Destinations Archives - Pale Ale Travel

3 Work-Friendly Cafes in George Town to Complement Your Excessive Eating

December 26, 2025December 26, 2025Destinations BigBody Leave a Comment

Look, I’m no arbiter of truth on George Town’s cafe, coffee, or gastronomic scene at all. And, there’s a good chance I never will be. I’m just a guy who is in Penang for the next several weeks on a self-imposed moratorium from Hong Kong, recouping from self-inflicted emotional turmoil, a never-ending stream of work, and too many late-night kebabs at Ebeneezer’s (all three might actually be more highly correlated than I initially thought).

So, what makes me qualified to write this article? First, there was a glaring lack of literature breaking down any sort of work-friendly cafe in George Town. Second, I made it a little goal of mine to trace several key haunts in the ‘Pearl of the Orient’ to post up and bang out some work (or pretend to). Third, I’ve been known to push the physical limits of coffee consumption unjustly imposed on men at ‘many a cafe’ across Asia and Southeast Asia while firing up a gaggle of bullet chess matches against adolescent Vietnamese prodigies.

TNT knows drama. Big Body knows cafes.

Point two was primarily driven by the recognition of my impending obsolescence in the exploding world of artificial intelligence and the need to learn how to deploy 50+ individual AI agents working 24/7 to do everything from cleaning those unwieldy stains out of my underwear to solving the Riemann Hypothesis. And everything in between (of course).

The long-winded point here is that I touched down in George Town and didn’t really have any clue where I could feasibly (and respectfully) hunker down with a laptop or book to make them recompense beans, universal solvent, dead presidents…you know, those Mexican pesos. Money, ya bozo.

So, without further ado, here are 3 work-friendly cafes in George Town, Penang that come equipped with pretty much everything you need to put in an honest day’s work, should you need a breather from stuffing yourself silly in Asia’s kitchen.

12 Entrancing Reasons to Visit Hong Kong in 2025

April 3, 2025April 3, 2025Destinations BigBody Leave a Comment

An alarmingly frequent question I’m asked by friends back home is ‘Is Hong Kong worth visiting?’. My answer has always remained a resounding ‘Yes!’. As a quaint little fishing village turned global financial powerhouse and epicenter, Hong Kong set the gold standard of the ethos ‘East meets West’, and to this day, eats, sleeps, and breathes it to a T.

In my humble opinion, there’s no city like it on earth.

While COVID put a damper on inbound travel to Hong Kong, things have since recovered to an almost Herculean degree, with the city having welcomed roughly 45 million international visitor arrivals in 2024 alone. This still falls 15 million visitors short of its pre-pandemic days (2018/2019). However, the recapturing of what made Hong Kong so great is in the full swing of things. And I’m optimistic it will keep on keepin’ on.

Back alley open-air food stalls and night markets have regained their frenetic energy, SoHo and surrounding districts are swarming with tour groups, solo travelers, and everyone in between, and cultural landmarks and attractions like the Tian Tan Buddha, Star Ferry, and Victoria Peak have garnered an (almost) overwhelming audience of locals and tourists alike.

As a seven-plus-year resident of Hong Kong, there are more reasons to visit this city than I could feasibly fit into a single article. But you’re here because you want the cold hard facts, not a drawn-out, emotional rollercoaster of a telenovela in blog form.

Without further ado, from mouth-watering roast goose and BBQ pork (siu mei) haunts to stunning landscapes, beaches, and hiking trails, world-class public transportation, vibrant nightlife, and bustling Chinese festivals and other cultural events, here are 12 reasons why Hong Kong is worth visiting.

A Reliable Shop in Central to Print, Photocopy, & Buy Stationery

March 31, 2025March 31, 2025Destinations BigBody Leave a Comment

As someone who thought it was a good idea to purchase a new printer each year in university, only to never once use said printer, I know how important it is to have ‘outside options’ to take care of all your printing and photocopying needs.

Even in my mid-thirties, I don’t own a printer. Why would I need to in one of the world’s most convenient cities? I don’t have any mid-term papers to turn in, fraternity flyers to print, or past exams to photocopy. Hong Kong is a city of convenience where everything I need is generally within a 5 to 10-minute walk and available most hours of the day.

