We arrived pretty early from Shenzhen to Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). Our flight was not until 9:00pm and we still had several hours to spare. Luckily, HKIA had enough facilities to keep waiting passengers entertained.
Aside from the usual restaurants, it also houses different kinds of shops. There was also an amusement center and moviehouse. But what kept us entertained was taking pictures at the Hong KongAviationMuseum and DiscoveryCenter.
Our flight was two hours delayed but it was not a hassle since the seats were comfy and there were still nice shops and cool restaurants in the boarding area.
HKIA impressed me so much as it seemed like a destination itself. I really like how it seemed like a mall with its different facilities to cater to the passengers. I hope that in the near future our very own airport will be like this. :)
After the city tour, we went to Hong Kong Disneyland. As a child, I dreamt of going to Disneyland and I was happy that I finally got the chance to go to this place.
It brought out the child in me that I decided to wear the Minnie Mouse headband that my mom bought for my niece. Besides, no one knows me there anyway. :D
As we took a break and had a snack on Main Street, talented Filipino singers came to entertain the crowd with their lovely rendition of Disney hit songs.
One of the most memorable ride for me was SpaceMountain. I sat beside my cousin, Arvi, and his shirt almost got ripped off because I clung to him so tightly! :xThe picture after the ride also revealed a scared but funny look on my face so my cousins and aunt kept teasing me about it.
With my cousin Arvi
The last ride for the day was Jungle Cruise. The female guide there kept teasing us that animals might pop up anytime in the dark. It was really funny because we believed her so all of us scrambled to sit in the middle! She said that we were one of the funniest guests she had. LOL! :D
See how cramped we are?
The night ended with a wonderful fireworks display. I’ll leave you with a video of it:
Our tour package came with a free half day Hong Kong city tour. The first stop was Jewellery City (JC).
Amethyst Display
Posing at the signage
Since I am not fond of jewelry, I did not enjoy this part of the tour. We were there far too long for my liking. After the JC Tour, I noticed that many people wore new accessories including my mom and relatives. I think I was one of the few who did not buy anything being the cheapskate that I am, hehe. :D
A glimpse of our tour bus
Next stop was Avenue of Stars. The view there is really nice so I enjoyed strolling around the place. There was even a tour photographer who took pictures of us. We later found out that the photos would be imprinted on a plate and each one costs 150 HKD! We knew that of course we would be charged for the photos but the price was too much. I feel sorry for my aunt as she was presented with three photo plates.
The nice view of the promenade and the Victoria Harbor
The Sampan Boat Ride in Aberdeen was optional as each ride costs 50 HKD/pax. If you decide not to avail of the sampan boat ride, you still have to wait for your tour group to finish.
Our Sampan Boat Driver
My cousin Arvi, Tita Stella, Jace, me and my mom
This is the Jumbo Floating Restaurant in HK. Guess where the largest Jumbo Floating Restaurant is right now? Yup, it’s in Manila!
I also enjoyed this part of the tour because I love boat rides and it was nice to see people living in boat houses. It was even said that some boat houses have amenities like air-con and internet connection. How cool is that!
The last stop of the half day city tour was The Peak.
Actually, we were brought to the mid-level of the Peak where there were some souvenir shops and viewing deck. I knew that there was a tram in the Peak and when I found none, I knew that we were not in the right place. Honestly, I was very disappointed as I heard good reviews about the Peak.
Overall, going on a tour group was very convenient in terms of not worrying about transportation and having an English speaking tour guide. The not so good side is that your precious time is taken up going to places you do not like. Also, we got delayed a bit because some tour groupmates of ours were late in boarding the bus. Most of all, the free city tour wasn’t really free since we had to shell out a lot of additional expenses. If ever I can go back to Hong Kong again, it will definitely be a DIY trip!
My first step on foreign soil became possible with the help of my older sister, Larla. She informed us of the Buy 1 Take 1 promo of Ranz (her friend who owned an online travel agency). For only P10,000/person, one can have a round trip ticket from Manila to Hong Kong and vice versa via Hong Kong Express, 2 nights stay at Dorsett Far East Hotel or Panda Hotel, 1 night stay either in Macau or Shenzhen plus free HK City Tour on the 2nd day. It was a pretty good deal!
Not having enough Hong Kong dollars wasn't a big problem as our tour guide, Yannie , had ready money to exchange for our dollars.
While my cousins and aunts joined the Ocean Park Tour, my mom and I decided to go our own way to NgongPingVillage. After freshening up and eating lunch at Spaghetti House near our hotel, my mom and I looked for the MRT. We had trouble asking directions due to language barrier but we were lucky enough to meet a fellow Filipina who helped us navigate the MRT. What was funny was she thought that my mom and I were Japanese so she spoke to us in English until I asked her if she was Filipina. It must be our colored hair! :D
A peek of the crystal glass floor of the cable car
The cable car ride to NgongPingVillage was an adventure itself! My mom and I chose to ride in a crystal cabin and it was scary as we had the cabin all by ourselves. It also started to rain a bit as we got closer to our destination.
A view of the cable cars and LantauIsland
Many tourists flocked to Ngong Ping Village
The scary cable car ride was definitely worth it when we finally arrived at NgongPingVillage. The place was wonderful and it also houses many different restaurants and shops. We were able to buy nice studded t-shirts there. We also enjoyed Walking with Buddha and Monkey’s Tale Theatre.
My mom and the nice view of the Big Buddha
Me posing near the Monkey's Tale Theatre entrance
Notice the cute mini cable cars at the back? ^_^
The view of the Giant Buddha became more apparent as we walked further. It was a bit foggy and rainy that day so we skipped going up to the Giant Buddha. We just took pics of the area and strolled around Po Lin Monastery.
There are many warrior statues on the way to Po Lin Monastery.
Too bad it was foggy so the view of the Giant Buddha is not clear. :(
Though it was tiring, I really had fun in NgongPingVillage. I hope that someday I can go back to this place.
HKIA impressed me so much as it seemed like a destination itself. I really like how it seemed like a mall with its different facilities to cater to the passengers. I hope that in the near future our very own airport will be like this. :) 
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