2023 Trip #2 - Hong Kong - The Peak, Disneyland HK

Yep, trip #2 in the same month after returning from Vietnam

Couldn't resist as I was able to secure good deals on the hotel (TD Travel points) and the flights and Taiwan has holidays on Monday + Tuesday

Day 1/2

Hong Kong - The Peak 太平山頂  星光大道 尖沙嘴

Day 3/4/5

Disneyland Hong Kong

Thoughts

• HK is very $$, from food to transporation and takes a lot of time, and hotels are $$$ too
• Disneyland HK is small enough but not too small, good for child's first visit to experience the Disney experience. But I think that's enough for us, ha
• I still don't like the big HKG airport, so much wasted walking

2023 Trip #1 - First flight in 3 years - 2023/02 Vietnam - Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An, Bana Hills, Da Nang - FUN

 I only realized I haven't posted here in 3 years, OMG

Where have all the years gone by? 2020, 2021, 2022 was all intra-Taiwan travels (you can only do so much)

Hopefully this changes with more planned flights in 2023

Vietnam - a country that wasn't on my list, but now one of my favorite

• Hanoi
• Walk around Old Quarter, temple, eat
• Church
• Halong Bay
• 1 day tour to The Amazing cave, Lagoon bamboo boat, Titop island
• Views were awesome, 2000+ islands
• Hoi An
• Walk around, enjoy night vibe
• Hoi An Memory Show
• Bana Hills
• Great to stay up at the hills, Mercure French Village
• Beautiful Europe view, and Golden Bridge with Buddha hands
• Sun World is fun (the alpine coaster cars especially)
• Da Nang
• Beach
• River cruise to watch Dragon bridge spitting fire

2020 H1 Update

I haven't updated for a long time (8 months since last post in Dec 2019), so here it is, using new Blogger interface also 

Obviously the biggest news was the Covid-19 and how that changed THE WORLD as we know it

Personal 

• Nothing major overall, happy wife, happy life
• Kids have finished 1 more year of school, which means Logan will start Elementary school in September. I am glad to have attended his (emotional) Kindergarten graduation ceremony

Work 

• Same old same old and it's coming up to 2 years already!
• Commute is getting worse at night, 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour at night sometimes feel too much, echoed by few colleagues. Oh, the things we do to make a living

Travel

• Thankfully I visited Australia and New Zealand this CNY, otherwise it'd be a long time before they open up the borders or planes flying regularly again
• I see that I was moaing about planning for the Summer trip - well, that got cancelled (and Aeroplan miles refunded)
• All travels are now within Taiwan (thankfully very safe)
• 北海岸
• 嘉義 阿里山
• 環島 - 台南 墾丁 台東 花蓮 宜蘭

Happy Holidays, 10-year Wedding Anniversary, Upcoming 2020 Travel

It has been a while since my last post in July

Thank you, 2019
You can say 2019 has been quiet yet eventful, nothing too good nothing too bad, just life
As it's almost end of 2019, I want to wish everyone a Merry X'mas and Happy Holidays

Happy Wife, Happy Life
10 years ago I married my wife and 10 years later I am still married :) and looking forward to another 10 years

Future Travel
Upcoming 2020 is easier (not less work for sure) it only involves TWO long trips instead of 4~5 short trips in 2019

However, each Long trip is complicated in itself as I hate staying put in one place
Winter - I fly down to hot Australia (Brisbane, Sydney), and Auckland New Zealand (3 cities)
Summer - Even crazier, I visit Kyoto, Osaka, London UK, and Budapest (4 cities)

I dread when I research for attractions, hotels, transportations, and etc... but it is fun, as long as I don't do it all at once. Imagine researching for 4 cities' "point of interests" and hotels/deals at the same time... good thing is I have flexibility if I start early, with help of points
For example, Winter trip hotels is Cash + Radisson points + Aeroplan flights; while Summer trip is Marriott Bonvoy points + CHOICE hotel points + Cash + Aeroplan flights

TRIP for 2019

2019

1. January - Bangkok, Thailand 曼谷 $17000 for 4
2. May - Singapore 新加坡 $13000 for 4
3. June - Macau 澳門 虎航 $12000 for 4
4. August - Tokyo 東京 JAL 44000+44000 Avios for 4 + $?
5. October - Cebu 宿霧 虎航 $13000 for 4
6. December - 花蓮 太魯閣 宜蘭

So, final count is 5 countries/cities

第一次在台灣過年!

我已經不記得上次在台灣過年了 (除了阿公往生之外) 20年前了吧
小孩倒是真的第一次在台灣過年

好玩

• 小孩領紅包 (多過於包出去的 哈哈)
• 包紅包 有機會包給爸媽和小孩
• 見到好久不見的親戚
• 吃到平常不會吃到的零食

不好玩

• 塞車 中部回北部 整個晚上都在塞
• 包紅包 數字太難算
• 大魚大肉 肥胖啊
• 鄉下環境 還是有點挑戰
• [一定]要做XYZ的習俗 一定要怎樣怎樣 都沒有現代化

TRIP - Okinawa, Japan 沖繩

回來台灣第一次出國 就選擇了日本沖繩
整體而言還不錯

費用

• 機票
• 樂桃航空 兩大兩小 $9040
• 回程+托運行李 $900
• 旅館
• 免費 感謝之前在加拿大開3張信用卡拿到的TD points 
• Night #1 $150 CAD @ Gracery Naha 就是國際通上的旅館 沒啥特別
• Night #2+3 $210 @ Urban Condominum Wafutei 塌塌米設計 不好睡 不過離DFS很近上車很方便
• Night #4+5 $251 @ Villa Izumizaki 個人最喜歡的 又大 地點又好
• 吃飯
• 晚點信用卡單出來計算
• 消費買東西
• 大國藥妝
• 伴手禮
• 晚點信用卡單出來計算 Scotia $600 CAD

• 其他
• 富邦旅遊險 $700
• Wi-Fi $550
• 交通 電車
• KLOOK 北部+南部一日行 $3600 NT

行程

• 12/13 晚上搭飛機
• 12/14 國際通走走 奧武山公園
• 12/15 北部一日遊
• 12/16 Main Place 國際通走走
• 12/17 南部一日遊
• 12/18 早上飛機回台灣