However, when I need a reliable print and photocopy shop in Hong Kong, mainly for visa renewal and accounting errands, I head down to Wellington Street in Central. It’s a spot that I’ve been using since I first moved to Hong Kong in 2012 and it has never steered me wrong.

This post isn’t just for those who live in Hong Kong but also for businesspersons, tourists, and other people who might find themselves in a situation requiring urgent printing services (ex. A visa application or prenuptial agreement after a long night in Wan Chai).

Here is my go-to print shop and stationery store in Hong Kong.

Versailles Cuban Restaurant: Delicioso o Trampa para Turistas Decepciónante?

March 29, 2025March 29, 2025Destinations BigBody Leave a Comment

While I don’t habla the Español, I think I was built for ox tails, roast pork, empanadas, and Galician white bean soup the second I stepped foot onto this earth. Looking back, everything in my life has seemed to serendipitously lead up and prepare me for my first visit to Versailles Cuban Restaurant, a 370 seater on Calle Ocho (8th Street) in Little Havana, Miami.

For example, in fourth grade, we had a gringo Texan with a bushy mustache, cowboy hat, and faux spurs, eat pork rinds and teach us several words of broken Spanish for 30 minutes each week. I also watched the first season of Money Heist with English subtitles and would excruciatingly repeat Spanish phrases to my Mallorcan buddy over after-work beers. “Y soy Allison Parker.” And, in Little League, I was jeeringly referred to as ‘El Guapo’, a reference to the portly Venezuelan relief pitcher for the Red Sox, Rich Garcés.

So, I was ecstatic to test my utter lack of Spanish skills and plenitude of hunger at what’s widely considered to be the ‘World’s Most Famous Cuban Restaurant’ on an illustrious trip down to the Sunshine State with my top dawg.

Was Versailles really all that it’s hyped up to be? Is it muy bien or mal sabor? Here are my íntegro thoughts on whether Versailles Restaurant in Miami is worth it.

Is Barrio in Portsmouth, NH Still Worth the Hype? [2025 Review]

March 27, 2025March 28, 2025Destinations BigBody Leave a Comment

After roughly five years away from my home state of New Hampshire, I not-so-triumphantly rode into town on my faltering, aging miniature horse steed for a self-imposed two-month moratorium from Hong Kong.

The purpose? Reclaim my mojo, spend as much quality time as possible with those nearest and dearest to me, and eat everything under the sun that I’ve been unable to get in the alleged ‘Asia’s World City’.

Note: I think it’s a bit presumptuous to refer to oneself as ‘Asia’s World City’ when you can’t find a goddamn Reese’s peanut butter cup anywhere.

In addition to my frivolous daily consumption of Ruffles cheddar and sour cream potato chips, Reese’s peanut butter cups (King Size), and enough locally brewed beer to KO a wooly mammoth (shoutout to Liar’s Bench and Schilling Beer Co.), there was one place in particular that I needed to check up on – Barrio, aka Portsmouth’s build-your-own taco and margarita haven.

But was it the same Barrio I remember from those hazy, “I forgot to put on pants today,” pandemic days? Was the guac still smooth and creamy enough to use as a styling mousse for my thinning hairline? Would the Build-A-Bear taco creations and El Jefe’s curated selecciones still bring the gastronomic ruckus? Were the margs still so delicious and spicy that I’d want to throw back 8 of them before 2 PM on a Tuesday?

Read on to find out if Barrio still lives up to the hype.

Pale Ale Travel Note: Writing about Barrio is nostalgic as it was the first review/write-up I ever published on Pale Ale Travel in 2019. It’s unpardonable that it took me so many years to return and publish a more up-to-date review. Well, here it is. This time, I remembered to take photos.

6 Hong Kong Experiences That I’d Skip (& What I’d Do Instead)

March 26, 2025March 26, 2025Destinations BigBody Leave a Comment

Time and money are precious, especially when traveling to Hong Kong, one of the world’s most hectic and prohibitively expensive cities. Frankly, its frenetic energy and innumerable things to do make it a place that’s easy to get side-tracked in. Even as someone who lives here, I find myself falling victim to this semi-regularly.

