Hong Kong, New Zealand and Indonesia in 6 weeks

3 countries in 6 weeks was madness when you equate that to a total of 8 flights and 62 hours up in the air. I'm going to condense all that in.......a single blog post.






Onboard the Aqua Luna. Probably the most relaxing thing we did in Hong Kong. They have these day beds on the upper deck where you could kick back and chill out with a glass of complimentary tipple. The light breeze and gentle rocking of the boat as it sailed from Tsim Sha Tsui pier to Central was enough to put my jet lagged self to sleep.







The real Hong Kong.






The make believe Hong Kong........I mean Disneyland. The girls (Lil L and her cousin) LOVED it while their mothers looked like death warmed over. 36˚C heat and high humidity are a killer combination. Not to mention lots of strategic maneuvers to deter a few fierce mainland Chinese tourists from jumping the queue MULTIPLE times and pushing our kids away from us. Scary.








I can't help but heap mega compliments on the amazing Crystal Lotus restaurant at Disneyland Hotel. The service, setting and beautiful chandelier...... I had to make a reservation and pre-order these special character dim sum. Not cheap but definitely worth the splurge. The character dim sum weren't only beautiful to look at, they were absolutely scrumptious. Just don't get the jellies...... They were kind of meh....

The staff really went out of their way to ensure that certain ingredients weren't added into my food. This is a lifesaver for those of us with severe food allergies or intolerances.






Next up.............New Zealand





It'd been 5 years since I've been back home to New Zealand. There were lots of catch-ups with family members and old friends, some of whom I haven't seen in 20 years.






I decided to take my parents and Lil L on a road trip, traversing through the Mackenzie Country on the alpine route to Queenstown. The journey took an extra 2 hours (a total of 8 hours) because we HAD to stop here and there to gawk at the stupendous landscape with snow capped mountains in the background. My parents and Lil L had just discover photography so all three disappeared in a flash the minute I stopped the car. Okay, okay.....so did I.




A quick flight from Christchurch to Auckland and then onwards to Hong Kong with an overnight stay before yet another flight to Jakarta AND a shuttle to Bandung. Yes, I'm feeling exhausted just reading this too.






A makeshift cafe utilizing recycled metal containers as stools. European style cafes are only just beginning to become increasingly trendy in Indonesia even though the country is ranked 4th in the world for coffee production. Surprisingly, the figure doesn't translate to actually having a coffee drinking culture like we do here in the west but that's starting to change now.







Traditional kue (Indonesian spelling) or kuih, as they're called in Malaysia. I made my poor cousin drive me back to Sari Sari twice because I couldn't get enough of their delectable snacks.






Dusun Bambu directly translates to bamboo village. The architecture and interior have an undeniably bamboo theme which made the place so unique. It has a resort feel where you can hire a bamboo hut or a suspended bamboo pod (no, I'm not kidding!) for a meal and a snooze fest.






The floating market in Bandung was a little gimmicky. There weren't many operating food sampans when we were there. Food hygiene wasn't high on their list either. Having had a 24 hour fever and an upset tummy from suspected food poisoning, I wasn't particularly keen to risk another episode of pain.



6 weeks of traveling came and went in a blur. Before I knew it, we were back in the U.K. As you can tell, I'd completely forgotten about outfit photos while I was away.





Wearing a 5 (or was it 6?) year old Karen Walker dress, panama hat, K.Jacques St Tropez sandals and CLUSE watch (available in the U.K here).






This Isabel Marant parka has been featured so often on this blog that you're all probably sick of it. I managed to nab this Isabel Marant dress on eBay from a reader. Lucky coincidence, I should add! Did you notice my blinged out Miu Miu sunglasses? A bling or two doesn't cut it so I might as well go all out.





Isabel Marant jacket, T by Alexander Wang t-shirt and R13 crossover waxed jeans.

My "can't be arsed to dress up" outfit which consists of The Kooples hoodie, The Kooples sweatpants, Golden Goose sneakers, Miu Miu sunglasses and ASOS t-shirt (amazing tee for only £6!!)

Food, fashion and the café scene in Nice, Cote d'Azur

Outfit: Isabel Marant Étoile broderie anglaise top, Isabel Marant Étoile skirt, panama hat, Miu Miu sunglasses, Hermes Cape Cod watch, Birkenstock Arizona sandals and Louis Vuitton Speedy 35.

It took me a long time to string intelligible words together to properly thank you all after reading the comments from the previous post. I've only just managed to reply to each and every one of them today. I can't thank you enough for the heartwarming comments which have been a source of strength for me lately. To those who are going through a difficult journey, perhaps one that's even more arduous, I hope there's light at the end of the tunnel for you. I've said this previously.....I wish magazines would stop nominating celebrities for their Women of the Year drivel and highlight true heroes who may lead seemingly ordinary lives but have made enormous sacrifices and achieved extraordinary feats.

