Preparing for my First Foreign Trip!
Excitement swells underneath! Just cannot wait for the first week of June to strike. Yeah!!Finally, I can travel abroad! This is my first time to take a foreign trip so a different surge of emotion amplifies every single minute of the day :-P
I've been praying hard to make this dream come true because my passport is about to expire and it's a great shame to renew it without a single stamp from the immigration hehe!
But I never imagine I could realize this dream sooner because my wallet is still bleeding with too many expenses in the graduate school and I am still recovering from the costly tuition fees and comprehensive exam not to mention our graduation fee that as high as our round trip Clark air fare oh Jesus! So there's no way I could fit this ambitious trip in my scanty budget but God is so good! He allowed circumstances to intervene. His love after all is larger than our worries and problems!
I will be joining faculty members in the university who are embarking into the cheapest route ---Hongkong and Macau! Oh Yeah!!I am such a brave soul because despite having no huge source of income and no available funds to finance this foreign trip I still got the nerve to book my flight hahaha! I just want to travel that's all :-D
I've been praying hard to make this dream come true because my passport is about to expire and it's a great shame to renew it without a single stamp from the immigration hehe!
But I never imagine I could realize this dream sooner because my wallet is still bleeding with too many expenses in the graduate school and I am still recovering from the costly tuition fees and comprehensive exam not to mention our graduation fee that as high as our round trip Clark air fare oh Jesus! So there's no way I could fit this ambitious trip in my scanty budget but God is so good! He allowed circumstances to intervene. His love after all is larger than our worries and problems!
I will be joining faculty members in the university who are embarking into the cheapest route ---Hongkong and Macau! Oh Yeah!!I am such a brave soul because despite having no huge source of income and no available funds to finance this foreign trip I still got the nerve to book my flight hahaha! I just want to travel that's all :-D
I booked my round trip ticket last February 28, 2013 and since then I spent my free hours searching for a Hongkong itinerary plan. This is a DIY (do-it-yourself) Hongkong and Macau tour which is more exciting and thrilling than having a tour guide that would eat up a large chunk of our budget. I requested a kababayan and very good friend, Jennifer Arguelles who is working in Hongkong, to guide us in this adventure.
I am no longer stranger to searching a travel guide stuff or creating an itinerary plan because I've been doing it for many years since creating this travel and leisure guide blog so I just intensified it with additional readings from the experience of other travellers.
Our first stop will be at Hongkong. Our booking confirmation stated that we will be touching down at the Hongkong international airport at 8:45 in the evening on June 1, 2013. From there we will be travelling by bus to the hotel in Kowloon.
Right now, I compiled so many planning travel kits from online sources complete with travel distance calculation, maps and directions. Lots of destinations to hop in, lots of attractions to consider but so far the best tourist attractions in Hongkong that travellers recommended are the following:
1. DISNEYLAND
We all love fairytale because it makes us go back to the land of joy and magic as if innocence did not end, with all the misunderstanding, chaos, conflicts and emotional struggle that hounded our existence there's nothing more relieving and relaxing than visit the world of fairytale even just for few hours --- Disneyland!
I want to make the most of my childlike nature here!
Frolicking around the fairytale landia, marvelling at Sleeping Beauty's castle will be my most soothing stress-buster for the season. Oh!!!Can't wait to stomp my feet at the carousel hehehe! Entrance for adult HK$450.00. Opening hours: 10:00 am to 8:00 pm.
2. OCEAN PARK
When I went to Manila, I did not go to Ocean Park because aside from its very expensive entrance fee, I am not really into live marine creatures, so the Ocean Park in Hongkong has never cross in my mind, but when my friend who is working in Hongkong told me that Ocean Park is more fantastic than Disneyland, I included it in my itinerary :-D
Yeah!So many attractions await at the Ocean Park, I visited its website and discovered lots of exciting stuff. Entry per adult HK$ 280.00. Opening hours 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
3. The PEAK, Sky Terrace and Madame Tussaud
According to a travel guide I read about going to the Peak Tower, the easiest and most exciting way to reach the area is through the Peak Tram. It looks like a train (well, really a train hehehe) and would travel through a landscape of rolling hills overseeing the Victoria harbour. Peak Tram fare (round trip) is HK $40.00 and travels between 7:00 am to 10:00 pm daily
The Peak Tower is one of the most impressive architectural wonders in Hongkong, with its tower perching above the Victoria Peak, the area allowed visitors to marvel at the fascinating Hongkong skyline. The tower has a viewing platform, Sky Terrace 428, that offers a panoramic view of the vibrant city and the neighboring islands, so the best time to visit the Peak Tower will be in the afternoon until night time. Sky Terrace entrance HK$30.00 and opens from 10:00 am -11:00 pm Monday to Friday and 8:00 am to 10:00 pm on weekends.
