Japan 2016 and New Zealand 2017 - First international J experiences

[theoracle30]

Merry Christmas AFF'ers! After many years of lurking around these forums, I used the tips and tricks to book two trips to Japan and NZ in Business class, using QFF points (and a First class experience for my parents).

I've just come back from the Japan trip and NZ is in 6 days, so they could be considered one big 'holiday'.

Anyway, I'd love the opportunity to report back on my flight experiences soon, and if anyone is interested I could also talk about what I actually did while traveling . In Japan, I travelled with 5 of my fellow uni classmates (we're in our early 20's), and the NZ trip will be with my family, with my parents taking an earlier side-trip PER-DPS (JQ), DPS-KUL-MEL (D7 AirAsiaX premium class), and joining me in Auckland MEL-AKL in EK First.

My Japan flights were:
1) PER-SYD (QF568), SYD-CNS (QF924), CNS-KIX (JQ15)
2) NRT-TPE (CX451), TPE-HKG (KA483), HKG-PER (CX137)

My New Zealand flights will be:
1) PER-AKL (QF111)
2) CHC-WLG (JQ288) *economy only
3) WLG-BNE (VA107), BNE-PER (VA474)

 

[JessicaTam]

Looking forward to the TR.

 

[Pushka]

In too. Japan 2018.

 

[theoracle30]

I'll break the Japan trip up into 5 sections: (1) Flying PER-KIX, (2) Exploring Osaka, (3) Exploring Kyoto, (4) Exploring Tokyo, (5) Flying NRT-PER

Here's (1) - Perth to Osaka via Sydney and Cairns

We checked in at the 'international connections' counter although in retrospect, the premium 'service' counter should also have been able to process us. Check-in was relatively quick, and we were issued express pass (depature) cards, 'just in case'. Luggage was tagged to KIX, and we received boarding passes for all three flights (including the JQ flight on QF paper).

- Perth Domestic Qantas Business Lounge
Having been here once before during breakfast, I was looking forward to trying out their day time offerings. Unfortunately, it didn't meet our expectations. Although the lounge was quiet, it was very dark, and the pizza was cold. It took about 40 minutes for fresh pizza to be made, as the chef was apparently on a break. However once the fresh pizza left the oven, a long line formed at the counter as most of the lounge was waiting. The new pizza was delicious (zucchini and mozzarella). The other options was a beef curry (with minimal beef), and the usual salad/sandwich soup mix.

- QF568, PER-SYD, 23:05 - 06:15 (+1)
Boarding commenced on schedule, at 10:45pm. The priority line was well-enforced. We took our seats in the middle, 5D and 5F, and were offered drinks, which included some type of 'wine cordial'. The menu for the flight is here. My partner and I shared one serving of everything from supper and breakfast. The mini-quiches (not pictured) were delivered off a tray onto a napkin. The Moroccan soup was delicious, but the za'atar flatbread was amazingly seasoned and went well with the soup. The cafe breakfast was fairly ordinary, and service was polite but impersonal.



The bed was comfy, although leather is not the best material to sleep on. No mattress pads or amenity kits were offered for the red-eye. With a flight time of just over 3 hours, I didn't manage more than 90 minutes of rest and was exhausted for most of the next day.

- Sydney Domestic Qantas Business Lounge
This was my 2nd visit to this lounge, both during breakfast. Following my mum's advice to eat as much fruit as I could before Japan (because it was apparently more expensive there), I loaded up on fresh watermelon and carrot juices, as well as muesli and fruit salad. The view outside was amazing. I also took a shower to freshen up, although there was a 15 min wait for the three cubicles.



- QF924, SYD-CNS, 08:10 - 10:10
Once again this flight left on time. The business cabin was full, despite the seat map being 6/12 the day prior. No menu was offered, however breakfast consisted of fruit salad, or poached eggs with kale and feta. My partner and I chose one each for variety. The poached eggs were delicious, with the crispy kale and feta providing great texture and taste. The fruit salad was a perfectly adequate fruit salad. The CSM for this flight (didn't note his name unfortunately) was great, and provided commentary as we descended into Cairns.