We've been on the road and coming back to our rented accommodation in near comatose state everyday. The heat was intense but bearable, thanks to the gentle breeze and constant supply of gelati and iced beverages. By the time the temperature tipped 33˚C, I was ready to dunk myself in a bucket of ice. When day three rolled around, I was starting to wonder if I should even bother with applying make up since the sweltering heat would've melted my BB cream and mascara by early afternoon (as you could probably tell from the two photos above).

It's been 7 years since we've moved to the U.K but I'm still fascinated by how most Europeans actually go for summer vacations abroad regularly which is a rather foreign idea in New Zealand. Given that the average worker in the U.K gets at least 4 weeks worth of vacation days, cheap flights, strong currency and proximity to neighboring countries, I can see why many plan short getaways. I'm not going to complain but I can't help but think what a privilege this is.








I was sorely tempted to plant my tush on one of these chairs, sipping an iced drink, people watch and just chillin' while the fan blew water mist every few minutes just to get away from the heat and crowd.


We booked an apartment via AirBnB but I've learned a thing or two after my first trip. Air conditioning is a MUST in summer but make sure there are a few feedbacks placed during the hotter months or else you'll turn up only to find out that you're given a tiny air cooler (happened to someone I know) that does bugger all. The A/C was such a godsend after trudging home from a long walk in the hot sun. I've noticed apartments in Italy and France are sometimes windowless but you wouldn't know until you step through the front door. These days, I'm anal about seeing windows in the photos before I go ahead and book. I prefer ones that are airy and bathed in sunshine all day.

I made sure the apartment was smack in the middle of the Old Town (Vieille Ville) which meant getting around took minutes. It was worth paying a little more. But be sure it's on a quiet street because you don't want to hear the pounding bass from speakers, drunken fights or garbage trucks banging about in the wee hours of the morning.

While I don't mind plodding up 2 or 3 flights of stairs everyday, I DO mind when I need to lug suitcases to the 3rd floor. Another reason why I constantly re-iterate to family members who hardly ever listen to me (I need to insert the banging-my-head-on-the-brick-wall emoji here) that roads, pathways, stairs and lifts in Europe are narrow so do not drag out your largest trolley suitcase just because you "need" to use up all of your 20kg weight allowance. Most century old towns have pedestrian only lanes which means you'll end up cussing and dragging your suitcases to the main street to catch a cab or airport shuttle.






Young kids are such simple and uncomplicated creatures. They don't give a hoot about Chagall, Matisse or Picasso museums nor their genius artwork. They just want to dance around and have their back and butt sprayed by 128 water jets that shoot out suddenly from the concrete floor at Promenade du Pallion. While you gawp at Matisse's portrait of his wife, the kids are thunderstruck by the sight of the wooden climbing apparatus in the shape of a whale vertebra.






When in Nice, adjust your diet accordingly. Rule number one: Eat a gelato or perhaps 2 a day. If you can't figure out which flavor to pick, then up your intake to 3 a day since Fenocchio boasts 96 flavors in all.  If you're worried about possible weight gain, walk around the block a couple of times, sweat it all out (easily done!) and head then back to the closest ice cream parlor. Repeat this exercise throughout the day.






Rule number two: A patisserie a day keeps you happy all day. The best one in town? LAC Patisserie. The staff can be unsmiling and curt at times but who cares? You're there to gorge on the best tarte tat in man or woman has ever created - crumbly, buttery with the right amount of crunch, filled with slices of apples cooked to perfection hidden under the pastry dome and then gently glazed with caramel.






Rule number three: Inhale creatures from the sea. Worry about your cholesterol when you're home. This hole-in-the wall minuscule restaurant, Au Poseidon is located in the Old Town. They have a total of 4 tables on the narrow street of Rue de la Prefecture but serve the freshest seafood in Nice. As for the service? Truly exceptional!

Rule number 4: Unclog your gut and arteries from gluten and cholesterol overload (check rules 1, 2 and 3) by going clean and healthy. The Planet Sushi's concoctions were a little different to what I'm used to but equally tasty. I ended up eating there twice. The clean and minimalist cuisine thoroughly refreshed my palate after my gluten gorgefest.

NAP sales

1. Etoilé Isabel Marant Bradi leather jacket 

2. Moschino earphones

3. Etoilé Isabel Marant Gabe jacket

4. Tod's bracelet

5. Gucci suede pumps

6. Rick Owens leather jacket

7. Bottega Veneta pouch

Bear with me for a second because I've got sales on my mind. Net-a-porter global sale is ON. You'll probably notice that I've got a thing for black leather jackets......... I was rather surprised that the black Etoilé Isabel Marant Bradi has been reduced by 40%. It's a little too similar to my Kady or else I would've nabbed it in an instant. I'm drawn to the Gabe jacket too....... what do you think? Yay or nay? I've been thinking of the Gucci suede pumps with rather interesting bamboo heels. Too sedate? Or not bad?