Just wanted to share a "discovery" I had last November when we went to Hong Kong. So I've been drinking green tea and matcha for as long as I can remember. I loved dining in Genki Sushi because of their complimentary "unilimited matcha powder" but I never took the time to research about it. All along, I thought that since it's powdered then it should be a lower class matcha powder.

Take note that this might be a common knowledge to some but this was news to me last year.

Genki Sushi, UPTC

Japan 2019: Uobei Sushi in Yodobashi Hakata, Fukuoka (I think this is closed already.)

This is the one I'm talking about. I looked it up and according to their website, it's definitely green tea powder from Kagoshima.

Mukha kasi siya 'yung ibang matcha powder na nabibili rito sa'tin sa Manila, diba?

Anyway,

I felt so dehydrated during our summer Japan trip and that cold green tea felt like a savior every night.

This became our favorite dinner place when we went to Japan last year. Notice the cold service green tea pitcher that was far from where I was seated. I kept refilling during the meal until the server noticed that I stood up quite a couple of times so he then placed the refilled pitcher in front of me.

It has always been placed in front of me during the next nights. Arigatou! HAHAHAHA. Nakakahiya ng slight. HAHAHAHA

Personally, I find it mild but for my friend who doesn't like drinking teas, she told me that it's a bit potent for me to call it mild. Idk 🙊🙊

During the nights that we dined it there, I always found myself wondering what it was then somehow concluded that it's cold-brewed green tea because I was unaware of the existence of green tea powders.

When I saw the Cold Brew Green Tea bag in Donki (right), I thought that I've solved the problem until I had to spend a lot of time trying to brew the bags and still didn't taste like those drinks I had in Japan.

I know that brewing green tea takes time and I would love to attend a proper tea ceremony (led by Minghao hahaha!) someday but for now especially for those times when I'm rushing, I've been good with instant green tea bags.

Seventeen's Follow to Bulacan

The problem remained unsolved until Don Don Donki in Hong Kong happened and I chanced upon these three Jonetz Powder.

May green tea powder pala?! Would've solved this immediately if I Googled, right? May green tea powder pala! You can taste the difference of green tea powder and matcha powder at once but I never really paid attention until last November.

Anyway, I've been enjoying these green tea powders. These have become my go-to drink since November.

It doesn't even have a steeping time, mix lang sa iced water then I'm good to go.

KBYE

Gusto ko lang i-share bilang isang matcha and green tea addict na not all powders are the same. AHAHAHAHAHA.

Places We Visited in Tokyo, Japan 2023

Someday... babalik ng Japan para maghanap ng green tea powder.... yes, universe? 😂😂😂

Thailand: Choui Fong Tea Plantation, Chiang Rai

Everything, in time. 💖

Personal Instagram | Travelling Through Food | Denden's Baking Room

0 Comments

There are two border crossing options for your Hong Kong and Macau Trip. Looking for the better of the two will depend on your situation or preference.

Good questions to ask when deciding:

1. How much is my budget?

2. How many hours can I allot for travel time?

3. Do I easily get seasick?

Ferry and bus during the "crossing" will both take an hour. The differences are 1. price, 2. location/distance of the ports, 3. volume of people at the immigration counter

Klook link: Book your Hong Kong - Macau Ferry Tickets here.

Klook link: Buy your Hong Kong Octopus card here.

I've tried both ways of crossing so this is my attempt to compare hoping that I can help you decide which suits your time and budget more.

Hong Kong - Macau - Zhuhai Border Crossing via Bus

Open 24 hours

As of November 2023:

Bus ticket: 65 HKD per person

Bus fare (can be paid via Octopus card or cash) to HZMB Hong Kong Port Passenger Clearance Building via the Airport Bus: 33 HKD

Bus fare in Macau: 6 HKD/ 6 MOP

FYI: This is currently the longest bridge-tunnel system sea-crossing in the world.

This port is in Lantau Island so you can also ride the MTR to Sunny Bay and B5 bus to the clearance building. I opted for the airport bus because we had our luggage with us.

The bus ride itself was comfortable and there are a lot of buses plying this route non-stop, immigration process was fast but this will also depend on the volume of people that will be there with you

Tickets can be purchased using Octopus card, Cash, or Credit Card. No reservations needed.

