Wilson and I went to Hong Kong and Macau in January 2014. I know its pretty late to pen this down now but I think it would be good to share our experiences.
We flew there by Tiger Airlines. We bought our tickets at est $250/pax. I thought it was quite affordable. I was happy with the experience flying on Tiger Airlines, there wasn't any delay in flight or turbulence during the journey.
Day 1
Arrived at HKG International Airport at about 11am. We immediately went to 7-11 to get our mobile prepaid SIM card and the Octopus Card. The prepaid SIM card cost about HKD80 (SGD 13) for 5 days unlimited data usage. The Octopus Card works the same way as our Ezlink Card, it is advisable to get one as it is a lot cheaper to travel around Hong Kong via the MTR.
We took the airport express link from Hong Kong International Airport to Hong Kong Station. The airport express ticket is HKD100/ticket (SGD17), and it was roughly about a 10mins journey. We alighted at Hong Kong Station and took a cab to our hotel. The cab fare was HKD50 (SGD 8).
We stayed at MINI Hotel Central, located at 38 Ice House Street. We chose this hotel due to its price and the location. We paid $90/night and the location was awesome, it is very near Lan Kwai Fong, The Peak and Central MTR Station. However, the room was really small. There wasn't enough space for us to move around.
The hotel's lobby
Look how small the room was. Well, I guess we can't complain much since it was the most affordable yet decent hotel I could find in HK.
After all the unpacking and settling down, we went looking for our lunch. We walked few streets down from our hotel, and found this restaurant selling noodles. I had the traditional wanton noodles and Wilson had the beef brisket noodles. Sorry I do not know the exact address for the restaurant.
After lunch, we took the MTR to Times Square for shopping and movie. The brands that they have are very similar to what we have in Singapore, and they are not necessarily cheaper. Hence, I didn't managed to shop much.
1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
DAY 2
We had our breakfast at Honolulu Cafe. I read about this cafe before I went for the trip. It had really good reviews, and yep they live up to the expectation. Wilson had roasted pork rice and I had the luncheon meat macaroni.
G/F & Mezz Floor 176-178 Hennessy Road
Wanchai Hong Kong
Tel : 2575 1823
After breakfast, we did more shopping around times square. At about 7pm, we decided to visit The Peak. The Peak is one of the places I always wanted to go after watching too many HK drama! The chilling wind was blowing towards us and it was freezing cold up there, but the view at The Peak was simply breathe taking.
There are various packages The Peak offers. We took the Peak Tram Sky Pass so we could access the Sky Terence. The Sky Terence is the highest place to sneak a view at the amazing panoramic view across HK. It's a place not to be miss in HK.
128 Peak Road
The Peak, Hong Kong
Tel : +852 2849 0668
From The Peak, we are able to walk back to our hotel. We had our dinner at Tsui Wah Restaurant. I highly recommend their condensed milk bun, I couldn't stop wanting more after I had my first bite! Haha
Tsui Wah Restaurant
15 Wellington St, Central, Hong Kong
Tel : +852 2525 6338
DAY 3
Had our breakfast at Honolulu Cafe again. This time round, we managed to get the egg tarts!! Apparently, they are famous for their egg tarts and it's usually sold out very fast.
After breakfast, we took the MTR to the Victoria Harbor. The Victoria Harbor is famous for its spectacular view and its definitely the top tourist attraction of HK. Along side with the Victoria Harbor is The Avenue of Stars. The Avenue of Stars is a platform to pay tribute to outstanding stars in the HK film industry.
We headed over to a nearby dim sum restaurant to have our lunch. It was okay but definitely not the best dim sum I've eaten.
After lunch, we decided to head down to the Ladies Market. The Ladies Market has over 100 stalls of affordable clothing, accessories and souvenirs. This is definitely a place to visit for shopping, however strong haggling skills are needed.
Ladies Market
Tung Choi Street, Mongkok, Kowloon
DAY 4
Trip to the Ocean Park day!!
The Ocean Park is a marine-life theme park featuring a variety of rides, shows and exhibitions. It is definitely a great place for families. The Ocean Park covers more than 870,000 square meters. It was so huge that there wasn't enough time for us to cover the whole park.
We paid HKD 320 (SGD $52) for the admission fee, slightly expensive but trust me, it's definitely worth the price.
Ocean Park
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 3923 2323
http://www.oceanpark.com.hk/html/en/home/
DAY 5 - Macau
The visit to Macau made the whole trip unforgettable. Macau is AMAZING. Macau is well known for its gambling. However, besides gambling, this city was once under the influence of the Portuguese, therefore creating a mixture of culture between the Chinese and the Portuguese. It inculcates the European feel even though majority of their population are Chinese. The city's architecture is amazing. I felt like I visited different parts of Europe in Macau. You definitely cannot give Macau a miss.
We took the ferry from HK to Macau. The ferry terminal is located at 202 Connaught Road. You can get there by alighting at Sheung Wan Station, Exit D. We paid est. HKD $310 (SGD $50) for 2 way ticket per person. The journey from HK to Macau takes about 55 mins.
Okay, that sums up my whole HK-Macau trip. Hopefully I am able to provide some good insights. Overall, it was an amazing experience touring the 2 cities. Hong Kong is amazing for its food, shopping and its spectacular views, however it's a cosmopolitan country therefore the pace is still considerably fast. Whereas in Macau, I felt relax and comfortable, the pace was slow and the city various architecture and the culture was simply breathe taking.
Till our next post...Bye! (:
