TR 8 days in the East

[Aussie Wendy]

TR is posted on the Hong Kong Boards - links are below.

Part 1 "Off we Go" - Travel Day to Singapore
Part 2 Raffles
Part 3 Marina Bay at night and Makansutra

Day 1 "I Know every mile will be worth my while"
Part 1 Chinatown
Part 2 Chinatown and cable car
Part 3 Resortworld and Universal New York
Part 4 Universal New York
Part 5 Universal Sci Fi City
Part 6 Universal Ancient Egypt
Part 7 Universal Far Far Away
Part 8 Unable to Escape from Far Far Away
Part 9 Universal Madagascar
Part 10 Love to Ride those Cable Cars
Part 11 At Gardens by the Bay
Part 12 In the Cloud Dome
Part 13 The strange Lego plant
Part 14 More flowers
Part 15 It's a long way down
Part 16 In the secret garden
Part 17 Exploring the gardens
Part 18 Supertree Grove and Rhapsody
Part 19 Rhapsody continued/URL]
Part 20 Marina Bay
Part 21 City at night

Day 2 "Adventure is Out there"
Part 1 Arrival in Hong Kong
Part 2 The Harbour Light Show

Day 3 "There's a big blue sky waiting right behind the clouds"
Part 1 TST waterfront by day
Part 2 Hong Kong Island architecture
Part 3 On the way to Hong Kong Park
Part 4 To and in the Aviary
Part 5 In the Aviary
Part 6 Back to Kowloon and Kowloon Park
Part 7 Kowloon Park
Part 8 Our apartment in Yau Ma Tei

Day 4 "Look for the 'bear' necessities"
Part 1 Mixing with the locals
Part 2 To Ocean Park
Part 3 Not so Kung Fu panda
Part 4 and more panda's
Part 5 More 'Amazing Asian Animals'
Part 6 Up to the Summit
Part 7 South Pole Spectacular
Part 8 Artic Foxes
Part 9 North Pole Encounter
Part 10 Halloween paths to Marine World
Part 11 Halloween and shark horrors
Part 12 Sea Jelly Spectacular
Part 13 More jellies and cable cars
Part 14 Some Australiana in Old Hong Kong
Part 15 Farewell Ocean Park
Part 16 In Stanley
Part 17 Tin Hau Temple
Part 18 Sunset by the sea
Part 19 Dinner in Causeway Bay

Day 5 "The Whole World at Your Feet"
Part 1 To Lantau crystal delight
Part 2 Not for those with a fear of heights
Part 3 Ngong Ping
Part 4 The Bodhi Path
Part 5 Stairway to Buddha
Part 6 Meeting the four heavenly kings
Part 7 Buddha's of the three worlds
Part 8 The Grand Hall of 10,000 Buddha's
Part 9 Seeking Wisdom
Part 10 Cable car return
Part 11 The Flower Market
Part 12 The Bird and Goldfish markets
Part 13 Night time explorations
Part 14 Temple St markets

Day 6 "I'm Where I'm Meant to Be"
Part 1 The Peak
Part 2 Looking down
Part 3 A new Disneyland
Part 4 Castle number 5
Part 5 Breakfast snacks
Part 6 Main St at Halloween
Part 7 Adventureland & Jungle Cruise
Part 8 Headhunters & water spouts
Part 9 Arriving in Grizzly Gulch
Part 10 Runaway Mine train
Part 11 Entering Mystic Manor
Part 12 Museum Pieces
Part 13 Mayhem in Mystic Manor
Part 14 Garden of Wonders
Part 15 Toy Story Land
Part 16 Lunch & MIckey's Philharmagic
Part 17 Festival of the Lion King
Part 18 Getting ready for Halloween

"In this town we call home, everyone hail to the pumpkin song"
Part 1 Sunset
Part 2 Starliner Dinner
Part 3 Paint the Night Parade with Cars and Monsters Inc
Part 4 Paint the Night with Ariel
Part 5 Paint the Night with Toy Story and Mickey
Part 6 Cycle of the Spirits
Part 7 Leaving the Spirits for the Curse of the Emerald Trinity
Part 8 Haunted back streets
Part 9 The Miners and the Cowboys

"Hooray for Hollywood" - Hotel that is
Part 1 Art Deco Delights
Part 2 Our Room
Part 3 Views
Part 4 In the Grounds
Part 5 Butterflies and Buses

