Bonjour backpackers!! This time I am going to introduce the
country that emblem with the phrase “Pearl of the Orient”, Hong Kong.
Hong Kong, short form HK situated on the southeast coast of
China. The country is made up of:
- Hong Kong Island
- Kowloon Peninsula
- New Territories (incorporated with Lantau Island where the airport was situated)
My first impression with HK is the country with extremely
high population density, a lot of high-rise buildings, and one of the top financial
market in the world.
I was growth in the shadow of drama influence of HK. The
name of the places does not sound strange to me when I started looking into all destinations to
plan in my trip. Among all the blogs that I went through, I have consolidated all
the must-go places and packaged into my 4 days 3 nights itinerary.
For money conversion rate, check this link
First Day
The most important thing after you land to HK is to get the
Octopus card (八达通).
It is the smart card payment system ( touch – N – go) that is accepted all over
Hong Kong! Use it for transportation and parking, at retail outlets,
self-service machines, leisure facilities and schools. Stop by at the airport
transit express counter (they called it Mass Transit Railway,
MTR), buy the card costs 150 HKD. The stations for MTR comprised of (Airport
<-> Tsing Yi <-> Kowloon <-> Hong Kong). Plan ahead
which station is nearer to your hotel and stop at that station.
Arrived at HK airport |
My booked hotel is Sunny Day Hotel at Tsim Sha Tsui,
strategically hotel at Nathan road with a lot of shopping shops. Personally I
would rate this hotel as 4.5 (over 5). Why? The location is very strategic,
hotel price is considerable cheap (booked from Agoda), fully-equipped hotel
(with shampoo, TV, body wash, tooth brush, tooth paste, shaver, hair cap, hair
dryer with the price I bought so it is very worthy).
Typical HK's signboard |
Cosy Sunny Day Hotel (Tsim Sha Tsui) |
Wandering around Tsim Sha Tsui's Shops, I found the Wantan Mee, Cheong Fun and Soya Bean (one of the must try cuisines).
Put on the jacket and buckle up backpack, let go to first travel point, Central (中环), known for central business district. You could see office buildings are all over the city. Follow D2 exit from subway, you will see H & M shopping center.Some said H & M has lower price in HK, but I don't think that way.
Central's H &M |
Too lazy to walk? Find out the Central–Mid-levels escalators (半山手扶梯), it was the longest covered escalator in the world that provide the pedestrian (especially old folks) a facility that linked between central and western district. Along the escalator, plenty of street view photos can be taken from the top angle of escalator.
The escalator have intersection with different streets and we finally arrived the Lan Fong Yuen (蘭芳園) with the famous of milk tea. Remember to order the french toast and pork fillet burger, you will never regret.
Central-mid-levels escalators |
Tai Cheong backery egg tart |
It took 20 minutes walk to the Peak Tram's Lower Terminus. The tram took 10 minutes to hike up to the peak. Gently reminder, please grab a seat on the right hand side for better view.
My honey begged me for the Madame Tussaud's wax, so we paid for 240 HKD for two persons. We took hilarious photo and "playing" with wax is also a kind of amusement.
Around 7 pm, the sky started to dim. Thanks god, the victoria harbour is still clear visible. For photography lover, prepared your tripod and hold tight your camera because the wind is quite strong.
Don't hang out too late at the peak, the queue of tram might be long but it will not take very long to wait. Take a break at Lan Kwai Fong, 兰桂坊, district with bar, clubbing, and restaurant. We then returned back to hotel and take early rest. Stay tuned for the next day :)