RTW TP Run in Jan 2026: Day 10 – Hong Kong (HKG) to Denpasar (DPS)

By Nige on January 27, 2026 at 4:51 pm
Type: Post
Story: Round the World Tier Point Run in Jan 2026 Category: Travel
Tags: Cathay Pacific | Denpasar | DPS | Hilton | HKG | Hong Kong | Skycity

After a solid night’s sleep at the Regal Skycity Hotel, I woke at around 5am — refreshed and ready for my final flight before a long-awaited day off.

It was Day 10, and while I’d loved every moment so far, I had to admit the pace had been relentless.

First priority: caffeine.

The nearest Starbucks appeared to be beyond a security checkpoint linked to ferry services into Hong Kong, which didn’t look feasible.

That meant my next realistic option was at the airport itself, so I decided to get moving sooner rather than later.

The first Airport Express train didn’t seem to run until 6am, so I opted instead for the free hotel shuttle bus.

When I checked out at reception, I was told the shuttle was just about to depart. I jumped aboard, claimed a front-row seat, and prepared for a swift arrival.

In reality, the bus seemed to tour half the airport perimeter without actually going very far.

Still, the driver clearly knew what he was doing, as we eventually pulled into a bus station and everyone disembarked.

It wasn’t labelled as Terminal 1, but I assumed that’s where we were. Sure enough, signage soon confirmed it, and I was on my way.

Hong Kong International Airport Terminal 1 was vast — easily the largest terminal I’d ever passed through. I’d been here a couple of times before, both on Tier Point runs to Jakarta many years ago, but its sheer scale still impressed.

Security took around ten minutes. The airport had full 3D scanners in place, so there was no need to remove liquids or laptops, which helped keep things moving.

From there, I set about locating Cathay Pacific’s The Pier First Class Lounge near Gate 65 — and, just as importantly, the nearest Starbucks.

The latter proved trickier than expected. There were plenty of shops, but the Starbucks app stubbornly refused to say when any of them opened.

Eventually, the lounge staff came to the rescue. The Starbucks closest to The Pier, near Gate 60, didn’t open until 7am. However, another outlet near Gate 44 opened at 6am — result.

I settled into the bar area of the First Class Lounge, which I recognised from a previous visit, dumped my bags, and immediately headed out to collect Starbucks number one from Gate 44.

After catching up on a bit of blogging, I sampled the lounge buffet. It was a decent spread, though I kept things simple with some toast.

Before leaving the area, I managed to sneak in Starbucks number two — this time from the outlet near Gate 60 — before turning my attention to my only flight of the day: Denpasar, the capital and main hub of the Indonesian province of Bali.

My flight was departing from Gate 70, which wasn’t far away. I left the lounge about an hour before departure — those who know me will appreciate that I’m not one for arriving at the gate at the last minute.

Boarding began around thirty minutes before departure, with wheelchairs and those needing extra time boarding about five minutes earlier.

The aircraft was an A330-300, with a 1-2-1 Business Class configuration. For a five-hour flight, that felt positively spacious. On BA or AA, a sector like this would often mean a narrow-body aircraft, so it was refreshing to be on a wide-body instead.

The seat wasn’t the latest design, but it was perfectly comfortable — and a world away from BA’s old herringbone Club World seat, which really ought to come with a health warning.

I settled into seat 18K, on the last row of the forward Business Class cabin. I quite liked being there: a clear view of everything ahead, without feeling overlooked from behind.

The captain announced a minor paperwork issue that would delay departure slightly.

Given the short taxi and a scheduled flight time of around four and a half hours, there was a good chance we’d claw some of that back — and in any case, the delay wasn’t going to cause me any problems.

After take-off, I ordered what was rapidly becoming my signature drink: a Buck’s Fizz, and started watching The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. It’s a film I really relate to.

Starters arrived. The menu leaned heavily towards fish, which usually gives me some issues, but I somehow ended up with another marinated prawn starter — and it was very good.

For the main course, I chose a fish curry. The word curry was enough to overcome my usual fish-related reservations.

Whenever I see fish on a menu, I tend to picture fish eyes — thankfully, there were none here.

The curry was outstanding: hot, flavourful, with meaty chunks of fish, peppers, onions, and tomatoes. An inspired choice.

Dessert was served from a trolley offering cheese and biscuits, ice cream, and fruit. I opted for strawberry ice cream along with the cheese plate — a combination that worked surprisingly well.

We arrived at Gate 3 in the International Terminal at Denpasar, at which point the next challenge of the trip began: Immigration.

Next up: An evening in Denpasar, Bali on Day 10 of my Round The World trip of a lifetime.

---

Round the World Tier Point Run in Jan 2026