Browsing the blog archive for Series: Hong Kong and Macau Tour (3 days) | Ambot ah! Travel Blog
We were having such a great time at the Venetian Macau that we could have enjoyed spending the whole day playing at the casino and doing photo ops at its grand halls but we needed to carry on to our next destination since we were flying out back to Manila the same day. Now off to Macau’s most famous landmark, the ruins of Saint Paul Cathedral and Senado Square!
Now for my favorite part of our whole Hong Kong and Macau Tour! I actually like to explore historical places better than going through themed attractions. I feel more at home walking through old streets and districts. We woke up very early that morning to catch the ferry to Macau at 7:15am in Hong Kong’s Macau Ferry Terminal. The travel time took around one hour … I slept through the whole ride. We were already in Macau when I woke up :)
The Symphony of Lights Show was one of my top things to see in Hong Kong. Actually, just seeing the Hong Kong skyline was already an exciting thing for me. The Symphony of Lights show is a synchronized display of lights and laser accompanied by symphony music, featuring 44 buildings on both sides of the Victoria Harbor of Hong Kong. The show lasts for 14 minutes and starts 8pm daily.
We proceeded to our next destination, the famed Ocean Park Hong Kong after our tour of Hong Kong’s Victoria Peak. I was so looking forward to this place since the only other theme park I’ve visited so far was Disneyland Hong Kong, which I’m not the biggest fan of, and Enchanted Kingdom, which pales in comparison to a theme park of Ocean Park Hong Kong’s size.
After arriving at Starferry Pier in Central Hong Kong, it took us a while to get to the lower terminus of “The Peak Tram.” It’s quite far and you’d have to take a few turns. Luckily there were a lot of Filipinos in the area, who were very helpful in pointing us to the right direction. Central Hong Kong during Sunday looks more like Hong Kong’s “Little Philippines.” In the areas that we walked passed, it seemed 50% of the people there were Pinoys (or looked like they were from the Philippines at least).
It’s day 2 of our Hong Kong and Macau Tour, we planned to visit many of Hong Kong’s top tourist spots. First up was the classic Star Ferry Ride across Victoria Harbor from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central in Hong Kong Island.
After the fireworks Display in Disneyland Hong Kong, we headed straight to Temple Street Night Market in Kowloon. Temple Street is just conveniently located at the corner of Wing Sing Hotel (labeled as Grand Palace Hotel in Google Maps).
I didn’t think the visit to Disneyland Hong Kong was the most exciting part of our Hong Kong and Macau trip. My siblings were so much more enthusiastic than me and I didn’t have anything against that. Disneyland is one of the most sought after destinations in the world. It’s a fun place where kids can visit fantasyland and where adults have the chance relive their childhood. I’m just not the biggest fan of themed parks, especially ones designed for the younger crowd. Honestly, I thought this delusional place was a bit disturbing … that’s the cynic part of me talking :p I planned on playing along, making sure I don’t get drawn into insanity, long enough until the big fireworks display in the evening.
The first attraction in Hong Kong we visited was the Hong Kong’s Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car and Ngong Ping Village in Lantau Island, one of the newest and most popular attractions in Hong Kong.
From Wing Sing Hotel, we took the Hong Kong MTR train in Yau Ma Tei Station to Hong Kong MTR Station. We then switched to the Tung Chung MTR Line and rode the train all the way to Tung Chung Station. The whole trip took 25 minutes approximately.
After arriving in Hong Kong and claiming our MTR Airport Express Travel Pass, we boarded the Airport Express Train with the Wing Sing Hotel in Yau Ma Tei as our next destination. The airport express is the fastest way to get from the Hong Kong International Airport to Downtown Hong Kong taking only less than 30 minutes. We bought the MTR Travel Pass with only one ride on the airport express since we will be going back to the Philippines (after our 3 day trip) via the Macau International Airport.
In the Philippine Ilonggo dialect, ambot ah literally means "I don't know." After graduating in college, I decided to hold off pursuing my profession and embarked on a free spirited journey of adventure and self-discovery. My travels have led me to many places across the Philippine Islands and South East Asia. I don't know where this path will take me but I'm certain I'll get a lifetime of stories out of it.
