Too bored to write a detailed account for every day :-(
Day 2
Our tour organizers (read my bro-in-law and wife) had instructed us to be up and ready by 8.30 am. But I had two nights of sleep to catch up and it was almost 9.00 when I came down for breakfast. We walked to Times Square (no comparison whatsoever with the NY counterpart) and had breakfast at McDonalds.
Day 2
Our tour organizers (read my bro-in-law and wife) had instructed us to be up and ready by 8.30 am. But I had two nights of sleep to catch up and it was almost 9.00 when I came down for breakfast. We walked to Times Square (no comparison whatsoever with the NY counterpart) and had breakfast at McDonalds.
We then took a tram to Kennedy Town which is almost at one end of the island. We took this trip to get a more closer view of the city and at a slow pace. After reaching Kennedy Town, we walked back towards Central and visited the IFC building, which has the distinction of being the eighth tallest office building the world. We went to the 55th floor, which is open to public (less than 15 - 20 people at a time). The 55th floor is occupied by Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA). It is an exhibition area, showcasing Hong Kong's monetary history. From the floor, we enjoyed a spectacular view of the Central districts. But as I have a fear of heights, I resolutely refused to look down.
For lunch we went to a Korean barbeque restaurant at Mong Kok and thereafter proceeded towards Victoria Peak.We took the MTR to Admiralty and then walked through the beautiful Hong Kong Park and reached the tram terminus on the Garden Road. There was a huge crowd at the tram terminus and it took us almost 45 min to board the tram, but it was worth the efforts. The tram chugged the mountain at a steep inclination. I was resisting the temptation to stand-up, which would have definitely thrown me towards the end of the compartment. After we got down at the peak terminus, we took a series of escalators to the main observation point. Being an acrophobic, I was reluctant to come closer to the railings.
Day 3 - Macau!!!!
We took the 9.00 am Turbojet to Macau from Central. The hour long journey time was pleasant and relaxing. After clearing immigration at Macau ferry terminal, we proceeded to Macau Tower. Outside the ferry terminal, casinos operate free bus services. We hoped onto one such bus which dropped us pretty close to the Tower. From there, we took a short cab ride.
Bungee jumping was some thing most of us (count me out!) had in mind for visiting the tower. However, it turned out to be pretty expensive - almost Rs.25,000 per person. Absolutely atrocious!!! So, the bungee plan was dropped. However, me and Sagi decided to go to the observation centre on top while rest of them waited downstairs.
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| View from IFC |
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| Victoria Peak |
The peak offered a spectacular view of the city. We were at the peak for half an hour and took plenty of pictures. On the way down, there were plenty of shops selling souvenirs. We took a bus to Admiralty and a MTR back to our hotel.
Day 3 - Macau!!!!
We took the 9.00 am Turbojet to Macau from Central. The hour long journey time was pleasant and relaxing. After clearing immigration at Macau ferry terminal, we proceeded to Macau Tower. Outside the ferry terminal, casinos operate free bus services. We hoped onto one such bus which dropped us pretty close to the Tower. From there, we took a short cab ride.
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| Outside Macau Towers |
Bungee jumping was some thing most of us (count me out!) had in mind for visiting the tower. However, it turned out to be pretty expensive - almost Rs.25,000 per person. Absolutely atrocious!!! So, the bungee plan was dropped. However, me and Sagi decided to go to the observation centre on top while rest of them waited downstairs.
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| View from Macau Observation Tower |
The observation centre offered a magnificent view of the coast and skyline. We then proceeded towards Senado Square, a bustling public square with a fountain in the centre. The square is surrounded by beautiful Portuguese style buildings. We visited the St. Dominigo's church situated at one end of the square (and prayed for the three wishes!!!). There are ample of shopping opportunities at Senado square. After lunch at a nearby restaurant, we proceeded towards the world-famous ruins of St. Pauls Church. The way from Senado square to the church was lined with many shops most of them selling local delicacies. The shop owners were allowing us to sample the delicacies & sweetments for free.
At the base of the ruins, we were treated to a spectacular dragon dance. I had seen dragon dance only on TV and to see one in live was an amazing experience. After enjoying the show for almost half an hour we proceeded towards the Ruins of St. Paul Church. The history of the church, as I understood, was that it was destroyed many times by fire, typhoon etc. and all that is left today of the church is its magnificient and ornamental facade. We were able to climb the facade to some extent and enjoy the scenic beauty of the surrounding areas. Some parts of the foundation were covered in glass so as to preserve them from further ruin.
Then we proceeded towards The Venetian, the most popular casino in Macau. The casino, staying true to its name, has an artificial canal with a gondola. The celing of the Grand Canal shoppe imitates the sky outside (just like Hogwarts in Harry Potter!!!). We (read Sagi n me) tried our hands at a dice game in the casino and was pleasantly rewarded with a tidy profit (HKD 1100!!!!!!!!!).