However, with limited time in the city, it’s important to steer clear of engaging in activities that are exorbitantly priced, soulless, and ultimately more of an annoyance than anything.

And, while I don’t want to besmirch the good name of any one experience, attraction, or institution in Hong Kong, there are several (in my humble opinion) that you can skip or put on the back burner in favor of more memorable, fulfilling, and worthwhile experiences.

To not rag on an activity or experience and leave you completely hanging, I’ve provided alternatives of what I’d recommended doing instead. Without further ado, here are 6 Hong Kong experiences and sites that I’d skip and what I would replace them with!

Using the Octopus Card in Hong Kong: Everything You Need to Know

March 24, 2025March 24, 2025Destinations BigBody Leave a Comment

Like Charlie and Grandpa Joe after that serendipitous purchase of a Wonka Bar, the Octopus Card is your golden ticket.

However, instead of unfettered access to an eccentric, authoritarian, and braggadocious chocolate proprietor’s mysterious factory and its white-overall-wearing orange-faced miniature constituents, it grants you access to Hong Kong’s expansive, efficient, affordable transportation network.

Hong Kong’s Octopus card is ubiquitous. Hence the name and its Cantonese name ‘Baat Daaht Tung’, which translates to ‘eight-arrived pass’, or more aptly ‘go anywhere pass’ and/or ‘reaching everywhere’. Just like an Octopus’s eight tentacles.

As the city’s most popular contactless, stored-value, rechargeable smart card for electronic payments, the Octopus card is used everywhere. From Hong Kong’s metro (MTR) to buses, trams, ferries, convenience stores, supermarkets, restaurants, movie theaters, horse races (you heard me!), and even utility services, this is the one card both residents and tourists need to survive in the city.

And, it’s as easy as pie to use. However, there are still several questions both tourists and newly settled residents of Hong Kong might have about it, like ‘Where can I buy one?’, ‘How can I customize it?’, ‘How do I recharge it?’, and ‘Is there a special card for seniors, students, or disabled persons?’.

Everything you need to know about using an Octopus Card in Hong Kong is covered below.

A Savvy Insider’s Guide to Getting Around Hong Kong

March 22, 2025March 24, 2025Destinations BigBody Leave a Comment

A hill that I’m willing to die on is that Hong Kong may be a contender for the most convenient city in the world. And that is all made possible because it has one of the most comprehensive transport networks I’ve ever encountered.

From a transportation network of British double-decker busses that carve the city with ease, to leisurely tram rides on the beloved ‘Ding Ding’, iconic voyages cross-harbor on the football-shaped Star Ferry, shoulder to shoulder commutes via the metro, tri-color taxis skewering the city into three, and red minibuses that barrel around corners like bats out of hell, Hong Kong transportation isn’t just convenient, it’s legendary.

There’s rarely a pocket of the city that you would have trouble reaching via public transport. And in that case, there’s no shortage of private transport options to get you there. I’m looking at you ‘Sampan lady’ down off the coast of Ap Lei Pai. What a lifesaver.

To ensure that you expertly navigate Asia’s World City once you arrive, here is the complete guide to getting around Hong Kong.

The 17 Best Things to Do in Hong Kong With Kids

March 19, 2025March 19, 2025Destinations BigBody Leave a Comment

I know what you’re thinking, “The name of this blog is ‘Pale Ale Travel’, I’m not bringing my kid to a bar,” or “What would this guy know about things to do in Hong Kong with kids?”.

Well, you’re in luck because this isn’t one of those types of posts because as a man now in his mid-thirties, my weekend activities have heavily shifted away from tossing back cold ones with the gang to more wholesome family-oriented activities with married friends and their children.

And you know what? I ain’t hating it. So, I feel more than well-equipped to write this article.

I was also once a kid, which I think bolsters my credibility.

