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ASIA TRIP 2015: Hong Kong, China, Vietnam, Singapore

51K views 293 replies 32 participants last post by  DoubleSquare 
#1 · (Edited)
So this is what I did this year.
1. Landed in Hong Kong but didn't spend much time there.
2. Crossed to Shenzhen, spent a few days there enjoying the modern cityscape of China.
3. Took a train to Guangzhou where got showered by torrential rain.
4. Then took a fast train to Nanning (700km West) and got familiarized with a slightly different (i.e. non-first tier) China.
5. Then flew to Hanoi to see some crazy traffic in the old quarter and see Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum (didn't go inside though)
6. Took a train to Saigon. All 1729km in one go which took 33 hours.
7. Then flew to Singapore and had some quality time there.
8. Then flew to a wicked place called Macau for some good time which concluded my journey

2400km on fast and not so fast trains, numerous flights, lots of sights and different experiences. If that sounds any interesting please keep an eye on this thread and I'll show it all :)



Quick highlights:
- Cities visited: Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Nanning, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore
- Most memorable experience: 33 hours on a train from Hanoi to Saigon in one go
- Duration: 3 weeks
- Distance travelled by trains: 2400km
- Flights: Nanning-Hanoi, HCMC-Singapore, Singapore-Macau

Map:




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So let's start with Hong Kong
Didn't stay too long in HK this time due to time constraints and perhaps not least due to the fact that I visited there twice last year and wanted to dedicate more time to other destinations during this year's trip.

Landed in HKIA early in the morning (around 8 a.m.). Familiar sights of HKIA arrivals and a good feeling of being back in HK. It's always a great feeling to land in HK be it 3rd or 10th time. The experience starts with a great airport and Hong Kong did this part very well. HKIA is usually ranking near the top of airport rankings. It even made the top spot in Skytrax rankings a few years ago albeit not recently. Mind you there are better airports than that and we'll be visiting them too (that's right Changi)

IMG_20150928_084121

Flags outside the main terminal building


Bus stop area. Numerous buses will take you pretty much anywhere in Hong Kong. I did mention this before but it's probably worth repeating that HK bus system is easily among the best in the world with extensive network coverage, clever fare system and fast journey times. There is even wi-fi in some public buses which is handy for those visitors who are arriving without a local SIM card. Bus fare from airport to the main areas in HK is around HK$30-40 which is less than half of the train fare. And since it's usually going to take you pretty much right to the destination it probably makes sense to take a bus instead of train which is much more expensive (HK$100 if I'm not mistaken), isn't too much faster and will only take to a couple of central locations from where you'll probably have to take a bus or taxi to your final destination anyway. I usually try to avoid public buses in favor of any other modes of transport but Hong Kong is an exception


Transport infrastructure near the main terminal building



Lots of different routes and lots of buses

 
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#10 ·
Nice HK pics! I have visited the first four cities, so Nanning and the Vietnamese cities are what I look mostly forward to. But also your views of the ones I visited.
 
#15 ·
Day 2. Macau

The following day I had to depart Hong Kong for Macau which is about 70km (43 miles) from Kowloon. It takes approx one hour on the hi-speed ferry boat and costs between HK$153 and HK$189 (€18-€22) for a one way ticket. Hi-speed ferry transport between Hong Kong and Macau is so efficient that it effectively renders Macau a suburb of Hong Kong. And with the new HK-Macau-Zhuhai bridge it will even more be the case. Border passport control usually takes just seconds and the entire process of moving between Hong Kong and Macau is very efficient and hassle-free.

