Dad drove Mom, Jebb and I to the airport early Tuesday morning to catch our morning flight to HK. We were early. Checked in our bags and had breakfast then slowly walked to the gate to wait to board. There were a bunch of aunties from dunno-where who seemed quite eager to get on the plane. Once the gate opened, their cries of "Quick! Quick! Run!" can be heard. Makes me feel as if they're on an episode of 'The Amazing Race Asia' :P
Since I didn't sleep much the night before, I was completedly knocked out during my flight. When we landed, I felt really excited coz HK's one of my fav cities in the world :)
Ok, I'll let the pics do most of the talking for this post coz I took hundreds and hundreds of pics during my short 4 days trip...
This was us, just landed. Walked around the airport trying to find our way to the baggage collection area. Then, took a cab to our hotel in Kowloon.
After checking in, we walked around in search of food. We were all starved as we didn't have lunch during our flight. Finally, hungry, cold and desperate, we walked into a typical HK 'Char Chan Teng' for a meal. Goodness!! The table was so small it couldn't fit all 3 of our plates. And the portions were to huge it seems that the Hongkies eat for 3 ppl a meal. And just a simple meal of noodles cost over a hundred HKD. I forgot how expensive food is in HK. Sigh... Needless to say, I didn't really enjoy my first meal in HK.After getting our tummies full, we walked around the Mongkok area and walked briefly across the Ladies Market. Shopped a while at some of the shops, including Cotton On.
Then, we rushed off to Central to meet Jessie [she's already there for a holiday, but on her last day there]. She told me to meet her at Landmark. We took the MRT from Mongkok to Central and walked around Landmark while waiting for her. Immediately, Landmark became my fav mall in HK. It's full of hi-end shops and so quiet and serene and peaceful. I've always liked Central, with it's Lan Kwai Fong and SoHo area. It's just very different here compared to Mongkok. Like a breath of fresh air.We went for tea in a cafe inside Landmark. Then, Jessie arrived. We went to Gucci and LV to look at some bags then went to Coach before stopping by H&M. I found a delightful pair of boots at H&M and immediately bought it. This pair of boots became my staple fashion accessory [for my feet] throughout my trip after that ;)
What we had at Landmark Cafe while waiting for Jess ~ Creamy soup and fruit smoothie [for Jebb] and Earl Grey [for moi]...
Jessie had to rush off to meet a friend for dinner after our shopping session at H&M. I hugged her goodbye and told her I'll see her back in KL.Mom, Jebb and I then went back to Kowloon to have dinner, bought some dessert [steamed egg with bird's nest and a durian dessert with some coconut], then went back to the hotel to rest. We decided to rest early coz we had a long day, we were sleep deprived and tired and we need energy to shop and walk around the next day.
The dessert was really good. We had it after shower. Watched some TV then went to bed. Jebb was hooked on the sports channel, watching the gymnastics competition throughout our trip. She'd switch to that channel each night to catch the gymnasts in action... Guy gymnasts, btw. Hehe...
On day 2, we woke up early coz we had a tight schedule ahead. We had breakfast 2 doors down from our hotel, took the hotel's shuttle bus to the Mongkok MRT station and took the MRT to City Gate. That's where the branded outlet mall was located. I felt really excited coz I was all up to hunt for some great bargains!
I must say getting around HK was really easy, even for tourists like us. We got around using the train most of the time and didn't get lost at all. We got to our intended destinations correctly all the time. So, yes, the public transport in HK is really convenient, but it's a bit costly though. Can cost up to HKD100 a day if we travel from one end of the city to the other.
City Gate is like a FOS, only that this huge mall carries high-end brands like DKNY, CK, UCB, FCUK, Adidas, Nike, etc. I was super happy coz most of the items are really cheap. I got some stuff from Esprit and UCB. Wanted to get clothes from DKNY and CK but the clothes on the rack were so obviously last season and the sizes are way too big for me.
