Gym's Ramblings

Saturday, 28 March 2026

Pearls of the Orient 2026 - Hong Kong and Conclusion

Hong Kong was the third and last stop on the "Pearls of the Orient" 2026 tour. The travellers arrived there on the late afternoon of January 14, 2026.

The first city featured in this blog is Hong Kong. That was 15 years ago when our hero and his lovely sidekick started a 65-day, round-the-world journey. Since that time in 2011, our travellers have been back there on short layovers but never have they made it beyond the airport and the nearby hotels on Lantau Island. It was time they ventured back into this great city.

This time the dynamic duo would stay on the Kowloon side and look across to Hong Kong Island. Last time they bunked over on Hong Kong Island looking across at the cruise ship terminal and the brand new International Commerce Centre (ICC) that loomed over Kowloon. The 118-storey ICC is still the tallest building in the city and had just been completed in 2010. It is anchored in the massive, three-level Elements Mall, containing one million square feet of retail space on three levels. At the very top of the ICC sits the Ritz Carlton Hotel and that is where Mr. and Mrs. G would be camping for three nights before they had to return to snowy Canada.

Yes, it was a pricey stay but it was a wonderful way to conclude the Pearls of the Orient adventure. The Ritz covers the top 16 floors of the ICC tower and Mr. G and his dear wife would set up camp in a nice south-facing room, on the 110th floor. They would have floor-to ceiling windows through which they could enjoy captivating views of Hong Kong Island. This was the exact opposite direction the travellers faced 15 years before.

They only really had two full days in the city but they would cover a lot of ground. On the first day, they would retrace some old steps on Hong Kong Island and on the second day they would break some new ground and see some new places. On that first night though, they went for a walk around West Kowloon Art Park and viewed the 8pm laser show from ground level before dining at Cafe 103 on the 103rd floor of the Ritz and retiring for the night.

Day One (January 15, 2026):

In the morning, they hoofed it down Austin Road and turned right on Canton Road. Then they nipped into Kowloon Park, a massive green space in this densely populated urban area. Eventually they found themselves on Salisbury Road, where they checked to see that the grand ole Peninsula Hotel was still there and then headed over to the Tsim Sui Tsui Clock Tower. They were about to cross Victoria Harbour on the iconic Star Ferry. This ferry has been crossing Victoria Harbour since 1888. Despite modern road and rail that speeds through tunnels below the harbour, if you like some nostalgia, the fun way to cross is via the celebrated green and white ferries that still cost just pennies for a one-way ticket.

Once on the island, the travellers strolled through the IFC Mall and very soon found themselves at the front door of the Four Seasons Hotel. This was their home base in 2011 and they fondly remember the wonderful stay that they had in that outstanding hotel. From there they entered the Central Elevated Walkway system to work their way south to the Central Market and the start of the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator. This was all upgraded in 2018 and was much improved from the 2011 version. The 800 meter outdoor escalator which is now covered and widened, climbs vertically 145 meters up the mountain.

Once you hit Conduit Road you have to exit the escalator and continue on foot. Our hero had already checked a majority of the boxes on his day-plan but he still had 3 empty bowes left on this quest. He beckoned his lovely sidekick to follow him on a short hike, east along Conduit Road in the direction of the Peak Tram Station. He found it in 2011 and he would find it again. Sure enough, after about a kilometre cross-slope hike he found the Peak Tram Station and his dear wife paid for two tickets. Just as in 2011 they rode this funicular up about 370 vertical meters to almost the top of Victoria Peak. Again, the travellers benefited from an expensive retro-fit to the whole system completed in 2022. They ate lunch up there with a view down across Victoria Harbour. After lunch they rode the tram down and returned to Kowloon via taxi through the tunnel the emerges on the other side right next to the Ritz. They had had a busy Day One.