Day 7 "Hakuna Matata"
Part 1 Main St characters
Part 2 Tarzan's Treehouse
Part 3 Meet Jane and an elephant
Part 4 Corners of Adventureland and Fantsyland
Part 5 Winnie the Pooh
Part 6 Flights of Fantasy Parade with Mickey and Pooh and Friends
Part 7 Daydreams of Princesses
Part 8 Jumpin' Jungle Jam
Part 9 From Pixies to Toy Story
Part 10 Sunset over the ocean
Part 11 The promenade to Disneyland
Part 12 It's a Small World..."
Part 13 ...after all"
Part 14 It's a Small Small World
Part 15 Playing with Toys
Part 16 Fireworks
Part 17 Farewell Castle
Part 18 Colourful fountains

Day 8 "There's a great big hunk of world down there with no fence around it"
Part 1 Breakfast at Walts
Part 2 DLH and the Esplanade
Part 3 Established and new hotels
Part 4 More DLH interiors
Part 5 The Promenade between DLH and DL
Part 6 Holiday over


Pre Trip report

This is really a place-keeper for when I start my Trip Report on our upcoming adventure to Hong Kong that will be cross referenced one way or another to the Hong Kong boards since they are so woefully, pitifully short on Trip Reports.

It's the usual cast, Me, DH, and as more often than not, DD, escaping for another trip with the oldies having already had a trip earlier this year with a friend to Vanuatu (greedy girl).

This was one of those trips organised when you are sitting reading FB and flicking through emails and open up a travel offer that makes you think - wow..I can't let this one pass. Followed by cautious negotiations with the better half ("this does only count as a 'little' holiday really") and a short email to DD "going to HK October - unbeatable price, wanna come? U pay your airfare, we'll shout accom". Unfortunately short as it had to be squeezed in among various other commitments, in our usual style it is therefore jampacked with activities that I know are totally unrealistic...but still I make plans.

We set off in just over 6 weeks time and my hopes HK will be cooler by then have been totally dashed by others. So the bags will be light...more room for goodies

 

[PrincessInOz]

It's the usual cast

YAY!!! You started a PTR.

travel offer that makes you think - wow..I can't let this one pass

Love those! I saw the recent Qantas fare to HK for $600 and sadly had to pass up on that! The time was not right for my bank account.

$100's of freebies

You aren't wrong! Lucky you. That's a heap of freebies in Singapore.

PIO what is Cantonese for thank you ?

Phonetically, the closest I can come up with is....Daw Chair (doh jeh).
The other way is "em goi".

I think that there's a time for doh jeh and a time to say em goi.

Any comments

What a great itinerary! You're definitely packing it in for HK.

I sure hope you do add to the body of info on the HK section. As you say, it is pitifully short of TRs.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Thanks Pio. Probably won't achieve half the plans. What was the most 'must not miss' for you? We got our fares for$60 pp more than the recent Q price which was good at the time but picking up Krisflyer points so all good. Yes if I know no trip possible at all I don't open the emails. I think being our age we still remember when flights anywhere were SO expensive that many of the deals are hard to resist. If we were into cruising it'd be even worse!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Thanks Pio. Probably won't achieve half the plans. What was the most 'must not miss' for you? We got our fares for$60 pp more than the recent Q price which was good at the time but picking up Krisflyer points so all good. Yes if I know no trip possible at all I don't open the emails. I think being our age we still remember when flights anywhere were SO expensive that many of the deals are hard to resist. If we were into cruising it'd be even worse!

You got a great deal, then!

My "must not miss" in HK?

1. Ocean Park
2. Giant Buddha and surrounds
3. The Markets - Ladies, Temple Street, Jade, Stanley etc
4. The Peak
5. Disneyland


And food, food, food.

 

[chookie94]

Your trip sounds great. HK is my favourite place I have gone, and each time I have gone, I just didn't want to leave! Just a few things I have learnt from my trips.

Hope to get out by 3 to check out some of the markets up the road (flower/bird/goldfish/Fu Yuen/ and down to Jade) - how many depends on timing. Evening dining markets or Tsim Sha Tsui area (hereafter TST), watch Light show 8pm (as in English Wed night), home via Temple St markets.

