Sleepless Hong Kong

Our last day in Hong Kong, we wanted to experience more energy of the city. So, we decided to take the Star Ferry to tour the Harbour. We bought tickets which are called Star Ferry’s Harbour Tour - Day Hopping Pass. With that pass (HK $170), we could take the cruise on a circular route around Victoria Harbour with stops at four Star Ferry piers connecting major shopping, dining and tourism districts of Hong Kong.

Our pick-up points were Tsim Sha Tsui, Central Pier 8 and Wan Chai & Hung Hom. We’ve already came to Tsim Sha Tsui to see the Symphony of lights the other day but wanted to see there again. So, we went to Avenue of Stars again. It modelled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and honours celebrities of the Hong Kong film industry. I really loved the Bruce Lee’s sculpture and the hand prints and autograph of Jackie Chan. He’s one of my favorite movie stars.

Then, we went to the Central Pier and at the terminal, we found this bakery. A friend of mine told me that their cookies and bread are so great. I was really happy to find this place.

It is well known in Hong Kong and overseas for its signature products such as Chinese bridal cakes and mooncakes. I got some cookies and tea bags for my family and friends. This is what I’ve got from that bakery.

Next, we went to the IFC mall that houses over 200 international brands and a unique new cinema, making it the number one living and entertainment megastructure in the city at the heart of Hong Kong. This shopping complex opened around 1998, is located above the Airport Express Hong Kong Station in Central. You will find this place very quick because it is easy accessible.
It was very modern and bright so I was really amazed. We also went to Central mid level escalator which is the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world according to Guinness World Records.

The escalators are 800 meters long with a vertical climb of 135 meters. The total travel time is 20 minutes, but most people walk while the escalators moves to shorten their trip. Here is an interesting fact. The escalators were used as a location for the Batman film “The Dark Knight” and Filming took place there between November 6 and November 11 in 2007. It was very convenient and nice to see lots of Chinese restaurants and buildings.

Our Harbour tour by Star Ferry finished at Wan Chai & Hung Hom. Oh, I almost forgot to talk about this. We had the famous Hong Kong Style Egg Tarts. Egg tarts are a kind of pastry popular in many parts of the world but particularly in Chinese. Today egg tarts come in many variations within Hong Kong cuisine and you will find it very easy everywhere in Hong Kong. We've tried those Portugese style Egg Tarts in Macau the other day but Remember! This is so much better!

So, we went to Tai Cheong Bakery which is located near Hollywood Road. You'll see an "exit" for Lyndhurst Terrace at the Mid-Levels. Tai Cheung Bakery will be situated on the right when you go down the stairs. This bakery is famous for its egg tarts. Even Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong, likes to go there and eat. One egg tart at this bakery cost HK $ 3.5.

Yummy…..You should try one! Seriously, I wanted to steal their recipe but we couldn’t. The pastry was super flaky and the custard still warm and wobbly. Totally wished I had found this place earlier so that I could have had more!

Next, we decided to go to Causeway Bay to spend the rest of the day.
As you know, Hong Kong is a shopper's paradise and you can even go shopping at night.
Causeway Bay is eternally popular with local shoppers and tourists. From department stores, to small boutiques and bargain stalls, everything can be found here.

This is Times Square Mall.

Oh, my gosh! Have you ever seen this big Louis Vuitton Mall?
We totally enjoyed "window shopping".

So, this is it! The trip was definately worth it and I'd like to recommend you to pack your bag now and come!
We'll catch the flight back to Canada next morning....I will miss Hong Kong so much....
Bye Bye!!!!!

"To all who come to this happy place, welcome.
Many years ago, Walt Disney introduced the world to enchanted realms of fantasy and adventure, yesterday and tomorrow, in a magical placed called Disneyland.
Today that spirit of imagination and discovery comes to life in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Disneyland is dedicated to the young and the young at heart - with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration, and an enduring symbol of the cooperation, friendship and understanding between the people of Hong Kong and the United States of America."

Michael D Eisner and Donald Tsang, September 12, 2005 (Grand Opening)

Yes! We're going to go to "Disneyland" today!
Hong Kong Disneyland is the first theme park inside the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. The park consists of four themed lands similar to other Disneyland parks: Main Street, U.S.A., Fantasyland, Adventureland and Tomorrowland. The capacity of the park is 34,000 visitors per day and is the smallest Disneyland park. It's enough that all attractions should be accessible in one day. Just perfect for us!

We walked in right on the 10:00 am opening bell, after queuing about five minutes to buy tickets.

Let's go get our money's worth from Fantasyland!

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Fantasyland features several of the park's most popular attractions: Mickey's Philharmagic, The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and the Flying Dumbos ride. We went on all three right away, and good thing we did, because they all had long lines from about midday onward.