Day Two (January 16, 2026):

On the morning of the second and last full day in Kowloon, they would break new ground. The intrepid travellers humped it out of the Elements Mall and towards the old Mong Kok District. This is one of the most densely populated parts of the city. It is a maze of new and old, mostly residential high-rises and at the base of every building are a line of small independent shops. On one street there will be multiple shops selling men's watches. On the next street it will be shop after shop of toys. Then comes sneaker street where you can haggle with a dozen proprietors for the same model of Nike. All these shops are competing with each other for your attention. The streets are narrow and the sidewalks are crowded but if you don't mind crowds you can blend in seamlessly. Our hero wanted to locate the famous Flower Market and the adjacent Bird Park. Thank God for GPS and Google Maps! After being lead astray by adherent Apple Maps and finding that they found themselves in a row of small engine mechanic shops, our hero went to Google Maps and soon they stumbled into block after block of orchids and banzai trees. The scenses were stimulated by pleasing fragrances and vibrant visuals. Across the street and through a gate the Bird Park beckoned with cage after cage of pet birds of every description from large parrots to tiny song birds of every imaginable colour and character. If you want to buy an orchid or a parakeet Mr. G can now guide you to the right place in Kowloon.

That evening the travellers had a nice meal in the base of the Elements Mall near the indoor skating rink and retired to their room early so they could witness the 8PM laser show from the floor-to-ceiling windows on the 110th floor, one last time. Their Cathy Pacific flight left Hong Kong at 1 AM on the 17th and they could only enjoy a few hours of rest in that unforgettably high perch above Victoria Harbour.

All three Pearls of the Orient; Penang, Koh Samui and Hong Kong had been thoroughly enjoyed and it was time to return to the western Canadian winter.

P.S. February turned out to be a very comfortable month in Calgary. While the eastern part of North America suffered through a brutal winter the snow melted at home and Gym and his lovely bride enjoyed the warm chinook winds all month long.

Stay tuned

pics to follow

Monday, 9 February 2026

Pearls of the Orient - 2026: Koh Samui cont.

View from the front entrance of the W Koh Samui

The dynamic duo arrived to Koh Samui quite late on January 7, 2026, so they couldn't begin to explore the property until the next morning. They woke up the next day to a wet and windy morning. It was overcast and the seas were a bit churned up by the inclement weather. They visited the beach that morning to find it was deserted and then they went to breakfast. Later that day the skies and the seas began to clear and it was bright and sunny for the rest of their time at the resort.

The W Koh Samui is built on a very secluded slice of paradise. Just 200 meters from the Ring Road it sits at the tip of a promontory that separates Bo Phut Beach from Maenam Beach. The front entrance of the resort sits at the summit of the headland and from the open air front office, one can take in an incredible view of the Andaman Sea, across an infinity pool, while checking-in. Unfortunately for Gym and his dear wife it was too dark to take in that incredible view when they arrived but they marvelled at that view several times during their stay.

Most of the accommodations are arranged on a gentle slope rising up from the beach. The slope steepens considerably when you climb back towards the front gate. Built into the headland below the front entrance are multiple levels of the public areas of the hotel, including the fitness room, spa, infinity pool, sundeck, main restaurant and reception area. Each level has great views of the green flora-covered slopes that run down into the aqua coloured sea beyond. From the restaurant on a clear day you can see the outline of two fringing reefs that are separated by a line running out from the furthest northern point of the beach. There out on that point, a big "W" has been planted. The soft and smooth fine-grained, white sand was smoothed and well maintained by the hotel staff.

To access all the hotel services in the common areas you can call for a golf cart, take an elevator or climb about ten stories of stairs. Our hero and his fetching bride never once took a golf cart or the elevator and climbed the stairs at least twice a day, to access various hotel amenities. Breakfast alone was a 164-stair climb each morning but the views as one climbed from level to level made all of the exertions worthwhile.

