This trip to Hong Kong was actually booked with the main purpose of bringing the kids to Hong Kong Disneyland. So far for myself, I have been to several theme park but not yet Disneyland. Why Hong Kong? My two kids are still young (4+ and 3), a 6 hours flight might not be suitable (in my own opinion).
This was a a Free & Easy 4D3N trip. we managed to grab a good airfare boarding Singapore AIrline and we booked Metropark Kowloon after reading through tripadvisor on comments left by travellers and it matched our budget. This hotel is in a ideal location for us, it is only a 5 mins walk to Prince Edward MTR, we can conveniently make use of this advantage to travel around. There is no time difference between Singapore and Hong Kong and we noticed that most of the staffs now able to communicate in Mandarin compared to years back.
This was a a Free & Easy 4D3N trip. we managed to grab a good airfare boarding Singapore AIrline and we booked Metropark Kowloon after reading through tripadvisor on comments left by travellers and it matched our budget. This hotel is in a ideal location for us, it is only a 5 mins walk to Prince Edward MTR, we can conveniently make use of this advantage to travel around. There is no time difference between Singapore and Hong Kong and we noticed that most of the staffs now able to communicate in Mandarin compared to years back.
Day 1:
Weather: 23-27 degree.
We reached Hong Kong at around 1100hrs in a Wednesday, after collecting the baggages, we went on to fetch a taxi to town.
After checking into the hotel, we went for our Hong Kong dim sum lunch located nearby our hotel. We brought the kids back so that they can have their nap and 3 of us (father, sister and myself) went to our 1st stop - Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple to offer our prayers. It was not so crowded probably due to weekday.The Wong Tai Sin Temple’s claim to ‘make every wish come true upon request’ might have something to do with its popularity.
My last visit to Wong Tai Sin Temple was 7 years ago, so much had changed to the surroundings and some shopping centre are established over the years.
After prayers and shopped, we went back to get ready for the next stop - The Peak, the highest point on Hong Kong Island, this has been the city’s most exclusive neighbourhood since colonial times – back then it was the cooler air that attracted the rich and famous.
We set off at about 1700hrs by taking MTR to Central station and followed the direction of the map which we had got ready. It was quite a distance but not so difficult to search the place. The impressive high-rise modern buildings and attractive twinkling lighting kept us occupied and busy while walking to the destination. Upon reached The Peak Tram in the Lower Peak Tram Terminus, the queue overwhelming, we had to queue up for about 1 hour in order to purchase our tickets, I felt myself in an oven under the a 24 degree temperature range. We decided to purchase tram ticket together with The Sky Terrace 428, the highest 360° viewing platform in Hong Kong. The queue waiting for the tram was equally bad, the tram was fully packed with passengers, everyone was dashing and "fighting" for spaces. We were at disadvantage as we have 2 toddlers with us. Nevertheless, we managed to went through all these hassle and board the tram successfully. The ride is quite steep and it climbs up to 396 metres above sea level.
Excitedly, we arrived the Peak and began our exploration. There is a dazzling array of restaurants, shops and entertainment venues here. We settled our dinner there at McDonald after we walked around and almost all cafes and restaurants were packed. After dinner, we took countless photos, famous Hong Kong city skyline shot and proceed to The Sky Terrace for more. Under the fantastic weather although the crowd was massive, we still enjoy the spectacular view of the surrounding city skyline, the view is simply stunning.
Weather: 23-27 degree.
We reached Hong Kong at around 1100hrs in a Wednesday, after collecting the baggages, we went on to fetch a taxi to town.
After checking into the hotel, we went for our Hong Kong dim sum lunch located nearby our hotel. We brought the kids back so that they can have their nap and 3 of us (father, sister and myself) went to our 1st stop - Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple to offer our prayers. It was not so crowded probably due to weekday.The Wong Tai Sin Temple’s claim to ‘make every wish come true upon request’ might have something to do with its popularity.
My last visit to Wong Tai Sin Temple was 7 years ago, so much had changed to the surroundings and some shopping centre are established over the years.
After prayers and shopped, we went back to get ready for the next stop - The Peak, the highest point on Hong Kong Island, this has been the city’s most exclusive neighbourhood since colonial times – back then it was the cooler air that attracted the rich and famous.
We set off at about 1700hrs by taking MTR to Central station and followed the direction of the map which we had got ready. It was quite a distance but not so difficult to search the place. The impressive high-rise modern buildings and attractive twinkling lighting kept us occupied and busy while walking to the destination. Upon reached The Peak Tram in the Lower Peak Tram Terminus, the queue overwhelming, we had to queue up for about 1 hour in order to purchase our tickets, I felt myself in an oven under the a 24 degree temperature range. We decided to purchase tram ticket together with The Sky Terrace 428, the highest 360° viewing platform in Hong Kong. The queue waiting for the tram was equally bad, the tram was fully packed with passengers, everyone was dashing and "fighting" for spaces. We were at disadvantage as we have 2 toddlers with us. Nevertheless, we managed to went through all these hassle and board the tram successfully. The ride is quite steep and it climbs up to 396 metres above sea level.
