Adventure in Hong Kong Day 2 (Hong Kong City Tour)

On the previous post, we climbed the chilly hills of the Sky Terrace 428 and roamed the fun-filled carnival at Victoria Harbor. Today, let’s explore the streets of the city of Hong Kong and its neighbor, Shenzhen on Guangdong province, China.

Before I get into detail of the places we went to, let me give you a tip on where to book a hassle-free package. Head to travelmall.ph for loads of affordable tour packages. For our trip, I booked the 3D2N Hong Kong + Shenzhen package.

This package includes:

-        Three day, two night stay at Rambler Oasis Hotel in Tsing Yi

-        Free airport transfers

-        Complimentary daily breakfasts at Café de Coral

-        Compulsory Hong Kong city tour (morning)

-        Compulsory Shenzhen city tour (afternoon)

-        One way ticket to Shenzhen (return ticket at guest’s own arrangement)

-        Free group visa processing for Philippine passport holders

You can have all these for only 2,500php per head. Not bad, right? I strongly recommend calling their Customer Service Hotline and make the reservation over the phone so they can check the hotel’s room availability right away. Travelmall’s staffs are very friendly and accommodating. They even respond to e-mail queries promptly.

Although this is a 3D2N package and our stay was good for 4 days and 3 nights, I booked an additional room for our fourth day on Agoda. The rooms at Rambler Oasis only costs around 2,500php per night. If you prefer spacious rooms, then I would not recommend this hotel. The room’s floor area is only about 6 square meters. But hey, why look for a big and fancy room when you’re out almost the entire day, right? Besides, Rambler Oasis is located in a safe environment at the Rambler Crest. Just a few steps outside the hotel is the Rambler Plaza where Café de Coral and other affordable restaurants are located. There is also a 7-Eleven convenience store for your other needs. Also at the Rambler Crest is a swimming pool which is said to be the longest pool in the entire Southeast Asia. However, we did not bother to take a dip and enjoy the water and white sands because of the freezing weather.

We had our breakfast at Café de Coral. The breakfast set comes with toasted bread and eggs and you can choose between ham, spam or sausage to go with it. You can also choose between hot chocolate, orange juice or coffee to complete your meal. While we were about to start eating, we took our plates out of the trays and piled the trays on top of each other and placed it on the side. One of Café de Coral's attendant approached us and spoke to us in chinese. Obviously, we didn't understand what she was saying and we began looking at each other. Her gestures suggested to put our plates back on our respective trays. We then looked around and the diners had their plates on top of their trays while eating. Here in the Philippines, we are used to putting our trays aside every time we eat at fast foods. In Hong Kong, however, it is customary to observe etiquette in chinese dining.

After having our breakfast, we waited for the tour bus to pick us up to begin our city tour. The bus came at around 8:00 am and so we picked up other guests in other hotels who will be joining us on the trip. Traveling from one place to another doesn’t really take long since traffic is not bad at all in Hong Kong.

Our first stop was at Garden of Stars. Here you can find sculptures and handprints of Hong Kong’s most acclaimed actors and actresses like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan.

After taking a couple of photos and admiring the view of the harbor, we then went to a jewelry factory. Before you begin the tour inside the shop, there will be a quick orientation with the manager. Make sure you listen well as she will be asking questions afterwards and give gift certificates for every correct answer. 

Picture taking is strictly prohibited inside the shop. Since it is part of the tour package, it is compulsory that you get inside. Of course, the sales personnel will really try to convince you to purchase their product and can get a little persuasive. However, just politely decline if you don’t wish to take the offer. 

Jewelry in Hong Kong is cheap but in very good quality. Manny Pacquiao, a Philippine senator and the Philippines’ pride when it comes to boxing, is a customer of this shop. As per the manager, the jewelry brings good luck and fortune.

Our next stop was at the Aberdeen Fishing Village. We took the opportunity to aboard the sampan and circled around the fishing village. The sampan ride is optional. It costs $60HKD for adults and $30HKD for children 12 years and below. 

In this tour is where you can see different kinds of sampans, luxurious yachts as well as the famous Jumbo Floating Restaurant, one of the most famous and sought after restaurants in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, we did not get the chance to dine here since our time was already limited. As per our tour guide though, this restaurant is pricey. Maybe next time?

After our tour around the fishing village, we went back to the bus and drove around the mid levels of Victoria Peak. We also passed by the houses of Hong Kong’s wealthiest. Since the people in Hong Kong are firm believers of Feng Shui, they would prefer their houses to be situated with between mountains and seas. According to Feng Shui, it gives great luck if there is mountain at the back (for support) and water in front (to symbolize money).

Driving around the mid-levels of Victoria Peak concludes our city tour. We then gave a total of $150HKD mandatory tip ($50HKD/head) to our tour guide and bus driver before they dropped us off at Kwai Fong Station to aboard our train to Shenzhen, China. The tour guide and driver will also be selling keychains for souvenirs. It only costs $80-$100HKD for a pack of 6 to 8 key chains in nice boxes. They’re really cute and would be a great gift to friends and family. 

Inside Kwai Fong Station, one of the guides showed us where to eat. He was also kind enough to wait for us to finish having our lunch so he can direct us to the correct train.

The food selection here, however, is limited. But it was already noon time and we were hungry so we chose to eat at the first booth who sold food. Price range is $55-$90HKD for a set meal and $11HKD each for a can of soda. Read about our experience in Shenzhen here: http://kinwanderings.blogspot.com/2017/02/half-day-tour-at-shenzhen-china.html

Adventure in Hong Kong Day 1 (Sky Terrace 428 and The AIA Great European Carnival)

If you are a Philippine resident and want to travel abroad, then Hong Kong is surely the easiest destination. It is a great place to explore especially with your family. And hey, it is where the nearest Disneyland Park is. In this blog, I will be sharing with you some tips and our 4 day, 3 night itinerary in one of the world’s most significant financial centers.

When planning a trip to Hong Kong on a limited time, make sure to book a flight in the morning because there is so much to explore. In our case, we took a 6:15 am flight via Cebu Pacific and arrived 8:55 am.

When traveling with family, I suggest planning your itinerary months before so all you would need to bring with you is your pocket money. Planning and paying attraction tickets months before is also ideal so you won’t have to spend a large amount of money at once. Traveling with kin can be somewhat costly so make sure to prepare your budget. Well, for us, we are a family of three and if you are more than three travelers, just do the math for the costs I will be indicating below.

Day 1

-        Sky Terrace 428

-        The Great European Carnival

Sky Terrace 428, Victoria Peak

The Sky Terrace 428 is one of the most popular attractions in Hong Kong. Situated 428 meters above sea level, it offers a panoramic view of the Hong Kong skyline and neighboring islands. For this trip, I booked our tickets via Klook. I suggest doing this to save you from the long line at The Peak Tram entrance. Booking via Klook allows you to skip the horrible line and allow to aboard the tram right away. 

The Peak Tram + Sky Terrace 428

Ticket Price: 625php (adult)

                     461php (child 2-12 years)

                     461php (senior 65+)

Upon booking on Klook, it will let you select the best time for you to meet your guide at Central Station Exit K. To get to Central Station from our hotel at Rambler Oasis in Tsing Yi, we took the bus outside our hotel to Tsing Yi Station. Bus fare is only $10HKD for the three of us. We then took the train to Central Station. Looking for the right train can be very confusing because Central Station is huge. However, don't hesitate to ask around. The people are very friendly and will try their very best to help. One elderly woman even accompanied us from purchasing tickets, to getting in the right train.

Klook will also be sending you a confirmation e-mail as well as additional instructions for your journey. We chose the 2:00 pm meet up time and met our guide who was holding a Klook board for easy identification. 

As soon as all tourists were gathered, we walked to the The Peak Tram entrance which was only about a 10-minute walk from Exit K. When we arrived at the entrance, we felt extremely lucky to have booked via Klook as it saved us a huge amount of time from lining up to get tickets. When we got to the Peak Tower, our guide did a short briefing before she allowed us roam around.

The Sky Terrace 428 is situated at the top most floor. Just follow the escalators leading you to the very top. Upon reaching, attendants will then be handing you gadgets for a virtual tour. We were not able to use them though since we enjoyed taking photos of the place. If you are planning to go during their winter season (December-February), wear layers of clothes as it can be freezing cold. We went there mid January and it was 3 degrees on the Sky Terrace! As you can see on the photos below, there was fog everywhere and it was really cold. 

If you wish to get the best view, then going to Hong Kong during the summer season would be best (at around 20 degrees). Still, we were able to get a great view. The Sky Terrace attendants will also be taking great photos of you which you can purchase at the tower’s 3^rd floor for $148HKD. However, since we were traveling on a budget, we opted not to and just enjoyed our amateur shots.

On the same tower is where the Trick Eye Museum and Madame Tussauds Wax Museum are located. If you wish to experience any of these attractions, then there are also packages you can purchase at Klook.