Our travellers love to walk and just about every day they climbed up the hill and hiked out to the Ring Road. Most days they would turn left and continue on to Fisherman's Village. There they would treat themselves to a drink or a meal overlooking Bo Phut Beach, at one of the many excellent eateries or watering holes. One evening they took in the night market that they had also visited in 2023. This is where the author needs to comment about the walkability of this Koh Samui paradise. Simply put, the island is not very walkable. Where they exist, sidewalks are uneven and narrow. They are often punctuated by utility poles, parked scooters or vehicles. This makes it necessary to walk out onto the road periodically, to get to your destination. It is a a good idea to always stay alert for traffic on the roads, when you step off the sidewalks and don't tempt approaching traffic too much. Having said that, everyone's a Buddhist in Thailand so they will avoid harming a tourist, if at all possible.

Aside from walkability concerns, Koh Samui and the most excellent W Hotel provided for a wonderfully relaxing week for Gym and Mrs. Gym. They thoroughly enjoyed their week on the island. However, all good things must come to an end and on January 14, 2025 they boarded a Bangkok Airways Airbus 319 for a direct flight to Hong Kong. The homeward journey had begun but the travellers would be spending a few days in Hong Kong on the way back.

Stay tuned for the conclusion of Pearls of the Orient!

A view of the private back yard of their
beach bungalow

A view from breakfast out to the Andaman Sea.
You can see the outline of the fringing reefs.

Tiger always there to greet you at the front gate when you
go on your walkabouts

Mrs. G always likes a good Aperol Spritz

View of Bo Phut Beach from Fisherman's Village
cocktail emporium

Visit to Wat Phra Yai, Buddhist Temple

Gym had to gong all the bells
surrounding Buddha - for good luck

more art at Wat Phra Yai

another shot overlooking Bo Phut Beach

A hike out from the resort

Sunday, 11 January 2026

Pearls of the Orient - 2026: Koh Samui

From the reception deal of the W

January 7-8, 2026

Koh Samui is about 470 kilometres due north across the Malay Peninsula from Penang. If you could fly direct, you it would be take about an hour to get from one island to the other. It would be a quick trip. Unfortunately, only Bangkok Airlines flies into Koh Samui and there are no flights from Penang by that airline. It was therefore necessary to connect at some other airport to make this journey. Our hero chose to connect in Phuket. Phuket turned out to be a very stressful choice.

After a 55-minute flight on the world-renowned Firefly Airlines, our hero and his lovely companion had a heck of a time making their way through Thai customs in Phuket. They then had to pick up their luggage to cross over to the domestic terminal and find the Bangkok Airlines desk. It took forever. They missed their scheduled flight and were rebooked on the next flight, two hours later. The aircraft they eventually boarded was some kind of ancient turbo-jet but the travellers were pretty smug because they had snagged two seats in the second row. Score! Right? But no, this plane loaded from the rear, like a Hercules military transport and the dynamic duo strapped into the front of the plane, surrounded by a bunch of Albanian rugby players. What Mr. G had hoped to be a smooth two-leg hop over to Samui had become a bit of a nightmare.

They did eventually arrive safely at Koh Samui, albeit after dark. A cab was arranged to take them to their resort. They would be setting up camp at the W, on the north shore of the island. The reservation was for seven nights. This was their second trip to Koh Samui. They explored the island thoroughly in 2023. That first trip they stayed at the Vana Belle Resort on the sunrise side of the island. This time they had moved over to the point on the western end of Bo Phut Beach and would have a decent view of the sunset.

As a destination, Ko Samui is very new to the game. Before Bangkok Airways built Koh Samui Airport in 1989, it was only backpackers that knew about this island. Prior to the airport, there were no highways connecting the villages on the island, there was really no infrastructure whatsoever. Today though, a highway of sorts circles the island and every hotel chain in the world has a resort here. In between the hotels are quaint roadside cafes run by the locals and in the towns and villages more sophisticated restaurants have been established by ex-pat entrepreneurs from all over the world. The white sand beaches are sandwiched between the blue azure seas and the emerald green flora that make for some great photos. Once you leave the busy highway and settle down at your accommodation you are one with the very favourable zen of Koh Samui.