- Cairns Domestic Qantas Club Lounge
Ordinarily, we wouldn't have access to this lounge as we didn't have Business Max fares on JQ. However the lounge angel let us in to freshen up before our flight to Osaka. Also, our 4 friends were in that lounge, having flown PER-CNS direct on JQ the night before, and gained access with QC passes during their 6 hr stopover. I didn't have high expectations for this lounge, but it really surprised me. It was very spacious and airy, allowing lots of natural light in. The view outside of the hills was gorgeous. We weren't there long enough to take pictures unfortunately.

- JQ15, CNS-KIX, 13:00 - 19:25
Our group of 6 walked over to the international terminal. My partner and I were lucky because we had checked in for this flight at Perth, with our luggage tagged to KIX. Our friends weren't so lucky; they had to retrieve/store their bags in CNS, and check-in for their international flight. We were hoping for a short line. Our hopes were promptly dashed upon entering the terminal.



It seemed 99% of the flight would be filled by a Japanese school group. However ground staff at CNS were efficient, and we waited about 30 minutes for our friends to check in. They were previously unable to select seats in the Economy cabin (probably due to the large group booking), so they were randomly distributed during OLCI. However, the counter staff was able to seat them together in one of the exit rows, for free.

I considered using my Express passes to skip the security/immigration lines, however it did not seem to be available at CNS. Resigned to waiting, it took just under 20 min to clear the outbound formalities. Airside, we saw a large female Japanese school group, whom appeared to be the main passengers on the JQ25 flight to Narita.

The actual flight itself was on time. Business class passengers were called up first, although there wasn't any official priority boarding. We were seated in the bulkhead seats 1A and 1C, which had plenty of legroom (although no better than a standard exit row seat). The seat itself was basically identical to the 737 seat on QF924. Service was friendly and attentive, and we were offered a PDB of water, juice, or sparkling. The full menu can be viewed here (typo on the menu says Tokyo instead of Osaka).



Food was good considering it was Jetstar. I chose the lamb loin, my partner chose the chicken karaage. Both were delicious, although the lamb was a little tough. Dessert followed with a cheese plate and raspberry tart. The snack of chicken croquette was also satisfying, but the chocolate brownie was served pre-packaged.

I finally was able to catch some sleep, and woke up refreshed enough to start our adventures in Osaka!
​

 

[theoracle30]

Here's (2) - Osaka. I'll try keep these brief but informative! Click on the hyperlinked names to see more info/location etc.

• Our luggage was literally the first two bags to come off the belt.
• We went to the airport JR station and bought the ICOCA Card + Haruka ticket. This is a special bundle that gets you the ICOCA Card (smart card that can be used for most public transport around Japan), and a one-way ticket on the limited express Haruka train from the airport to Osaka (or Kyoto and beyond). Total cost was ¥3100 which consisted of ¥1500 usable credit on the ICOCA card, ¥500 refundable deposit for the card and ¥1100 for the Haruka ticket.
• We stayed at this Airbnb listing, right outside the Tenjinbashisuji street mall and near useful railway stations. It was perfect for our group of 6 - we had the whole floor of the building. It consisted of a central foyer area branching off into 3 self contained studios. Each studio accommodated 2 people.

Day 1: Osaka (This was a challenging day, with heavy rain)
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• 
  [*=1]Japanese pancakes for breakfast (Shiawase no Pancake, pictured). The pancakes were fluffy and delicious, with savoury and sweet options available. Around ¥1100/$13pp.
  [*=1]Osaka Castle and Shintenno-ji Temple
  [*=1]Okonomiyaki for lunch (Abenoichigen, pictured). The okonomiyaki was so good we ordered more! We shared a variety including chicken and pork. About ¥1000/$12pp.
  [*=1]Harukas 300 Observatory (view from the tallest building in Osaka, pictured)
  [*=1]Dotonbori shopping area
  [*=1]Matsusaka beef for dinner (Yakiniku M Dontonbori, pictured). This was the most indulgent meal in the whole trip. I had the 'Special Course', ¥5800/$68pp. The marbled Matsuska beef tasted simply divine. The set menu came with appetisers and dessert too.

