We've been back from our 3 weeks Hong Kong trip for more than a month now, and it just doesn't feel like that was that long ago. I WANT TO GO AGAIN! It's been taking me way too long to write about our trip and it's been driving me kinda insane because I have so much to share with y'all! I'm going to break down the trip into a few posts, starting with this first one as an intro.
We go to Hong Kong about every other year so we always try to go for as long as we can, so we can spend enough time with the family and also explore the city and the countryside. It's the third time Adam and I have travelled to Hong Kong together. The last couple times we went during the summer, and the heat was just inescapable.
This time we really wanted to take advantage of the cooler weather in Hong Kong, since we went in February, so we could do more outdoor adventures. Plus, we were really excited about Chinese New Year so we ended up staying in Hong Kong for the entire 3 weeks and didn't take any side trips to other Asian countries.
The passed Chinese New Year was my first time being back to celebrate New Years with my family since I moved to the States 15 years ago. Talk about making up lost time! Everyone was of course happy to see me over New Years, especially my Ma. After all, it was kind of her idea that we'd visit in February, plus plane tickets were at the lowest I had ever seen. Needing or wanting to take a trip to the Kong? Go in January or February. Prices usually jumps back up during and after Easter. We were super psyched when we booked ours for less than $900 per person through Cathay Pacific. Are you maybe wondering what we had to pay when we went during the summer? A whooping $2400 PER PERSON. Yep. You do the math. That's a hugh difference, and we pretty much got the best deal this time.
BUT WAIT! There's more. The morning while we waited for our delayed flight (because of high winds), they told us, out of no where, that we got upgraded to Premium Economy, for FREE! Hum. Was that luck? Probably. Was it also because I checked us in one minute after the check-in time? Most definitely. So it turned out that checking in as early as you can does pay off like you can never imagine. We were of course thrilled!
BUT WAITTT! Omg, yes there's actually more. We got bumped AGAIN coming back home! We were just floored by our luck, and absolutely ecstatic at the check-in counter (no, we didn't scream like teenage girls but it certainly was a high-five moment on the inside!) And just to give you an idea... we would have paid about $9,000 for flying Premium Economy both ways. We only paid $1,800.
Wow, nelly.
We know that things like that can seem such a small thing to get excited over. But come on, let's be real here. Neither Adam and I are high ballers. While we get that some people do have the means to travel in class, we just felt like we had won the lottery. We were happy and excited going there and coming back.
Our entire trip was great. I love seeing and hanging out with my family. Everyone is just so generous and kind. They might not all speak English fluently but they certainly tried their best when talking to Adam who didn't know what was going on most of the time. I do wish, so badly, that he could understand 'cause he's been missing out on a lot of good jokes and good laughs. Some things just aren't the same when translated.
So as planned, the trip this time around was just incredible. We hiked, then we hiked some more.
The weather was gloomy on most days we were there because it was the beginning of spring and clouds were over our heads a lot. However, we did get lucky with having a lot of sun on the day we went to Lantau Island. It was one of my favorite day trips in Hong Kong.
Whenever we weren't doing stuff with the whole family, we enjoyed going out on adventures ourselves. We hiked up to Tai Lam reservoir via the mountains and country parks near where I grew up. One of Adam's favorite places to go is Mongkok, simple because there's tons to see. And we always find ourselves in interesting places looking at something while eating awesome street foods. We also betted on some horses at the Happy Valley racecourse, and spent some time doing some grocery shopping at the local wet market and a brand new supermarket. There were a few days where my parents took the afternoon off, and drove Adam and I all around the New Territories. There were even times where we poked into places that we almost weren't allowed to go to, next to the Hong Kong and mainland China border. My aunt and uncle, who live on Hong Kong Island, also drove us around the island one day, and we finished the day with a huge sushi dinner in Wan Chai. Little day trips with my aunt, my mom, and my sister to Lantau and Cheung Chau were just amazing, and we absolutely loved it.
So with all that being said, I'm gonna sign off here for now and work on writing out the rest of our trip. Hope you enjoyed the few photos and come back for more!