Klook link: Buy your Hong Kong Octopus card here.

Again, take into consideration that going to HZMB Hong Kong Port Passenger Clearance Building via the airport bus takes more than an hour from the center of Hong Kong.

Going to Cotai, Taipa, old Macau from the border may also take an hour.

Riding the bus for the border crossing definitely saved us money but it took us around 4 hours for the whole process so if you're crossing for a day tour then also bring a lot of patience 'cause you might need to spend 6-8 hours travelling back and forth the clearance buildings and four immigration counters. If you decide to take this, start as early as you can.

If I were to do this again, then I'd still choose the bus if it's round trip or for when my airplane ticket enters and exits Hong Kong.

Hong Kong - Macau - Zhuhai Border Crossing via Ferry
Open until 11 PM (visit Klook or their website to confirm)

Click on this link to view the price, available dates, and book: Hong Kong - Macau Ferry Tickets.

We rode this pre-pandemic so this experience that I'll write below is assuming that not a lot of things has changed since then.

The ferry port we rode at was in Sheung Wan, I believe there's a also a port in Kowloon. It's close if you're staying in Central, TST, Mongkok etc. for you don't have to travel back to the airport area.

The ferry in Macau side is closer to the tourist attractions compared to the Gongbei border. Also, there should be a lot of casino free shuttles you can ride from here. This is still the more efficient way of crossing borders especially for day tourers.

If I were to do a Macau Day Tour from Hong Kong (which I'd rather not), I'll ride the Ferry back and forth especially if money/budget is not an issue or I'd ride the Ferry going to Macau then the bus going back to Hong Kong.

Btw, Macau is one of my favorite destinations so it's not enough for me to stay for a few hours if I'm there. But I also understand why a lot of travelers opt for a day tour 'cause if you plan your itinerary well, a day should really be enough to explore the famous tourist spots in Macau.

(4D4N) Macau Travel Itinerary; 'Cause it's more than a day tour

Places We've Visited in Macau

PICTURES FROM THE BUS RIDE:

This building is new and it's easy to navigate even for first timers. Here you'd have to show your passport and arrival card 'cause you're exiting Hong Kong. There wasn't an arrival form in Macau but you'd have to answer the HK arrival form again when going back to Hong Kong.

No traffic. No seasickness.

Macau Beyond Casinos Tour: Hac Sa Long Chao Kok Coastal Trail (黑沙海濱馬路)

Macau side was also easy to navigate. There's are several bus outside although I wasn't paying attention so I don't know if there were free shuttles here as well.

(4D4N) Macau Travel Itinerary; 'Cause it's more than a day tour

Places We've Visited in Macau

Klook Link: Macau Hop on and Hop Off Bus Tour

PICTURES FROM THE FERRY RIDE in 2019:

Hong Kong: HKG - MNL Flight Review with Cathay Pacific and Night Treats Voucher

Places We've Visited in Hong Kong

If you plan on staying the night in Macau, personally the best way was how we did it before.

Entry Airport - Hong Kong

Border Crossing

Exit Airport - Macau
For this, you won't need to cross the border twice.

Everything, in time. 💖

Personal Instagram | Travelling Through Food | Denden's Baking Room

0 Comments

This post will include:

1. My flight experience with Cathay Pacific during my latest flight: Manila - Hong Kong

2. Hong Kong Night Treats Voucher

3. Night Rickshaw Tour Bus

These are all promotions from Hong Kong Tourism Board so check their website out during your trip to Hong Kong 'cause you might stumble upon great promotions and discounts.

Discover Hong Kong

Stars collecting season na naman. Haha. I don't collect for myself but I help. lol

Last March, we won three round trip tickets to Hong Kong. It was a promotion led by Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong International Airport, and Cathay Pacific called World of Winners.

It wasn't until this November that we got to use the tickets. We've been to Hong Kong before and have visited several famous tourist attractions so this time, it was a very chill tour - just walked around and ate for most days. 😂

First time flying with Cathay Pacific and hopefully not the last.

Forty eight hours before the flight, they sent an e-mail for the online check-in and we did that for a faster bag drop. The bag drop and boarding procedure were fast, calm, and organized.

By the way, don't forget to accomplish your e-travel form for the QR code. We were shocked by the amount of people at the immigration queue 'cause it was way more than expected. This is always something to consider when flying out of the country because we don't know how long it's going to take at the immigration counter. We spent more than 1 1/2 hours in line but we weren't asked a lot of questions.

The plane left Manila on time and arrived in Hong Kong a bit earlier than ETA. Also, try accomplish your arrival form while in the airplane so you can head straight to the arrival immigration counter upon disembarkation.

There were several movies, shows, and songs from the in flight entertainment. My chosen movie for that flight was Jujutsu Kaisen but I wasn't able to finish it because the movie was longer than the flight.

The flight included a hot meal and two check-in luggage (total of 30 kg for both).

The weather was clear so there weren't a lot of turbulence during the flight. Overall, it was a pleasant experience with Cathay Pacific. I hope to fly with them again on a long haul flight. Hopefully a flight back to USA. Yes, universe?

One of the recently added albums was Taylor Swift's Midnights. Didn't attempt to purchase concert tickets abroad since the expenses will definitely be huge but watching the concert in theaters last month got me in awe.

We got three night treat vouchers from the airport and additional three from Klook since we booked a ticket to Sky 100. If the line in the airport is long and queuing isn't possible, you can claim your vouchers in the booth near the Avenue of Stars and water taxi terminal.

What is Night Treats voucher?

If you're flying to Hong Kong, you are automatically eligible in receiving 100HKD voucher care of Hong Kong Tourism Board. This can be used in several establishments in Hong Kong from 6 PM until closing. All you have to do is show them your passport upon claiming the voucher. Also, some activities from Klook have the night treats vouchers as a freebie.

All in all, we received six vouchers (600 HKD). We were able to use all the vouchers. You just have to be patient in looking at the website to find out the participating restaurants and bars - this changes frequently so it's better to often check the website.

We didn't have a fixed itinerary so we had enough time to find the restaurants where we wanted to use the vouchers in. The establishments can be sorted out based on the location so it's easier to find and navigate.

What We Did:

*Downloaded What's App and registered our local number before leaving Manila.

*Registered at the website twice. The rule is one voucher per HK Tourism Board account but you're allowed to combine vouchers in the restaurants as long as the total amount is always exactly or more than 100 HKD. You can combine vouchers as long as your bill is higher than any multiple of 100 HKD.

Paano kung isa lang 'yung local number mo pero dahil sa Klook e meron kang tatlo na night treats vouchers?

Pwede ka mag register hanggang tatlong beses:

For example 'yung akin,

unang account - +63 915

pangalawang account - +63 0915

Kung may pangatlong account - +63 00915

Kung meron kang mas marami sa tatlo, kailangan mo na maghanap ng ibang number. Make sure to download the app beforehand because it's easier to receive the OTP through that. By the way, make sure to have an internet connection when claiming your voucher because you'll be using QR codes for the payment transactions.

These are some of the Klook activities you can book that have night treats vouchers:

You may click on the link to book.

1. Disneyland

2. Ngong Ping | Hong Kong: Ngong Ping (Cable Car Ride and Village)

3. Victoria Peak | Hong Kong: Victoria Peak (Sky Terrace 428 and Tram Ride)

4. Sky100

According to their website, "Citybus Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus" offers you a convenient hop-on, hop-off service. Like riding on a rickshaw in the old days, you can explore Hong Kong with a panoramic view, this time on an air-conditioned double decker, and enjoy a spectacular sight of all the attractions along the way.

For the night, the usual rate is 100 HKD but since this is one of the promotions of HKTB, we were able to purchase the ticket for only 20HKD each. Tour started at 7 PM and ended at 8 PM.

It was a hop on - hop off bus but we were staying on the second floor of the double decker bus so we just sat for the entire hour and settled for a round trip tour. ahahaha. It was interesting to see the night lights and night life through the bus. Enjoyed the cool breeze of an Autumn night in HK.