It was very late at night when we took the ferry back to HGK. We reached the hostel and just plonked ourselves onto the bed for a much deserved sleep.
Day 4 - Junk Boat trip
This was one of the best part of the entire trip. We spent the entire day on a junk boat owned by my bro-in-law's company and it was amazing. We boared the junk boat from Central and the proceeded towards the southern part of the island. by afternoon we reached Repulse Bay where my family enjoyed a dip in the waters (I, alas, cant swim!!!) We then proceeded to Lamma Island and enjoyed a sumptuous sea food lunch. We reached the back by 6 in the evening. We then went to meet a cousin of mine, Gigoo and his wife Helen, for dinner. They were deputed to the HKG office of their organization for a year and a half. It was Halloween night and they took us to places nearby Causeway Bay to see Halloween revelery. This was my first Halloween experience and it was very good.
Day 5 - Shopping
HKG is not really a shopping friendly place, in terms of pricing. However, there are many street shopping areas just like in Mumbai, where you can get some good bargain. We started our shopping with a street shops around Wan Chai. We picked up couple of souveniers and I saw this shop that was selling chinese pottery. Me being a crockery freak just coudn't resist and spent almost half an hour in there. I ended up purchasing half a dozen chinese style shot glasses and couple of good stainless steel spoons.
Our next stop was Nathan Road at Tsim Sha Tsui. We spent almost the afternoon there. There was a lot of shops, but me n Sagi ended up buying nothing. We came back and settled for an early sleep.
Day 6 - Ocean Park
Disneyland and Ocean Park are almost a fixation in every HKG tourist itenary. As we had very few days in HKG, we decided to go to Ocean Park. Ocean Park is divided into two sections - The Summit and the Waterfront. We first proceeded towards the Summit by taking the Ocean Express. We attended the Dolphin show and the aquariums. My family enjoyed the various rides but I was totally scared and opted out of most. We then took the cable car to the the Waterfront. The Panda village and the Grand Aquarium are a must see. By 6 in the evening, we proceeded towards our hostel.
Day 7 - Departure
We checked out by 9.00 am. We settled our bill & left our luggage at the reception for some last minute shopping. By 2.00 pm, we took the bus to the airport.
And that was my first holiday abroad!!!
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| Senado Square |
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| Shops on the way to St. Paul's |
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| Crowd enjoying th dragon dance outside the Ruins of St. Paul Church |
It was very late at night when we took the ferry back to HGK. We reached the hostel and just plonked ourselves onto the bed for a much deserved sleep.
Day 4 - Junk Boat trip
This was one of the best part of the entire trip. We spent the entire day on a junk boat owned by my bro-in-law's company and it was amazing. We boared the junk boat from Central and the proceeded towards the southern part of the island. by afternoon we reached Repulse Bay where my family enjoyed a dip in the waters (I, alas, cant swim!!!) We then proceeded to Lamma Island and enjoyed a sumptuous sea food lunch. We reached the back by 6 in the evening. We then went to meet a cousin of mine, Gigoo and his wife Helen, for dinner. They were deputed to the HKG office of their organization for a year and a half. It was Halloween night and they took us to places nearby Causeway Bay to see Halloween revelery. This was my first Halloween experience and it was very good.
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| Enjoying the junk boat trip |
Day 5 - Shopping
HKG is not really a shopping friendly place, in terms of pricing. However, there are many street shopping areas just like in Mumbai, where you can get some good bargain. We started our shopping with a street shops around Wan Chai. We picked up couple of souveniers and I saw this shop that was selling chinese pottery. Me being a crockery freak just coudn't resist and spent almost half an hour in there. I ended up purchasing half a dozen chinese style shot glasses and couple of good stainless steel spoons.
Our next stop was Nathan Road at Tsim Sha Tsui. We spent almost the afternoon there. There was a lot of shops, but me n Sagi ended up buying nothing. We came back and settled for an early sleep.
Day 6 - Ocean Park
Disneyland and Ocean Park are almost a fixation in every HKG tourist itenary. As we had very few days in HKG, we decided to go to Ocean Park. Ocean Park is divided into two sections - The Summit and the Waterfront. We first proceeded towards the Summit by taking the Ocean Express. We attended the Dolphin show and the aquariums. My family enjoyed the various rides but I was totally scared and opted out of most. We then took the cable car to the the Waterfront. The Panda village and the Grand Aquarium are a must see. By 6 in the evening, we proceeded towards our hostel.
Day 7 - Departure
We checked out by 9.00 am. We settled our bill & left our luggage at the reception for some last minute shopping. By 2.00 pm, we took the bus to the airport.
And that was my first holiday abroad!!!
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