Author Topic: A Tale of Two Trips to Southeast Asia (Includes Naka Island Review)  (Read 3830 times)

Offline Hudi

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So I'm way overdue in doing this, so I'll get right to it. I've been to Koh Samui, Chiang Mai, and Hong Kong two years ago and just last week got back from Phuket (with another stopover in HKG.)

2014 - Itinerary 1: YYZ - TPE - HKG (EVA Air J) 3 days in Hong Kong at the W. HKG - USM (Bangkok Airways J) 4 days at the Conrad Koh Samui. USM - CNX (Bangkok Airways Y) 5 days at the LM Chiang Mai. CNX - BKK - CDG (Thai Airways J) CDG - MUC - CLT (LH J)

Cost: 120k United Pre deval. W Hotel: 16,000 points/night with 35% off voucher for re-earning platinum status. And the kicker 37.5k/Night Hilton Points at the Conrad Koh Samui, Booked pre deval.

2016 - Itinerary 2: EWR - HKG (CX J) 27 hours in Hong Kong at the Regal Airport. HKG - HKT (KA J) 5 nights at the Naka Island HKT - HKG (KA J) HKG - JFK (CX J)

Cost: 110 AA Miles pre deval, I somehow convinced an agent to let me stay for more than 24 hours in Hong Kong on a stopover.  Regal Airport Hotel was $32 USD (Price Mistake) and the Naka was $146/night after claiming an SPG BRG. Totally not worth it to use points here as it will run you 30k+ points/night. 

I'll let the comparisons begin...
Part I: EVA Air Royal Laurel vs. Cathay Pacific Business.

EVA Royal Laurel:
The lounge in YYZ was quite underwhelming as it was the Plaza Premium Lounge but the boarding process was efficient and pretty awesome. As it was our first trip to Asia, and we were the only Caucasian people on the flight, we felt like we were headed off to an exotic world. Royal Laurel (Business) is the highest class on EVA so you have their full, undivided attention, it may also have been because the business class cabin was nearly empty.  Either way, I'll take it. One of the best long haul flights I've ever been on. Quiet cabin, superb, attentive service but not too in your face. Oh, and the flight attendants practically knelt before us when they speak to us. Must be a Taiwanese thing. EVA's amenity kits, especially the case they come in, are pretty awesome. The contents are all standard but the presentation is what takes the cake. The KSML was really nothing to write home about. Typical, tiny tray, barely edible etc.

The only negative of the flight (compared to Cathay) is that the Captain did not make ANY announcements.  Not before, during or at the end of the flight. All the announcements were made by the flight attendants. IDK why I cared but I just found it a bit weird.


Plaza Premium Lounge YYZ.

EVA Air Royal Laurel

EVA Air Royal Laurel

Cocktail menu

Amenity Kit (this is actually not my pic because mine didn't do it justice.)

Same disclaimer as above.

IDK why but I thought this was cool.


We arrived in Taipei at 4:30am to a stunning airport. I honestly don't remember if we went through Passport Control but I do remember searching for the EVA Lounge. After stretches of empty pristine hallways and passing a plethora of closed shops we found it. It was well worth it, as you can see below. The shower was the cleanest bathroom/shower I've ever been in. Having made the mistake of reserving a shower at AAdmirals Lounge in JFK on my way back, I can really appreciate what we had in Taipei.


EVA Lounge Taipei


EVA Lounge Taipei






Shower room


Shower room


Breakfast room


Breakfast room

The two hour flight from TPE - HKG was in a 747, we were seated upstairs in EVA's old business class layout (Sorry no pics.) Still very comfortable for a two hour flight in another empty cabin. The best part was that the Hermolis breakfast we got on this 2 hour flight was more (edible) food than the entire 15 hour flight from YYZ - TPE. I'll post pics in the KSML thread when I get a chance.

Cathay Pacific Business EWR - HKG

We got access to the BA Galleries lounge. It was quite nice and airy with lots of space. The only downside is that the entrance to the lounge is right next to the Virgin Clubhouse... Need I say more :) One pet peeve I have about European & Asian lounges is that they don't have disposable cups for tea or coffee.