We had lunch at the mall's food court [also 'Food Republic'] then walked around to shop more before going outside to snap some pics by the fountain. The area is really beautiful, with high-rise condominiums surrounding it. I found out that the residents of the condo units are quite creative in hanging their clothes to dry. It was as though they stuck their clothes on their windows from the inside, even their underwear!! Haha...
Snapping pics by the fountain was quick tricky coz we needed to wait for the water to spurt out high only snap. I was snubbed by a mat salleh whom I approached to take a pic of Mom, Jebb and I. Hmmmph!! Such a snob! I just wanted to have a pic where all 3 of us are in it coz it's always either Mom and I, or Jebb and I, or Jebb and Mom in pics. Rarely all 3 of us got in be in pics together :(
After spending half a day at City Gate, we returned to the hotel to put all our shopping in our room before we headed to Tsim Tsa Chui to the Avenue of Stars. The hotel shuttle stopped us at the entrance of New World Centre and we had to walk behind it, where the Avenue of Stars are. I bought Mom a jacket at New World Centre before we stepped out into the Avenue coz I knew it would be super cold out there. It's by the sea and at night, the wind would be merciless.
When we got out there, Jebb and I practically went amok with excitement as we ran around like a couple of crazy girls snapping pics here and there and squeeled with excitement whenever we discovered a 'star' of a famous 'star'. We walked past a real crazy person during our photo-taking high. This lady was sitting on a chair by the Avenue, shouting and scolding at whoever who walked past her. She was scaary!! We stayed far away from her coz she might just suddenly get up and start attacking us. Who knows. Crazy people are unpredictable in their behaviour and can get quite violent.
We returned to New World Centre to have dinner before going out to the Avenue again to watch the Symphony of Lights.
Then we snapped more pics as we walked along the Avenue...
We took pics of the 'stars' of our fav 'stars'...
And at the stalls, shops and everything along the way...
It was bitterly cold but we didn't mind. We walked til the end of the Avenue then walked out to cross the road to check out the shops nearby.
The grand building of The Peninsula greeted us as we walked towards the road. The HK Museum of Art were right behind us and The Sheraton as beside The Peninsula. Ok, I think the next time I come to HK, I'd make sure I save enough $ to stay in either The Peninsula or The Sheraton. Beats any hotel in Kowloon anytime :P
We went back to the hotel after scouring the shops. Jebb watched her 'gymnasts' in action before going to bed.
The following day, the first thing in our itinery was 'Disneyland'!!!
I was really impressed!! Disneyland being Disneyland didn't leave out a single thing when it comes to making their visitors' experience a truly Disney one. No stone was left unturned in their attention to detail to ensure everything was as Disney as possible. Starting from the MRT train in the Disney line. The train was painted white and blue with Mickey Mouse shaped windows and handrails. Figurines of Disney characters occupied each corner of the train. The seats were plush blue velvet. So different from the rest of the MRT trains.
The Disney MRT station itself was like the entrance to another world. An enchanted land. The steps, the railings, the street lights all seemed as if they were from a fairytale. I felt as if I'd entered the world of one of Disney's cartoons.
As I approached the entrance to Disneyland, I could hear happy Disney music playing from invisible speakers. Colorful Disney buntings adorned the streetlights to welcome us. A huge fountain with Mickey Mouse on top of a whale could be seen from afar. Happy prancing kids were everywhere. Gosh!!
The stalls selling Disney merchandise were made to look like something from one of Disney's cartoons. The girls manning the stalls were dressed like characters from cartoons.
We bought our tickets and entered. Inside was an entirely magical world. Like a town by itself, existing without the rest of the world. Everything was colorful, cute and very Disney. The shops, the roads, the streetlights, the people. Quite overwhelming, actually.
We spotted Goofy and Pluto and lined up to take pics with them. They were dressed in cute chinese costumes and really knew how to pose.
