My first visit to Bali
I had never been to Bali but earlier this year my friend Sandy who lives in Timor Leste intended going there for a short break so I invited myself. We booked lovely accomodation at TS Suites on Luxury Escapes and I flew Qantas from Sydney. I try to fly Qantas not only because I like the airline but I also increase my Qantas Frequent Flyer points which enables me to either upgrade my seat or buy seats using my points.
We looked up a few restaurants that had views of the sunset and decided on Sea Salt which was a very short taxi ride from our hotel and at an incredibly inexpensive cost of around $3 AUD. The view when we arrived was wonderful; lush green grass and beautiful sea views.
It’s lovely when you both walk up to a restaurant and then walk in and get a great vibe. This was the feeling walking up to and into Sea Salt.
Sandy had booked a table outside in the shade. We had spectacular views of the surf which also enabled us to do a lot of ‘people watching’.
Food at this restaurant is exceptional. 
They catered well for vegans which was wonderful for me. Two cobs arrived first; complimentary but this day I decided not to eat any as I had ordered quite a few dishes and didn’t want to fill up on bread.
My friends ordered a dessert to share but as it contained dairy I didn’t have any but must admit it looked pretty good. Our waiter offered me a fruit platter but was still too full after lunch so declined.
After our long lunch we decided to move closer to the water for an uninterrupted view of the sunset. We sat on comfortable large seats and our lovely waitress brought us drinks throughout the afternoon and evening whilst watching the Balinese flying their kites.
And then it was time to watch the sunset. Wow what a beautiful sight.
It became more vibrant as it was setting…the colour was absolutely gorgeous.
And just as the sun was reaching the water, the restaurant staff lit fires in large cauldrons, adding to the beauty of the sun setting.
I know there are quite a few fabulous restaurants on the water in Seminyak but this one I would definitely recommend especially with great friends. 
I have known my Hong Kong friend Irene and her family since 2008 so when I visited in April this year, I gave her notice and she arranged a full day and evening out so we could spend as much time as possible together.
Our first stop was the lovely little Stanley Post Office, a small temple then a walk through the markets which are an array of small indoor shops selling absolutely anything you might want. I find them rather commercial now and a little bit expensive [for markets] but I did buy some lovely linen napkins.
Stanley Main Street was our next port of call which is located on the waterfront with some great restaurants, bars and pubs and great views of Stanley Main Beach. 
Lots of people were out and about walking with their families which included their furry children; some paws I think have never touched the paths.
The waterfront is pretty special both from Stanley Main Street or from Ma Hong Park side.
Murray House is definitely worth a visit. It’s a lovely 160-year old restored three-storey colonial building which was originally located in Central and reassembled to Stanley in early 2000’s. It is one of Hong Kong’s longest surviving buildings and has become an iconic landmark in Hong Kong which now houses a range of restaurants and shops. Nice views from the archways too. out over the water.
We then took a walk through Ma Hong Park and up to a small temple before heading back to Stanley Main Street. We chose The Boathouse; a bright yellow three storey building overlooking Stanley Bay where we sat upstairs and enjoyed a plate of chips, calamari and glasses of wine. Irene and Ben’s eldest daughter joined us and ordered a great looking chocolate dessert.
By this time it was getting late so we left to make our way back to Wan Chai for a late dinner.
Great day with so many laughs and lovely memories to bring back to Australia.
The International Commerce Centre (ICC) is a 118 storey commercial building in Hong Kong, and its tallest. It does have two sister buildings over Victoria Harbour on Hong Kong Island ( the International Finance Centre) where one is the second tallest in HK but it was the ICC that I wanted to visit as had been told the views from the roof were amazing.
Whilst in Hong Kong earlier this year my Aussie friend Naomi and a HK friend and I went for drinks at the Ritz Carlton Hotel which is located on floors 102 to 118 of the ICC. A cosy and dark [albeit extremely glamorous] lift took eighty-seconds to reach the 102nd floor which is the Ritz Carlton lobby.
The foyer has an amazing chandelier and a very large sparkly panda bear…
As we were about half hour early for the opening of the Sky100 bar, we decided to walk around the hotel. I must say I have never seen anything so glamorous and to top it off spectacular views over the harbour and Hong Kong Island.
I found the hallways leading to the private dining rooms magnificent; it was like walking through a Christmas wonderland…
I did take a lot of photos of the dining rooms, restaurants and other areas but for some reason I cannot find any of my photos so all photos on this blog are courtesy of my friend Naomi [thank you].
We ordered some snacks; fries [no surprises there], spring rolls and couple of other things that I now can’t remember. We enjoyed lovely views from our table and then as the sun was setting we had beautiful views of the harbour and over to Hong Kong Island. Pretty special!!
It was then time for Naomi and I to take the ferry back to Hong Kong Island to our hotel…I have such a soft spot for the gorgeous Star Ferry and every time I return to Hong Kong I always take the ride across the harbour!
What an afternoon; what a night!!
Sue's Fabulous Travels 
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