If you want to see majority of the tourist attractions in Hong Kong without getting tired then this is definitely a good option. Take advantage of the 20HKD per pax that will only be available until February 2024 as of posting.

Some photos from when we used the night vouchers below:

Before they launched Hong Kong Night Treats, they had Hong Kong Goodies which tourists used at different establishments such as Royce, I was looking forward to using the vouchers in Royce TST. Talk about counting chicks before they hatch - they stopped the Goodies and launch Night Treats for November. I am not complaining. Kahit ano basta libre. haha!

Anyway, I didn't buy any. If this life leads me back to Japan one day, doon na lang ulit ako bili.

Japan 2019: Arrival and Departure at FUK Airport + Itinerary and Royce Chocolates

I had a few coins which I used at HKIA before flying back. Although most of the things are expensive, there were 10 HKD - 15 HKD breads and tarts you can purchase at the airport should you find yourself in a similar situation.

We were taking our time in Terminal One only to find out that our gate was in a different terminal thirty minutes before boarding time. We had to ride the airport train again and that ordeal took more or less twenty minutes. HAHA! This is why we need to find our boarding gate before roaming around the airport.

We also had extra load in all our Octopus cards so we used them all at the airport. However, sorry HK. Mas bet ko 'yung egg tart sa Macau.

Having Octopus card while in HK is very convenient. Also, love that McCafe has a matcha drink. Keep up, McdoPH! Kahit 'yung matcha sundae niyo na lang o mcflurry, pakibalik! huhu

EDIT: 2 days after posting this, binalik na 'yung matcha mcflurry huyyyyyy tenkyi, MCDO!!!! Pero hindi pa ko naka-order. haha

Purchase your Hong Kong Octopus Card Here.

Leaving HK was even more convenient because Cathay Pacific has a self-check in and self bag drop counter. The queue there was definitely faster than the manned counters.

After that, departure is automated. All that's needed when passing through the passport control and immigration gate are your face ID and passport then you're all good.

Until next time, Hong Kong.

Thank you so much HKTB!

We didn't go to Disneyland but I was able to use my Octopus card in one of the shops at the airport to purchase this.

Hi, Oppa!

Everything, in time. 💖

Personal Instagram | Travelling Through Food | Denden's Baking Room

0 Comments

Since we're flying back to Hong Kong within this year, might as well post my un-uploaded photos from our previous trip. Thank you, Cathay Pacific for our round trip tickets! We were one of the winners of "The World of Winners" Campaign by Hong Kong Tourism Board. We're a step closer to say #HelloHongKong.

We bought the tickets from Klook.

Book your own adventure here:

Hong Kong Pass
Sky Terrace 428 with Tram Ride

The meeting place was outside a mall and we had to walk towards where the lower station of the tram is. Dusk should be the better time to go there but we wanted to skip the night crowd so we opted for an early afternoon slot.

Riding the tram felt like riding a roller coaster for kids.

This is the view from the tram. The ride took less than 10 minutes and it glides past Hong Kong Skyline. It was such a treat for the eyes especially for first-timers like me.

The Peak Tower is a building on top of Victoria Peak. This is a tourist spot, thus, there are a lot of restaurants and stores here as well. Hong Kong's Madamme Tussauds' Wax Museum is also in the building.

In 2012, this was certified as one of the three World's Best Night view. The other two are found in Morocco and Japan.

Japan:

Mount Inasa's (Inasayama) Observation Platform, Nagasaki

If you have the time and stamina, there are trails within the hill. Hiking should be a popular activity here because I saw people wearing their hiking outfit back then. haha

Imagine going here at dusk and be able to watch the sunset.

You'd have to ride those escalators in order to get up and down the Sky Terrace 428. It is named this way because the Terrace stands at 428 MASL.

This is inside Candylicious. Also in the Peak.

Recreating the photos I took in Singapore and Las Vegas. Sometimes I still can't believe that I've been to these places. Hahaha

Sentosa, Singapore: Candylicious at Universal Studios
Las Vegas, USA: Hershey's Chocolate World

New York, USA: Hershey's Chocolate World

After walking around for quite some time, we rode down. Exiting the Tram, we saw long lines of people in the lower station. Dusk, truly, is the more preferred time to go there.