Excitedly, we arrived the Peak and began our exploration. There is a dazzling array of restaurants, shops and entertainment venues here. We settled our dinner there at McDonald after we walked around and almost all cafes and restaurants were packed. After dinner, we took countless photos, famous Hong Kong city skyline shot and proceed to The Sky Terrace for more. Under the fantastic weather although the crowd was massive, we still enjoy the spectacular view of the surrounding city skyline, the view is simply stunning.
DAY 2:
We started off early as we planned to visit to "must see and visit" places. One of them is Ngong Ping 360, this is destined to be one of Hong Kong's 'must see' tourist attractions on Lantau Island from one of the article i read . My last few trips to Hong Kong never crossed my mind to visit Lantau Island, so this trip is definitely a must for me.
We took MTR from Prince Edward to Tsing Yi (changing to Tung Chung Line at Lai King). We walked about 5 mins to reach The Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car Terminus from Tung Chung MTR Station. The cable car journey takes about 25-30 mins and along the journey we caught the view of Tian Tan Big Buddha statue - the world's tallest seated outdoor bronze Buddha as well as the views are spectacular as we pass over the water and then the green mountains . Upon reaching, we entered Ngong Ping Village - the first area we entered after the cable car ride. Ngong Ping village is a cultural village with restaurants and cafes but our goal was to reach the the Tian Tan Buddha Statue, it was only a short stroll from the Ngong Ping Village. We stopped by the Bodhi Wishing Shrine. All of us managed to climb up a flight of 268 steps leading to the world’s largest outdoor bronze seated Buddha - Tian Tan Buddha, which symbolises Sakyamuni, who meditated deeply under the Bodhi tree and attained enlightenment and awakening to true reality. Walking up the steps, visitors can enjoy panoramic views of Lantau, it is definitely worth the effort overall.
And then we went back down to Tong Chung by the cable car again! There’s another mega mall right by the base station and we had our lunch at the food court, this mall is famous for having a lot of outlet stores for brands like Puma, Mango, etc. It also has a huge grocery store with lots of imported food.
After lunch, it is time to proceed to our next destination and the kids wonderland - DISNEYLAND.
Hong Kong Disneyland is just two stations away from Ngong Ping 360. There was no queue and my kids couldn't wait to enter the magical fantasy world. The moment we step into the entrance, there seems to be something magical about standing along the Main Street, U.S.A. in Hong Kong Disneyland. Perhaps it is the piped-in Disney music, or the 20th-century small-town replica buildings, or the sight of Sleeping Beauty's Castle towering in the distance. What a pity is that we only managed to see the last part of he street parade, they comes with its colourful floats, marching band, lots of dancers... and the occasional Disney character.
We spent almost 6 hours until and stayed till we watched the fireworks at 9pm. I supposed we covered almost the entire park.
One of them is Toy Story Land that was the first of the three to be opened in 2011, with Grizzly Gulch next in line in 2012 and the final piece in the jigsaw, Mystic Point opened in May this year. Of the three, the boys have been gunning for Grizzly Gulch most all because of a certain mine-coaster ride. My sis and I will not miss the Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars is a steel roller-coaster where one gets to experience the thrill of riding a fast-speeding mine car careening though and over Grizzy Gulch.
My kids also enjoy the Jungle River Cruise at Adventureland. This riverboat cruise down the major rivers of Asia, Africa and South America, complete with animatronic beasts like hippos, elephants, cobras and orangutans. It was exciting and enjoyable experience. We felt like we’re instantly ushered into an African Safari and left Asia for a while to experience some animal and jungle encounter.
We also enjoyed ourselves at "It's a Small World." Hong Kong Disneyland’s version features never-before-seen elements such as the Hong Kong skyline and the Temple of Heaven in China. As part of the expanded Asia scene, Hong Kong Disneyland has created four new versions of the classic theme song “It’s a small world”; new languages include Cantonese, Putonghua, Korean and Tagalog, in addition to the five existing versions of the soundtrack found at other Disney theme parks around the world. This FANTASYLAND attraction may be so appealing to kids and kids-at-heart
Taking photos with Mickey, Minnie and friends is a MUST! Hugo queued up a few times just to take photos with these character. Poor Chavon was scared of Mascot hence not willing to get near them. They were also celebrating Halloween party hence we are able to got a few shots with the characters.
Finally, the amazing, unbelievable and impressive fireworks combined orchestra Disney music as background, this is indeed a magical moment for everyone
After a full day of excitement, the kids were so tired and dozed after very quickly when we reached hotel.
Hong Kong Disneyland is just two stations away from Ngong Ping 360. There was no queue and my kids couldn't wait to enter the magical fantasy world. The moment we step into the entrance, there seems to be something magical about standing along the Main Street, U.S.A. in Hong Kong Disneyland. Perhaps it is the piped-in Disney music, or the 20th-century small-town replica buildings, or the sight of Sleeping Beauty's Castle towering in the distance. What a pity is that we only managed to see the last part of he street parade, they comes with its colourful floats, marching band, lots of dancers... and the occasional Disney character.
