uncertainty, is something
again that most of us enthusiasts go through.
The food looks nice, so does the IFE.
At this point, I could not hold it any longer, and I went straight
to the video TR. The video: the music, as usual, was splendid.
The editing, and the electric dissolves were interesting, and a
bit out of the ordinary. The last ratings with different sized
characters was a nice touch.
Thanks for the lovely food descriptions as well. I love these
midnight snacks, while reading trip reports. I appreciate your
putting in that little bit of Hong Kong street food into the TR.
the sight enticed me, but your description had the reader winch
in disgust, with you. Back to your ferry visit...your pictures are superb!
The Ocean Park was a big disappointment for me: I had expected
something with more of fauna, but this is completely commercial.
for me too, it was time and money well wasted.
It was also nice to see your pictures of the Toyota Crown
white-and-red taxis going around, quite representative of the place.
I have fond memories of `The Peak' as well.
Thanks for the nice food pictures, especially after your moment
of disgust, above. Yes, the resident glutton in Delhi loves every
bit of it. He has just emptied 1 litre of milk into his belly,
and finished half-a-loaf of bread, all past midnight.
Yes, I remember the airport as well, a spotter's paradise except
for the reflections, as you have noted!
Back to the video TR:
Arriving at Hong Kong in the early hours of the day is an
experience familiar to me, since the Air India flights AI 310/314
DEL-HKG usually land at similar times (slightly later than
yours, 06:50 am). I am no stranger to the window fogging, and the
terminal sights at this hour, and taking the Airport Express.
I relived this experience, thanks to your lovely TR.
Thanks a lot for this labour of love - you have really put in
your heart and soul into the trip report, and it shows.
Cheers, Sumantra.

stealthpilot · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 2325 Location: BLR, DXB

Theairplaneguy4ever · Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 6:05 pm Post subject:

jbalonso777 · Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2013 8:41 pm Post subject:

TAG4E this another well written TR from you!
Starting with the flight, its nice to know that there are still rather unknown airlines which exist in this world, which gives us the positive surprises. I must say, the timing of your flight did mean that the breakfast was served too early in my opinion. What do you feel about that?

Stunning pictures and write ups from Hong Kong! It brought back so many memories from my only trip back in 2010. Also, you visited most of the places I didn't visit. Yes, and that includes the Victoria Peak. Thank you, wet weather conditions. My trip in 2010 was quite amazing, I really have no complaints. Maybe my only regret was flying Jet instead of Cathay (but then again, Cathay surprised me come 2013 Razz

). I must say, this TR would help me to no bounds when the inevitable next trip to Hong Kong happens. Many places which you have mentioned haven't been visited my me. Ocean Park was quite a rip off. I must say - Ocean Park has played a significant part in my life. How? I shouldn't have gone on that Dragon Coaster. If it wasn't for that, I would have been perfectly fit and all. Instead, what happens now is a silly L4-L5-S1 back issue. Yay, life. And as is always is, the family pictures which they force us to take make no sense and are useless.
How much do I like HKG? Hong Kong University (along with NTU, NUS, in SIN) are my top priorities for further studies. Yup. That is how much I love Hong Kong.
I surely wouldn't mind spending a few of my studying years there!

Looking forward to more!

Regards
Jish
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http://www.youtube.com/c/JishnuBasu777

sri_bom · Member Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 2365 Location: Singapore

Thank you for taking time out to post another interesting trip report on Hong Kong one of my favorite cities of Asia. Besides Sheung Wan is where my Hong Kong office is located near the western market so interesting to see that area on a trip report.

There is so much to see and do in Hong Kong that a three day trip does not do any justice. I hope next time you go to Lantau island and see the Giant Buddha. The cable car ride (supposed to be the longest in Asia) is the best way to go up there. Besides the monastery provides simple vegetarian lunch which is a good experience.

I really liked the background music on this report, is is very catchy and still ringing in my head. May be you should sell the copy right to some hindi film music composer.

Hong Kong airlines in my opinion is facing an identity crisis as they are not sure if they want to continue being a full service carrier or go the low cost way. Good to know the service was good for such a short flight.

Theairplaneguy4ever · Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 5:04 pm Post subject:

I'd been busy the past few weeks flying officially and working with the next TR, which is up now :

But, this has led me to missing quite a few TRs here, including Sumantra sir's, Jishnu's and Ameya's. I deeply apologize for this.

http://youtu.be/il3BVLG9fM8

Karan69 · Member Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 1334

Excellent report Mate,

HKG is my favourite city, alotugh I have managed just a few days there.

Your pictures are the true HKG experience and were a feast to the eyes,

It makes me wanna make time from my life and go back there again

Regards/

Karan

me111993 · Member Joined: 04 Sep 2009 Posts: 3225 Location: MAA/AMD

Brilliant TR there ! I love the way your videos are made, gives you the full feel of the experience!

Your pics from HK are absolutely breath-taking!
_________________
Causal Determinism : We are hardwired to need answers. The Caveman who heard a rustle in the bushes and checked out to see what it was, lived longer than the guy, who assumed it was just a breeze.

- Greg House

Theairplaneguy4ever · Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 2:12 pm Post subject: