Vegas Lifestyle Influencers- Dragon Mode

Photo by Corey Bond Photography

A couple weeks ago, our friends at One 7 Communications reached out and offered us a chance to experience Lyft's Dragon Mode as a group. 

 Photos by Corey Bond Photography

Lyft and Zappos brought in one of the Burning Man art cars and for the month of July, they were offering free tours of the Downtown art installation. Since we had a group, we got the car all to ourselves! The best part- it was free for everyone at the Lyft booth!

 Photos by Corey Bond Photography

We all met up at the Downtown Container Park, signed our waivers, and got our wristbands. The car was actually insanely cool looking and comfortable. We had an awesome tour guide, Heidi, who told us all kinds of cool facts about the art installations (Big Rig Jig) and murals (giant horny toad). We even got to stop and take some photos at one of the coolest spots!

We were also followed around by this amazing Disco Van.

Photo by Corey Bond Photography

Thanks Lyft and Zappos, for creating such a fun summer activity!!! 

Also, thank you One 7 Communications, for setting up our private ride!!!

Photo by Corey Bond Photography

A Week in Hong Kong- What to Eat

There are so many amazing places to eat in Hong Kong. You can have a full meal for two people for $7 or $700 depending on where you go. There really is something for everyone! While we would plan out places to eat on our trips, we often would just wander into random restaurants and food stalls along the way. We frequently ended up in some hole in the wall places that were amazing so don't be too afraid to wander off the beaten path! Here are some of my favorites that actually have names in English and are easy to find!

Charlie Brown Cafe

Exactly what it sounds like. This theme restaurant (there are a ton in Asia) is all about the Peanuts Gang. Even the tables are shaped like Charlie Brown's head! It's great for snacks, drinks, and desserts. There are cakes shaped like so many characters!

City Hall

This is one of the most known dim sum restaurants. Lines often form before they even open so get here early! The food is very good, the service is okay. The food does make up for it, though!

Crystal Lotus

Located inside the Disneyland Hotel, this place is adorable. We ordered in advance for the Disney Dim Sum and we were so glad we did! The food is delicious, the service was really great, and everything was adorable! It's definitely an experience!

Hong Kong Day Cafe

There are a couple locations but we went to the one at Victoria Peak. They have some of the best noodles we've ever eaten. 

Ocean Empire

We love coming here for breakfast- it's super good and insanely cheap! Beware that if you come to places like this during busier hours, you may have to share your table with strangers. It's a great place for congee, rice noodle rolls, sponge cake, and fried dough. 

Yee Shun Dairy

There are all kinds of restaurants like this in Hong Kong; some more famous than others. We came here for noodles and egg custard which are some of our favorite things to get for breakfast!

Chee Kei

This place does won ton and they do it really well! We frequented the location inside the Langham Place Shopping Center whenever we visited. The broth is great, especially when you're struggling with jetlag. The prices are fairly good (higher than the local joints outside) and it's pretty fast!

Honeymoon

We come here for dessert at least twice on any trip. They also have a location inside Langham Place Shopping Center and they have a fun variety of Asian desserts. The dishes aren't huge so I would suggest getting a few different things and sharing!

Jason's

Jason's is a market and there is one located at the bottom level of Langham Place Shopping Center. We would come here for snacks for the room, sodas, and soy milk. It's on the way to the MTR station so it was a fun place to stop and grab a few things we might want/need throughout the day. 

Jade Garden

This restaurant is located at Hong Kong International Airport. We usually try to get to the airport very early (like four or five hours early) so we can eat at Jade Garden and do some last minute shopping and wandering (there are a ton of shops in the airport). Jade Garden is always the last meal we have in Hong Kong and it's a really good one!

There are a ton of places to search for great restaurants in Hong Kong. Open Rice is a wonderful source of information but it can get difficult to navigate because a lot of the reviews are in Chinese. Sassy Hong Kong is one of my favorite resources because it's all in English and it's frequently updated. They give you a ton of information on Chinese restaurants and some fun Western options if you're not feeling too adventurous!

 

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A Week in Hong Kong- What to Do

 Victoria Peak Tram

You have to go to Victoria Peak at least once. There's a lot to see and do at the top and the Peak Tram is one of those classic Hong Kong activities. It is a fairly steep funicular; however, it's quick and the views at the top are spectacular. We went on a cloudy day and we didn't go at night but I strongly suggest that you do! Those amazing skyline photos you see of Hong Kong? They were shot at Victoria Peak!

  Hong Kong Disneyland

I described Hong Kong Disneyland as Disneyland with double the Asian people. No joke! All the signs are in Chinese and English and shows/tours are done in Mandarin, Cantonese, and English. There are a lot of attractions here that you will not find in any other Disneyland. It's definitely an experience! Each time we've visited, there's something new. The Main Street portion looks just like every other Main Street in any Disneyland in the world. There are some cool food options (like the "American" pork chop burger) and awesome souvenir possibilities (they really love Stitch in Asia). Even the Disneyland portion of the MTR is cute! And yes, there are still Mickey ice cream bars. They also have these cute little ride photo ops so you can take a photo in a ride car without riding the actual ride! Kind of cool! My favorite part of the park is the Stitch Encounter which I've heard is similar to Turtle Talk with Crush. You get to interact with Stitch on a large video screen (and you can do it in English, Mandarin, or Cantonese depending on the time slot)!

  Macau

If you have time, take a day tour to Macau! We would have liked to stay overnight but we were pressed for time. We took the hydrofoil over but there are tons of cool options for getting to Macau (including sailboat or catamaran tours). We wandered the main drag (the part you see in photos) and stopped at the Wynn Macau and Venetian Macau (they look so much like their Vegas counterparts). 

  Ocean Park

I wanted to see pandas. I'd been to Ocean Park as a child but going as an adult was very different. There are Giant Pandas and the cute Red Pandas and you can get pretty close too! We only visited part of the park but I could have spent hours watching the pandas. There's even a cute little cafe by the panda enclosure with some fun Chinese entrees and snacks (including these adorable bean baos that were shaped like pandas). And of course, lots of panda souvenirs! Bonus- There is an MTR station right by the park (there wasn't before).

  Jumbo Floating Restaurant

I've seen this restaurant a number of times in real life and I'm sure you've seen Jumbo Kingdom on television or film! It's a huge floating restaurant in the middle of Aberdeen Harbour. The prices are pretty high but it's more of an experience than anything!

  IFC Building

Stop at the IFC Mall for great shopping and snack options!

  Madame Tussauds

We have a Madame Tussauds in Las Vegas but the Madame Tussauds at Victoria Peak is very different. It's much more of a cultural experience than a tourist trap like the others and you'll find figures of world leaders from past and present. There are some fun photo ops here and likely, you won't recognize half of the figures since there are a lot of Asian pop stars and actors. 

You will; however, find Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee.

  Ladies Market

My favorite market in Hong Kong. Ladies Market has everything from keychains and phone cases to colorful wigs and luggage. This is where you go to haggle! Never buy at the first stall because likely, you'll find three more further down with even better prices. Do a little shopping around to base your price points! We usually leave half of a suitcase empty for all of our wonderful finds! 

  Sasa

This is THE place to get Asian beauty products. Every single time I found a Sasa, I went in. You can find unique cosmetics and skincare products from all over Asia here! I found the coolest lengthening mascara that's designed for Asian girls and at the Sasa outlet, I got travel eyelash curlers for under $1 a piece! 

  Aji Ichiban

Aji Ichiban is one of the coolest candy stores I've ever seen! It's a bulk candy store with goodies from all over! Get a bag and stock up for the flight home!