The Peak Tram + Sky Terrace + Trick Eye Museum

Ticket Price:  987php (adult)

                     888php (child 2-12 years)

                     888php (senior 65+)

The Peak Tram + Sky Terrace + Madame Tussauds

Ticket Price:  1,744php (adult)

                     1,448php (child 2-12 years)

         1,448php (senior 65+)

The Peak Tram + Sky Terrace + Trick Eye Museum + Madame Tussauds

Ticket Price:  2,099php (adult)

                     1,836php child 2-12 years)

         1,836php (senior 65+)

If you do not wish to purchase any of these attractions, then it’s all good. The tower has 3D selfie booths which you can take amazing shots for you and your family. Just look out for the ones that are free since some selfie booths with attendants will not allow you to snap photos.

Outside Madame Tussauds is also a wax figure of Bruce Lee which you can take selfies freely with. 

For souvenir purposes, we purchased one photo of us at the falling tram photo booth for $148HKD.

The tower also has the Peak Market were you can purchase mementos. From shirts to watches to jewelry, you can purchase some at a bargained price.

Now, if you are feeling famished from all the photo taking and wandering around the tower, then the tower also houses restaurants like Wild Fire, Bubba Gump and many more. If you want to dine on their window seats, please make a reservation ahead since window seats are much preferred. For example, if you wish to dine at Bubba Gump’s, then you can make a reservation ahead on their website here. They will be holding your reservation for 15 minutes and will allow you to stay and dine for 90 minutes.

If any of the restaurants does not suit your taste buds, then just at the tower’s courtyard is the Peak Galleria. The Peak Galleria is where you can also do additional shopping or maybe have coffee and still enjoy the view. Here, you can find McDonald’s, Starbucks, Haagen Dazs and many more.  

Just outside of the tower is the same tram which you will be taking going down. The ticket you will be purchasing on Klook lets you enjoy free time on the Peak Tower and will let you return at your own convenience. Once you’ve headed down back to Exit K, there will be no need for you to take another train to experience The Great European Carnival.

The AIA Great European Carnival

The AIA Great European Carnival was still on its 3^rd year in Hong Kong when we went there. Situated at Victoria Harbourfront, it is only a walking distance from the station. If you wish to get there faster, then there are many cabs available in the area. Taking a cab would cost you around $28HKD.

TGEC offers loads of fun and games which both kids and kids at heart will surely enjoy. For this trip, I booked tickets on their site http://www.tgec.asia/ Just choose the date you prefer and checkout.

Ticket Price:  $125HKD (Adult)

         $90HKD (Child 2-12 years)

Once you get there, just present a printout of your ticket purchase at the counter and they will be giving you your access card. The ticket you purchase is already pre-loaded with 27 tokens which you can use for games and rides. Once you run out of credits, just head to the token booth to have your card reloaded. Price per token is $10HKD.

Although the tokens are quite expensive, the food around the carnival grounds are cheap. Ranging from $10-$45HKD, you can buy authentic dim sum like spring rolls, shao mai, noodles, roasted chicken and many more. And the best part? Rice comes for free and it’s plenty. Not just here on the carnival, but almost all of the places we’ve dined serves plenty of rice. One serving of rice in Hong Kong is like two cups equivalent to the standard serving in the Philippines. Here are some more photos at the carnival:

Once you’ve had enough fun and games for the day, you can roam around the vicinity and enjoy the sights of neon lights and skyscrapers as well as enjoy the harbour’s breathtaking view.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The AIA Great European Carnival only opens its grounds during the winter season (December – February). If you happen to be traveling during other seasons, then no worries as there are a hundred more options to choose from. Hong Kong would not be a popular tourist destination if its sights and attractions were limited. Here are some of the options you can choose from:

-        Ngong Ping 360 – A cable car ride on Lantau Island and visit the famous Tian Tan Buddha and Ngong Ping Village.

-        Bauhinia Harbor Cruise – For only 1,737php you can avail a dinner buffet aboard a luxurious ship while enjoying the views of Hong Kong at night.

-        Sky 100 – Experience a wonderful and breathtaking view across all of Hong Kong from the 100^th floor of the city’s tallest building.

-        AquaLuna Evening Sail – For only 1,112php, enjoy a free drink while cruising around the neon city aboard a traditional Chinese junk boat.

-        Ladies’ Market – Located in Mong Kok and only a few minutes away from the central station, enjoy the colorful shopping streets and test your bargaining skills to take home cheap yet good quality items.

The first day alone can give you a sore feet but a happy heart. The adventure does not stop here though. Read about our Day 2 adventure here: http://kinwanderings.blogspot.com/2017/02/adventure-in-hong-kong-day-2.html