Dream Trip winner Wanwisa Posner shot this pic of Hong Kong's skyline from just outside her hotel, the Peninsula Hong Kong. Staying on the Kowloon side of Victoria Harbour gives you this view.

The winner of last year's Dream Trip Contest just got back from her $25,000 adventure in the destinations of her dreams--Hong Kong and the Maldives--and is guest-blogging about it here for the next two weeks. If you've read Wendy's article in Condé Nast Traveler's August issue, you already know just how much time, effort, and detail went into the planning of Wanwisa's journey. Now you can find out how those plans unfolded. Maybe you'll even enter our 2009 Dream Trip Contest. If you win, you, too, will receive a custom-tailored $25K dream trip, crafted by Wendy and the experts she handpicks for the task.

by Wanwisa Posner

The very first night of our stay at " the Pen," Jay and I were given a tour of its ESPA spa--a sanctuary for decadent massages and facials, with a cascading water "curtain" in the waiting area.

The spa's water "curtain." Photo courtesy of the Peninsula Hong Kong.

We booked last-minute massages in the hope that they would remedy a bad case of jet lag and insomnia (our flight was 15 hours long, and Hong Kong is 12 hours ahead of New York). To our surprise, we were given complimentary access to a private treatment suite complete with a whirlpool and a steam room overlooking the harbor. The view from the suite was the perfect way to acquaint us with Hong Kong's vivid nighttime cityscape. The suite was so lovely that we decided to book it again for morning massages on our last day, so we could take in the same glorious view by daylight.

The daytime view from the treatment suite's whirlpool. (Photo by Wanwisa Posner.)

The private-suite surprise was probably the hotel's way of mending our disappointment when we learned they had canceled our scheduled aerial tour of Hong Kong by helicopter. Strangely, their helicopters were out of service for maintenance and repair, even though the aerial tour had been booked months ahead. Because there are very few privately operated helicopters in China, we were unable to find a substitute. Complimentary use of the treatment suite was a fair enough attempt on the Pen's part to make it up to us, but an eagle-eye tour of this architecturally stunning city would have been an amazing experience. I guess there's always next time!

Come back tomorrow as we make our way to the Maldives, where I did get an aerial tour--of the radiant North Malé Atoll.