Our Third Day Exploit - Ngong Ping & Citygate

On our third day, after a tiring trip at Shenzhen, it was time to go slow and savor nature. I consider Ngong Ping as the best place to have a relaxing sight-seeing in Hong Kong, far from the hustle and bustle of the city and the noisy and crowded theme parks.

Due to fatigue, we woke up a bit late and took our daily caffeine and choco shots at McCafe near Times Square. Family loves their daily steaming hot choco while I prefer the strong aroma of their hot coffee to awaken my senses.

We arrived at 10 AM at Lantau MTR station. Upon seeing Citygate Outlets, as if being magnetized my wife and daughter automatically proceeded inside this mall unmindful of the boys, lol. However, upon seeing that most of the shops were still closed we proceeded to nearby Ngong Ping 360 cable car station.

The famous and unused stair at NP 360

We fell in line and waited for the ticket counters to open. After 15 minutes we noticed that several groups of tourists were bypassing our queue. I approached an NP staff and showed to her our vouchers bought from CTS airport. We were directed to another counter without any queue to exchange our vouchers into tickets. We were elated since we knew that probably more than a hundred people were already ahead of us. Hence, if you plan to visit Ngong Ping, buy your voucher at CTS airport upon arrival. You will find them at counter A04. I paid 135 HKD for each round-trip ordinary cabin voucher.

On our way to NP village

It was a first time for both daughter and eldest to ride a cable car thus they were very eager and chirpy while waiting for our turn. Unfortunately, since there was a long queue, the staff were herding 8 people inside a normal cabin thus a female "kabayan" with her Caucasian friend were with us. Nonetheless, we got a thrilling and enjoyable 25 minutes cable car ride on our way to Ngong Ping village.

Stunning views greeted us on our way to the top of the mountain. The sea and lush mountain complimented each other and at the same time we got a glimpse of how huge Hong Kong International Airport is.

As usual, upon arrival at Ngong Ping, we saw our large family pic being paraded by NP staff. Since our shot inside the cable car was better than our cable car shot at Genting Highlands, Malaysia we decided to buy it.

Fortunately, it was a cloudy day thus we were able to enjoy Ngong Ping without suffering Hong Kong's summer temperature. It was a picturesque place due to Buddhist style structure at Ngong Ping village, the lush vegetation and absence of skyscrapers.

From the cable car station we walked for several hundred meters until we reached the base of the 34 meters tall Tian Tian Buddha, the largest outdoor bronze seated Buddha. You have to conquer 268 steps before reaching the pedestal where a 3-storey exhibition hall is located. Another tip, it is cheaper to buy bottled water from here than in NP village. Moreover, on our way we bought a medium size corn on the cob for 35 HKD and a stick of "siomai" for 15 HKD; food is quite expensive around here so better bring some snacks with you.

AT THE PEDESTAL

From this point, the view is really breathtaking due to panoramic outline of Lantau Island and the South China Sea.

These guys were having a free show

After spending an hour at the pedestal and lots of photo ops we decided to return back to the cable car station; we didn't try to visit Po Lin Monastery anymore. On our way back I got a free shot with these cool guys. Likewise, family searched for their Chinese Horoscope Generals statue and another set of photo ops.

Going back to Citygate Outlets was better because we had the entire cable car cabin for ourselves making our descend more fun and exciting.

After Ngong Ping, famished, we raced to Food Republic inside Citygate Outlets. We had a sumptuous and filling meal. The food here is affordable compared with NP village.

CITYGATE OUTLETS

As expected, wife and daughter got a sudden boost of adrenaline rush. We entered different shops like Esprit, Giordano, Guess, etc. Not to be outdone, my boys explored Adidas, Nike and other sports outlets as well. Fortunately, I was able to convince them that it was cheaper to shop at Mongkok. I was lucky that the wife was in good mood thus I was able to exercise my convincing prowess, lol.

We left Citygate Outlets at 2 PM and raced to a place which I can't divulge here since I consider it a trade secret, lol. We have found another great source of Japanese and Korean dresses that can rival the Platinum Mall of Bangkok, Thailand. In fact, in terms of variety and price this place could possibly outweigh Platinum Mall. In a matter of less than an hour, we have consumed our initial or trial budget for our online shop HappyStripes Hong Kong limited collection. Likewise, my daughter was thrilled to find a pair of trendy leather shoes for a measly 100 HKD.

