It is a bit unusual to come off of spending 3 weeks in one country to hit back in my European trend of spending 3 days in another.
Of course, when thinking of the size relativity of Hong Kong to its neighboring China, one could say I did incredibly wrong by China in comparison.
Still, 72 hours in Hong Kong allowed for a lot of quick site seeing, and a lot still to be missed.
It’s not uncommon for people traveling to Asia to have a layover in Hong Kong. The good news is, you don’t have to sit around and be bored! You can visit the Tian Tan Buddha, or Big Buddha- one of the many things to do in Hong Kong, located approximately 40 minutes to an hour away from the Hong Kong International Airport.
First of all, get an Octopus Card. Not only will you be able transit, you can also buy food without needing to have any cash on hand. This is a great way to get Hong Kong dollar without having to exchange or withdraw money from an ATM. Simply load up your Octopus Card at one of the many 7-11’s in Hong Kong and you are ready to visit the Big Buddha.
To get there, take the MTR to Tung Chung station. Once you get off the MTR, you will then enter a mall called CityGate. The interesting thing about this mall is it has facilities for you to store your luggage!
Next, you either have the option of taking the Ngong Ping Cable Car, or the bus. Your option will depend on your budget, as the price for a round-trip gondola ride is fairly expensive. You decision will also be based on your willingness to line-up for the cable car. (Hint: It’s a VERY long line up!).
Once you reach the top, that’s when the fun begins!
Traveling to Myanmar was more expensive than I had anticipated.
While it is still a SE Asia destination, making it less expensive compared to Europe or Australia, but it wasn’t cheap like Thailand or the Philippines.
To be honest, it was the accommodations that got me, and sadly, I don’t see the prices dropping anytime soon.
If anything, prices will go up because Myanmar now has an over saturation of tourists. No longer is Myanmar an off-beaten path, but it is now more popular than ever with over crowding in Bagan, Yangon and Inle Lake becoming the common theme.
As every says, it is better to visit Myanmar now as opposed to later. Despite the flock of tourists, it will only get worse later. Go now before it becomes a swimming pool of humans all in one place!
How much money I spent in Myanmar during my 11 days there:
After a terrible last three days in Myanmar thanks to food poisoning, I finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. A light called “Inle Lake”, which happens to be the most awesome place in Myanmar!
We booked a boat tour from our hotel, and only paid 10,000 Kyat ($10 CAD) for the entire day. This included a tour of the Indein Pagoda, which is optional. If you decide to opt out, the tour will only cost 7,000 Kyta ($7 CAD). Local Burmese people have told me if you bargain with the boat operators, you can get it for much less!
Our day started when a representative of the operator picked us up from our hotel and led us to the small boat docks. The walk was quite long, taking us around 20 minutes to reach our desti-nation. However, if this is your first day in Inle Lake, you will get a preview of what the city looks like This should give you an idea of what the city is like if you decide to explore the city later.
Karen and myself boarded a two passenger boat that included life jackets and padded seats.