After this initial tour of duty in Fantasyland, we had just enough time to run over to the 'Golden Mickeys' stage show at 11:30. This was about right: although it was enjoyable, it wasn't something you'd want to line up half an hour for.
Then, we had a little snack, did the saucers-and-Space-Mountain routine again, and then took the train around the park, alighting back near the park entrance. This area -- 'Main Street USA' -- is the domain of the costumed characters.

if you line up, you can take photos with Goofy and Pluto, or with Donald and Daisy...if you line up!
The rest of the day we had some dinner, and still had time to repeat several of our favorite rides. We also went into a souvenir shop to buy a set of mouse-ears. Those are so cute.

The parade was awesome. Lots of fun to see all of Disney friends!
The fireworks and lights were excellent as well! we took lots of pictures. Isn't it great?

TIme to go back to city!
We took the MTR Disneyland Resort Line. You know what, I've never took cute train like that before.

Especially, I really loved that window!

Even though I was exhausted at the end of day, it was worth it!
Just one day left.....What will happen to me tomorrow? I still can't believe that I'm in Hong Kong....

Small tips for those who want to go to Hong Kong Disneyland!
Space Mountain promises to have some the park's longest lines. Go there first, unless you have small children, in which case, go first to Dumbo then Winnie the Pooh. It will work...

On our Day 4, We went on a day trip to "Lantau Island"which is Hong Kong’s largest island.

First, we took the MRT to Tung Chung station and took the cable car up to Ngong Ping Plateau, where the Giant Buddha sits majestically, close to the Po Lin (Precious Lotus) Monastery. A 5.7 kilometer cable car journey was definitely awesome. During the 25 minute journey, we could see spectacular views over the North Lantau Country Park, the South China Sea and Hong Kong International Airport. It was very good to have travel insurance.

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As we approached Ngong Ping, we could see The Big Buddha and the Po Lin Monastery.


More than 111 feet (34 meters) high, Hong Kong's amazingly big Buddha is the world's largest, seated, outdoor bronze Buddha. We found our way to the 268 steps that lead to the Giant Buddha. At the bottom we found the giant incense urn, but there was no trace of the landmark we were looking for. I think we covered two-thirds of the steps before we got a glimpse of the majestic figure of the seated Buddha, the biggest Buddha statue in Asia which sits at 26 meters high, 371 meters above sea level, and weighs 220 tons.

It took 10 years to complete the Giant Buddha which was unveiled in 1993. At the top was like really being in heaven especially with the cold temperature and the zero visibility caused by the heavy fog. There were six figures of ladies, three on each side of the Buddha, which offers different kinds of things to him.

Perhaps because of the height where the statue is located, or because of the silent surroundings, or whatever the reason, I felt lighter and freer, calmer and better in the presence of the Giant Buddha. It was very amazing experience.
After that, we decided to go to "Tai O".

It’s a fishing town located in the northwest of Lantau Island and more than three centuries old. Tai O retains most of its historical setting such as waterways, stilt houses and fishing boats and it is famous for its fishing village scenery. We wanted to try Chinese food like salted fish and shrimp paste that can be found at Tai O. But we were still full. Those looked so good..

It’s also known as the “Venice of Hong Kong” so there were a lot of foreigners and residents of other parts of Hong Kong.

Then, our final destination of day trip was "Cheung Sha Beach" which is the longest beach in Hong Kong. We were kind of tired because we had to climb up to the Giant Buddha and walked around the village so just wanted to chill out at the beach. It was surprisingly quiet and nice so we could relax for a while. We also met some really kind local people there. Hanging out with them was so fabulous!


Time's up!
If the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong gets too much for you, an escape to Lantau Island, might be just the thing for you. It is definitely worth the trip. Oh, Do not forget your camera!

By the way, we booked the Hong Kong Disneyland hotel which took us to get there about 30 minutes because we're going to Disneyland tomorrow.

We need to meet Mickey and Minnie before we go to Disneyland, Don't we?

Sweet dreams, guys!

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Today, we got up at 6:30am. We were so excited to go to Macau and couldn’t sleep well last night. Gambling? Shopping? And Sightseeing? Let’s go to Macau!

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In the morning at 7:00am, we visited Sweet Dynasty (糖朝) to have Hong Kong style breakfast. We ordered 2 rice porridges: one was with ground pork and century egg, and another was with scallop. We also ordered fried bread stick. Actually, it was too much for us…we were full.

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After breakfast, we took MRT to the ferry terminal located in Hong Kong Island. Usually, the ferry called Turbo Jet connects between Hong Kong Island and Macau. The journey from Hong Kong Island to Macau takes one hour and operates almost 24 hours. The ticket prices range from $142.00 HKD in economy class for day service and $176.00 HKD in economy class for night service.