Furthermore, we have booked our flight back to Hong Kong on the first week of June to further explore this place and with bigger shopping budget. This time our "fashionista" daughter would be coming with us.





Before returning back to our hotel, we took our dinner at Ngan Lung Restaurant at Jardine Bazaar Street at Causeway Bay. They have increased their price since our last visit on December 2011. I got billed more than 400 HKD for a dinner for 5 people with soda drinks. If you are in a budget, avoid this place even if  it offers  authentic local cuisine, trust me.

See our 4th Day Exploit: Macau

Our Second Day Exploit (Shenzhen) - Hong Kong / Shenzhen / Macau Family Trip

We closed a deal with Destiny Joy Travel & Tours located at 3rd floor of World Wide Plaza, Central for a day trip to Shenzhen, China. They sent a copy of our passports to their contact in Shenzhen for group visa preparation. The tour package cost was 350 HKD thus I paid 1,750 HKD for our family of five. Actually, at least 3 people are required before a group visa can be issued according to "Joy" the Managing Director. Since we were 5, she told us that our group could be lucky touring Shenzhen without joining other groups.

The tour includes transportation (inside Shenzhen), lunch and entrance fee to Window of the World theme park. We were instructed to be at Shenzhen immigration window no 8 from 9 AM to 9:30 AM where our tour guide would be waiting; at the other side of course. She then gave us several copies of our tour itinerary. Furthermore, Joy reminded us that our visa was valid inside Shenzhen only hence we were not allowed to travel outside Shenzhen.

Since we need to travel from Causeway Bay to Shenzhen border we woke up at 6 AM and left our hotel at 7 AM; we need to change train four times before reaching the border. Upon reaching Mongkok, we decided to go out and have our breakfast at McDonald's. At Kowloon Tong MTR station where we need to transfer to the fourth and final train going to the border we noticed that there were 3 final destinations being shown at several LED electronic billboard namely: Tai Po Market / Lok Ma Chau and Lo Wu. We waited for Lo Wu train.

We arrived at Lo Wu station at past 8 AM; after clearing Hong Kong immigration we walked for some time until we reached Shenzhen immigration arrival counters at around 9 AM. We saw a couple of ladies (kabayans) waiting near window 8 and it seemed they were also waiting for their tour guide. Moments later we were called by one lady at window no 8 and showed me a list of name on a group visa. Unfortunately, we were not included on that list. She then asked us to wait for our tour guide.

Shortly thereafter, a guy arrived and called me from the same window no 8 and showed a list of name. Aha! He was our tour guide. He asked us to fall in line in front of the immigration counter according to the sequence appearing on our group visa. Shenzhen immigration procedure was a breeze though our passports were scrutinized thoroughly. To add, another Filipino family of four on a separate group visa joined our group. It was a welcome relief to have another Filipino family joining our group while touring an unfamiliar place.

Our tour guide name was Bruce Wong. He spoke English well and a bit comical which we really appreciated. While traveling in our 15-seaters van he explained to us many things about Shenzhen and how the locals live before and after the hand-over of Hong Kong to China.

First in our itinerary was the usual Jade Shop.

A pair of Pixiu guarding the treasure

A large Chinese Sampan made of Jade

I was a bit disappointed initially but when I saw a pair (husband & wife) of jade Pixiu, they always come in pair, I told my wife that we need to have one. For Filipinos with Chinese blood or those who believe in Feng Shui (Pungsoy), Pixiu symbolizes wealth and fortune. You would see these Chinese mythological creatures normally at the entrance of the shop. If my recollection is correct, there is one pair of giant Pixiu outside Tangs Mall at Orchard Road, Singapore. You would see them also in many Chinese owned shops in Philippines. In short, we bought a pair of medium size jade Pixiu for 200 USD with free Moon (luminous) Ball; this ball absorbs light and it releases the light when it is dark. Aside from that, we were given a 50% discount for a jade Chinese Sampan that symbolizes Happy Family. Hence, from 2800 pesos the price of the Sampan went down to 1400 pesos. Yes, this jade shop accepts pesos. Moreover, all the items being sold here comes with certificate attesting the authenticity of the jade. This is one of the advantages in buying in a government accredited jade shop or factory unlike in Bangkok where selling of imitation and fake gems or jade is a norm. Our group spent an hour here and wife and kids and the other family in our tour group bought several jade bracelets and pendant. While inside, we tasted free sample of local tea. I loved its taste but considering that I am the only tea-drinker in our family, I decided to forego my plan of buying it.

