Thursday, September 15, 2016

FIVE EXCITING THINGS TO SEE IN HONG KONG


Every once in a while we tried to relax and take a short vacation in other countries before proceeding our way home to Philippines. This time our destination is another Asian country, Hong Kong.

As usual, we booked our hotel using booking.com. We booked our stay in Silka Fareast Hotel, within walking distance from the Tsuen Wan MTR, City Landmark and other shopping malls, commercial and recreation areas.

In this trip, I did a thorough research and made our itinerary based on my research. I didn’t quite consider other areas that could affect our trip since the first one we had in Singapore was great.

It was raining when we arrived in Hong Kong International Airport, hence our plans for the first day didn’t materialized, but it turned out to be better than we expected it to be. Praise be to God!

Here are some recommended things to try in Hong Kong:

1. Try their MTR (Mass Transit Railway).During our trip in Singapore, we didn’t have a chance to ride their MRT because we usually rode the bus for sightseeing and itwas part of the package we took. In HongKong, although we didn’t have plans on taking their MTR, our foot led us to one of the MTR stations and since then, we used the MRT as our mode of transportation. It is more affordable and convenient.

Operating Hours:      Different for each lines, but mainly 06:00 am to 01:00am
Ticket Fee:                     $65 Adult Tourist day pass/ $17.50 Single Journey pass  

2.Spend a day in Hong Kong Disneyland.Awaken the child in you.As I child, I dreamed of seeing Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and the rest of the gang in flesh. So I make this as part of our itinerary.

Hong Kong Disneyland is the first theme park located inside the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and is owned and managed by the Hong Kong International Theme Parks.The park consists of seven themed areas: Main Street, USA, Fantasyland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point and Toy Story Land. The theme park's cast members speak in Cantonese, English and Mandarin.

Main Street, USA.Everyone will start in the Main Street, USA. It is the entrance of the park.It is here where we met& took photos together with Mickey and Minnie Mouse.It has a train that will pass through the other themed areas. We rode the train when we were about to leave Disneyland Park.

Tomorrowland.In this park, we rode the Space Mountain. It was a roller coaster ride where it shows the space, stars, galaxy etc. I was not really a big fan of roller coasters, so I somehow felt a little dizzy. There is a souvenir shop after we finished our ride the Space Traders, I bought my very first souvenir watch priced HK $328. They have a promo that you will receive a free gift if you have a minimum purchase of HK $350, so I took other items to avail of the free gift and I got a cellphone screen cleaner.I suggest that you purchased souvenir items outside the park, because it is really expensive compare to prices in other areas.

Fantasyland. We watched the show, The Golden Mickeys. It was a live show and performed by popular Disney characters. The show duration is more or less 30 minutes. It was definitely a show worth watching, so I recommend that you watch this show. We also rode the “It’s a small world” boat, where you will find different countries with their different cultures singing the “It’s a small world after all” song. We also saw the Mickey’s PhilharMagic show. It is a 3D show, featuring Mickey and Donald Duck. Knowing Donald Duck, the show was enjoyable.

Toy Story Land.We didn’t take any ride here because the rides are more for children and more lifting and circling. We only took photos (with Jessie) and watched the performances of real life toy soldier as they entertained the crowd.

Flights of Fantasy Parade.We were able to find a good spot to watch theFlights of Fantasy Parade, it starts at 4:30 pm. The parade commenced with Mickey’s Magical Airship (starring Dumbo and Timothy Mouse from Dumbo; andMickey drives a giant airship named“Flights of Friendship” with the rest of his friends, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Donald and Chip ‘n’ Dale); Caught Up in Daydreams featuring Winnie the Pooh and the rest of the gang;Romance Takes Wing on a swan-shaped airboat with several of the princesses; Snow White (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs), Cinderella (Cinderella), Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), and Belle (Beauty and the Beast). Jumpin’ Jungle Jam characters such as Baloo and King Louie (Jungle Book);Rafiki and Timon (The Lion King);Tantor (Tarzan). The Magic of Pixie Dust based on the character from the animated film Peter Pan, Tinkerbell takes on starring role atop the flying cotton float from Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure. Hangin’ Ten and Ridin’ High float from Lilo and Stitch. To Infinity and Beyond based on the Disney and Pixar film Toy Story with Woody, Jessie and Hamm. The parade finishes with Buzz Lightyear, Rex and several bungee-jumping Green Paratroopers. The parade lasted for about an hour.It was fun!

Adventureland. We noticed that people are hurrying towards that direction to get to “The Festival of the Lion King” show. This show retells the life story of the Lion King, Simba. The show runs for an hour and it was also good one. In Adventureland, we tried most of the attraction; we went to the Rafts to the Tarzan’s Treehouse going to Tarzan’s Treehouse and Jungle River Cruise. It was awesome!

