Hong Kong and Macau are our destination for our family’s summer vacation. This year we were joined by my mom and my sister!
Back in 2015, me, Daddy S and Heinel already went to Hong Kong which I also blogged about. However, it was just a quick trip and we only got to visit Disneyland (see about my post here). Thus, our excitement did not waver even if we are not first timers.
For this trip, we also skipped hotel reservations and instead tried AirBnb. We got a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home for just a price of one-standard hotel room at a very convenient location! Pretty neat huh?! If you want to read about our airbnb experience, just go visit my post.
On with our adventure, we arrived in Hong Kong before noon. Since our home check-in time is 2pm, we still had plenty of time to roam around, so we dropped off our luggage at Central Station and went to The Peak.
Tip: There are “left luggage” services available at MTR Central Station where you can leave your luggage for a fee while you roam around the city. If you take the Airport Express train, get of at the last station. The left luggage service is at the ground level. The price varies per size of the luggage and depends on how long you plan to leave your luggage.
From Central Station, we took a cab going to the Peak. We almost got discouraged lining up for the tram due to the long lines because it was a holiday. Even the lines for the return trip is also very long. It was a reminder for us once again to always check holiday schedules prior to our trip.
We decided to see Madame Tessauds first. It was amazing to see the intricacy of the wax versions of various personalities and celebrities. We, the adults, took various photos inside, much to the boredom of the two kids in tow. Hahaha!
The best attraction at the Peak is the breathtaking view of Hong Kong. If visited on a fairly good weather, one can take tons of Instagram-worthy pictures in there.
After the Peak, we decided to check-in to our home to rest and freshen up. We were planning to go to Avenue of the Stars but sadly we found out that it was closed for a major renovation. We got a little disappointed but good thing we checked online first before actually going there and end up not seeing anything.
The following day, we went to Tung Chung station with the intention of taking the cable car to Big Buddha. Sadly, the cable car is also under renovation. We are looking forward to the breathtaking view from the whole cable car ride. There is an option to take a bus to Bid Buddha but the travel time will take 2-hours. We decided against it since we think it will be too tiresome for the kids. Instead, we decided to go authentic on our lunch at Tung Chung mall. We had quite an interesting experience in it but the food did not disappoint!
After lunch we went shopping there as well since it is known to be the retail outlet of various known brands. Of course the shopper in me was delighted!
We ended our second day with relaxed dinner with the kids and hang-out at Lee Tung Avenue which is filled with these beautiful Chinese lanterns.
On our third day, we were off to the “happiest place on earth”! Of course, a trip to Hong Kong will not be complete without going to Disneyland!
We were blessed with a great weather while in Disneyland. It was not too sunny and nor did it rain hard. There were a drizzles here and there but nothing to drench us.
Compared with our previous visit in 2015, we, especially Heinel, got to experience more rides as the lines were not that long. We practically rode everything our hearts desire!
I was particularly taken by the It’s a Small World ride. The little girl in me was giddy happy with the beauty of the dolls and the country that were represented.
Of course our trip to Disneyland will not be complete without watching the famous light parade and the fireworks show! Even Hendrix was fascinated with all the magnificent lights!
A Disneyland whole day trip is always tiring but ultimately fun!
On our fourth day, we traveled via a two-hour ferry ride to Macau! I was initially worried that Heinel and Hendrix will get seasick but my sons proved again how much of a trooper they are. Hendrix even loved the feel of the waves!
A visit to Macau will not be complete without theseeing the beautiful Senado square. It was like visiting Portugal with all its beautiful architecture. We explored not only the sights but also the food! Their milk tea and croquet were the must haves!
Tip: When we got off the Macau ferry station, we were approached for various tour packages of Senado Square and The Ruins. We did not avail of any since both of these attractions are in just one street. The tour packages can be costly especially when they saw that we have kids with us. The cab drivers are very much familiar with Senado Square or the Ruins. We showed them photos of it too just to make sure they understood where they want to take us.
We got to see as well the famous ruins of St Paul Church. Since walking thru the whole Senado Square was tiring, we rested for a while at the park beside The Ruins. Heinel and my sister even played at the playground.
After having lunch at Senado Square, we decided the famous tourist spot in Macau which are the casino hotels. We particularly went to The Venetian and see the replica of The Eiffel tower.
It even has its own love lock for those hopeless romantics!
We availed of the tour up top the Eiffel Tower and boy oh boy was it scary-high up there!
We were in hurry to catch our ferry schedule but luckily we were still able to catch the beauty of the Eiffel Tower at night! This made me wish that we can go see the real one in Paris soon!
Another summer spent with family is off our checklist with this trip. It is always an adventure and a learning experience exploring places, food and culture with them. Looking forward to the next! 