Second in our itinerary was the Silk Shop.

That was definitely a let-down since Filipinos were not very fond of wearing silk though it was a very informative tour. Nobody from our group bought anything from here.

Third in our itinerary was the local costume shot at Splendid China.

daughter in Kung Fu pose

my youngest kid

In front of Splendid China

The Royal Family - I will treasure this shot

At the entrance of Splendid China were several souvenir shops and one of them was a local costume shop. You can rent a Chinese / Korean / Mongolian costume for 20 Yuan each; included on the price is a small free picture. The shop has its own lady photographer for some photo shoots. Hence, I paid 100 Yuan for five of us. The activity was unforgettable; we were laughing at each other and continuously taking photo shoots at the entrance of Splendid China. Sad to say, Splendid China was not included on our itinerary thus our shots were limited at the entrance. By the way, when we were asked by the photographer to pose for a group or family shot some tourists also took part in taking our shots.

LUNCH TIME

Inside the restaurant

Waiting for 'Pancit" and pork dish

After the local costume brouhaha we raced to nearby restaurant for our lunch. There were nine of us in our tour group thus we occupied a single round table for 10 people. Foods were plentiful though nothing spectacular or especial. We had fried scrambled egg, sweet and sour fish, roasted half-duck, noodles (pancit), vegetables, among others. Drinking water was free. However, to be on the safe side, we opted to buy a large bottle of 7-UP for 35 Yuan or 40 HKD for five of us while a small can or bottle of soft drink would cost a staggering 20 HKD. Quite pricey isn't it?

There were lots of left-over from our meal, I asked Bruce if I can bring them to Hong Kong, it was actually a joke; he laughed heartily.

We crossed the main road and visited another local shop which specialized in bamboo fibers. 

We learned that many products can be derived from bamboo fibers such as underwear, LOL. As expected, nobody from our group purchased anything from here. Another let-down.

The next place to visit in our itinerary was Window of the World. 

Window of the World

Yes! Everybody is excited because WOW is undoubtedly the main reason why tourists visit Shenzhen. Unfortunately, we are given only 2 hours to enjoy WOW. Nevertheless, it was quite an experience to visit this theme park especially upon seeing and conquering the one-third scale replica of Eiffel Tower. The whole park was sparkling clean and well manicured. Though we were not able to cover the entire park the adrenaline rush lasted for the whole 2 hours. Anyway, due to its sheer size, you would need to take rest after more than an hour of strolling.

Super Mario Brothers

The Grand Palace of Thailand

From U.S.

From Europe

I like this place

Climbing the Eiffel Tower

One of the two man made falls

Are we in Egypt?

After 2 hours we made sure that we would be at the KFC outlet outside WOW. Our tour guide together with the lady photographer was waiting for our group; the other group arrived earlier since the two ladies were on the chubby side thus we knew they won't last a couple of hours walking inside WOW. The photographer showed us several large framed pictures and picture plates. I expected this and I mentioned to my wife earlier that we would take only our family shots picture plate. In short, we received the free small pictures and purchased all our individual single shots with discount after haggling. For the picture plate, we bought the family shot only since we knew that they can easily remove our pictures from the remaining unsold plates thus no guilty feeling from our side.

Our last activity in our itinerary was Lo Wu (Louhu) Shopping Mall just outside Shenzhen border immigration office.

Inside Lo Wu Mall

Border immigration office beside Lo Wu Mall

Accordingly, our tour guide, Bruce Wong, beckoned us to buy class A imitation of signature brands from his friend's shop at Lo Wu Mall. Unfortunately for him, we didn't go to Shenzhen for this purpose hence we decided to explore Lo Wu Mall on our own. Eventually the kids got tired and hungry thus we grabbed a quick bite at Fairwood. There was nothing special at Lo Wu Mall either since most shops were merely selling cheap imitations and electronic items.