Then, we checked out the souvenir shops. The stuff sold in the shops were irresistibly cute. But ridiculously over-priced. I didn't buy anything coz most of the stuff were for kids but I did take a lot of pics with the cute toys, etc :P
We got outta the shops to explore the rest of the land. We got to 'Tomorrowland' where all the rides and shops were futuristic themed.
We saw a stall selling popcorn and blue cotton-candy! I love cotton-candy when I was a kid. And it's been such a long long time since I had one. So, I bought one. It was HUGE. Bigger than my head. And so yummy...
We had lunch after I finished my candy, then walked on to another themed section 'It's a Small World'.
Things are all pastel here. They have an area dedicated for stollers parking throughout the land. So thoughtful and family-oriented.
The dessert was really good. We had it after shower. Watched some TV then went to bed. Jebb was hooked on the sports channel, watching the gymnastics competition throughout our trip. She'd switch to that channel each night to catch the gymnasts in action... Guy gymnasts, btw. Hehe...
On day 2, we woke up early coz we had a tight schedule ahead. We had breakfast 2 doors down from our hotel, took the hotel's shuttle bus to the Mongkok MRT station and took the MRT to City Gate. That's where the branded outlet mall was located. I felt really excited coz I was all up to hunt for some great bargains!I must say getting around HK was really easy, even for tourists like us. We got around using the train most of the time and didn't get lost at all. We got to our intended destinations correctly all the time. So, yes, the public transport in HK is really convenient, but it's a bit costly though. Can cost up to HKD100 a day if we travel from one end of the city to the other.
City Gate is like a FOS, only that this huge mall carries high-end brands like DKNY, CK, UCB, FCUK, Adidas, Nike, etc. I was super happy coz most of the items are really cheap. I got some stuff from Esprit and UCB. Wanted to get clothes from DKNY and CK but the clothes on the rack were so obviously last season and the sizes are way too big for me.We had lunch at the mall's food court [also 'Food Republic'] then walked around to shop more before going outside to snap some pics by the fountain. The area is really beautiful, with high-rise condominiums surrounding it. I found out that the residents of the condo units are quite creative in hanging their clothes to dry. It was as though they stuck their clothes on their windows from the inside, even their underwear!! Haha...
Snapping pics by the fountain was quick tricky coz we needed to wait for the water to spurt out high only snap. I was snubbed by a mat salleh whom I approached to take a pic of Mom, Jebb and I. Hmmmph!! Such a snob! I just wanted to have a pic where all 3 of us are in it coz it's always either Mom and I, or Jebb and I, or Jebb and Mom in pics. Rarely all 3 of us got in be in pics together :(
After spending half a day at City Gate, we returned to the hotel to put all our shopping in our room before we headed to Tsim Tsa Chui to the Avenue of Stars. The hotel shuttle stopped us at the entrance of New World Centre and we had to walk behind it, where the Avenue of Stars are. I bought Mom a jacket at New World Centre before we stepped out into the Avenue coz I knew it would be super cold out there. It's by the sea and at night, the wind would be merciless.When we got out there, Jebb and I practically went amok with excitement as we ran around like a couple of crazy girls snapping pics here and there and squeeled with excitement whenever we discovered a 'star' of a famous 'star'. We walked past a real crazy person during our photo-taking high. This lady was sitting on a chair by the Avenue, shouting and scolding at whoever who walked past her. She was scaary!! We stayed far away from her coz she might just suddenly get up and start attacking us. Who knows. Crazy people are unpredictable in their behaviour and can get quite violent.
We returned to New World Centre to have dinner before going out to the Avenue again to watch the Symphony of Lights.
Then we snapped more pics as we walked along the Avenue...
We took pics of the 'stars' of our fav 'stars'...
And at the stalls, shops and everything along the way...
