City
Created by mjm
Family trip to Hong Kong and Shenzhen (April 2009)
Sat 04/04/09 (day 1)
Day 1
We took the 8 o’clock flight to Hong Kong via the Philippine Airlines. I don’t have much sleep the night before and was heavily exhausted from finishing my end-of-semester deadlines in school. Our Hong Kong trip would be the official start of my summer vacation. And even if I wasn’t able to doze off much from many sleepless nights I previously had, I was very excited because I was having this trip with my family, even if it would be my second time to visit Hong Kong.
We took a package tour beforehand in the Philippines and were greeted by Win’s Travel Agency when we arrived in HK. Many Filipinos were also with us as we board on the tour bus that will take us to our designated accommodations.
We checked in at Mexan Harbour Hotel located at Tsing Yi which is located a bit far from the city proper. Here are some photos of the hotel and the room where we stayed.
![Image]()
This is the Hotel Main Lobby.
![Image]()
View from the entrance of the bedroom.
![Image]()
We have a nice view of the harbour by the window.
I have added a few notes on the hotel where we stayed in my Trip Plan .
It was around 1pm when we arrived and we took a short nap before our scheduled itinerary at 4:30pm.
Madame Tussauds
![Image]()
Our first stop after our early dinner is at The Peak and at Madame Tussauds. I got the chance to take a view at the peak during nighttime and it was very, very cold. We spent little time outside and headed straightaway to Madame Tussauds (also known as the Wax Museum). The most famous figure at the museum when we arrived was who else but President Barack Obama. Having a photo with him is exclusive only for those who are willing to shed an extra amount. There were Hollywood actors and actresses, Asian stars, men in sports, historical figures, music artists, and political figures.
![Image]()
My favorites: Brad and Angelina (hot couple!)
Felt too small for: Yao Ming
Missed to check: The pathway that leads to the horror room!
Kept wondering: Where Andy Lau was standing
And: Missed to check if his heart was indeed beating (our tour guide informed us earlier)
Avenue of Stars
![Image]()
We were off to go to the Avenue of Stars after Madame Tussauds. This would be my third time to visit the place at nighttime. We weren’t able to catch the Symphony of Lights show at 8pm but it was okay. I volunteered to take most of the photos for my companions since I have enough on my previous visits.
Riding in a Double-decked, Open-Aired Bus
![Image]()
This was so fun! The bus is part of the Victoria Peak package and we were the only passengers that time. We quickly grabbed the open air seats to get a nice view around the busy city at nighttime. Glad that it didn’t rain! Overhead are traffic lights, dashboard signs and lights, and street posts. We were so close and I was a bit afraid that the bus might hit them.
Shopping at Mong Kok
Our last stop for Day 1 was at Mong Kok. After which, we have to get back to the hotel ourselves since no transfers were indicated in the itinerary. Besides, the time was allotted for shopping and I suppose it was more personally-related.![Image]()
We went to Ladies’ Market at Tung Choi Street to buy some souvenirs for friends and ourselves. After which, I suggested we buy some supplies (mostly food) at a 7Eleven which we have spotted, since there were no convenience stores near our hotel. ![Image]()
Then we have pizza at Pizza Hut.
Getting Back to Mexan Harbour Hotel
We decided to take a taxi back to our hotel from Mong Kok since we estimated the fare to be roughly the same if we are to take the MTR and Minibus route, given that there are five of us. FYI, taxis in Hong Kong could accommodate at most 5 people unlike in Singapore and Philippines that takes 4 as a policy. We paid an estimated fare of 80HKD.
Note: You will be charged with additional 5HKD baggage/piece you place in the trunk of the taxi, no matter how big or small the size will be. Unless those shopping bags cannot be fitted inside the passenger seat with you, expect the driver to ask for the mentioned charge. Glad that our tour guide informed us in advance!
WEB LINKS
Mexan Harbour Hotel
http://mexan-harbour.com
Madame Tussauds Hong Kong
http://www.madametussauds.com/hongkong
We took a package tour beforehand in the Philippines and were greeted by Win’s Travel Agency when we arrived in HK. Many Filipinos were also with us as we board on the tour bus that will take us to our designated accommodations.
We checked in at Mexan Harbour Hotel located at Tsing Yi which is located a bit far from the city proper. Here are some photos of the hotel and the room where we stayed.
This is the Hotel Main Lobby.
View from the entrance of the bedroom.
We have a nice view of the harbour by the window.
I have added a few notes on the hotel where we stayed in my Trip Plan .
It was around 1pm when we arrived and we took a short nap before our scheduled itinerary at 4:30pm.
Madame Tussauds
My favorites: Brad and Angelina (hot couple!)
Felt too small for: Yao Ming
Missed to check: The pathway that leads to the horror room!
Kept wondering: Where Andy Lau was standing
And: Missed to check if his heart was indeed beating (our tour guide informed us earlier)
Avenue of Stars
We were off to go to the Avenue of Stars after Madame Tussauds. This would be my third time to visit the place at nighttime. We weren’t able to catch the Symphony of Lights show at 8pm but it was okay. I volunteered to take most of the photos for my companions since I have enough on my previous visits.
Riding in a Double-decked, Open-Aired Bus
This was so fun! The bus is part of the Victoria Peak package and we were the only passengers that time. We quickly grabbed the open air seats to get a nice view around the busy city at nighttime. Glad that it didn’t rain! Overhead are traffic lights, dashboard signs and lights, and street posts. We were so close and I was a bit afraid that the bus might hit them.
Shopping at Mong Kok
Our last stop for Day 1 was at Mong Kok. After which, we have to get back to the hotel ourselves since no transfers were indicated in the itinerary. Besides, the time was allotted for shopping and I suppose it was more personally-related.
Getting Back to Mexan Harbour Hotel
We decided to take a taxi back to our hotel from Mong Kok since we estimated the fare to be roughly the same if we are to take the MTR and Minibus route, given that there are five of us. FYI, taxis in Hong Kong could accommodate at most 5 people unlike in Singapore and Philippines that takes 4 as a policy. We paid an estimated fare of 80HKD.
Note: You will be charged with additional 5HKD baggage/piece you place in the trunk of the taxi, no matter how big or small the size will be. Unless those shopping bags cannot be fitted inside the passenger seat with you, expect the driver to ask for the mentioned charge. Glad that our tour guide informed us in advance!
WEB LINKS
Mexan Harbour Hotel
http://mexan-harbour.com
Madame Tussauds Hong Kong
http://www.madametussauds.com/hongkong
Planned Activities
Sat 04/04/09 (day 1) - Hong Kong, Hong Kong Island
Hotel
Thing to Do
Thing to Do
Shopping
Sun 04/05/09 (day 2) - Hong Kong
Thing to Do
Mon 04/06/09 (day 3) - Shenzhen
City
Thing to Do
Thing to Do
Thing to Do
Tue 04/07/09 (day 4) - Hong Kong
Thing to Do
If you love her, let her go to Lijiang, let her grow with the warm sunshine of Lijiang.
If you hate her, let her go to Lijiang, let her disappear at the horizon.
If you want to feel the natural world, let me take you to worship the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
If you want to get renascence, let me take you to the mystical Women's Country.
http://www.sakura.yn.cn/english
thanks