#I guess everybody in the living lands goes naked because I have absolutely no idea what they're wearing over there

[lesenchante]

Hong Kong

October last year, my family had our very first vacation abroad. If you live here in the Philippines, you would know that most of the “first” family vacations abroad are bound to any of the asian countries nearby. Main reason is -- cheap flights and cheap currency exchange.

Planning our family vacation was not hard at all. We were in complete consensus that we are heading to Hong Kong and would stay there for five days. 

Here’s some tips of how to maximize your stay (where to go and what to do).

1. Visit Kowloon Park

One suggestion I could give to anyone who is traveling at a low budget to hong Kong is to find a place to stay at Tsim Sha Tsui. The area is very close to walk-in parks for free and one of which is Kowloon Park. 

We stayed in a low cost guest house in Chungking Mansions. It is a building of trade and cheap guest houses. It has the worst views in the internet. I might be the first person to say that whatever they are ranting about is bearable. I consider it as part of the experience. 

Anyway, Kowloon Park is a public park (which means entry is for free). Its mostly a very wide nature park. 

There are a lot of things that you can enjoy in the park. They have an aviary, a garden of different fauna, a maze garden, a place where you can sit and play chinese checkers and many more! Its definitely a leisure place.

That’s my DP by the way. hahaha. There are many exits to the park. one of its exits lead you out to the concrete city. If you live in the province, you don’t see all buildings everyday, so the sight to me was a beauty. 

If you stroll ahead from that exit, you will have to cross a wobbly bridge. We stayed in the bridge to take some photos and noticed that its actually moving. You have to try to stand on that bridge!

2.  Visit Victoria’s Peak

It is also know as The Peak. It is the majestic display of the panorama of Hong Kong. As a person who finds delight in city lights, its best to go there late in the afternoon. The queue in the ticketing lines is crazy but the view makes it all worth it. It is by far one of the most breathtaking sceneries I have seen in my life. 

3.  Visit The Avenue of The Stars

That’s their iconic monument for the tourist site. The Avenue of the stars is like an outdoor museum of all of the famous stars of Hong Kong. It is located along the Victoria Harbour so the waterfront is another view to enjoy.

There were handprints of the most influential chinese actors and actresses. My sister and I are fans of Jackie Chan (we have our papa to blame). We spent most of our days at home watching his movies. We knew his hand print should be around here. Surprise! 

guess who else we saw on display! It’s Jet Li everyone. haha

3.  Be a child again in The Happiest Place on Earth

Another travel tip: purchase your theme park tickets ahead. We purchased ours from a mobile app called klook. Tickets are sold with discount if you buy it ahead of your actual visit. It saves both your money and time on lining up on queue in the ticketing area. 

I guess I don’t have to describe what Disney Land is all about. Everybody knows what’s in Disney Land! From time to time, announcements are aired around the park. It always begins with “Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls...” It’s funny how I only hear the “Boys and Girls” like I classify myself as such. You’ll seriously feel like you are a child again when you are around here.

One of the things that you should never miss is the live show of The Festival of the Lion King. (All Show schedules are found on the leaflets you receive as you enter the theme park). Make this the first on your itinerary. It is by far the best live show of my life. Please do yourself a favor as you watch, do not get busy with filming the whole show. Watch the show with your two naked eyes and immortalize the moment by taking a few pictures when the show is done. 

I guess its an untold mandate to have your photo taken in front of the very iconic castle of Sleeping Beauty. So I didn’t miss out on it!

Disney land is mainly divided according to the disney film that they are trying to showcase. There are several of rides  to choose from. I had this childhood dream of riding The Mad Hatter’s cup. Above is a captured dream come true. haha! Few rides that I could suggest, that you might also like are It’s a small world, Star wars: Hyper Space Mountain, The Mystic Manor, RC Racer (Hot Wheels Ride), Grizzly Gulch, Tarzan’s Tree House Tour. 

I highly discourage lining up to meet and greet Disney Characters. It takes so much time! Well, unless its your childhood dream, then, do not waste your time on falling in line to have a photo taken with them. They’ll be on parade usually at noon or late in the afternoon. You have to be careful not to miss it though. 

Lastly, do not leave Disney land if you have not experienced Disney in The Stars. If you grew up with disney shows and characters, there is a great chance that you’ll tear up a bit on this one. It could be the best hour of your life. 

Some head’s up! Nobody goes out of Disney Land without being hung up with the song A whole new world. 

You’ll understand why, once your walking out of the place. 

4.  Go crazy at Ocean Park

It’s more than the name. Yes there is a great display of anything that is in the ocean, including their very famous display of the great panda. But, it is also the place where you get to experience extreme thrill rides. 

The rides are crazy by the looks of it. The idea of getting into it is so exciting,but you will always draw back because you’ll feel like you won’t be able survive.

But, I suggest you go for it! Fear is just a tricky myth that your mind tells you. Here’s a tip. If you are on the ride and you feel like you can’t take it anymore, just scream! If it doesn’t work, close your eyes and wait for the ride to end. haha.

Few ride suggestions that you shouldn’t miss: Hair Raiser, The Rapids, The Flash, Rev Booster and The Cable Car to the other side of Ocean Park.

I’m not really the adventurous type, but tried them all, and I’m still alive now. So you are most likely to survive too.

Also, don’t miss The old china town. It’s a great place to take pictures. 

5. Shop at Lady’s Market

It’s mom’s happy place. Didn’t get to take pictures because we were too busy shopping. Everything that people write or tell about how haggling for prices in this place is done is absolutely true. You’ll find sorts of stuff for sale in that place. It’s the best place to shop for pasalubongs

6. Drop by Hong Kong Avenue of Comic Stars

Remember I mentioned earlier that the Kowloon Park leads to many exits? One of the exits lead to Hong Kong Avenue of Comic Stars. If you stay around Tsim Sha Tsui, this public attraction is very accessible to you. Its the cutest part of the park. I suggest you go here when there is broad daylight so that your photos will look good.

Hong Kong really is a great place to go to if you are the type who loves the urban life. Your travel budget will really be maximized given that the city itself offers a lot of things to enjoy. The busy streets, the fast paced life, the tasty chinese food and the city sights are something that you can experience as a bonus to your visit! To anyone who reading, I hope this helps!

*do you have any questions? or have you enjoyed my post? feel free to leave some comments by clicking on the “ask me anything” button above. You can also find me in instagram -- paulalaaaaaaaaa. Feel free to DM me there too! Talk to you soon!