It was bitterly cold but we didn't mind. We walked til the end of the Avenue then walked out to cross the road to check out the shops nearby.The grand building of The Peninsula greeted us as we walked towards the road. The HK Museum of Art were right behind us and The Sheraton as beside The Peninsula. Ok, I think the next time I come to HK, I'd make sure I save enough $ to stay in either The Peninsula or The Sheraton. Beats any hotel in Kowloon anytime :P
We went back to the hotel after scouring the shops. Jebb watched her 'gymnasts' in action before going to bed.The following day, the first thing in our itinery was 'Disneyland'!!!
I was really impressed!! Disneyland being Disneyland didn't leave out a single thing when it comes to making their visitors' experience a truly Disney one. No stone was left unturned in their attention to detail to ensure everything was as Disney as possible. Starting from the MRT train in the Disney line. The train was painted white and blue with Mickey Mouse shaped windows and handrails. Figurines of Disney characters occupied each corner of the train. The seats were plush blue velvet. So different from the rest of the MRT trains.
The Disney MRT station itself was like the entrance to another world. An enchanted land. The steps, the railings, the street lights all seemed as if they were from a fairytale. I felt as if I'd entered the world of one of Disney's cartoons.
As I approached the entrance to Disneyland, I could hear happy Disney music playing from invisible speakers. Colorful Disney buntings adorned the streetlights to welcome us. A huge fountain with Mickey Mouse on top of a whale could be seen from afar. Happy prancing kids were everywhere. Gosh!!The stalls selling Disney merchandise were made to look like something from one of Disney's cartoons. The girls manning the stalls were dressed like characters from cartoons.
We bought our tickets and entered. Inside was an entirely magical world. Like a town by itself, existing without the rest of the world. Everything was colorful, cute and very Disney. The shops, the roads, the streetlights, the people. Quite overwhelming, actually.We spotted Goofy and Pluto and lined up to take pics with them. They were dressed in cute chinese costumes and really knew how to pose.
Then, we checked out the souvenir shops. The stuff sold in the shops were irresistibly cute. But ridiculously over-priced. I didn't buy anything coz most of the stuff were for kids but I did take a lot of pics with the cute toys, etc :P
We got outta the shops to explore the rest of the land. We got to 'Tomorrowland' where all the rides and shops were futuristic themed.
We saw a stall selling popcorn and blue cotton-candy! I love cotton-candy when I was a kid. And it's been such a long long time since I had one. So, I bought one. It was HUGE. Bigger than my head. And so yummy...We had lunch after I finished my candy, then walked on to another themed section 'It's a Small World'.
Things are all pastel here. They have an area dedicated for stollers parking throughout the land. So thoughtful and family-oriented.We then walked into a garden where little pavilions with Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck were for people to take pics with. But the line was so long I didn't bother to queue up for a pic.
Then, we got to 'Adventureland' where everything was safari-like. Tarzan's treehouse was there. The Lion King's show was held there as well.
We made it back to the main area, in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle. Then, we got into the souvenir shops again to buy some mementos to bring home.
The Disney parade was about to begin while we were shopping. Jebb and I went to check it out...
The parade began with a family in a vintage car. Then, came a big Mickey Mouse float with lots of dancers around it. After that, came more floats themed after famous Disney cartoons like Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Toy Story, etc.
Then, we got to 'Adventureland' where everything was safari-like. Tarzan's treehouse was there. The Lion King's show was held there as well.
We made it back to the main area, in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle. Then, we got into the souvenir shops again to buy some mementos to bring home.
The Disney parade was about to begin while we were shopping. Jebb and I went to check it out...
The parade began with a family in a vintage car. Then, came a big Mickey Mouse float with lots of dancers around it. After that, came more floats themed after famous Disney cartoons like Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Toy Story, etc.It was fabulous. I can see no expenses was spared in the creation of the floats, dancers' costumes and props. Really impressive.
Then, it was time to leave. We spent half a day there and we still have another place to go to. So, we bade farewell to Disneyland and all its magic.
We headed straight to Central, to get to the lower peak tram station. The tram was packed while we went up to The Peak. Madame Tussaud's was there. I was not keen to go in coz the idea of being surrounded by life size wax statues of famous people was kinda creepy. We had dinner at a Char Chan Teng next to the museum though. Then, we walked around the building. There was not much to see. Just the beautiful view of HK. And it was freezing outside.