Our travellers covered the island in detail in 2023, so they won't be doing much touristy stuff this time around. They are also coming off a very busy week exploring Penang and plan on dialling it down a bit to try and blend into the tropical calm.

Stay tuned.

The tropical calm

Koh Samui used to be known as the Coconut Island

Nice eh?

We don’t see these in Calgary this time of year.

The W motto

After they make up the room in the morning
The red teddy bear in our room wears a tie

At night after turn down the bear wears a bath robe

Wonderful sushi at Namu at the W

They got a seat at the sushi bar

There are 3 Sweet Spots on the property where guests can
Pick up ‘free’ ice cream bars 24 hours per day.

The white sand beach

Met sushi chef Son on his way to work, the next morning

Thursday, 8 January 2026

Pearls of the Orient - 2026: More Penang - fixed up Jan 10 because the original draft was awful

A view of George Town and in the center distance, the
Man-made Andaman Island from the top
Of Penang Hill

January 5-7, 2026

Francis Light would be proud to know how successful his little colony has become. Today there are almost two million living in the state of Penang and about half of those live in George Town. Yes, if you have been reading this series of posts, you know there is a thriving tourism industry here but out by the airport, the High-Tech Industry has set up shop and that industry accounts for more than 50% of the economic output in the state. The tech industry with its high paying jobs and huge foreign direct investment, has made Penang which is the second smallest state by area, the state with the third highest GDP/Capita. This means folks here are well off and they can support all the great services George Town has to offer.

But the elevated standard of living also draws people from elsewhere in the world. They move to George Town and boost the real estate development and construction industries which are the third leg of the local economy. Our hero and his lovely sidekick toured several new developments like Andaman Island, where a whole bunch of new condos are being built on land re-claimed from the sea. It reminds our hero of the islands off Dubai, like Palm Jumeriah. Rich expats from all over the world are moving to Penang for all the things that this part of Malaysia has to offer and buying those condos. The dynamic duo crossed over to the island with their adopted tour guide Sam the taxi driver, who had never been across the brand new bridge himself. It had just opened from the vicinity of Gurney Drive, another upscale part of town that has been reclaimed from the sea. Later Mr. Gym met a couple from Calgary that had lived in Penang for ten years. They had no regrets.

Let the author back up a bit here and dive a bit deeper into the relationship that was developed with Sam the taxi guy. The adventurers hired him to take them to The Botanical Garden, on day-three in George Town. At that time, they asked him to wait for them a little more than an hour, without being paid, before they returned to the hotel. He trusted his new Canadian friends and was there to finish the return leg of the journey. He safely returned his clients to the hotel and as a bonus entertained his passengers with a local's perspective of George Town, from a guy that had spent his whole life there. Sam has seen a significant amount of change in his city over the years but he is upbeat about it and he had a great sense of humour. Mr. Gym tipped him well that day and he provided transportation as well as colour commentary at least once a day, for the rest of the time spent in Penang. (Note: If you visit Penang leave a comment and we'll get you his WhatsApp).

What else did our travellers do whilst in Penang:

1. They took the Penang Hill Tram up to the summit. The view is wonderful from the top but the day Gym and his fair bride went up, the visibility was just slightly marred by a thin layer of low level cloud. However, one could see mainland Malaysia and just about all of George Town from the overlook.

2. Our hero was determined to find the grave of Francis Light and on a walkabout, the travellers stumbled onto the Protestant Cemetery. They scoured the 200 year-old headstones for the founder of George Town. As you can see from the photos, they found it!

3. They had a drink in the lobby bar of the Eastern and Oriental Hotel dating from 1889. Sam the taxi guy had driven them by it the previous day and our hero had decided he had to check it out. Queen Elizabeth, Charlie Chaplin and Rudyard Kipling all stayed there and it was obvious why they did. It is opulent! It is also expensive, as a draft beer and a Coke Zero came to $20.

