It's been almost 4 years since my last trip to Hong Kong. So happy to be back!
My sister just finished the 1st year of her college life and is on a one-month term break. As a treat (or whatever this trip is called), my mother agreed to fly to Hong Kong to take a few days off from work and spend time with her. As for me, though, I wasn't part of this and was kinda forced to book a flight at the very last minute. HAHAHA. Again, you don't say no to free trips especially if given by your parents. :)
These are just some of the perks of traveling with parents, you get to stay at 4-5 star hotels. LOL. Review of Marco Polo Hong Kong will be posted tomorrow.
Since we've been to Hong Kong quite a few times already, I decided to bring them to Ngong Ping Village in Lantau Island where they haven't seen in person the famous and humongous Tian Tian Buddha. From Tung Chung station you can pass by Citygate Outlet to look for bus no. 23. If you don't have an octopus card you need to prepare exact amount of HKD17.20 (weekday rate) per way. Be sure to have smaller bills on hand since they don't give change. The trip takes around 30-40 minutes per way and bus the leaves/arrives every 30 minutes.
It was cloudy that day but Hong Kong was still very much in summer mode with max temperatures of 32C.
Mama accepted the challenge to climb up the stairs (268 steps to be exact) and we both made it to the top! A little exercise while on vacation is good for the heart and body! ;) I guess you know who was feeling lazy and got left behind. Haha.
Surrounding the Tian Tian Buddha are six smaller bronze statues known as "The Offering of the Six Devas" that are posed offering flowers, incense, lamp, ointment, fruit, and music to the Buddha. They symbolize the Six Perfections of generosity, morality, patience, zeal, meditation, and wisdom, all of which are necessary for enlightenment.
Before heading back to the city we spent a few more hours in Tung Chung where we window shopped around Citygate Outlet. When shopping, watch out for sales associates at the entrance because they give out coupons that offer additional discount! ;)
One of the fastest ways to get around Hong Kong is obviously by train/subway. I highly recommend getting an octopus card for convenience since you can use that for selected shops and restaurants.
While my mama and sister are resting back at the hotel, my afternoons were mostly spent walking around Kowloon. I really look forward going on a photo walk because it is one of the most satisfying things to do when traveling. :) I love capturing photos of locals in their element or even moment of zen.
There's nothing much to see in Hong Kong as compared to other places I've visited like Tokyo. Options are you just walk and enjoy the view or sit and play around with your phone while resting.
Others prefer to shop. And by others, I mean those rich people from mainland China. If you have extra cash to burn please be reminded that there's a rule implemented back in 2015 where stores charge additional 50 cents per bag. If not, just bring a shopping bag and go help save the environment. If you plan to shop in Hermès I'm sure they wouldn't dare charge you extra. LOL
When window shopping is not an option, just eat. There are lots of hawker stores around Kowloon and I really enjoy eating street food once in a while.
But when you're really, badly tight in cash, just go to the Avenue of the Stars to enjoy the view of Victoria Harbour. There's also a 3D light show called Hong Kong Pulse which runs every August, November, and December at the Hong Kong Cultural Center. The show starts at 8:20PM and runs every 30 mins or so. :)
August felt like my luckiest month this 2016! :)
This Hong Kong trip was the perfect time to test my Huawei P9. All shots you see in this post were taken by it! I honestly don't mind ditching the fruit for this! ;) Check out some comparison shots taken as is, no filter. I just had to tweak a little since Huawei produces bigger images versus Apple. If you want to zoom in you may do so by right-clicking a photo to view the image in another tab.
To view the rest of the comparison shots, please visit my Facebook page or click here.
