(The Hong Kong DIY Trip 1 of 2)
Whenever we (my sister and I) mention travelling to Hong Kong, peers and colleagues would immediately point out Disneyland as a place to visit. However, when it comes to theme parks, there is one place we rather be and that was the focal point of our trip.
My sister planned the whole 3D2N visit to “Asia’s World City.” It took her months of preparation – from picking the most strategic location for accommodation to possible routes to arrive at the spots we want to visit. Of course, she is also considering my mom since this trip was promise we made to her.
We left Manila early in the morning for an 8AM flight with Philippine Airlines. Since we already checked-in online, we passed through immigration and other necessary checks in a few minutes.
It was my first time to fly with Philippine Airlines. I was glad for the more comfortable seats and the in-flight entertainment. The USB ports are also available so, I plugged in my devices to avoid draining them midday.
We arrived in the hostel too early for check-in. So, we dropped off our bags and headed to Tsui Wah Restaurant across the street. Tsui Wah is a cha chaan teng or a tea restaurant which has over 26 branches around Hong Kong some of which are open for 24 hours.
After a short stroll around the area to pass the time, we went back to check in our room. In a few minutes, we were off to our first destination.
The place is massive. I was a bit overwhelmed as to where to go first.
Of course, all three of us agreed on one thing – we want to see the pandas. And that’s exactly where we headed first.
From the entrance, we trekked past the Aqua City and walked straight to the Amazing Asian Animal section.
Alongside the park’s giant panda, Ying Ying and Lele, are the cute and adorable red pandas. There are also amphibians, fishes and otters (who were missing in action during our visit) within the area.
After which, we rode the cable cars and enjoyed the scenic view not just of the theme park, but of the surrounding areas as well.
Of course, it’s not an ocean park if there are no attractions related to the ocean, right? We skipped on the aquariums. But we visited the sea lions. We arrived at the perfect timing. It was their feeding time. The sea lion are out with their antics as if trying to get the people to give them fish.
We also had a quick stop by their conservation center where the dolphins are taken care of. Unluckily, some attractions that we were excited to check out, like the Ocean Theater and the Ocean Park Tower were closed for renovations.
My sister originally set our Ocean Park trip on November 1, the second day of our trip. However, her friend who is based Hong Kong advised us not to miss the Halloween festivities. This year’s horror theme was based on the film franchise Saw.
Though we are not fans of horror booths, we still enjoyed the Halloween feel with all the lanterns, smoke and people in costumes.
As we walked to the Ocean Express to end our trip, we witnessed this gorgeous view of the city.
Before I end this post, here’s another panda photo:
To plan a visit or check out the attractions in Ocean Park Hong Kong, the link is [here].
The Eclectic Miss 