Day 2: Osaka
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• 
  [*=1]Mino-o Park for the waterfall. We got hopelessly lost on this day, taking us up to the late afternoon. We followed some forest trails deeper and deeper, until we realised there could not possibly be a tourist attraction that far in. After backtracking to the entrance, we found the correct path that led to the waterfall.
  [*=1]Tempura restaurant for early dinner (Hyouten, pictured). Exhausted from the day's trek, we decided to indulge in some tempura. I had the 'crab special' set, which also came with lots of other tempura such as fish, prawn and vegetables. ¥1300/$15pp

Day 3: Osaka - Universal Studios
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• 
  [*=1]Universal Studios Japan theme park - we purchased our tickets from Klook for just $88 ($83.30 with a discount code). We were going to get the Express Pass to get on rides quicker, but it sold out online and we didn't want to risk it on the day. Instead, we purchased the USJ VIP Wristband + Harukas 300 entry pass for $32pp. This gave us access to the Harukas 300 tower, which we visited on Day 1. At the tower, they gave us the VIP wristbands and a password to see the early access time to USJ.
  [*=1]On the day, we arrived at USJ at 8:45am (official opening time was 9:30am). The lines were massive, but thanks to our wristbands, we had our own private entrance with less than 40 people in the queue (think of it as priority boarding ). We were let into the park at 9am, and rushed straight to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We did the two main attractions there just before the main gates opened at 9:30am. I feel the pass was worth it just to skip the lines and get in early. It had no further use after the park opened officially.
  [*=1]While we brought snacks from Tenjinbashi and convenience stores with us, I indulged in a huge turkey leg, ¥800/$9.50

​

Day 4: Osaka/Kyoto (To be continued)
​

• 
  [*=1]After munching on our delicious 7-11 breakfasts (stuff such as onigiri, milk tea, and their amazingly soft egg sandwiches), we left our Airbnb and transferred to Osaka Station, where we continued our journey onwards to KYOTO.

 

[Clive005]

Did you use FF points? And how hard was it finding the flights? trip sounds great

 

[v1nce007]

Subscribed, looking forward to the rest of the TR

 

[theoracle30]

Did you use FF points? And how hard was it finding the flights?

Yup, the whole trip was booked on FF Points.

PER-SYD-CNS-KIX cost 84,000 QFF points + $300pp
NRT-TPE-HKG-PER cost 78,000 QFF points + $77pp.

It's not the best value redemption, especially the outbound, but cash fares for Dec were already really pricey.
We booked in March. Plenty of availability in J on PER-SYD-CNS-KIX. My friends travelled economy PER-CNS-KIX and there was plenty of availability on that too (more than 6 seats per flight).

Coming back, we all flew CX J, but had to split up going NRT-HKG. My partner and I went the long way, NRT-TPE-HKG a day early, but it cost the same as NRT-HKG direct. My friends did NRT-HKG direct the following morning. We then all flew HKG-PER that night, where there was more than 6 seats availability in J at the time of booking. My itinerary had a 23 hr 30 min stop in Hong Kong, enough for a night's stay and a day trip, but just short enough to stay within the 24 hr transit rule and keep it as one award.

For my NZ trip, I booked QF111 PER-AKL using 25,000 AA miles per person. There was heaps of availability on Dec 31 (the night I'm flying), probably because of New Year's Eve. Seats were still available when I checked in August, but have dried up since.

Coming back on VA, I booked a flexi economy ticket WLG-BNE-PER, using a $500 travel bank credit I received as compensation previously, to reduce the cost. I then used 19,800 VA points to upgrade WLG-BNE and BNE-PER at 9,900 pts per leg. VA had plenty of award/upgrade inventory. Hope that helps!

 

[Major]

Looks like an interesting trip

 

[theoracle30]

Moving on to (3) - Kyoto.

• At this point, a few of us (me included) started getting sick with coughs and colds.
• With our ICOCA cards, it was a simple matter of tapping on at Osaka Station, and tapping off at Kyoto station, taking an express train (but not a limited express or bullet train, as that would cost extra). Fare was about ¥700/$8 one way, 30 min.
• We made our way to Sunrich Kyoto Station, an inexpensive but highly rated guesthouse 10 minutes walk from the station. We booked three rooms in May, with two people per room. This place (and many other guesthouses like it) were fully booked out within months, as they were much better priced than hotels.
• Our primary form of transport within Kyoto city was their buses.

