Hong Kong

The challenge with airline points programs is that people get frustrated because they can’t always book where they want to go. To me, that’s the wrong approach, they should be asking themselves where can I go on points. If not for that question, we may never have ended up in Hong Kong!

It actually started with one goal. The kids had reached the age where we wanted to take them to Disneyland. The problem was that we couldn’t get to California on points and we needed to use them; so we started looking around the world at places that fit the bill, and voilà, Hong Kong became a possibility. We had always wanted to explore Asia, and this gave us the perfect opportunity to combine some exploration with a day trip to see Mickey and Minnie.

What makes Hong Kong such a great destination if you’ve never travelled in Asia before is its ease of navigation. As a former British Colony, English is spoken everywhere, and signage is almost always in both languages. The subway system is amazingly integrated, and can get you almost anywhere in the city; as well, there are lots of app’s you can download ahead of time on city maps, transportation, and tourist sites. When you arrive you can also purchase and load an “Octopus” card that is accepted on all transit systems, as well as many businesses. It will make getting on and off public transit really convenient.

Although we do a lot of research prior to our trips, we don’t often commit to anything before arriving. This approach works for us, but I realize it might cause others a lot of stress. We’ve found that hitting the ground with a clean slate gives us maximum flexibility to explore on our schedule, and change things up depending on what opportunities arise.

On this trip, we chose to stay downtown so we were on the transit lines and had a central starting point. As luck would have it the hotel was adjacent to a mall that had a wonderful bakery in it, which made eating on-the-go a breeze. At the end of the day we would stock up, and be ready to head out the door bright and early.

Our first priority was to check out the city. We hopped a bus and hit some of the tourist sites. First stop was Victoria Peak and a ride up the Peak Tram. It’s a very busy spot, and you’re going to wait in line for a bit, but it’s worth the wait to experience the ride. The incline up the hill is quite steep, so you have the illusion that the buildings you pass by are actually tilted. At the top you can climb the lookout which provides unbelievable views of the city and harbour.

Another short bus ride away and we caught a ride on a “junk” boat for a harbour tour. This was a great experience. You always get a different perspective when you see the city from the water, and are part of the hustle and bustle of a working waterfront. From the dock we headed out past the “Jumbo Floating Restaurant” which is quite an impressive structure to see it up close; we didn’t have time to make it back for dinner, but the boat tour was worth the time, and really enjoyable.

We then headed over to the Stanley Market which is essentially a series of small vendor stalls, in a maze of tiny alleyways where you can barter over souvenirs and knick-knacks. Shopping is not a huge draw for me, but that’s no reason not to go. The market is right on the water, and we got a great view of the sunset from the boardwalk, before jumping on a bus and heading back to the hotel for the night.

On one of the nights we caught a ride on the famous Star Ferries over to Kowloon Bay to catch a dinner cruise. The Star Ferry has been in operation since 1888, and is an icon on the Hong Kong waterfront. I have seen them in many movies over the years, and it was neat to actually ride on it. As for the dinner cruise, my advice is to skip this one. Although you end up in a prime location to watch the famous harbour laser light show, it was something I could have passed on. It was way too busy, the food was dodgy, and at some point you just feel trapped when the band starts playing and the dancing begins. However, once we disembarked, experiencing the night life on the street while getting back to the hotel was wonderful.

Then there was Disneyland. It was the original objective of this trip, and it turned out to be a magical day, pun intended. We took the subway to the park, and arrived right when it opened. After finding a site map, we huddled as a family inside the main gates trying to plot out our strategy for the day. We were approached by a park worker who started asking us where we were from, and how we liked Hong Kong, and so on. After a few minutes, he said he would like to give us a gift and asked us to follow him to the administration building. When we arrived, we found out that he wanted us to be the grand marshals of the mid-day parade. With an agreement to return later, we headed out to enjoy the park. When we returned at the prescribed time we were ushered into a room and waited until they were ready. They presented us with Mickey Mouse ears with our names embroidered on them and given oversized mouse hands to wear. We were then escorted to the back of the park and loaded onto an open air antique auto where the parade began. Our job, to wave and look happy; no problem! What a great experience, and it made it a day none of us will ever forget. I had never been to a Disneyland before, and I’m really glad we chose to visit one overseas; it really enhanced the whole trip, making it all the more memorable.

The next day we decided to check out Ocean Park, which is another big theme park in Hong Kong. This made our list because they have a Panda Bear exhibit, and if we’re coming all this way, Pandas are definitely on the to-do list. The park itself is on a very large site, build on the side of a mountain, so each of the parks sections are separated from each other in distance and elevation. We had a really good time walking around, enjoying the rides and exhibits, but this may be a good time to disclose another one of my vices. I’ve already shared my love of trains, but I also love roller coasters; the bigger the better, and Ocean Park does not disappoint. Within the park is a roller coaster called the “hair raiser”. It is essentially a suspended coaster with several loopy-loops, one of which extends out over the cliff with a view straight down to the water below. Not for the faint of heart, but what an adrenaline rush!

On one of our last days my wife and son weren’t feel well and needed a break, so me and my daughter decided to head out to Lantau Island to see the Tian Tan Buddha. The subway gets you within walking distance to the Ngong Ping 360 cable car, and I’m not sure if it’s the longest one in the world, but it must be close. The ride is about 30 minutes, and you disembark in a small village with lots of little shops and restaurants. We headed straight for the buddha, and ascended the 268 steps to the top. This is a religious site and is adjacent to the Po Lin Monastery. The experience was serene and awe inspiring. To climb the stairs up to the statue, and then explore the monastery below was simply amazing. To be present and see the large censers where people were burning incense, and to smell the sweet clouds of smoke fill the air, you’re left with a feeling of peace and wonderment. I wish my wife and son could have been there with us, but I will forever cherish having this shared memory with my daughter. It certainly left an impression on the both of us.

I wish I could talk about all of the great meals we enjoyed, but this trip was so packed with site seeing, that we never really stopped for a family meal. However, we did manage two side trips from Hong Kong that I will write about in separate posts; Macau and Shenzhen; it was in the later that we had the best dim sum I’ve ever tasted. Until then, think about adding Hong Kong to your travel bucket list, you won’t be disappointed.