I just got back from a 4-day vacation in Hong Kong. I did all the planning and it was a good thing that I prepared our itinerary and means to get to our destination because if not, we would be wasting time looking for places. As expected, we got lost but the HK people are helpful with directions and the map is easy to read. I love the MTR train because it enabled us to go to far places.
So here are the highlights:
Day 1: The Big Buddha, Noong Ping, Avenue of Stars, and Ladies Market
We got lost looking for our hotel but because we don’t hesitate to ask questions we were able to find our hotel, thank God. Our first tour is to The Big Buddha. One HK local blogger, from whom I received a lot of tips, said that the Big Buddha can be skipped from one’s itinerary when touring HK at a short time. He said that it’s too far away and it’s just hard to commute to there. Anyway, I’m glad that we went to the Big Buddha. It’s my most favorite trip since we didn’t have to wait in line. We alighted at the MTR Tung Chung station then took the bus A23 which brought us to the Big Buddha after a 35-minute ride. We could have taken the Noong Ping Cable Car but it’s just not cost-effective. The Big Buddha is truly magnificent – it’s a great Kodak moment. After the Big Buddha, we visited Noong Ping Village which is located at the bottom of the big Buddha. The village is quiet, clean and very quaint. Not much around here except shops.
After the Big Buddha, we dropped by CityGate Shopping Outlet. This mall has outlet stores for branded designer labels such as Esprit, Giordano, Diane von Furstenberg, etc. We didn’t buy anything since we wanted to buy cheaper things at Ladies Market, which we did when we got back but first we detoured to Avenue of Stars to catch the Symphony of Light show which started at 8pm. The light show was for me disappointing because it wasn’t that spectacular. The music and the light didn’t sync well. Avenue of Stars is not that well populated with stores unlike the Hollywood walk of fame, which made the atmosphere not lively enough for me. We started shopping at around 1045pm. The market closed at 1130pm so a lot of stalls have closed down but still some peddlers try to sell their ware at very cheap price to earn before closing. However when we went back on an afternoon, there’s not much difference with the price in the evening and the price on day time.
Day 2: Disneyland, Argyle Center
It’s nice to experience Disneyland in a different country. But I would say Anaheim’s Disneyland is still the best. There were only few rides in HK, the parade is not well-presented, and the fireworks display is short. My highlights in Disneyland would be: the Space Mountain (I wasn’t able to ride this in LA), Golden Mickey show (check out Tarzan!), Mickey Philharmagic, and meeting Mickey and Minnie Mouse in Chinese costume (since they’re still in Chinese New Year mode). The bad experience I got was: waiting in line for a long time with people trying to get ahead of you in line.
After Disneyland, we were able to shop at Mong Kok’s Argyle Center. This building has cute clothes stores which are cheaper than the ones selling at Ladies Market street. So do check out this building if you’re looking for ladies clothes, bags and shoes.
Day 3: Ocean Park, The Peak
My first experience to Ocean Park and the Peak was so great. But when I returned for a second time, I got turned off by the long lines on the rides. I got tired just by waiting in line. Maybe it’s my fault for going there on a weekend. However we were able to see the important stuffs in Ocean Park. My highlights are: riding the Raging River, Mine Train, Sea Dreams show, Atoll Reef (spectacular aquarium!), Sea Jelly Exhibit, and the Cable Car. The Panda bear wasn’t exciting since the panda was just sleeping in a far corner. There’s not much interaction. I wished we could have visited the Aviary.
The line to the Peak tram was just so horrible. People were pushing and trying to get ahead of the line. Even the line to go back still was long and the weather had turned chilly. The sight was great but it didn’t compensate the irritation I felt with the line thing. After that we didn’t try to go shopping because we were so dead tired.
TIP: Never go to tourist spots on a weekend!!!
Day 4: Shopping – Jade Market, Mong Kok Computer Center, Ladies ‘Market
After days of sticking to an itinerary, I’m glad that our last day was spent just plain shopping. We went to Yau ma tei for the Jade Market at around 11am, which was a good time since the market has just opened. Temple market was closed and I think it opens later in the afternoon. I was so happy with Jade Market because there was one particular seller who was helpful in educating us about jade – the real and the fake ones. He even gave us good discount on our purchases. I regretted that I didn’t buy enough jade bracelets. Then we went back to Mong Kok to look for the Computer Center. The computer center is located on a building with a big TV over the entrance. Inside there were great bargains on electronic goods. My friend was able to buy a portable external palm hard drive for only HKD449. I was so envious. I wanted to buy one but I don’t have enough money. Grrr. There were also cheap digital cameras there. Sony cybershot at 7.1MP sells for at around HKD1300.
That’s the end of my HK trip. Will I return here? Probably. To tour, no – but to shop, yes.:)
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Calvin
February 12th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
why didnt you ride on the abyss in ocean park? it’s one of the best rides there.