Day 4: Osaka → Kyoto
​

• 
  [*=1]Ramen for lunch (Gogyo, pictured). Tried their signature burnt miso ramen, which was very tasty (though a bit salty).
  [*=1]Nishiki market was a haven of food. I sampled fresh sashimi salmon (pictured), sashimi scallop (pictured), and soy milk ice cream. While the sashimi was on par to what you can buy fresh in Australia, the soy milk ice cream was unique and very refreshing.
  [*=1]Nijo Castle (pictured) provided an interesting insight to Japanese history and architecture.
  [*=1]We were going to visit the Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji Temple), but peak hour traffic was bad in Kyoto and by this time, it was closing.
  [*=1]Dinner at Shushi no Musashi (pictured), located conveniently at Kyoto Station. Most dishes were ¥147/$1.80 per plate, on a conveyer belt.
  [*=1]While at the station, we purchased our Shinkansen tickets to Tokyo in advance (pictured). This was very pricey, at ¥13,710/$163 per person, one way.

Day 5: Kyoto

• 
  [*=1]Arashiyama in the morning (pictured), covering Tenryuji Temple, Bamboo Grove (pictured), and the Iwatayana Monkey Park. The monkeys were a popular attraction, though some of the younger ones seemed intimidated by all the humans (pictured).
  [*=1]Kiyomizudera (ancient district) in the afternoon, with the preserved historic streets (pictured). Our walk through the streets culminated with a beautiful sunset at Kiyomizudera Temple (pictured).
  [*=1]Gion in the evening, the famous geisha district. In addition to seeing geishas, we also saw a 'bikie gang' dressed as Santa (pictured).

​

Day 6: Kyoto + day trip to Nara

• The train to Nara takes about an hour and costs ¥620/$7.00
• First stop was to the Nara Park, where deers roam freely (pictured).
• Next we visited the grounds of Todaiji Temple, and the zen gardens nearby (pictured)
• Lunch was Japanese curry (Wakakusa Curry), where all my friends ordered the omelette curry, but I had the lamb (pictured). It had great flavour, and as a bonus you can reduce the level of rice and take ¥100-¥200 off.
• Unfortunately my illness was at its peak this day, so I returned back to Kyoto early to rest. My friends continued onwards to Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine, which had lots of good street food.
• Dinner was at a local sit-down 'fast food' restaurant, where you order through a kiosk before sitting down to eat. I tried their 'Japanese style Hamburger Set', with fries as a comfort food (pictured).

After that, it was time to pack for our final leg - Tokyo!
​

 

[love_the_life]

Did you visit Isuien Garden in Nara? It is just round the corner (more or less) from Todai-ji. When we were in Nara in November the National Museum had a special exhibition on Emperor Shomu's Treasure House, though I think it would have been finished by the time you visited.

 

[theoracle30]

Did you visit Isuien Garden in Nara?

We were going to, but unfortunately it was closed from Dec 12 for about a month. I can't remember the reason. We visited the neighbouring Yoshikien gardens instead. Yoshikien was free for oversea tourists. Here are some more snapshots I took:

 

[craven morehead]

Very interesting TR following with interest.

 

[love_the_life]

We were going to, but unfortunately it was closed from Dec 12 for about a month. I can't remember the reason. We visited the neighbouring Yoshikien gardens instead. Both gardens were free for oversea tourists. .......

I don't think Isuien is free but we visited Yoshikien as well. There was an elderly chap on the gate, charging locals but as overseas visitors we were free. There was a fantastic pottery/silk gallery just up from the gardens. The artists were there with their wares; gorgeous handwoven silk scarves and lovely ceramics. Unfortunately they didn't take credit cards so we came away with one small bowl only, could've spent much more.
We are looking at going back at the end of 2017 though perhaps to other areas next time.

 

[theoracle30]

There was a fantastic pottery/silk gallery just up from the gardens. The artists were there with their wares; gorgeous handwoven silk scarves and lovely ceramics.

Thanks for sharing! If I go back to Nara, I'll be sure to visit the Isuien Gardens and seek out the local arts and crafts
​

Now it's time for (4) - Tokyo.