Unfortunately, we didn’t go to the Mystic Point and Grizzly Gulch to see its attractions because it was getting late and would like to go to Ladies market to buy souvenir items.

How we got there: We boarded the MTR in Tseun Wan Station, got down in Lai King Station connecting to Sunny Bay Station and from Sunny Bay, the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort train (special train).

Opening Hours:            10:00am to 08:00pm
General Admission:    HKD450 (1 day ticket:Standard)
Location:                          Penny's Bay, Lantau Island

3. Check out the Ladies Market. After our visit to Hong Kong Disneyland, we visited the Ladies Market to check out the place and to buy souvenir items. There were a lot of street food, street performances, arts, crafts, shopping items to see there. The place was so alive and you can almost feel the energy of people all over the place. We were able to buy cheap souvenir items in this place. We also tried their street food as it was almost dinner time. We explored a little and headed back to our hotel but it was nice to visit this place.

How we got there:FromHong Kong Disneyland Resort train, we got down in Mong Kok Station.

4. Experience The Peak Tram & Sky Terrace 428. The Peak Tram is the only way to truly experience the beauty of Hong Kong's natural wonders. The peak tram is arguably the most enduring emblem of Hong Kong's unique past.

Opening Hours:          7:00am till 12 midnight,departs every 10-15 minutes
Entrance Fee:              HKD 40 (return) / HKD 28 (single)

The Sky Terrace 428, standing at 428 metres above sea level, is the highest viewing platform in Hong Kong offering a stunning 360-degree panoramic view across the Hong Kong.

Opening Hours:          10:00am to 11:00pm (Mondays to Fridays)
  08:00am to 11:00pm (Weekends & Public holidays)
Entrance Fee:              HKD 40(for adults)

When we reached The Peak Tram Lower Terminus, there were a variety of choices to suit the needs of every customer. We chose The Peak Tram plus the Sky Terrace 428 (The Peak Sky Pass) since we will visit both places; we paid HK $75.

It was nice to experience the tram as it ascends the mountain. The view was stunning when reached to the top and saw the sea view while the cold breeze touched our faces. It was awesome. There were also a board showing the history of Hong Kong and they also have a program “Say I love you at The Peak”, where you could write in a heart shaped paper and hanged it in a heart-shaped figure. We tried it too.

How we got there: We boarded the MTR in Tseun Wan Station, got down in Lai King Station connecting to Central Station and from there we walked going to the Peak.

5. Be Mesmerized at Maddame Tussauds Wax Museum.It is a part of the renowned chain of wax museums founded by Marie Tussaud of France, located at the Peak Tower level 1. Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, is a celebrity-inspired attraction that connects guests with famous people, events and famous times, featuring six themed areas. The Hong Kong branch houses nearly 100 wax figures of internationally-known personalities, with Asian figures taking up more than a third of the total, of which sixteen were Hong Kongers.

We took every photos of every celebrity we pass through and started with Asian Starswax figures which includes Sandra Ng, Louis Koo, Li Bingbing, Ethan Juan, Leslie Cheung, Andy Lau, Leon Lai, Cecilia Cheung and Jay Chou. Kung Fu Stars including Bruce Lee, Donnie Yen, Jet Li & Michele Yeoh. Hollywood StarsAudrey Hepburn, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Robert Pattinson, Johnny Depp, Nicole Kidman, Meryll Strip and Marilyn Monroe. World Leaders Barack Obama, George Bush, Mahatma Gandhi, Lee Kwan Yew, Adolf Hitler, Sadam Hussein. Cultural figures Madame Tussaud, Pablo Picasso, Lang Lang, Albert Einstein, Rembrandt van Rijn and William Shakespeare. Royalty Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip – Duke of Edinburg, Princess Diana, Prince William – Duke of Cambridge & Catherine “Kate” Middleton – Duchess of Cambridge. We also pose to Sports Stars Lee Lai Shan, Liu Xiang, Yao Ming, David Beckham, Ronaldinho, Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods and ChiyonofujiMitsugu. Character wax figures Astro Boy, Spiderman. Pop Stars Leo Ku, Miriam Yeung, Teresa Teng, Anita Mui, Micheal Jackson, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Madonna, Twins.

Operating Hours:      10:00am to 10:00pm
Operating days:         Mondays through Sundays and Public holidays
Entrance Fee:              HKD 190

There you go. I hope that I have given you an idea on how to plan your anticipated visit in Hong Kong.

God bless us more J

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).



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