The Peak is surrounded with stunning greenery landscape. But one thing that really makes me so excited about the Peak adventure is visiting Madame Tussaud's wax museum. It houses the life size wax figures of Diana, Princess of Wales, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, Soccer sensation David Beckham, President Obama, Robert Pattinson, Jacky Chan, Elvis Presley and a lot more. Oh wooo! So excited. Madame Tussaud entrance for adult HK$190.00. Opening hour is 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
4. Ngong Ping 360 and Po Lin Monastery
Located in Lantau Island, Hongkong, where a giant Buddha can be seen from a distance, Ngong Ping is one destination in Hongkong that tourists should never missed. It can be reached through a cable car, the ride takes 25 minutes from Tung Chung town center to Lantau Island. Attractions at Ngong Ping include a visit to a cultural-themed village, walk to a giant Buddha, Monkey's Tale theater, Bodhi Shrine Well, Ngong Ping Tea House and Po Lin Monastery.
The number 360 signifies the 360 degrees view of Lantau Island that visitors can experience while travelling at the cable car. Passengers can enjoy the spectacular view of the Hongkong vistas, islands and the city itself. Opening hours 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. Price Package HK$194 this includes standard cabin cable car ride round trip, Ngong Ping village, walking with buddha, Monkey's Tale theater.
5. NAN LIAN GARDEN and CHI LIN NUNNERY
An elegant Chinese classical garden located in Kowloon, according to the information I read about this garden, Nan Lian is a truly magnificent, beautiful and tranquil place. It is characterized by the four elements of Tang-style gardens with artificial hillocks, ornamental rocks, running waters, old trees, bridges, winding paths, pond, pavilion and waterfalls!
Adjacent to Nan Lian Garden is Chi Lin Nunnery, a large monastic complex built in Tang Dynasty style. It has a vegetarian restaurant nearby. The Nunnery is a beautiful clusters of building with three courtyards that contained ornamental plants and gardens. Entrance is free (Oh heaven thanks my wallet can take a break hehe!). Opening hours 7:00 am to 9:00 pm.
6. NOAH'S ARK
This is the newest theme park in Hongkong. Noah's Ark, which prominently mentioned in the Holy Bible, probably existed only in our imaginations, but three Hongkong billionaire brothers decided to build this very ambitious project which opened to the public in May 2009. Set in front of the Tsing Ma bridge in Hongkong, Noah's Ark measures 450 feet long and 75 feet wide, it features double-glazed windows with a fine dining restaurant inside the ark.
The theme park depicted what was written in the bible, it has 67 pairs of animals in the entrance just like the exact number of pairs saved by Noah at the great flood. A fibre glass made Giraffe guarded the entrance of the Ark. Entrance for adult HK$155.00
MACAU one-day trip
We will visit Macau that's for sure!:-P
A former Portuguese colony now part of the special administrative region of China, Macau is dubbed as the gambling mecca, the Las Vegas in Asia. It has several world-class casinos situated at Cotai Strip: Galaxy Macau, Venetian, City of Dreams, MGM and Wynn these casino resorts are some of the best in Las Vegas and now found its way to Macau. This Chinese region can be reached through Turbo and Cotai jets from Hongkong. It's just a one-hour sea travel.
I am eager to visit MGM, I'd studied this casino resort extensively last year. When I took up my strategic management subject in MBA, I was assigned to make a strategic plan presentation about MGM in the class, MGM's case was very complicated because it is a multi-divisional company, it took three weeks before I completed my analysis presentation with lots of sleepless nights, headaches and pounds of stress :-D
But the most-talked about casino in Macau along the Cotai Strip is Venetian Macau. It follows an Italian theme and just like what the city of Venice in Italy is known for, Venetian also has a Gondola where visitors can embark into a romantic boat ride around the canal surrounding the resort.
Other top attractions in Macau are Senado Square, A- Ma Temple, ruins of St. Paul Cathedral, Macau Tower, Macau Science Center, Macau Museum, Border Gates, Ponte 16 and Macau Fisherman's Wharf.
I am no longer stranger to searching a travel guide stuff or creating an itinerary plan because I've been doing it for many years since creating this travel and leisure guide blog so I just intensified it with additional readings from the experience of other travellers.
Our first stop will be at Hongkong. Our booking confirmation stated that we will be touching down at the Hongkong international airport at 8:45 in the evening on June 1, 2013. From there we will be travelling by bus to the hotel in Kowloon.
Right now, I compiled so many planning travel kits from online sources complete with travel distance calculation, maps and directions. Lots of destinations to hop in, lots of attractions to consider but so far the best tourist attractions in Hongkong that travellers recommended are the following:
1. DISNEYLAND
We all love fairytale because it makes us go back to the land of joy and magic as if innocence did not end, with all the misunderstanding, chaos, conflicts and emotional struggle that hounded our existence there's nothing more relieving and relaxing than visit the world of fairytale even just for few hours --- Disneyland!
I want to make the most of my childlike nature here!