After an hour of exploring Lo Wu Mall it was time for us to go back to Hong Kong. Bruce Wong accompanied us to nearby immigration building and reminded us that in our itinerary we need to give at least 20 HKD tip per person if we were satisfied with our tour. I knew that he was trying his best to please us during the entire trip thus I gave him 100 HKD as family tip. Aside from that I gave another 20 HKD to our driver since we used to leave our bags inside the van. Again, we need to fall in line at immigration counter according to the sequence of our name as per our group visa.

We returned back to Causeway Bay by MTR. Each of us spent more than 70 HKD for round-trip MTR fare.

While nothing can be done about the compulsory visit to local shops when you avail a tour package, the entire trip nevertheless was an unforgettable experience for us since that was the first time we entered mainland China. I felt a bit nostalgic as well since I knew that I have set foot on the land of my ancestors.

My advice if you plan to visit Shenzhen from Hong Kong, better apply for China visa in your country (Philippines) first so as you would be able to avoid those "usual local shops" included on Shenzhen tour package and have plenty of time visiting Splendid China and Window of the World. It is likely also that it would be cheaper and trust me, you can make a DIY tour inside Shenzhen.

Right after dinner we called it a day and went back straight to our hotel to rest.

Stay tuned for our 3rd Day Exploit: Ngong Ping and Citygate

Our First Day Exploit - Hong Kong / Shenzhen / Macau Family Trip

What more a Dad can ask for if his eldest son was included on top 10 of recently held Marketing Professional certification exam while passing his Business Administration course with flying colors.

Due to this, as a reward to his effort, we decided to return back to Hong Kong and this time with side trips to Shenzhen and Macau. Disneyland and Ocean Park were not included anymore in our itinerary so as to maximize our sight-seeing in Hong Kong. The trip would last for 6D/5N and would cost me my last year's entire performance bonus and a dip in our savings, lol.

We left for Hong Kong on 21st of April from Clark Airport. Sad to say, we can't bring our beloved family car with us so we left her for 5 nights at Clark's Park N Fly.

Our flight from Clark was around 7 AM thus we left our home at exactly 3 AM. Due to excitement, our kids didn't sleep and simply waited until the time we need to leave our home. The travel to Clark was a breeze; we grabbed a quick breakfast at a 24 hour Jollibee outlet outside the Main Gate of Clark Freeport Zone.

We arrived in Hong Kong Airport at past 9 AM and as planned we did the following:

* Proceeded to CTS counter at A04 (take the leftmost exit upon retrieving your luggage). We bought 5 vouchers for Ngong Ping at 135 HKD per person standard cabin round-trip. Don't forget this step in case you plan to visit Ngong Ping. The voucher would allow you to bypass the long queue at Ngong Ping ticket counter. However, you still need to exchange the voucher into ticket in a separate window or counter. Better yet, ask immediately any roaming NP staff where to exchange your NP voucher so you won't waste your time in a wrong queue.
* Bought 5 Octopus cards at 150 HKD each from the MTR counter.
* Bought a local SIM card at 7-11 for 60 HKD

Since our hotel was in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Island, we took the Urban Taxi (red color) from the airport. The actual fare was 242 HKD plus 80 HKD for toll fee and 20 HKD for our 2 big luggages. Considering that we were 5 in our group, the 342 HKD fare was reasonable since the taxi brought us directly in front of our hotel. Be aware though that you need to show beforehand to both airport taxi dispatcher and taxi driver the hotel address in Chinese characters.

Iron Man at Hysan Place

We arrived at Minihotel, Causeway Bay at lunch time. Since our room wasn't available yet, we left our luggage and strolled at nearby Times Square Plaza and had our lunch at McDonald's. We visited Victoria Park as well. We noticed that most domestic helpers spending their day-offs at VP were from Indonesia; this place used to be crowded with our "kabayans" during Sunday many years back. It is likely that they have a new place to spend their weekly day-offs.