A few photos that I took with my phone. Couldn't be bothered to take out my regular camera this time

Inside TurboJET hi-speed ferry boat
[P]


Largo do Senado, the main central square of Macau lined by historic buildings. The entire historic center of Macau is a UNESCO World Heritage site. All official names and many names of private establishments (including massage parlors :D) are written in Portuguese along Chinese even though seemingly few people in Macau can speak the language

[P]


Typical narrow streets
[P]
 
#16 · (Edited)
Day 2. Macau

[P]


All of a sudden I decided I had to have a Kinder Bueno White when visiting a convenience store. The interesting part is where it's made. Polska strong in Macau :D. A little strange given that pretty much all snacks, drinks and chocolates that you can buy in Macau, Hong Kong or Mainland China are usually made in China or other nearby country. But this one came all the way from Poland? Why?
[P]


View at Macau Outer Ferry Harbor Ferry Terminal. Leaving for Shenzhen



This is all from Macau from this leg of the journey. Didn't take many photos because had to have some rest and relax a little bit. I will be revisiting it once again at the end of the journey.
 
#17 ·
I've never reached that part of HK which looks so crowed and nasty with all those moldy buildings. I thought the western island is already the worst part of the city. Simply interesting.

Looking forward to other cities!
 
#19 · (Edited)
Day 3. Shenzhen

Day 3. Departing Macau for Shenzhen. China's most modern and prosperous mega-city which is right across the border from Hong Kong. Shenzhen has got a very special place in my list of ultimate urban experiences. An unprecedented urban story of how a global mega-city was created and built from scratch in 30 years. It's a real-life textbook of urban development and city-making.

Boat trip from Macau to Shenzhen (Shekou) takes about 1 hour. The border control procedure isn't much different from that of Hong Kong and takes approx one minute.

Photo inside a line 2 metro train. I'll travel from Shekou Port to Qiaocheng East which is where I was staying in Shenzhen for a couple of days. The train was pretty much empty but filled up a few stops later



If you've followed my previous reports from Shenzhen you probably remember this area: OCT Loft which is based on Vancouver's loft area. I have been watching it evolve from my first visit there (and China as a whole) in 2011 and visited it every year since. A former industrial zone turned into residential, arts and and dining/nightlife area. I would say it's certainly the location with the most character and charm in Shenzhen. And evidence of how an industrial city has turned into a service-based economic center. I'd highly recommend to stay or at least visit this area in Shenzhen
 
#21 ·
Day 3. Shenzhen

OCT Loft

A stylish coffee shop in what used to be an industrial building. There are numerous restaurants, bars and coffee shops in the area. It was much quieter a few years ago



Poster of a nearby Schizophonia art exhibition (which I'll be visiting a bit later)


Kaiping street. As you can see the entire area of OCT is quite green. It feels a bit like jungle in places
 
#22 ·
Day 3. Shenzhen

OCT Loft

Lots of bare concrete everywhere you go



Premium grade apartments which seem to be have just been finished. There are more towers being built in the area. I would imagine those should be among the more expensive apartments in Shenzhen as the area is probably one of prime residential locations for those who want to be a little more cool and smart than the rest of Shenzhen and live in what is seemingly considered the coolest and hippest area in the town



If a new highrise apartment block doesn't work for you there are other options too. Such as lofts in what used to be factory buildings

 
#23 ·
Day 3. Shenzhen

After arriving to Shenzhen and having had some rest I decided I should go out somewhere. Since it was getting dark it probably wasn't a good idea to go very far so decided to go for a walk from OCT Loft to OCT Bay which is a couple of km away.

Intersection of Shennan Avenue and Qiaocheng Eeast road



Qiaocheng East Road



In a distance Qiaocheng East road terminates into Binhai Avenue
 
#25 ·
Day 3. Shenzhen

Now some background on OCT Bay. It's one of the core developments by Shenzhen OCT Holding which is developing OCT Loft, OCT Bay and other projects. OCT Bay is basically a nice area with trendy bars and restaurants. Something like Shanghai's Xintiandi but on a much larger scale and quite a bit more interesting in terms of landscaping and variety employing waterways as the main 'staple' of the entire area. It seems to be the cool and sexy place to go for a fancy nightout in Shenzhen

The entire area is built on reclaimed land of Shenzhen Bay and took its current shape in 2012





 
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