Frolicking around the fairytale landia, marvelling at Sleeping Beauty's castle will be my most soothing stress-buster for the season. Oh!!!Can't wait to stomp my feet at the carousel hehehe! Entrance for adult HK$450.00. Opening hours: 10:00 am to 8:00 pm.
2. OCEAN PARK
When I went to Manila, I did not go to Ocean Park because aside from its very expensive entrance fee, I am not really into live marine creatures, so the Ocean Park in Hongkong has never cross in my mind, but when my friend who is working in Hongkong told me that Ocean Park is more fantastic than Disneyland, I included it in my itinerary :-D
Yeah!So many attractions await at the Ocean Park, I visited its website and discovered lots of exciting stuff. Entry per adult HK$ 280.00. Opening hours 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
3. The PEAK, Sky Terrace and Madame Tussaud
According to a travel guide I read about going to the Peak Tower, the easiest and most exciting way to reach the area is through the Peak Tram. It looks like a train (well, really a train hehehe) and would travel through a landscape of rolling hills overseeing the Victoria harbour. Peak Tram fare (round trip) is HK $40.00 and travels between 7:00 am to 10:00 pm daily
The Peak Tower is one of the most impressive architectural wonders in Hongkong, with its tower perching above the Victoria Peak, the area allowed visitors to marvel at the fascinating Hongkong skyline. The tower has a viewing platform, Sky Terrace 428, that offers a panoramic view of the vibrant city and the neighboring islands, so the best time to visit the Peak Tower will be in the afternoon until night time. Sky Terrace entrance HK$30.00 and opens from 10:00 am -11:00 pm Monday to Friday and 8:00 am to 10:00 pm on weekends.
The Peak is surrounded with stunning greenery landscape. But one thing that really makes me so excited about the Peak adventure is visiting Madame Tussaud's wax museum. It houses the life size wax figures of Diana, Princess of Wales, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, Soccer sensation David Beckham, President Obama, Robert Pattinson, Jacky Chan, Elvis Presley and a lot more. Oh wooo! So excited. Madame Tussaud entrance for adult HK$190.00. Opening hour is 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
4. Ngong Ping 360 and Po Lin Monastery
Located in Lantau Island, Hongkong, where a giant Buddha can be seen from a distance, Ngong Ping is one destination in Hongkong that tourists should never missed. It can be reached through a cable car, the ride takes 25 minutes from Tung Chung town center to Lantau Island. Attractions at Ngong Ping include a visit to a cultural-themed village, walk to a giant Buddha, Monkey's Tale theater, Bodhi Shrine Well, Ngong Ping Tea House and Po Lin Monastery.
The Giant Buddha at Lantau Island with a cable car behind
5. NAN LIAN GARDEN and CHI LIN NUNNERY
An elegant Chinese classical garden located in Kowloon, according to the information I read about this garden, Nan Lian is a truly magnificent, beautiful and tranquil place. It is characterized by the four elements of Tang-style gardens with artificial hillocks, ornamental rocks, running waters, old trees, bridges, winding paths, pond, pavilion and waterfalls!
Nan Lian Garden
Chi Lin Monastery
6. NOAH'S ARK
This is the newest theme park in Hongkong. Noah's Ark, which prominently mentioned in the Holy Bible, probably existed only in our imaginations, but three Hongkong billionaire brothers decided to build this very ambitious project which opened to the public in May 2009. Set in front of the Tsing Ma bridge in Hongkong, Noah's Ark measures 450 feet long and 75 feet wide, it features double-glazed windows with a fine dining restaurant inside the ark.
The theme park depicted what was written in the bible, it has 67 pairs of animals in the entrance just like the exact number of pairs saved by Noah at the great flood. A fibre glass made Giraffe guarded the entrance of the Ark. Entrance for adult HK$155.00
MACAU one-day trip
We will visit Macau that's for sure!:-P
A former Portuguese colony now part of the special administrative region of China, Macau is dubbed as the gambling mecca, the Las Vegas in Asia. It has several world-class casinos situated at Cotai Strip: Galaxy Macau, Venetian, City of Dreams, MGM and Wynn these casino resorts are some of the best in Las Vegas and now found its way to Macau. This Chinese region can be reached through Turbo and Cotai jets from Hongkong. It's just a one-hour sea travel.
I am eager to visit MGM, I'd studied this casino resort extensively last year. When I took up my strategic management subject in MBA, I was assigned to make a strategic plan presentation about MGM in the class, MGM's case was very complicated because it is a multi-divisional company, it took three weeks before I completed my analysis presentation with lots of sleepless nights, headaches and pounds of stress :-D
The Cotai Strip of Macau where some of the best casinos in the world are situated
Other top attractions in Macau are Senado Square, A- Ma Temple, ruins of St. Paul Cathedral, Macau Tower, Macau Science Center, Macau Museum, Border Gates, Ponte 16 and Macau Fisherman's Wharf.
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