 If you are heading to Hong Kong on your holiday, you may choose to include a side trip across the waters to Macau. And here are some tips on how to get there. Direct from Hong Kong International Airport If you are arriving at Hong Kong International Airport, there is a ferry service direct from this location. Follow the transfer signs to the Sky Pier and you don’t even need to clear customs or collect your bags. You can purchase your ticket at the terminal, show your baggage tags and your bags are automatically transferred onto the ferry for you to collect at the other end. For those who want the simplest option, and happy to pay a little extra for this service, it is a great option. This service is operated by TurboJet and you confined all the details on their website here. However, the down side to this option is that the ferry’s don’t depart very frequently. For example we arrived into Hong Kong from Australia at 5:20pm - the earliest ferry option we had from the airport was 10pm. So if you are like us and don’t like sitting around waiting for things, there are some alternative options. Taxi to the Ferry Terminal The ferry terminal in Hong Kong has ferries departing to Macau around every 15 minutes. So if you are impatient like us you may want to consider getting yourself here instead of waiting at the airport. Take a taxi from Hong Kong International Airport - there are three lines for taxis at the airport and you want to take an Urban taxi to Sheung Wan Ferry Terminal. Depending on the traffic (we were commuting about 6pm on a Thursday night) the trip takes about 30 minutes and cost us approx 350 HKD. Upon arrival at the ferry terminal purchase a ticket from the TurboJet ticket counter - ferries leave every 15 minutes so you can simply take the next one. We were travelling in the evening so the fares are slightly more expensive 880HKD for two adults and two children, however there was no luggage service at this time of night so we were able to wheel on our own luggage and did not incur any luggage fees. When we returned from Macao to Hong Kong we took a 10am weekday ferry - the fare was slightly cheaper but we had to check our large luggage and pay a fee for those. Arrival to Macau
Upon arrival in Macau you will need to go through passport control however it is a very simple, pain free process. To get to your hotel, there are taxis available or you may want to check if your hotel has a shuttle bus service. There are lots of free shuttle buses around Macau that take you between the large hotels and the ferry terminals. You may even be able to get a bus to a nearby hotel if your hotel does not run a service - and then walk or taxi from there. Anyone for free tickets? So if you are planning a trip in 2019 there is a fantastic offer for free tickets - yes free. To claim you must simply be an Australian or New Zealand traveller. Tickets are available in both directions between Hong Kong and Macao and valid for travel until the end of the year - 2019. A limited number of tickets are available - to claim yours simply email [email protected] and let him know that Itchy Feet Family sent you! I hope you find these tips helpful (we travelled in April 2019 and unfortunately did not know about the free ticket offer when we travelled!), if you have any further advice leave us a comment. Penny - Itchy Feet Family
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 It’s an unfortunate fact of life that planning a holiday in Bali can, at times, get a bit stressful. Instead of drooling over pictures of tropical beaches and turquoise waters, or dreaming about technicolored sunsets, we find ourselves worrying over passports and tickets and making sure we have got the absolute best deal. One of the biggest decisions to make is the type of accommodation to stay in. Bali has a few choices on offer, but, if we rule out backpackers and hostels (lets not even get started with tents, glamping or otherwise!), great if you are young or travelling solo, but less appealing the older you get, then really there are only two main contenders: hotels or private villas. For many people, a hotel is the obvious first choice, they are safe, reliable and we generally know what to expect. The idea of booking a villa though, can seem a little bit daunting for first timers - so why would you consider a villa over a hotel? Pros and Cons Of course both forms of accommodation have their pros and cons and it really is up to each individual to decide which will be the best option for them - we for example really enjoyed our stay in the Hard Rock Hotel. If you keep reading though you may decide that a private villa can, in many cases, be the way to go. There are many benefits to staying in a hotel. They often have the best locations (i.e right on the beach), large pools, opportunities to socialise and onsite bars and restaurants. However, there are also downsides, most often involving either space or privacy. Suites can be expensive, standard rooms a little too small, especially for families, and you may have to keep the noise down in order to avoid becoming unpopular with your neighbours. Villas, on the other hand avoid most of these issues. Perhaps their biggest selling point is the amount of privacy and freedom they can offer. If you want to get a feel for what it’s really like to live in Bali, a villa will give you a much closer approximation of this than a hotel. Imagine just popping out of your own private enclave, strolling just a couple of minutes down the road and finding yourself right in the heart of some of Bali’s best locations. A villa can be your own home-away-from-home, you can cook whatever you like, whenever you like (or never if you like, as many villas come with a private chef!). You can stay up as late as you like, without worrying about the noise, and you can even take a skinny dip in the pool! Maybe, best of all, there will be no more staring longingly at towel draped sun beds, the claimants of which are nowhere to be seen, because you will have your own private outdoor area. How do costs compare? Whilst there are plenty of villas designed as romantic getaways for couples, there are also many larger properties that are a great choice if you are travelling with friends, or relatives. In fact the more people you can bring along the better a deal you will be able to find. As of writing, it is possible to find some amazing villas, available in high season for as little as $20 USD per person per night! These are villas with private gardens and pools, spacious bedrooms with ensuites, beautifully appointed kitchens, well designed living / dining areas and a permanent staff, available to cater to your every whim. One major concern that many have about renting a villa is the cost. The idea of renting an entire building with facilities anywhere as nice as even a basic resort seems as though it should be prohibitively expensive. In Bali, however, this is really not the case. Of course, there are villas that were built to cater only for the super rich, but, there are also plenty of others, that are much more affordable, and would still easily be classified as luxury accommodation. Where