Second Hong Kong Layover

Note: This is a continuation of our Bali trip.  you can find the full trip itinerary here.

We had another one night layover in Hong Kong, and I was really hoping that we could at least see a little bit of Hong Kong this time. Instead of taking bus transfer or taxi, we decided to try the MTR this time. Turned out this was probably the best/easiest option. The MTR was very clean, not that expensive, and quite fast. Our stop was the IFC mall, and from there, we took a taxi to the Courtyard Marriott Hotel.

Hong Kong MTR

We were assigned a smaller room this time, which was fine for our one night stay. Everything else looked very similar. The weather was actually clear, but there wasn't really anything to do around the hotel unless we wanted to take the taxi back to IFC Mall and then take the MTR to Kowloon - so we ended up staying in that night.

The following morning we woke up a bit early and decided to just go ahead and take our carry on luggage with us so we wouldn't have to come back. We took the shuttle bus to IFC Mall, and then took the MTR to Jordan to eat breakfast at the Australian Dairy Co.

There was already a long line by the time we got to the restaurant. Thankfully the line moved very fast. Don't get mistaken by the "Australian" name. this restaurant was not very "Australian" at all...he he.

Thank God that they had air conditioning inside. It was a really hot and super humid day in Hong Kong, so the AC really helped. The restaurant was packed and seating area was extremely tight.

We asked for an English menu and ordered one of the breakfast packages which came with macaroni soup, scrambled egg and toast. The reviews said that the eggs are amazing and they were! They were very fluffy and creamy - maybe they put milk or something in it?

I of course also ordered the Hong Kong style milk tea which was so refreshing! We shared the yellow egg custard pudding which I surprisingly didn't enjoy. It was a bit too rich for breakfast.

We also got an order of the thick toast with condensed milk which was good. We didn't try their milk which was displayed outside. Overall we liked this place and were glad we tried it.

After breakfast we walked around to get a feel of the city. Unfortunately, it just rained that morning so the humidity was off the charts. We could only walk for a couple minutes before we rushed back inside to the comfort of AC.

I was trying to find the "Times Square" area but couldn't find it and we had very limited time so ended up just walking randomly... he he.

Before heading back to the airport, I told Dan we should visit the Intercontinental hotel which supposedly has one of the best views of Hong Kong. So we took the MTR, and then walked to the hotel.  Once inside, we went into the lounge area and saw a truly remarkable view. The hotel had really high ceilings with glass panes overlooking Hong Kong island. The picture doesn't do it justice; you have to come yourself to see. I bet this would be really pretty at night. The hotel overlooked the Avenue of the Stars which you can also stroll/walk around if you don't want to pay for drinks at the Intercontinental hotel. However, it was way too hot for us to be walking outside so we really enjoyed our rest and the AC at the Intercontinental bar lounge.

We each ordered a drink which was way overpriced. But I guess we knew we were paying for the view. :)

We took the taxi back to the airport, and went straight through security and passport control to the lounge since we already had our boarding passes. There were a couple choices for the first class lounge and we ended up at the Pier. I was surprised how much smaller the first class lounge was compared to the business class lounge. I somehow imagined it would be more "grand", but it wasn't.

We went straight to the shower area since walking around Hong Kong that morning made us sweat so much and it was definitely time to freshen up.

After our much needed shower we went to the eating area for lunch. The food was served buffet style.

I ordered my new favorite drink, the Cathay Delight. :)

We shared a couple items from the buffet. As you can see, they had dim sum items, fruit, smoked salmon, bread.  A very good selection, much more than the business class lounge.

I also found some pralines that they usually serve on the business class flight and I got a couple since they were really good. :)

After lunch, we wanted to check out the "private room" - where you had to exchange your boarding pass with. Turns out the private room was very small and we felt  a bit claustrophobic so we went immediately outside and waited in the main lounge. :)

Next Post: Hong Kong - San Francisco on Cathay Pacific