Day Trip to Macau

Trip Report: A Week in Hong Kong
Tip: Use Klook in Asia + Chase Merchant Code
Lantau Part 1: Ngong Ping 360, Big Buddha and Tai O
Lantau Part 2: Hong Kong Disneyland

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Macau is…different. Some people call it the Las Vegas of China, but that’s not entirely correct. You won’t see Elvis impersonators, strip club promoters, or barefoot bachelorettes on the streets of Macau. The resorts manage to be extremely refined and luxuriously extra. There’s plenty of high stakes gambling, luxury malls, and Michelin starred restaurants; but there’s also leftover Portuguese architecture and meandering alleys with Chinese street food.

Lantau Part 2: Hong Kong Disneyland

Trip Report: A Week in Hong Kong
Review: United Economy SFO-HKG
Tip: Use Klook in Asia + Chase Merchant Code
Lantau Part 1: Ngong Ping 360, Big Buddha and Tai O

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Note: I’m splitting our day in Lantau into two blog posts. We did Lantau (Parts 1 and 2) in one day which was doable but tiring. You can easily dedicate a day to each part.

When I was a child growing up in LA, my dad worked for Disney. One perk of being a Disney employee is free entrance to Disneyland, so I spent a lot of time there! I love Disneyland and when I found out there was a Disneyland in Hong Kong, I had to check it out!

Due to jetlag, we woke up at 7am. Disneyland didn’t open until 10:30am, so we decided to do Ngong Ping 360 + Big Buddha + Tai O in the morning, then go to Disneyland in the afternoon.

We took the Tung Chung line to Sunny Bay station, where we transferred to the Disneyland Resort line.

Lantau Part 1: Ngong Ping 360, Big Buddha and Tai O

Trip Report: A Week in Hong Kong
Review: United Economy SFO-HKG
Tip: Use Klook in Asia + Chase Merchant Code

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Note: I’m splitting our day in Lantau into two blog posts. We did Lantau (Parts 1 and 2) in one day which was doable but tiring. You can easily dedicate a day to each part.

Thanks to jetlag, we were awake at around 7am. We took the subway to the Tung Chung station on Lantau Island (from HK island, it takes about an hour). The gondola entrance is right next door to Tung Chung station.

Tip: Use Klook in Asia + Chase Merchant Code

Trip Report: A Week in Hong Kong
Review: United Economy SFO-HKG

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While researching activities for our trip to Hong Kong, I found a travel company called Klook that lets you book all sorts of tours and tickets online. Klook makes it easy to book activities, save money, and earn Chase UR points.

Trip Report: A Week in Hong Kong

I just got back from a weeklong vacation in Hong Kong, traveling with my friend E. We had a great time and agreed that Hong Kong is an excellent destination for US-based travelers.

My Favorite Portuguese Souvenirs

Trip Report: Portugal
Review: JetBlue Even More Space SFO – JFK
Review: Airspace Lounge
Review: TAP Economy JFK – LIS
WithLocals: Lisbon 10 Tastings Food Tour
Day Trip: Lisbon to Sintra
Lisbon: 3 Day Itinerary
Review: Azor Hotel
Sao Miguel, Azores: 4 Day Itinerary
Review: SATA Lounge PDL and Azores Airlines PDL – BOS Economy
Review: Residence Inn Boston Logan/Chelsea

When I travel, I love bringing back small gifts for my friends and family! Here’s a list of my favorite souvenirs from Lisbon and the Azores, and where to get them.

Sao Miguel, Azores: 4 Day Itinerary

 Trip Report: Portugal
Review: JetBlue Even More Space SFO – JFK
Review: Airspace Lounge
Review: TAP Economy JFK – LIS
WithLocals: Lisbon 10 Tastings Food Tour
Day Trip: Lisbon to Sintra
Lisbon: 3 Day Itinerary
Review: Azor Hotel

I absolutely loved my time in the Azores, a set of volcanic islands off the coast of Portugal. The food was delicious, the landscape felt so unique, and there were many times when I felt like we had the whole island to ourselves.

Getting There

From Lisbon, you can fly direct to Ponta Delgada airport (PDL) on Azores Airlines, Ryanair, or TAP Portugal. My one-way flight on Ryanair LIS-PDL was $61, booked three months in advance.

From the US, you can fly directly to PDL from Boston and Providence on Azores Airlines and from JFK on Delta (starting May 24, 2018). The flight from JFK is just under 6 hours, making it shorter than the flight to SFO and an ideal extended weekend getaway.

Lisbon: 3 Day Itinerary

Trip Report: Portugal
Review: JetBlue Even More Space SFO – JFK
Review: Airspace Lounge
Review: TAP Economy JFK – LIS
WithLocals: Lisbon 10 Tastings Food Tour
Day Trip: Lisbon to Sintra

We spent five days in Lisbon, but I think if we had been more prepared with a schedule (and maybe less hungover), we could have done it in three days. Here’s what a three day itinerary would look like:

Day Trip: Lisbon to Sintra

Trip Report: Portugal
Review: JetBlue Even More Space SFO – JFK
Review: Airspace Lounge
Review: TAP Economy JFK – LIS
WithLocals: Lisbon 10 Tastings Food Tour

For our last day in Lisbon, we took a day trip to Sintra, which is only a 40 minute train ride away. I decided to do this day trip on a Tuesday, since I heard Sintra is crowded on the weekends. (It was crowded on this Tuesday as well). After browsing through Instagram, I was super excited about Pena Palace. But I ended up falling in love with a different Sintra site.

WithLocals: Lisbon 10 Tastings Food Tour

Trip Report: Portugal
Review: JetBlue Even More Space SFO – JFK
Review: Airspace Lounge
Review: TAP Economy JFK – LIS

I love doing food tours whenever I get to a new city. It’s a great way to kick off a trip, walk around to see sights, and learn about the local culture through food. I’ve done them in Barcelona, Osaka, Bangkok, and now Lisbon.

I booked Lisbon’s 10 Tastings food tour through WithLocals for 49€ per person. Looking back at the description, we actually didn’t get two of the tastings (gizzards and sardines). That’s ok, though — gizzards freak me out and I had sardines the evening prior. We were so full by the end, I can’t imagine adding two more food items to the itinerary.

Below is a map of all the places we stopped for food and drink. Our guide also took us to a few sights and miradouros (viewpoints).