Category: Travel

Roccos Pizzeria, East Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

by gavin, posted in Restaurants, Travel

For the past 4 or 5 years I’ve been lucky enough to travel to my favourite destination in Asia, Hong Kong, once or twice a year either as a trip in itself, or as a staging point to nearby countries (China, Macau & Vietnam).

I always try to stay in East Tsim Sha Tsui at the InterContinental Grand Stanford. I like the area as its far enough away from the main Kowloon touristy area of Nathan and Canton Roads so that you’re not constantly being harassed by tailors or dodgy Rolex watch hawkers, but you’re also just a 15 minute walk, either by the harborfront promenade or underground through the MTR stations and shopping centres, to the Star Ferry terminal for the ferry hide to Hong Kong Island.

During one of my trips a couple of years ago I happened to stop at Roccos Pizzeria on Mody Road just up the street from my hotel, and with the offer of happy “hour” for most of the day I settled in for a couple of cold beers to quench my thirst. Service was always good, and the food as always a welcome break from always eating Asian food.

Roccos Pizzeria, East Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

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Hanoi Hilton Opera, Hanoi, Vietnam

by gavin, posted in Hotels, Travel

This was my first trip to Vietnam and, as you’ve probably already guessed if you’ve looked at the other hotel reviews here, I don’t do backpacker type accommodation. Yep, I’m a 4 or 5 star traveller.

For my digs in Hanoi I chose to stay at the Hanoi Hilton Opera which, as the name suggests, is right next to the Hanoi Opera House. Interesting, the hotel was not named Hanoi Hilton as that name has associations with a prison from the Vietnam War.

Hanoi Hilton Opera, Hanoi, Vietnam

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Curry Tiffin, Stanley, Hong Kong

by gavin, posted in Restaurants, Travel

I thoroughly recommend that you make the bus trip to Stanley on Hong Kong Island if you find yourself in Hong Kong and you love great indian food.

I stumbled across the restaurant about 4 years ago while I was exploring the back alleys of Stanley Market in Stanley and being a sucker for Indian food I had to give it a try.

Curry Tiffin, Stanley, Hong Kong

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World’s most expensive beer – a new candidate

by gavin, posted in Hotels, Travel

I’d previously thought that I’d found the world’s most expensive local beer in Singapore but my recent visit to Perth had me dumbstruck!

I was staying at the Four Points by Sheraton and decided to have a beer in the hotel bar on the Wednesday evening. Now this hotel is by no means 5 star but its comfortable and this is Perth!

So, down I trundle to the bar for a pint of local Pale Ale… and when I heard the price I thought I’d misheard and had to ask again… but no, I’d heard right the first time, $18, yes, that’s a one and an eight together. EIGHTEEN, $2 less than $20 for one pint of beer!

Now I know that all hotels put a humungous markup on everything they sell, but this would have been an $8 pint anywhere else in Australia and I can’t work out how they could justify an extra $10 on top.

Only saving grace is that they do specials on some nights like a pint of beer and a pie for $12, and Starwood Preferred Guests get a half price drink but that’s not enough to justify the price gouging if you don’t get those specials.

This is one of the reasons I’ll be looking to stay in another hotel next time.