We quickly snapped a few pics, then headed back down coz it was just too cold. We took pics with the Jackie Chan wax statue at the lower peak tram station before we headed off to Lan Kwai Fong.
Aahh... Lan Kwai Fong... The chic area where all the pubs and bars are. I like it here. I also like SoHo, coz it's just so trendy and chic. If I ever move to HK, I'd choose to stay in this area ;)
The next day marks our final day in HK. Our flight back home was at 8.30pm. We had dim sum for lunch at Mongkok then shopped at Ladies Market. I got a gorgeous gold chinese top. Wore it on the first day of CNY.
We stopped by the dessert shop for dessert a final time. Again, I had the steamed egg with bird's nest. Jess had a coconut dessert while Mum had red bean.
We went back to the hotel to get our bags and to head to the airport. We figured we might as well get to the airport early to walk around. I wanted to get a bag and some chocolates. We explored the hotel a bit before we left coz we realized we didn't even check it out throughout our stay there.
At the airport, upon checking in our luggage, the girl at the counter told me that our flight was delayed til 10pm. I was like, WHAT???!!!! It was just 6pm. So, what am I gonna do to kill time???
Then, very quickly, I found something to do. Eat dinner then shop. There was a MNG shop at the airport plus various high end boutiques. I realize time really flies when I was doing something fun. 9.20pm came so fast! I didn't even notice the time when I was busy buying clothes, picking out a bag and selecting chocolates.
Finally, we boarded the plane close to 10pm and flew home. I was dead tired and sleep-deprieved but happy with all the stuff that I got :)
This will definitely NOT be my last time to HK. I'll be there again real soon ;)
Then, it was time to leave. We spent half a day there and we still have another place to go to. So, we bade farewell to Disneyland and all its magic.
We headed straight to Central, to get to the lower peak tram station. The tram was packed while we went up to The Peak. Madame Tussaud's was there. I was not keen to go in coz the idea of being surrounded by life size wax statues of famous people was kinda creepy. We had dinner at a Char Chan Teng next to the museum though. Then, we walked around the building. There was not much to see. Just the beautiful view of HK. And it was freezing outside.
We quickly snapped a few pics, then headed back down coz it was just too cold. We took pics with the Jackie Chan wax statue at the lower peak tram station before we headed off to Lan Kwai Fong.
Aahh... Lan Kwai Fong... The chic area where all the pubs and bars are. I like it here. I also like SoHo, coz it's just so trendy and chic. If I ever move to HK, I'd choose to stay in this area ;)
The next day marks our final day in HK. Our flight back home was at 8.30pm. We had dim sum for lunch at Mongkok then shopped at Ladies Market. I got a gorgeous gold chinese top. Wore it on the first day of CNY.
We stopped by the dessert shop for dessert a final time. Again, I had the steamed egg with bird's nest. Jess had a coconut dessert while Mum had red bean.
We went back to the hotel to get our bags and to head to the airport. We figured we might as well get to the airport early to walk around. I wanted to get a bag and some chocolates. We explored the hotel a bit before we left coz we realized we didn't even check it out throughout our stay there.
At the airport, upon checking in our luggage, the girl at the counter told me that our flight was delayed til 10pm. I was like, WHAT???!!!! It was just 6pm. So, what am I gonna do to kill time???Then, very quickly, I found something to do. Eat dinner then shop. There was a MNG shop at the airport plus various high end boutiques. I realize time really flies when I was doing something fun. 9.20pm came so fast! I didn't even notice the time when I was busy buying clothes, picking out a bag and selecting chocolates.
Finally, we boarded the plane close to 10pm and flew home. I was dead tired and sleep-deprieved but happy with all the stuff that I got :)This will definitely NOT be my last time to HK. I'll be there again real soon ;)
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