Definitely make sure you check out the ladies market! If you love shopping, its the best market to go to. Amazing selection of clothes, bags, knick-knacks, electronics, shoes, pretty much everything! Despite temple street market being popular, I found when i went there wasn't really anything that exciting and didn't seem to have the quality of products the ladies one, but found the lights around the street pretty nice.

Sympathy of lights is pretty cool, the harbour is so beautiful anytime of the day that sitting waiting for the show to start was a highlight for me.

OR if nice clear day laughing MTR to TST, Star Ferry over, check out central architecture en route to Peak tram, go up the peak early, do the Hong Kong trail walk, tram (or bus?) down

While the tram to the peak is advertised as a must do, the bus is such an awesome experience where you see so much of everyday HK and its just break-taking! And the walk around the peak has such good views! Also, when your up at the peak, in one of the shopping centres there, go to the Koi Kei bakery and get an egg tart!!!!!!!!!!!!! I still have dreams about eating them!

Friday. Ocean Park +. MTR to Admiralty and catch bus to Ocean Park, Opens at 10.30 and with Halloween overlay will be very busy (but I know we won't want to spend our first full day in HK at a theme park-only going for the animals not the rides). Check out Amazing Asian Animals for pandas etc first then train or cable car (depends on crowds) up to the Summit.

The one piece of advice i got before going to Ocean Park was run to the cable car straight away and go over the summit, do everything over there first, then take the train back. And i understand why. The cable-car line will fill straight away and still an hour long all day both aways, but its a must do. The panda exhibit is easy to get into all day. The only animal exhibit that really have a line is the aquarium.

Another great thing at HK not on your list is the Chi Lin Nunnery. Its just really beautiful. Almost a look at old HK with the new HK in the background.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Thanks chookie94. Ocean Park strategy noted! Yes I was half thinking I must take the bus one way to/from the Peak-does it matter which direction for the views? (sometimes it does). I am still keen to go up in daylight, probably early and then maybe we will get back up there late in the evening avoiding the sunset panic. Looked up location and added Koi kei bakery to list. Our accom host apparently has a tip-off for a great local bakery as well. Too many egg tarts will be consumed in 5 days I feel. I do have the Chi Lin Nunnery and gardens on my wish list. If we don't go straight to DL Sunday they have an asterix next to them as the likely place to add and its not out of the question otherwise, Tuesday we just hop on the MTR and head out there. I also suspected we might prefer the Ladies market - being just a street or two over from where we are staying it will be easy to pop up there. Looking forward to the trip very much now but just wish I had added 2-3 extra days-at hte time we had people needing to be back at work Thursday but now know we could have got back Sat. Never mind. More for next time!

 

[chookie94]

Thanks chookie94. Ocean Park strategy noted! Yes I was half thinking I must take the bus one way to/from the Peak-does it matter which direction for the views? (sometimes it does). I am still keen to go up in daylight, probably early and then maybe we will get back up there late in the evening avoiding the sunset panic. Looked up location and added Koi kei bakery to list. Our accom host apparently has a tip-off for a great local bakery as well. Too many egg tarts will be consumed in 5 days I feel. I do have the Chi Lin Nunnery and gardens on my wish list. If we don't go straight to DL Sunday they have an asterix next to them as the likely place to add and its not out of the question otherwise, Tuesday we just hop on the MTR and head out there. I also suspected we might prefer the Ladies market - being just a street or two over from where we are staying it will be easy to pop up there. Looking forward to the trip very much now but just wish I had added 2-3 extra days-at hte time we had people needing to be back at work Thursday but now know we could have got back Sat. Never mind. More for next time!

The tram is great either way, but the bus is better on the way up. Its a double decker bus and the views were best sitting on the top deck on the left hand side, which gives you an uninterrupted view of the scenery going up the mountain. Ive only gone up in the morning/lunch time so I'm not sure of the evening views. And you can never have too many egg tarts!

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Koi Kei no longer appears to be up at the Peak but there are branches near the Ladies Market in Mongkok so we will get our fix!

 

[Aussie Wendy]

See first posts for links to TR

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Day 3 at Ocean Park now up on HK board with links in first post here and there.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

TR finished with Hong Kong Disneyland and Halloween night included. Another hol done and dusted - if only I had somewhere to plan to go this year