Tips: Drink and snack are available to purchase on board.

Although it was little bit shaking during on board, it was quite comfortable in terms of spacious seats. We didn’t buy the ferry ticket in advance, but it didn’t need as the ferry runs almost every 15 minutes. It was surprising since many local people go back and forth between Hong Kong and Macau.

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Macau was both the first and the last European colony in China. Portuguese traders first settled in Macau in the 16th century and subsequently administered the region until the handover on December 20, 1999. Therefore, we could see a lot of attractions which are from Portuguese colonial era.

The picture above is Largo de Senado Square that is a main street in Macau. There is Portuguese-style Egg Tarts shop in the square and that tarts were so good!

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In the Largo de São Domingos square, there is St. Dominic's Church [b]which is a Catholic church in the former Portuguese colony of Macau. [/b]Now, it became a special administrative region in China. The church is now part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Centre of Macau.

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Next, we went to the Ruins of St. Paul's which is a 17th century Portuguese cathedral in Macau. Today, the ruins are one of Macau's most famous landmarks. In 2005, the Ruins of St. Paul were officially enlisted as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Centre of Macau.

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The popular Macanese desserts include Ginger milk (warm and soft pudding like dessert that consists of ginger, milk and sugar), and it was very different! Ginger was mixed very well with the milk, the nice ginger smell and fragrant made the whole dessert superb. We couldn’t stop eating. What a big difference!

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At noon, we arrived at Lisboa Hotel. Of course, we are going to CASINO! The hotel is one of the most famous hotel casinos in Macau. It was built in late 1960, and since then Macau has been known as the "Monte Carlo of the Orient". At first, we had to show our passport and the security guys checked our stuff. It was not allowed to bring a camera with us, so we put our stuff except money in the locker. We really wanted to take some pictures though….It was our first time, so we were half excited and half nervous….
We enjoyed playing casino for about 3hours. We were not serious and it was so much fun. Finally, we won $80.00 CAD! It was small extra money for us.

A taxi from anywhere in Hong Kong is the easiest way. Every taxi driver knows the way and the name "Stanley" in English so there is no problem there. The ride is a very winding road though so those who get car sick in the back of cars need to beware. I brought some Advil just in case, and it worked.

Anyway, Stanley Market is one of the must-go places for tourists and here we are.

You will find an interesting array of little shops selling silk garments, sportswear, art, Chinese costume jewelry and souvenirs from cheap ones to those that almost got me a heart attack when I heard the price.
Stanley is actually an old fishing village, one of the oldest in Hong Kong, and there is more to see than just the market. We loved the Stanley Market area. The market itself was fun and had decent stuff. Plus, people were very kind and extremely helpful in every way. They were not pushy at all.
Stanley is also renowned for its many bars and restaurants on its waterfront along Stanley Main Street where visitors can enjoy a variety of different foods (including French, Italian, American, Indian and Thai) or relax with a beer and soak up the friendly atmosphere in one of its bars.
We were going to have some pizza at the Pizza Express but then changed our mind. “Have some local food as much as possible while travelling. “ It’s my motto. So, we decided to have some Dim-Sum.


Dim Sum is considered a lunchtime experience, however most restaurants now serve throughout the day. Keep in mind during the Hong Kong lunch hour1pm -2pm, Dim Sum restaurants will be jammed with people and are best avoided. It was so yummy.

This waterfront street near the Stanley Flea Market reminded us of Miami Beach.

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After lunch, we wandered the beach area that are popular with windsurfers and went to see Murray House. It’s a 160-year-old restored three-storey colonial building that was dismantled in 1982 from its original site in Central and then rebuilt in Stanley. It re-opened in 1999 and now houses the Hong Kong Maritime Museum as well as restaurants.

Oh, I should show you my first ‘Qipao’(qípáo’). This is what I got from Stanley Market. I’ve been wanted to have this since I was young. Isn’t it pretty?
Overall, I would say it is worth the trip as the journey there gives great views across the city and was very enjoyable. There are a wide variety of funky bars and great restaurants to enjoy and you know, browsing is always fun.

Tips:

1. Wear comfortable shoes because it is a bit hilly and you will be doing lots of walking.
2. Wear your sunscreen! Even on the cloudiest and coolest of days, you can get a nasty burn.
3. Pack a few bottles of water. It can get very hot in the market and can take some time to get out of. My water came in VERY handy!
4. Bring an empty backpack/rucksack to carry purchases in. Your arms and hands will get tired quickly holding your purchases and you can be sure not to leave a bag lying somewhere.
5. Keep your money close to your body. I haven't heard of any pick pockets. However, the crowd can get VERY close and I rather you be safe than sorry.