The flight was great! For some reason they weren't letting flights to Asia  fly over the North Pole, so we were told to buckle in for the 16.5 hour flight over the Pacific. The service was impeccable, the IFE was endless and sleep was restful. One reason I chose this route was because the 777 we flew didn't have a First Class so it would be a good comparison to EVA. Cathay gets a lot of well deserved attention but its seats are already showing some wear and tear.

When arriving in Hong Kong at 6am we looked for the Arrival Lounge because we had some time before we could check into our Hotel. After finding it though we were quite disappointed. It was small and crowded and don't even think about waiting around for a shower. To be fair though, the morning hours are known to be overcrowded at the arrivals lounge.


Cathay Business

Legroom


Next up: Part II - Hong Kong + Dragon Air Business vs. Bangkok Air Business.

Offline TimT

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Nice start! Looking forward to the rest.

Offline Denverite

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Wow, must be hard to do a TR after two years but I love the direct comparisons and thanks for taking the time and effort!

Offline Yaalili

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Great start!

Offline Hudi

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Sorry for the delay.

HKG Itinerary 1: Thurs - Sun at the W Hotel.

Hong Kong is not a good idea in July. Like really. If it's not thunder-storming, it's 100 degrees and VERY humid. My first trip was intentional but second trip was forced because HKG offered the best connection to Phuket with the AA miles I was trying to burn pre Deval.

We arrived at 8:30am from TPE, passport/customs was a breeze. The train to the city was incredibly easy, convenient and the free wifi is an added bonus. However, since we had all our luggage for the next 2.5 weeks I should have asked for directions to the W once we got off the train. Yes, the W is right there per all the HKG trip reports but the signage isn't great. So ASK for directions, unless you enjoy strolling through the Kowloon Mall with a couple suitcases  :o

Although I was (and am) an SPG Plat our room was not ready, and unlike AJK they didn't offer us another room to crash in until the room was ready. So after handing over our luggage to the bellman, we headed to the Star Ferry for a trip to HKI.

The ferry ride was beautiful minus the heat. We decided to be cheap and adventurous by taking the bus to the Tram. Great idea, but we waited way too long. Just bite the bullet and take taxis around HKI just not to Kawloon. I'd also like to confirm all the recommendations to take the Tram in the morning. The afternoons can set you back an hour due the wait in both directions. But I will say the Tram is well worth it. Both ways! The steep climb and descent are both thrilling (and slightly terrifying) which adds to the experience.

After spending time at the Peak, we were exhausted and way more tired than hungry, so we skipped a visit to JCC in favor of heading back to our room. We were not upgraded initially and were given a "Spectacular" room with views of the Harbor.  I was too tired to plead for a suite so we took it, and went to sleep. Huge mistake :)

It was dark when we woke up. Although it's a perfectly good time to catch up on sleep while on vacation, flying half way across the world to do what you can do at home feels a little off. After calling the now extinct Shalom Grill to arrange our Shabbos food off we headed out to the Kawloon night market (about a 10 minute bus ride from the W) and strolled around the city to feel "accomplished." One really cool feature of the W is that they give you a smart phone pre-programmed with many of the city's attractions and directions to get there.

The next day (Friday) we set out early to explore the Nan Lian Garden (totally worth it) and Kawloon walled city park, also pretty cool and a short bus ride apart. Here is a great resource BTW. We then raced to the JCC for lunch at Sabra Restaurant (back in the days when it was open for lunch). Now, the only lunch option is the Non-Cholov Yisroel Seven-Zero (which looks delicious btw! So unfair :( )

Feeling adventurous, we decided a downhill hike from the JCC to Shalom Grill (about a mile) was a great idea. It surprisingly was! Don't let the short distance on HKI fool you. No walk is just a walk. Think hiking up and down steep mountains some genius thought was a perfect spot for sky scrapers. While it's by no means an easy walk, and should not be attempted with children, we had a blast navigating the steep side alleys, alongside the locals, passing creepy shops and descending a couple hundred thousand outside stairs. The outdoor escalators were also a novelty as they change direction based on rush hour traffic.