We checked in at 2 PM; after settling down we raced to World Wide Plaza at Central by Ding Ding Tram from Causeway Bay; we plan to visit Shenzhen, China thus we need to arrange our trip with a local tour agency since we were not able to apply for China visa in Philippines. Moreover, travelling by Tram while at the upper deck was a thrilling experience for the entire family. It was like watching a movie about the daily lives of Hong Kong residents. We alighted at Peddler Street and paid 2.30 HKD each using Octopus card.

"Kabayans" at World Wide Plaza

"kabayans" lining up the hallways

Pinoy foods on sale inside WWP

We saw World Wide Plaza at the other corner of the intersection. Being Sunday, it came as no surprise when we saw ant-like numbers of our "kabayans" in and around WWP. So this is where our "kabayans" are spending their day-offs. You can see them occupying even the side street of WWP. Entering the building was an arduous task for us due to crowded hallways. It was pretty difficult as well to reach the 3rd floor where the travel and tour agencies are located.

We searched for a tour agency that can arrange for a trip to Shenzhen, China. Our itinerary was actually flexible; we can either go to Shenzhen or Macau on the following day depending on the release of our Shenzhen visa. Fortunately, we found one small tour agency being managed by Filipinas that was able to arrange our Shenzhen trip the following day. The price of our Shenzhen tour was 350 HKD each inclusive of lunch, transportation (Shenzhen only) and guided tour. More details of our Shenzhen tour on our Second Day Exploit.

After closing the deal for our Shenzhen tour we took our snack at nearby Chee Kei. Initially, my kids wanted to eat at Jollibee. They were caught by "homesickness frenzy" by our "kabayans" lining up the small Jollibee outlet at the back of WWP. Wife raised her voice and the kids returned back to their senses, lol. Family ordered Wanton Noodles while I enjoyed Mushroom Noodles. They found the noodles quite firm compared with our own "pinoy" style noodles. Nevertheless, they enjoyed the experience especially when they noticed that the menu was "para sa mga pinoy" during Sunday and Holidays. Indeed, we noticed plenty of our "kabayans" dining at Chee Kei.

On our way to Star Ferry Pier

After a filling snack, we followed the Star Ferry street sign. After around 30 minutes of walking on elevated footbridge we arrived at the pier. Trust me, you won't get lost when searching for Star Ferry pier while in Central, Hong Kong.

We selected the upper deck and paid 3.40 HKD by Octopus card.

The entire trip was unforgettable for all of us since it was our first time to ride Star Ferry.

We disembarked at Harbour City, Kowloon and after spending 30 minutes inside we opted to visit the nearby Old Clock Tower. The view from here was stunning. In addition, the sea breeze would surely enliven and reinvigorate your tired body. Fortunately it was a cloudy afternoon thus it was bearable to stay outside and exposed to Hong Kong's summer temperature.

Elevated view deck at the Old Clock Tower

We stayed here for an hour before we called it a day. We paid a visit at nearby Cafe De Coral for our dinner before returning back to our hotel by MTR. We need to take rest and do some preparations since we would be travelling to Shenzhen the following day.

Though that was our first day, we had several first time activities in Hong Kong making this family trip another memorable event for all of us.

For our Shenzhen exploit: Our Second Day Exploit - Shenzhen

Happy Stripes goes Hong Kong

Hey ladies! Watch out for Happy Stripes' limited and personally hand-picked Hong Kong collection to be released on 01 May 2013.

During our recent family trip to Hong Kong/Shenzhen/Macau, Happy Stripes has found a great source of Korean and Japanese trendy ladies apparel at an affordable price.

We want you to be the happiest ladies thus we are now bringing you the prettiest clothes from Hong Kong.

Happy Stripes will be selling trendy ladies apparel from Bangkok and Hong Kong from here on.

Like our FB page to have a constant update: HappyStripes

Spotted - Tourist Attractions at Phnom Penh, Cambodia

I spotted this compact list of tourist attractions in Phnom Penh City hanging inside a remork or tuk tuk.

Hence, for undecided tourists in PP, no worries at all. Just take a remork or tuk tuk and select the place you want to visit and negotiate for the fare.

A clever way for a tuk tuk driver to grab the attention of his passenger (tourist) at PP City.