Singapore - January 2026

Arrived from Hong Kong on Sunday evening after an easy flight on Cathay. Into a Grab and straight to the Paradox Merchant Court where I stayed last trip. I got the same room as last time - 1203 on the top floor...

Unpacked and ironed my shirts for the week and had an early night.

Monday morning I caught the MRT to Downtown and worked in the office for the day. In the afternoon I bought a Kopi from downstairs...

Office view. Looks like they are building another tower...

The daytime view from my room...

The pool at night...

I worked in the office every day. Friday night I had dinner at the restaurant at the Grand Copthorne Hotel, a bit further down the river.

Saturday I went to the gym and relaxed by the pool...

Here are some views from the pool deck...

I called a Grab about 3pm and headed to Changi City Point which is a shopping centre near the airport that has some shoe stores. I got a great deal on a pair of Hoka Clifton 10s...

Then caught another Grab to the airport and went straight to the Qantas First Lounge, my favourite!

The waiter recommended the Singapore sour which was great...

For a late lunch I had the burrata and my favourite prawn wontons...

Followed by the chicken rice...

Finished off with mango sorbet and a dessert wine...

Boarded on time and for dinner I had the char siu...

I watched the second part of the Billy Joel documentary and slept for a few hours.

Landed in Sydney at 0630 on Sunday morning. It was very busy so took a while to get out and into an Uber, but I was still home by about 0730.

Hong Kong - January 2026

Time for my quarterly Asia trip. Flew on Saturday this time on the 11:15 Qantas flight. Got picked up at 8am and easy through passport control into the lounge for breakfast. 

It's going to be 40 degrees today so I'm glad I'm leaving. Beautiful day for flying though...

First time in the First Lounge as a Platinum 1. There's even a separate area in the restaurant. Had the corn fritters with a side of poached eggs and hash browns. Very good...

Boarded about 30 minutes late. 

The amenity bag is now R.M. Williams....

Lunch was great. Prawn dumplings...

And beef fillet...

This was dinner...

Arrived early at 1730 and caught the Airport Express to Hong Kong Station. Then a taxi to the Renaissance. I am now top tier Marriott so I asked for and got, an upgrade to a harbour view room...

Woke up Saturday morning to a spectacular day...

Had breakfast and then walked along to harbour to Ferry Terminal #4 and headed to Lamma Island. Arrived at Sok Kwu Wan and walked to Yung Shue Wan. It's a really perfect day. This is looking back at Sok Kwu Wan...

Stopped for lunch at Hung Shing Yeh Beach...

Then headed back to Central and walked back to the hotel. 

Had dinner in the Executive Lounge on 41/F. It's the first time I've been able to use that. The hotel pool is looking good, but too cold to swim!

Worked in the office on Monday. Went to HSBC at lunchtime and closed my dormant account.

After work I had dinner in the lounge again. I'm getting lazy not even leaving the hotel.

Tuesday is another day in the office with a lot of meetings. Our newest partner took me to dim sum lunch at a nice Shanghainese Restaurant. Someone has moved in on the other part of our floor. It is custom in Hong Kong to send large floral arrangements to congratulate someone for a new business...

Wednesday was more of the same. It's a beautiful day, albeit a bit cold and windy. I never tire of this view from my office...

I went for lunch at my favourite Cha Chaan Teng in Sheung Wan...

I came back from Yangshuo for one night before I fly to Singapore on Sunday. I used my Marriott points and stayed at the J.W Marriott in Admiralty. I had a nice mountain view room...

Now I have top status with Marriott, I can use the Executive Lounge. So I had breakfast there on Sunday morning and it was a very impressive buffet.

I checked out at noon and caught the Airport Express. Straight into The Deck, First Class Lounge near Gate 6. It's a smaller lounge but the service is great. I had burrata and the wonton soup which is my favourite...

And some canapes which they do in affiliation with Mott 32 a very nice Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong...

I departed from Gate 15 which was further than I was expecting, over the sky bridge...

I was sitting at the front row of economy and as a P1 I was treated very well.

Yangshuo, China - January 2026 - Day 3

Got up and headed to a cafe I'd read good reviews for. However, the cafe was closed for relocation so I found one close by and had a very good coffee and egg and avocado toast. 

Another panda themed item...

Didi are so cheap here...

Then I walked around West Street for a bit. It's very quiet this morning, even though it's about 1030. I then found a Chinese restaurant for an early lunch before I headed to the station.

I ordered the bamboo sticky rice which was good, but too much for me...

The stuffed peppers were great...

And something which sounded like churros but weren't quite. They were nice though although very sweet...

I then caught a Didi back to the hotel and checked out. Ordered another Didi for the 40 minute ride to Yangshuo Railway Station. 

Two hours to Guangzhou and then changed trains for a one hour trip back to Hong Kong. 

I was in second class for the first leg and first class for the second. The train travels around 250km/h...

Cleared customs in China and entered Hong Kong. Caught the MTR to Admiralty for my last night in Hong Kong.

Yangshuo, China - January 2026 - Day 2

In the morning I got up and had breakfast at the hotel for a princely RMB25 (AUD5). It was good...

After that I got a Didi to what is known as the Red Bridge, or Ruyi Lookout. The driver was a middle aged man. I don't understand the Chinese fascination with these things...

I caught the cable car up which was quite stunning...

It's called the Red Bridge as it has thousands of red ribbons tied to it. Tradition is that you write your life goals on the ribbon and tie it to the bridge for good luck...

It's been really well done, and there's a one-way walk over the bridge, up to the lookout and then down to another area with a glass walkway. You can see the lookout area in the picture behind me...

Made it to the top where there are more ribbons...

Looking back the way I had come...

Then headed down to the next area which has a glass walkway. 

It doesn't feel too scary as it's not as high off the ground...

Slip carefully!

The next stage I was not expecting. A glass walkway on the edge of the cliff. It was fine as you didn't look down...

They provided special slippers...

I then caught the cable car back down and called a Didi. It is very easy to get a car here and they are very cheap.

Next stop is a place famous as it is the backdrop for the CNY20 note. I find this funny as China is completely cashless and nobody knows what a CNY20 note looks like.

It's quite common to see people dressed in traditional clothes and taking photos at tourist sites. I did ask permission before taking this...

That night for dinner I went to another place in Yangshuo I had seen reviewed...

Nice view of the river...

After dinner, I walked into the main drag, West Street...

I had a massage...

After that, I found a cool bar with live music, although it was all in Mandarin...

There are a lot of panda themed things here, even though we are not in panda country...