After picking up our bags and bags of Shabbos food we relented and hailed a cab to the Metro station. At the W reception desk I pleaded my case for a suite as we would be holed up for Shabbos and wanted more space. I was offered a Smoking suite which we accepted for some reason. The suite had a nice view of the water and we did lots of boat watching but it did NOT smell very good and probably ruined my perception of an otherwise stunning hotel. The Shabbos food from Shalom Grill was plentiful but nothing to write home about as far as quality and it was quite expensive... $950 HKD if I remember correctly.

We did nothing of note on Saturday night, just a visit to the attached mall, so I'll skip to Sunday morning. Checking your luggage at the train station below the W Hotel is brilliantly convenient. We booked a non-stop from HKG to USM on Bangkok Airways using flying blue miles 10k pp. As far as I knew we were booked in economy. Low and behold on the boarding passes we were upgraded to Business! Bangkok Airways was now 1-up on the W Hotel :)

Unfortunately, I can't find the pictures of the business class seats so included some below from google as they only have 1 aircraft type (A319) with business class. Bangkok Airways is a phenomenal airline. Think Jetblue + cleaner planes + Thai service. It's also nice to get a taste of Thai culture while still in HKG. Avoiding a connection in Bankok is also a nice perk :)

Itinerary 1 pics:


Waiting for the Star ferry in HKG


Waiting for the Star ferry


Victoria Peak


Victoria Peak


Tram Track

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Tram


View from Victoria's peak









Lobby of the W


W room


View from W


Nan Lian Garden


Nan Lain Garden


Nan Lian Garden


Garden Entrance


bangkok air business (not my pic)


bangkok air business (also not my pic)


HKG Itinerary 2: 27 Hours at the Regal Airport Hotel

Originally, our plan was to land in HKG at 7pm and leave to HKT the next morning which is why the Regal price mistake was a fitting choice. I ended up finding better availability which got us in at 6am and even though the stopover was more than 24 hours the agent happily complied.

But, of course there were no rooms ready at the Regal at 7am so I davened in the spacious Regal lobby which boasts 3 floors, a business center, shower suites and a large cafe with comfortable seating and free wifi.

At 9:30am we took the S1 bus, which stops right in front of the Regal entrance, to the Cable Car terminal. The bus ride is about 10 minutes and from the top floor of the double decker bus we had nice views. It was very cloudy and rain was forecasted for the morning which had me thinking that the Cable Cars were a bad idea. Contrary to previous threads, the line for the crystal bottom cars was shorter than the regular cars. This may have been due to the weather and people thinking that visibility would be low and not wanting to pay more for the crystal, just a guess though. We ended up waiting in line for a non-crystal car for several minutes and shared the car with 6 other people, some of whom worked at the village at the top and seemed unimpressed with the trip. Quite the commute! The cloudiness was actually fantastic as the cable cars took us right through some really thick clouds above the mountains. To quote Mrs. AJK, "not for the faint of heart." Watching the cable cars take you the same height as some of the planes taking off nearby and not being able to see how high the cable goes before disappearing into the clouds as you ascend the mountains is quite a thrill. The pictures below don't do justice btw. While in the clouds we actually could hear airplane engines and wondered if we were about to have neighbors in the clouds.

At the top of the mountain is a little village called Ngong Ping, with tourist attractions and little shops. We did a quick walk-through, watched a tea making demonstration, and then happily boarded our crystal (glass bottom) Cable Car which we got to ourselves as everyone else stayed back in the village. On the way back down we were entirely engulfed in clouds at some points. It was incredible!
 
Once back on the ground we headed back to the Regal to check into our room, which was quite spacious, had a fridge and plenty of cool amenities. The rest of our day in HKG was uneventful and included finding out that our trip to the JCC for lunch at Seven-Zero was futile due to it not being Cholov Yisroel, and that Sabra Grill only opens at 6pm. My fault as I should have done more research. Thank G-d for the food we brought...

