Day 1:
We arrived at Hong Kong International Airport on our flight from Osaka around noon.
After clearing immigration, we proceeded to the Airport Express counter and booked discount package of 4 tickets from airport to Kowloon. The train ride from airport to Kowloon took less than an hour. After reaching Kowloon we took the complimentary shuttle to our hotel (Hyatt Regency Hong Kong).
In the evening we decided to walk from the hotel to Hong Kong Cultural Center along Nathan Road. We passed by the notorious Chung King Mansions and exchanged some US dollars for local Hong Kong dollars. Before the trip I read on TripAdvisor forums that this building is one of the best places to exchange currency in Hong Kong and can now attest to it.
After walking 10 minutes in sweltering heat and humidity, we finally reached the Cultural Center and the seating area by the water where we watched the “Symphony of Lights” which turned out to be a very mediocre and unimpressive laser show.
After the show we walked back to the hotel after having dinner at a Thai restaurant in a mall nearby.
Day 2:
After breakfast we walked over from the hotel to nearby Kowloon Park.
There was a large enclosure where we saw dozens of pink flamingos.
After spending an hour at Kowloon Park, we walked to Star Ferry Terminal. One of the must do experiences in Hong Kong includes riding the Star Ferry from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island. It is an extremely cheap and yet memorable journey across the waters from Kowloon to Hong Kong island.
After reaching Hong Kong Island, we took the Bus 15 to Victoria Peak. This double decker bus stops right outside the ferry terminal and goes all the way up to the top. We were lucky to secure the front row seats on the upper deck of the bus and it was a thrilling bus ride up the winding roads.
After spending a couple of hours at the Peak, we took the bus down again and then the Star Ferry back to Kowloon. After resting for a couple of hours, we went to the Ladies Market in Mongkok for some souvenir shopping. You must bring your A game in bargaining because the prices vary wildly based on your negotiation skills and even your willingness to walk away.
Day 3:
This was the last day of our 2-week long trip in Asia and the only stop on our itinerary was the Lantau Island Buddha Statue. We took the Tsuen Wan line to Central and then switched to Tung Chung line to Tung Chung. The Ngong Ping Cable car station is located only 5 minutes walk from the Tung Chung station. It was Sunday and the place had quite long lines.
After standing in queue for 1 hour we finally got on the cable car.
After reaching the Lantau Island, we walked close to the Tian Tan Buddha statue and then walked up 268 steps to finally reach the top.
After spending a couple of hours on the island we took the cable car back to Tung Chung station and then subway back to our hotel in Tsim Tsa Shui. We had an early dinner and then took the airport express back to Hong Kong International Airport for our flight back to USA.
