When Rosie moans about how cold, wet and damp the New Zealand winter is….tell her to shut up. Plain and simple. Rosie and the Operator have been out and about in Hong Kong part way through a 36 hour layover en route to Rome and it is 32c with 100% humidity, my hair is frizzy, my make up is sliding off and every crease on my body is wet, not damp, but totally wet.
Small tortures though for the main prize of getting to Europe and 6 weeks touring around Italy.
Hong Kong is not new to us, nor is the hustle, bustle, grime and heat of one of the most tightly packed cities in the world. Rosie didnt think she could quietly ease herself into holiday mode travelling this way to Europe….but we found an oasis of peace and quiet in Discovery Bay.
Over the other side of Lantau Island, a short taxi ride from the airport, is our hotel, nestled into the quiet bay which it overlooks, The Auberge Hotel Discovery Bay.
With our room windows floor to ceiling it is a peaceful tranquil outlook to wake up to. The bathroom had a huge step down shower with a window overlooking the bay, there was a small shower head in the corner and a huge rain head in the ceiling.
The early morning bay was like glass reflecting the grey hazy sky making it hard to tell where one started and the other ended. Intermittently breaking the surface of the bay were half a dozen huge shoals of fish as they traversed back and forth feeding. The ferry to the mainland was like clockwork every half an hour and its wake bounced around 8 dragon boats out for an early morning training paddle.
The high rises on the mainland should be visible from our windows but the hazy fog kept them shrouded for most of the day, they loomed in and out of visibility like ghosts during the afternoon.
The hotel has a beautifully landscaped outside terrace with lots of seating areas. Only a few brave the heat with most people favoring the air conditioning indoors .
The outdoor pool looks amazing, different pools, depths and lounging areas everywhere, there is a spot somewhere for every age in the family to enjoy. Only if you do not have contagious diseases please.
Early morning was quiet along the bay promenade which led to the DB North Plaza, hosting a well planned tropical square with small shopping centre and restaurants around its periphery all looking out to the bay.
The people were thin on the ground and Rosie and The Operator had a peacefully quiet breakfast of iced coffee and pastries watching the people start to move out and about.
Outside the supermarket was a little fenced area with hitching rings and water bowls were you tied your dog up while you went shopping…..all sorts of perfectly manicured breeds and sizes were represented and surprisingly well behaved for being left together. The Dalmatian was the whitest looking dog ever….The Operator thought it had to be chemically bleached….the poor bulldog in the front was puffing like a train in the heat.
Across the road was a funicular going up and down the hill….we went up the hill in it to get abit more of an elevated view. It is designed for the apartment dwellers that live up the hill so they can easily get their groceries and shopping home, that little box I might add was a welcome 30 seconds of fully air conditioned luxury!
Partly what makes this island so quiet is that no one has cars here, only registered vehicles which are public transport, tour buses, taxis and golf carts are allowed in this restricted vehicle area.
Yes, Rosie did say golf carts…..there are golf carts parked outside apartment blocks, on the street and in big parking lots. They whizz up and down on the roads to the shops, to the beach, and, teens were hanging out in them with their mates…..I suppose they would be handy on the golf course too, there is a big one on this island.
From the top of the fununcular you get a really good view of the hotel (right) and the DB North Plaza (below)
I must say that all the perfectly built tower block apartments with terraced and tiled roads and neatly manicured gardens did look a little too perfect…and weirldy quiet and devoid of people when you consider the number of people that must be living here versus the quiet streets with so few people around.
We took a public bus to Discovery Bay Pier and had a wander around the retail shopping area of D Base and had lunch bayside at Zaks overlooking the raked yellow sand of Tai Pak beach. A shark net encloses the bay and there were only a few people in the murky looking water or lounging in the cabanas or under umbrellas.
It was a lovely day of moving slowly in the heat, followed by a few cool beers while enjoying the view and Rosie and The Operator have successfully eased into their holiday and cant wait to hit the ancient cobbled streets of Rome tomorrow. We arrive at 0730 am, I am sure there will be an early morning market with our name on it.
Awesome start to the trip – sucks about the hotness – but we are freezing our asses off and the wind is howling – flights all cancelled in and out of New Plymouth yesterday and this morning!!!
Have fun in Rome – Go the AB'S!! Love CR
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