The next morning we took the very short walk to the DragonAir business class check-in and made our way to my new favorite HKG airport lounge "The Cabin." "The Wing" lounge is way too overcrowded and doesn't have the awesome fresh fruit and vegetable drink/health bar.

Here's a tip. If your gate is in the 20s you're relatively close to "The Cabin" lounge. When entering you'll see the reception counter on your left and behind it a hallway where most people turn left since that's where most of the food is. Turn right and enjoy the comfort of a perfectly quiet Cathay-quality lounge. It was empty both times we visited it plus they have drinks and snacks there too. Just make your way to the other-side of the lounge for a quick visit to the health bar and order a "Clean Sweep."

Dragon Air Business Class is even better than Cathay in terms of personal service. The seats were comfortable, the IFE was the same as Cathay, which is phenomenal, and food was Hermolis. After a short nap, an episode or two of Suits we began our decent into Phuket.

Itinerary 2 pics:


Regal hotel lobby


Regal Lobby


Don't ask :p


S1 bus


Cable car above the clouds


Clouds below our glass bottom


Our cruising altitude


Like I said, not for the faint of heart

Offline Luvtotravel

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Re: A Tale of Two Trips to Southeast Asia (Includes Naka Island Review)
« Reply #5 on: August 01, 2016, 11:16:02 AM »
impressive
Don't wait for the perfect moment; take the moment and make it perfect.

Online mochjas

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Re: A Tale of Two Trips to Southeast Asia (Includes Naka Island Review)
« Reply #6 on: August 01, 2016, 04:03:31 PM »
BTW Seven Zero in the JCC is mostly CY they can tell you what is and what isnt

Offline Hudi

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Re: A Tale of Two Trips to Southeast Asia (Includes Naka Island Review)
« Reply #7 on: August 02, 2016, 12:40:42 PM »
BTW Seven Zero in the JCC is mostly CY they can tell you what is and what isnt

Correct, but the problem is that they don't distinguish between the utensils and ovens, so anything they have to heat up could be a problem. BTW I've been following your trip report as well  :) amazing stuff! except the singapore fiasco :(
« Last Edit: August 02, 2016, 12:50:13 PM by Hudi »

Online mochjas

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Re: A Tale of Two Trips to Southeast Asia (Includes Naka Island Review)
« Reply #8 on: August 02, 2016, 12:52:58 PM »
Correct, but the problem is that they don't distinguish between the utensils and ovens u, so anything they have to heat up could be a problem. BTW I've been following your trip report as well  :) amazing stuff! except the singapore fiasco :(
oh the guy told me they keep everything separate and it's only a few stuff that's not CY everything that I wanted was except the milkshake

Offline Hudi

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Re: A Tale of Two Trips to Southeast Asia (Includes Naka Island Review)
« Reply #9 on: August 02, 2016, 01:04:03 PM »
oh the guy told me they keep everything separate and it's only a few stuff that's not CY everything that I wanted was except the milkshake

Could be I misunderstood the Mashgiach but when I asked him he said that they use the same oven.

Offline AJK

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Re: A Tale of Two Trips to Southeast Asia (Includes Naka Island Review)
« Reply #10 on: August 03, 2016, 10:10:26 AM »
Very interesting approach to the TR. Enjoying!
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Offline Yehoshua

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Re: A Tale of Two Trips to Southeast Asia (Includes Naka Island Review)
« Reply #11 on: August 04, 2016, 01:53:19 PM »
Nice comparisons. Too bad Seven-Zero didn't work out, because their Sunday brunch buffet was excellent, and the sandwiches they have (though not on Sundays because of the buffet) are great to take to-go for another time or flight.

Offline avadah

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Re: A Tale of Two Trips to Southeast Asia (Includes Naka Island Review)
« Reply #12 on: October 06, 2016, 04:05:28 PM »
Bump