Day 7: Kyoto → Tokyo
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• 
  [*=1]After a chilled morning, we boarded the 11:18am Shinkansen to Tokyo (pictured), taking just over 2 hrs to get there.
  [*=1]Lunch consisted of the obligatory bento boxes, purchased at Kyoto station (pictured).
  [*=1]Arriving in Tokyo, we transferred to this Airbnb house, near Otsuka station.
  [*=1]After resting, we headed out to Ikebukuro for dinner and shopping.
  [*=1]Dinner was at the fun Kura Sushi, where every plate was ¥100/$1.20. There were two lanes for food - the bottom one was a conventional conveyer belt, but the top one was unique. You'd order any dish you wanted on the iPad, and in a few minutes, it would zoom down the top and stop directly in front of you (pictured). At the end of the meal, you return your plates through a slot, and every 5 plates gave you a chance at a video mini-game. With 40 plates/8 attempts, we won twice. The prize was a trinket (roll of tape).
  [*=1]Shopping at Don Quijote, a huge Japanese discount chain store that sold everything from groceries, to electronics, to cosmetics.

Day 8: Tokyo → Gala Yuzawa day trip
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• 
  [*=1]Today was our dedicated day trip to the snow, for our first time skiing!
  [*=1]We booked a package from here, which included return Shinkansen tickets, and the lift pass. Total cost ¥13900/$165. We booked English lessons at Canyon Snowsports, ¥4500/$53 for 1.5 hrs.
  [*=1]Leaving Tokyo at 7:30am, we arrived at Gala Yuzawa just before 9am. This resort was our choice for a day trip as it had its own Shinkansen station, and gondola to the mountain under the same roof.
  [*=1]We all rented a full set of equipment, including skis, boots, jackets and poles, about ¥8000/$94pp for a day.
  [*=1]Here's a video of me which summaries my day quite nicely

[video=dailymotion;x56skks]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x56skks[/video]

Day 9: Tokyo
​

• 
  [*=1]Off to Harajuku for the morning - with Crêpes Harajuku first. Strawberry and Banana, about ¥500/$5.50 (pictured)
  [*=1]Then lining up at Luke's Lobster, before their 11am opening. There was a long queue already. I got their classic lobster roll, ¥980/$11.60 (pictured). The warm bun and seasoned lobster was delicious, but the lobster meat was served cold.
  [*=1]Takeshi ta area - a very busy pedestrian street with lots of shopping and food. We tried long fries from a Turkish shop ¥500/$5.50 (pictured) and fresh potato crisps from Calbee ¥310/$3.70 (pictured).
  [*=1]We also stopped at a cat cafe to rest (pictured). The kittens were all very cute, however they were also lethargic, and we wondered if they were secretly drugged ¥200/$2.40 per 10 minutes
  [*=1]Our final stop was Shibuya, where the famous busy intersection is. Dinner was Kobe beef, from Han No Daidokoro. This time we ordered a la carte, and a few dishes came to ¥2000/$24pp. The Kobe beef was melt-in-your-mouth tender and flavoursome! (pictured)

Day 10: Tokyo - Our final full day in Japan, but we were tired so it was a laid-backed day.
​

• 
  [*=1]Imperial Palace, but we decided not to register for a tour as it was raining badly. We did see a horse-drawn procession though! (pictured) Police were at each intersection, freezing traffic lights on green so they could go through.
  [*=1]Ginza and Tsukiji Fish Markets (pictured)- lots of yummy food from vendors, including sashimi and mochi (both pictured).
  [*=1]By this time it was late afternoon, so we went back to our local Daiso to shop. I bought 5 vacuum packs for clothes, which really helped with packing.
  [*=1]Dinner at Nakiryu, a Japanese ramen restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star in 2017. There was a line when we went 30 min before opening. My friends tried their signature dandan noodles (pictured), while I had a soy-sauce based ramen, accompanied with a side of chicken gyozas (pictured). The gyozas were really nice, but we felt the ramen and dandan noodles may have been a bit overhyped. Still, a very delicious meal at ¥800/$9.50pp.

