Did you know that it’s possible to travel from Hong Kong to Macau by bus in 30 minutes? Yes, it’s the cheaper option too! This land travel is made possible through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HKZM Bridge or HKZMB) which officially opened in October 2018.
Crossing the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge via bus. Photo credit @sunnidaez Instagram
We’ve been living in Hong Kong for almost two years now and I have used the bridge crossing twice. Before that, it took our family three hours to get from our door in Tung Chung, Lantau Island, Hong Kong to the famed Senado Square in Macau via the usual ferry options. With the HKZM Bridge, this travel was cut in half (yes, including the immigration clearances and actual travel time) and the expenses were cut by 60%.
Video of the bus crossing the HKZM Bridge by @sunnidaez Instagram
I was thinking of a different way to describe it but there’s no other way around it — we actually were stranded in Odiongan, Tablas Island, Romblon. So, instead of beach bumming and bar-hopping in Boracay and dancing and drinking our way in Kalibo, Aklan’s Ati-Atihan, we counted the hours in rainy and windy Odiongan while 2Go’s vessel was hidden safely away in a cove/bay in Tablas Island. We all believed that if only 2Go left Batangas Port by 9pm as scheduled, we would’ve reached Caticlan before the Coast Guard warning was up and had an awesome weekend. But then, we all also agreed that had we not been stranded, we then would’ve not thought of stepping into Romblon and experiencing its quiet, laid back and rugged charm — not to mention sampling the delicious Kesh’s Special Bibingka!
Finally, after five days of getting pampered and sheltered in Copenhagen with breakfasts, dinners, afternoon walks, cups of tea, [failed] snowball fight, a Royal Opera performance, and the warmth of Merete’s candlelit sitting room, we are now on the road (and currently almost by the sea) to Berlin, Germany and after a few days, to Prague, Czech Republic.
At about 630am this morning, Niklas and I boarded the quite comfortable (nice reclining seats, wide legroom, heater) Eurolines Bus leaving Copenhagen and arriving at Berlin by 230pm. Yep, this bus travel is about 730 hours, more or less the same time (not sure about distance) on the bus from Manila to Ilocos Sur, maybe even until Vigan. The difference: we are crossing countries and not provinces or regions. Also, we are boarding a ferry for an almost 2-hour crossing of the Baltic Sea from Denmark to Germany. Continue reading Copenhagen to Berlin: notes from the road and the sea→
Day 3: Kota Kinabalu-Labuan-Brunei via Ferry (the route most traveled)
Room 99 awaits!
After a great day and evening spent with Zuldee and Sally, I spent some more time chatting with the other guests at Sensi Backpackers. The Shanghai family is scheduled to leave the day after, just like me. We spent some more hours just chatting and me trying to convince them to come here in the Philippines. After that, my eyes and body finally gave in to the strong pull of the comfortable bed.
I woke up at about 6am and readied my stuff. I grabbed some breakfast too, and got myself some baon fruits (an apple and an orange), free! :p Before I left, I bade Sally goodbye (she told me to wake her) and promised that I’d see if I can come back to Kota Kinabalu before she returns to London (December 18). Unfortunately, I did not hold future at my hands and as much as I wanted to return and visit the Kota Kinabalu National Park, I no longer can. (If you are reading this Sally, I’m sorry! Come visit me instead! Hehe)
Anyway, if my camera time tag is correct, I am still having my bread toasted at 6:45am. The ferry that would take me from Kota Kinabalu to Brunei, passing through Labuan Federal Territory of Malaysia, is set to leave at 8am. Meaning, I should have been on my way at that time already instead of having two toasted bread with butter (more of margarine actually), strawberry jam and orange marmalade. So, I had to rely on my long legs and even longer strides to get me there before the departure time. I even made some stops actually, taking snaps here and there (I think I ended up erasing those here and there snaps when I ran out of memory somewhere in Vietnam).
One of the snaps here and there that survived the cut!
I think it took me about 20 minutes walking from Sensi to Jesselton. It probably helped that I have been to Jesselton the day before for my Sapi Island Hopping Half-day Tour. I bought my ticket (sorry, I’ll try to juggle my memory to remember from which counter it was purchased) and paid the terminal fee. I asked for the cheapest ticket available (economy ticket), priced at RM53 + RM 3.6 for the terminal fee at Jesselton.
Off to Labuan!
I figured, we’d all get there anyway. Besides, it’s an air-conditioned cabin whether you choose first-class or economy. Perhaps they got a better view though. Or they would be served a meal or something. I really didn’t know and I didn’t care so much. What mattered to me at that time was that I can save some bucks. :p Continue reading Backpacking South East Asia: Onward from Kota Kinabalu to Brunei→
Life is short so take a leap of faith. Let’s wander, explore and discover. Come and journey with me.
The Diarist Wanders 