Further, if you’re anything like my parents, you know that you can never have enough inspiration and ideas for how to keep your kids occupied, as it’s neverending. A stacked Rolodex of activity ideas is essential for maintaining harmony in the household, exposing your kids to healthy, constructive, and cultural experiences, and ensuring they burn off some energy and go to bed at a reasonable hour.

So, whether you live here or are just visiting and want to cross your t’s and dot your i’s with a list of the best things to do in Hong Kong with your kids, I’ve got you covered.

My Recommended Hong Kong Laundry Service For Same-Day Turnaround

March 17, 2025March 17, 2025Destinations BigBody Leave a Comment

Hey you. Yeah, you. I can smell you through the screen. Stinkin’ things up like

Pig Pen from Peanuts. It’s time you washed your dirty underpants and those socks that have an ever-expanding hole at the heel.

Forgive me. That was actually an exercise with myself – part of my daily affirmations. I digress.

What I’m trying to say is that if you are visiting Hong Kong, there’s a chance it might not be the first stop of your trip, meaning you need to do some laundry ASAP. Or maybe, you’re halfway through your Hong Kong itinerary and, like me, found a way to spill some sort of viscous sauce all over your brand-new pair of shorts. Or maybe, you, also like me, live in Hong Kong and don’t have a washing machine, so you (unfortunately) need a reliable laundry and dry cleaning service to ensure your clothes are spick and span for the week.

Whatever the case, you need your laundry done and you need it done quickly. I know just the place.

Here is my go-to laundry service in Hong Kong that offers same-day turnaround at affordable prices.

Your Guide to Visiting Hong Kong in May 2026

March 16, 2025January 11, 2026Destinations BigBody Leave a Comment

As summer approaches and months become less and less predictable weatherwise, a common question I receive from readers is ‘Is May a good time to visit Hong Kong?’.

Absolutely. May is a great time to visit Hong Kong. However, Spring is in the full swing of things and sweltering and sticky summer heat and humidity are not so sneakily creeping up. In fact, most ‘May days’ in Hong Kong are considered a “full-on” summer day almost everywhere in Europe or North America. For Hong Kong, it’s just another Tuesday. I feel like I need to take a shower just thinking about it.

But it’s not just the constricting heat and humidity that roll into town. May is the beginning of Hong Kong’s rainy season, when torrential downpours, monsoon rains, and ‘typhoon days’ are all expected.

With that in mind, May is a bustling and attractive month in Hong Kong for events, festivals, and fairs. It’s also a great month for more leisurely outdoor activities, like beach days, exploration of Hong Kong’s outlying islands, and light hikes.

Exploring the city’s countless attractions and sites on foot is still more than doable, it just takes a tad more preparation, patience, and understanding that you may not be able to go as ‘full-throttle’ as you would in cooler months.

To help you do it up right in my favorite city on earth, here is what you need to know about visiting Hong Kong in May 2026.

Layover in Hong Kong? Here’s Exactly What to Do

March 13, 2025March 24, 2025Destinations BigBody Leave a Comment

Do you have a layover in Hong Kong and more than a few hours to kill before the next leg of your flight? I completely understand that you don’t want to waste it at the airport, especially when Asia’s ‘World City’ is at your fingertips.

Well, I’ve got some ~~good~~ stellar news.

Hong Kong is emphatically one of the best cities in the world to spend a layover in. World-class transportation means that you can be smack-dab in the city center in just 24 minutes, it’s home to nearly 100 Michelin-starred restaurants and thousands of more equally just as delicious eating haunts, nightlife rages into the wee morning hours, it has visa-free entry for most travelers, and the city’s must-see sites and attractions are all easily accessible.

Whether you have a 4, 6, 8, or 12-hour-plus layover in Hong Kong, this guide (written by someone who has been living in the city for seven years) will help you make the most of it and ensure that you get a proper ‘feel’ for the city. And, I guarantee you won’t board the second leg of your flight hungry.

Pale Ale Travel Note: Keep in mind that most components suggested in these timeframes can be done individually and paired with each other! So just because I put it under ‘short layover’ or ‘long layover’, it doesn’t mean you should write it off!