​

The rest of the night was spent figuring out the vacuum packs, and then packing for our CX J flights home - Tokyo to Taipei, Taipei to Hong Kong with a day transit, and Hong Kong to Perth!
​

 

[love_the_life]

Sounds like you packed lots into your short trip. It's such fascinating country I can see why people visit multiple times (drron has been something like 30 times IIRC). Someone will correct me if I am wrong.

 

[theoracle30]

Sounds like you packed lots into your short trip. It's such fascinating country I can see why people visit multiple times

I completely agree with you! This was a whirlwind trip, but there is still so much to do in the future. I can't wait to be back.
​

Part (5a) - the start of our long journey home!

Day 11: Tokyo → Taipei (transit) → Hong Kong (transit)

• Shunning the pricier Narita Express for a cheaper, local line (Keisei Line, about ¥1000/$11.85, 90 minutes), we took the train to Narita airport early.
• We were checked in quickly. Although our ticket included a 23hr 30 min transit in HKG, our luggage was checked all the way to Perth. I noticed Cathay only print black and white BP now, even in HKG.
• We used the Fast Track lane (pictured) to waltz straight through security (normal line was overflowing into the check-in area).

- NRT OneWorld Lounge Hopping
​

• Having read up about CX's aged lounge in NRT, I instead went to the JAL Sakura Lounge for lunch. This was definitely one of the best international J lounges I've been to in my limited time flying in J, although the lounge dragon seemed to find it very amusing that we were visiting. The lunch buffet included noodles, beef curry, fried rice and herbed chicken, and I fixed myself an enjoyable lunch (pictured).
• The lounge also featured massage chairs and free 10 min massages, although the counter was closed until 4:45pm when I checked.
• Closer to boarding, we moved to the CX lounge (pictured) for boarding announcements. There was no hot food except for cup noodles. I did enjoy a Haagen-Dazs ice cream though.

​

CX451, NRT-TPE, 15:15 - 18:35, B777-300
​

• Boarding was called promptly, and we took our seats 15A and 15C. This flight was completely full.
• Cathay's regional J product was adequate and comfortable, and had good touches such as table linen before meal service.
• The menu (high resolution) is available here.
• The lunch refreshment consisted of smoked duck with salad and plum soba noodles. I chose the grilled Australian tenderloin + garlic bread for mains, and a bit of cheese and fruit for dessert, followed by a Milk Tea ice cream.
• The cold entree looked really well presented, and tasted great. The tenderloin looked a little sloppy, but there was still a hint of pink in it, so not too overcooked.
• Service was rather impersonal on this flight, with the ISM keeping to herself most of the time. She was proactive in checking everyone was happy though.

- CX TPE Lounge
​

• This refurbished lounge did not disappoint, with separate zones with dining and working. We headed to the area with large Solo chairs and rested there for 40 min.
• The Noodle Bar produced amazing Taiwanese beef noodles, which we ordered with a large pork dumpling.
• With 2 hrs until our next flight, KA483, we were going to settle in and enjoy some food. But then, my phone buzzed..
• The 'CheckMyTrip' app informed me that KA483 was to be delayed by a whopping 2.5 hrs! I rushed to the lounge desk where they had just received notification too. They were able to move us onto an earlier flight, but it was boarding right at that moment :shock:
• We hurriedly slurped down some noodles (I almost choked on them), then quickly walked down to the far side of the terminal to board our flight. Thanks to the non-existent queue in the priority boarding lane, we were on the plane while economy was still boarding.

​

- CX531, TPE-HKG, 20:15 - 22:15, A330-300
​

• Once we settled in seats 12D and 12G (same type of seats as before), we reflected that this change worked in our benefit as we'd get to Hong Kong an hour earlier and be able to make a bus into the city.
• The FA's on this flight were visibly more animated, and welcomed us warmly. The flight originally wasn't full, but after the KA483 J pax were moved over, it was.
• The menu (high resolution) is available here.
• This 'minimal main dinner service' (as it said on one of their briefing sheets in the galley) consisted of all three courses on one tray, given the short flight time.
• Entree was marinated prawns with salad. I chose the halibut (fish) with steamed veggies and rice. Lemon cheese cake was the dessert.
• All three courses were tasty. The halibut reminded me of tooth-fish. My only criticism was that the rice was very dry.