will I feel safe? Another barrier many have about renting villas is the perception of the possible lack of security in a villa as opposed to that offered by a resort, however many offer 24h security guards on duty so be sure to check the details of the villa you are renting. There are couple of options when it comes to finding your dream villa, you can try to do so privately, or, you can organise it through a dedicated villa company. I would recommend doing the latter. There are plenty of these companies operating in Bali and a quick search through some of their websites will turn up tons of fantastic villas for you to compare. Bali’s private villa market has been booming in recent years and with so much competition, villa companies have to ensure a high operating standard in order to remain in the game. The best will have stringent quality control checks on all their listed properties and team of staff on the ground to provide you with advice or to assist you should any problems arise. This guest post was contributed by Bali Villas. With extensive experience in servicing Australian clients, Bali Villas knows what families are looking for in terms of location, style and pricing. Each of their family friendly villas situated on the beautiful island of Bali have been hand-picked by their ‘family expert’ – someone with children who knows exactly what families are looking for. Contact Bali Villas on [email protected] for a short consultation, and they will be able to find you the perfect villa. Bali Villas aim to take the stress out of planning your holiday, so you can concentrate on creating lasting memories with your family.  Hong Kong is heaven for foodies - on our recent trip we were salivating at all the options available - but had no idea where to start. A great way to induct yourself into the culinary delights of a destination is to take a food tour. With the help of a local you can explore a neighbourhood, be introduced to all the best foodie spots and know that you are experiencing the local flavours of a destination. We came across tour company - Humid With a Chance of Fish Balls - who offer an Off The Eaten Path Street Food and Authentic Eateries Food Tour through the Neighbourhood of Whampoa in Hong Kong. Here are five reasons to consider a walking foodie tour with Humid With a Chance of Fish Balls.  1. Meet the Locals One of the advantages of walking the streets of Hong Kong with a local is that they know, and are known to, the locals. From being able to walk through the back yards of a public housing estate to witness the afternoon gossip session of the senior ladies, to being served an egg pancake from a legendary local street vendor, to interrupting a family dinner in a restaurant who are happy to clear out to let us in - there is a real local flavour to this tour. Owner of Humid With a Chance of Fish Balls, and our guide for this tour, Virginia, said when she started the tours she wanted to provide an insight into the origins of the food and why locals eat what they eat - providing something more than just a tasting opportunity.  2. No English - No Worries A disadvantage of being Australian is that our language skills outside of English are generally limited. When travelling through Hong Kong, although English is widely spoken, there are still a lot of vendors and restaurants that simply do not communicate in English. There is a whole world of culinary delights that would have otherwise been out of our reach had we not had a translator with us. As a general rule, when walking streets on our own, we never would have even walked into a venue unless there was some sign of an English menu being available. Being able to walk into a restaurant (like the one pictured) where absolutely no English was spoken provided a great experience and brought great rewards of amazing food.
3. Why Else Would You Visit Whampoa? If you are after a bit of an adventure and like getting off the beaten path - this tour would be for you. As well as the culinary delights and the full belly you get from the tour - you are given an opportunity to discover a neighbourhood that may well be otherwise skipped on your Hong Kong visit. Whampoa was easily accessed via MTR and upon reaching street level from the station you are greeted with a large ship! Yes, a ship, purpose built to only ever be placed on the land in Whampoa. Thanks to our guide, Virginia, we were given a well rounded history and insider knowledge of the neighbourhood. As we walked through the area she was able to position us at certain vantage points showcasing the Old and New Whampoa, took us into the back yards of both a public and private housing estate and walked us through the wet markets where the locals shopped daily. We even stopped by a real estate agency where we were given the run down on what all the crazy pricing on their store windows meant and a good insight into the high cost of living in Hong Kong.  4. The Food Ok, so the main reason for doing a foodie tour is for the food! Well this did not disappoint, we tried things that blew our mind. From the herbal jello with shavings of turtle shell, the bitter tea and pork floss on a pancake - this experience absolutely opened our palettes. And the venues varied from a modern restaurant, a family owned dessert bar, a street vendor for street snacks and more - we had a real variety of experiences in the tour. A highlight was a visit to a dessert restaurant. I have always been fascinated by Asian Desserts but never had the confidence to order and try. By being on the tour our guide ordered a selection off the menu, including a shaved ice dish with kidney beans, jelly squares, fruit and condensed milk, allowing us to sample a whole range of new delights.  5. Families, Singles, Couples - all welcome We travel as a family - 2 Adults and 2 children - and found that the small group opportunity was as suitable for us as it would be for a single or couples. The groups are kept small, we had 10 in our tour, and everyone interacting and enjoyed the experience together. Being a small group meant we had access to ask Virginia questions along the way and, as it is a walking tour, there were plenty of opportunities in between food stops to get to know more about the city from our guide. If you are travelling alone - what a great way to meet some other tourists from all over the world. And for families, we were well catered for and taken care of. Our kids are pretty adventurous when it comes to food - however the spicy rub at the BBQ stall certainly tested the spice levels of our 9 year old. Both the restaurant and Virginia were accommodating providing a less testing level of spice and sharing a milky type candy to cool our 9 year olds tongue that apparently was “on fire!”. Penny - Itchy Feet Family *Itchy Feet Family were a guest of Humid With a Chance of Fish Balls Off The Eaten Path Street Food and Authentic Eateries Tour in April 2019. Other Blogs You May Enjoy:
- Get Wrecked on Moreton Island - Dixie Dude Ranch - Cowboy Ranch in Texas - Hard Rock Hotel Bali - Cycle London - Christmas Cruising Pros and Cons |
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