On January 7, 2026 the traveller's time in Penang had come to an end and they were about to embark on a 2-leg journey to Koh Samui, Thailand. Sam was there in the morning for an the trip to the airport with some time built in to tour the Light City Development, another new upscale district for the rich and famous. The Light City Development was also built on land re-claimed from the sea.

All-in-all the adventurers had a great first visit to Malaysia

Driving onto Andaman Island

Ultra-playground on Gurney Drive

Upscale condo on Gurney Drive

The founder of George Town

Penang Hill Tram

Looking down the tram on the descent

The Gate House at the summit of Penang Hill

The mosque on Penang Hill

A lovely tourist at the Penang Hill lookout

Looking down the funicular track to the city below

More street art near our hotel

Fried Chicken from the Beach Street Bistrot

Fish and Chips from Beach Street Bistrot

Interior of Beach Street Bistrot - Food and venue were great
but the service needs to improve a bit

Sunday, 4 January 2026

Pearls of the Orient - 2026: Penang Continued

Macaques of the Penang Botanical Garden

January 4, 2026

Penang is truly a multicultural and religiously diverse place. In the rest of Malaysia, the dominant religion is Muslim whose adherents make up about 62% of the population, Buddhists then make up 19% and about 9% are Christians in this country. In Penang though, it is more diverse, with Muslims at 45%, Buddhists at 38%, a significant number of Hindus at 8% and Christians at 5%. Amazingly, there are 134 languages spoken in the country and yet, English is widely used by everyone in Penang. Canadians are treated very well here and apparently there is a fairly large ex-pat community here somewhere.

George Town is chock full of white-washed colonial style buildings, many with cement-tiled roofs. It is clean and relatively safe but sidewalks are inconsistent and sometimes crowded with parked scooters and motorcycles, so you have to be careful. Parking is practically non-existent but you can walk everywhere so you don't have to drive. Someone told the adventurers that pedestrianizing many streets in the old town is contained in the city's ten-year plan. That may make it a bit safer. They are also working on a new Light Rail Transit system and a modern cable car up Penang Hill.

The food and drink scene here is incredible. There are quite a few Michelin mentions and several Michelin Star restaurants. Gym and Mrs. Gym ate at a steakhouse called Firewood that has a 2026 Michelin mention. There are also many appealing eateries and watering holes throughout the old part of town but don't expect to find pork chops anywhere, for obvious reasons. At time of writing, our travellers have just returned from dinner at a cool, open-air place, about a mile from the hotel. It is called GravyBaby and it specializes in meat pies and craft cocktails. Our hero had a nice lime margarita and his dear wife had the frozen berry one pictured below. The food was excellent.

Early this morning, Sam the taxi-driver drove us to the Penang Botanical Gardens where we had a nice hike before it got too hot and sticky. The park supports a large clan of monkeys and some very scenic plantings along a paved and well-maintained trail. The morning's exertions were only marred by the blasting of rock up the hill. They were smoothing out the path that the new cable car will take up to the top of Penang Hill, from a station near the entrance of the Botanical Garden.

Since the previous post we have visited many more neighbourhoods within a couple of miles of the hotel. Fun parts of George Town that you should not miss when you visit include the following:

1. The Clan Jetties are where extended clans of Chinese families have built their homes and clan temples above the ocean, along extended piers. The Chew Clan Jetty is the most interesting one, with temples at either end and several colourful commercial establishments hawking souvenirs and street food in between.

2. The Street Art just off of Beach Street is a must-see attraction. All kinds of light-hearted and even whimsical murals have been painted on the sides of buildings. Along Armenian Street, multi-coloured umbrellas hang on wires in long rows above the pedestrians.

3. In Little India pastel Hindu temples are squeezed in between spice shops and Indian restaurants. One block over at the Buddhist temple giant incense sticks produce clouds of smoke to purify the surroundings. Over the din in all these vibrant districts, one can hear the Muslim call to prayer, five times a day.

Stay tuned !