​

- Hong Kong
​

• After touching down in HKG, we breezed through immigration and customs quickly, unburdened by our luggage which would stay at the airport during our transit.
• We exchanged our leftover Yen into HKD, then caught the bus A21 down to Nathan Rd (HKD33/$5.90pp)
• From there, it was a quick walk to our Airbnb, where we would spend a short night before our day-trip in Hong Kong.

 

[theoracle30]

And at last, part (5b) - the final stretch home!

Day 12: Hong Kong (transit) → Perth

• I won't go into too much detail in our day-trip at HKG, but we had a relaxing day sampling the local foods and seeing some sights.
• Food highlights included roast goose, egg tarts, egg waffles and real mango mochi (all pictured). Sightseeing included crossing Victoria Harbour on the Star Ferry.
• By the afternoon, our friends had done their morning NRT-HKG flight and some exploring of their own, so it was time to meet at HKG airport.
• We caught the Airport Express from Hong Kong Station, $16pp and less than 30 min.

​

- HKG Lounge Hopping - Qantas
​

• Going back to Perth, it was nice to feel a sense of home by visiting the Qantas lounge.
• It was very quiet, just after the main dinner rush. We tried the signature Spice Temple char siu pork, which was fairly good (pictured).
• We also thoroughly enjoyed the shower-suites here, with ASPAR products and a friendly shower attendant who kept everything sparkling (pictured).
• The rest of the buffet was decidedly average, but the bartenders and staff were very proactive, offering food and drinks continuously.

​

- HKG Lounge Hopping - Cathay Pacific 'The Pier'
​

• We were excited to read about this lounges' redevelopment, and we were not disappointed. The Pier was definitely the best business class lounge I have ever been to, and will probably continue to be the best in the foreseeable future. Unfortunately we didn't take too many photos here.
• The main hot buffet had plenty of dishes, such as roast turkey with the trimmings.
• We shared some wonton noodles and pork buns at The Noodle House (pictured)
• Tried their monthly special lily and jasmine tea at The Teahouse (pictured)

​

- CX137, HKG-PER, 22:40 - 06:20, A330-300
​

• Before long, it was time to board. Secondary screening was done inside the aerobridge, just before the aeroplane doors. The staff just manually checked the bags by hand, and I felt it was very ineffective.
• Our group of 6 took up the whole row of window seats on the left side - 12A, 14A, 15A, 16A, 17A and 18A. The flight was about 90% full.
• The dinner and breakfast menus are available here (high resolution).
• The amenity kit contained good quality Jurlique products (pictured).
• The entree dips were surprisingly tasty! The chicken breast main was average, a bit tasteless as expected. (both pictured)
• The fully-flat seat was very comfy, and I managed about 3 hrs sleep until brekkie (it's rare for me to be able to sleep on flights)
• For breakfast, I chose the dim sum which was slightly dry, but still yummy (pictured).
• Overall, this was a very enjoyable flight experience! I loved the Cathay Delight signature drink, and ordered it multiple times.

SUMMARY
And that was the end of our Japan trip! Apart from falling ill, it was so much fun, sampling all the different foods and getting immersed in a different culture. The people there are extremely friendly and polite in general. There is still so much to do and I'm positive I will be back in the not-too distant future.


Chapter 2: New Zealand
Tomorrow my NZ trip begins! If people are interested, I can do a day-by-day summary of interesting things that happened. After flying to Auckland, we will pick up a car and drive around to Rotorua and Wellington, cross the Strait to Picton, then visit Christchurch and Queenstown primarily - another whirlwind trip in just under 2 weeks.

Pictured below are the dinner options of QF111, from Eat on Q. I don't find it a particularly interesting menu, but I've chosen the online exclusive Peking duck.

Finally, my friend and I have started up an Instagram account documenting our travel experiences, both in the air and on the ground. If you're interested, please follow us! @flightandbites



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[mmchow]

It brings back a lot of good memories of Japan. Visited most of the places you've mentioned and I'm itching to go back again.
So true on CX dry rice. Had them a few times this year and they were crunchy too.
Very well constructed and written, an enjoyable read. Thanks for sharing and looking forward to the next instalment.

 

[v1nce007]

Great report and now following your Instagram