We spent almost 6 hours until and stayed till we watched the fireworks at 9pm. I supposed we covered almost the entire park.
One of them is Toy Story Land that was the first of the three to be opened in 2011, with Grizzly Gulch next in line in 2012 and the final piece in the jigsaw, Mystic Point opened in May this year. Of the three, the boys have been gunning for Grizzly Gulch most all because of a certain mine-coaster ride. My sis and I will not miss the Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars is a steel roller-coaster where one gets to experience the thrill of riding a fast-speeding mine car careening though and over Grizzy Gulch.
My kids also enjoy the Jungle River Cruise at Adventureland. This riverboat cruise down the major rivers of Asia, Africa and South America, complete with animatronic beasts like hippos, elephants, cobras and orangutans. It was exciting and enjoyable experience. We felt like we’re instantly ushered into an African Safari and left Asia for a while to experience some animal and jungle encounter.
We also enjoyed ourselves at "It's a Small World." Hong Kong Disneyland’s version features never-before-seen elements such as the Hong Kong skyline and the Temple of Heaven in China. As part of the expanded Asia scene, Hong Kong Disneyland has created four new versions of the classic theme song “It’s a small world”; new languages include Cantonese, Putonghua, Korean and Tagalog, in addition to the five existing versions of the soundtrack found at other Disney theme parks around the world. This FANTASYLAND attraction may be so appealing to kids and kids-at-heart
Taking photos with Mickey, Minnie and friends is a MUST! Hugo queued up a few times just to take photos with these character. Poor Chavon was scared of Mascot hence not willing to get near them. They were also celebrating Halloween party hence we are able to got a few shots with the characters.
Finally, the amazing, unbelievable and impressive fireworks combined orchestra Disney music as background, this is indeed a magical moment for everyone
After a full day of excitement, the kids were so tired and dozed after very quickly when we reached hotel.
DAY 3
A free and easy day for us to relax and shopping!
Today, we took the MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station, the map told us to transfer to Tsim Sha Tsui East MTR Station but we decided to explore and walk around to see if we are able to reach there by walk.
True enough, it was not far we saw the Avenue of Sars ahead of us. This place is build to pay tribute to outstanding professionals of Hong Kong's film industry, to promote tourism industry, and to consolidate Hong Kong's position as Asia's World City, The weather was very hot today and we hardly can open our eyes and enjoy ourselves, maybe it will be better to visit this place in the evening. Walk through the path and seen many famous stars's autographs and name.
A free and easy day for us to relax and shopping!
Today, we took the MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station, the map told us to transfer to Tsim Sha Tsui East MTR Station but we decided to explore and walk around to see if we are able to reach there by walk.
True enough, it was not far we saw the Avenue of Sars ahead of us. This place is build to pay tribute to outstanding professionals of Hong Kong's film industry, to promote tourism industry, and to consolidate Hong Kong's position as Asia's World City, The weather was very hot today and we hardly can open our eyes and enjoy ourselves, maybe it will be better to visit this place in the evening. Walk through the path and seen many famous stars's autographs and name.
We paid a visit to Charlie Brown Cafe Hong Kong. A nice place to have a tea break and drinks.
Finally, it was time for us to do shopping! We had been to nearby flower market road for a morning shopping session, there are stretch of carts selling all kind of stuffs, of course not forgetting Goldfish Market – is lined on either side with shops devoted to the raising of many types of fish, from weirdly shaped goldfish to colourful tropical species with gaspingly high price tags. Now it was Tung Choi Street also well-known as "Ladies Street" which is also located walking distance from the place we stayed. This shopping street had over 100 stalls of bargain clothing, accessories and souvenirs. The market runs along Tung Choi Street, from Argyle Street to Dundas Street in Mongkok. Although its name is taken from its reputation for selling bargain fashionable ladies clothing and also to distinguish it from 'Mens Market' ,Temple Street Night Market, this is nowadays something of a misnomer and the market sells a huge range of ladies, mens and childrens clothes, sports goods, electrical goods, toys and souvenirs.
In the evening, we brought the kids to Temple Street to have our dinner at famous Hing Kee Claypot Rice. Temple Street Night Market is a bustling night market on Temple Street in the area between Jordan and Ya Ma Tei districts in Kowloon. You actually can get the same things at a cheaper price tag than Ladies Street for some items, but be aware that some are selling fakes items.
DAY 4
Day to return home. After breakfast and some morning shopping, we checked out at 1300hrs and leave our baggage with the hotel to do some last minute shopping.
Home sweet home!
In the evening, we brought the kids to Temple Street to have our dinner at famous Hing Kee Claypot Rice. Temple Street Night Market is a bustling night market on Temple Street in the area between Jordan and Ya Ma Tei districts in Kowloon. You actually can get the same things at a cheaper price tag than Ladies Street for some items, but be aware that some are selling fakes items.
DAY 4
Day to return home. After breakfast and some morning shopping, we checked out at 1300hrs and leave our baggage with the hotel to do some last minute shopping.
Home sweet home!