Hong Kong
- hansellajc
- Jul 6, 2013
- 6 min read
This trip we are off to Hong Kong for 6 days.
Day 1 :
We arrive in Hong Kong. It is almost the monsoon time of the year and the weather is hot and steamy.
We are staying at the Regal Hongkong Hotel situated in the heart of Causeway Bay. A vibrant commercial and shopping district of Hong Kong. There are 4 dining establishments serving a range of cuisines. The hotel also features a range of recreational facilities, including a rooftop swimming pool and a gymnasium.
We are a 15 minute walk to Times Square. A major shopping area in Hong Kong.
In Times Square there is a promotion for Monsters University.
The Metro system in Hong Kong is excellent. The stations and trains are clean, the service is on time, and its easy buying tickets. Each train has a map of the train network, and lights showing you where you are. So its easy to navigate your way around the whole train network. Look for the metro sign.
We are taking the train to Tung Chung station. At this stop is the major citygate outlet centre. Stores include Bally, Burberry, Calvin Klein, Espirit and over 80 more stores.
Day 2:
Today we are off to The Peak, Hong Kongs most popular attraction. There are 2 ways of getting there 1) by Tram or 2) by Bus.
We have decided to go up by bus and come back down on the tram. There are a few places the bus leaves including Star Ferry pier in Central and Causeway Bay. The trip by bus takes you on some windy roads up to the top, passing some of the most expensive homes in Hong Kong. You also get a good view of Hong Kong island.
When we arrive at The Peak it is lunchtime. There are some good eateries and are reasonably priced.
We are now at Sky Terrace 428 viewing platform at Peak Tower. As you can see from the following photos you have stunning 360degree panoramic views of Hong Kong.
We take the Peak Tram to the bottom. The Peak Tram was first introduced in 1888. The ride is steep but has stunning panaromic views of the harbor.
Back at the Regal HongKong Hotel time to have a swim in the rooftop pool. Temperatures in July are up to the mid-30s and also very humid with the monsoonal season soon approaching.
Day 3:
Today we are going to Ngong Ping 360 to see Tian Tan Buddha (also known as Big Buddha).
We take the train to Tung Chung station (same stop as the CityGate Outlet). From there a gondola ride to the top (there are different types of gondolas you can take, standard, crystal with glass bottom, and private cabin which is queue free). On a clear day, you have great views and you can see the Buddha approaching in the distance.
There are 268 steps to walk up to the Buddha. There are also other attactions to see such as the Po Lin Monastery and Ngong Ping village.
It was late in the day when we arrived. By the time we finished visiting the Big Buddha there was a long queue to get the gondola back to Tung Chung station (at least 1 hour wait and the gondola fnished at 6pm on weekdays. It was already 5pm). Instead we took the bus which took about 30-40min before reaching Tung Chung station. The bus was quite cheap at about AUD$5 per person. Along the way, the bus travels around the mountain and along the coast.
Day 4:
Today we are off to Macau, and for me to try my luck at the casino.
The ferry leaves from Star Ferry Pier in Central. Here you must be careful of the ticket you get. We just bought the cheapest return ticket. I'll explain further down what not to do.
There are of course a lot of casions to choose from to visit. We have chosen to go to The Venetian. It is the largest casino on the world. As the name suggests it is designed to look like you are in Italy. There is a free shuttle bus from the ferry.
Apart from the casino, there are plenty of shops to visit. You can also take a ride on the indoor gondolas.
As mentioned previously, be careful with the ferry ticket you get. We got the cheapest ticket. As you can see my daughter has fallen asleep. We have been waiting for over 2 hours to get on a ferry. The reason being is that your ticket tells you what time your ferry will leave Macau. The seller of our ticket didn't mention this and sold us an open-ended time ticket. Meaning, we had to wait for available seats on the ferry, where other passengers had a designated time for. Only if someone did not turn up would there be an empty seat for us to use. There were many people caught out by this. So we sat around for 2-3 hours getting frustrated. It was past midnight by the time we got back to our hotel. The only sour note from our trip.
Day 5:
Today is kids day. We are off to Disneyland. Luckily we are all big kids so should be a fun day.
We take a 30min train ride to Sunny Bay station. From there is a special Disneyland train.
The parade.
Plenty of photos with all the famous disney characters.
Squid anyone?
Nightime fireworks show.
It has been a busy and tiring day.
Day 6:
It is our last night in Hong Kong. We have taken the MTR train to East Tsim Sha Tsui station. here we can see the main skyline of Hong Kong at night.
Also here is the Avenue of Stars, paying tribute to outstanding professionals of Hong Kong's film industry. Front and centre is Bruce Lee.
Bruce Lee statue.
Day 7:
We are on a 8am flight from Hong Kong, meaning we are up at 4am to catch a taxi to arrive at the airport by 5am for check-in.
Tips
- for travelling on the MTR get an octopus card. It allows you travel on train, bus and ferry. Buy the card with at least HK$50 so it will last you for your holiday. You can top up the amount on the card whenever you need to. When you no longer use the card any money left on the card can be reimbursed. There is a small charge for the purchase but saves a lot of hassle.
- as mentioned previously, if you are going to Macau, make sure you get a ticket which has a return time on it. Otherwise you could be waiting for hours to catch a ferry like we did.
- if your going to Ngong Ping 360, go earlier in the day. So if you want to catch the gondola back down the mountain you dont have to wait or even miss out on a ride.
- you need 2 days in Disneyland if you want to go on all the rides. Wait times varied between 20mon and 1 hour. Watch out for locals who like to push in front of the queue.
- if at all possible catch a later flight out of Hong Kong. We had to get up at 4am to catch a taxi to the airport.
Itinerary
Day 1:
- Arrive in Hong Kong. Catch a 1 hour bus trip to Regal Hong Kong Hotel in Causeway Bay
- Walk to Times Square to check out shopping district.
- MTR train ride to Tung Chung station to check out CityGate Outlet centre.
Day 2:
- Caught the bus to The Peak. Went to the Sky Terrace 428 viewing platform. Caught the Peak Tram back down.
Day 3:
- Visited Ngong Ping 360.
Day 4:
- Ferry ride to Macau. Visited Hotel Venetian.
Day 5:
- Hong Kong Disneyland.
Day 6:
- look around city, play in pool
- Avenue of Stars
Day 7:
- Departed Hong Kong.
Costs
Regal Hong Kong Hotel - for family room per night from approx HK$1250 or AUD$220. (2A+2K).
Peak Tram + Sky Terrace 428- return tram ticket HK$83 per adult (AUD$14), HK$40 per child (AUD$7).
Ngong Ping 360 with Standard Cabin Cable car return ticket - HK$165 per adult (AUD$27), HK$85 per child (AUD$14)
Ferry return to macau - approx HK$300 per ticket (AUD$50). Shuttle bus to Hotel Venetian is free.
Disneyland Day Pass - HK$500 per adult (AUD$81), HK$355 per child (AUD$58).
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