LittleSandyBeach

On Thursday morning we went for a long walk along the North Point Promenade which runs for 13km along the harbour front. There are many parks and public spaces along the whole stretch.

We came across Golden Bauhinia Square which is located just outside the Hong Kong convention centre. It is famous for being the site of the 1997 Handover ceremony, marking the end of British colonial rule and the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The main sculpture is a 6 metre tall, Bauhinia Blakeana (the floral emblem of Hong Kong) which was gifted by the Chinese Central Government.

Just nearby was Wan Chai ferry port which is one of the places you can board one of the iconic Star Ferries to cross Victoria Harbour from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon. They have been running since 1888 and are still a popular mode of transport due to its very affordable pricing (5 HKD for a ticket, 48p). There’s still a fleet of 9 boats that operate everyday, some dating back to 1958.

In the afternoon we went on Hong Kong Observation Wheel that looks over Victoria Harbour. It reaches 60m high with lovely views of the city.

Just in front of the wheel was a ginormous anchor from the Seawise Giant – the largest cargo ship ever built. It was scrapped in 2010 with the anchor being donated to the Maritime Museum.

On Hong Kong Island the cheapest mode of transport is the Ding Ding! Introduced in 1904 to help transport the growing population it holds the Guinness world record for the world’s largest double decker tram fleet in service with 165 tramcars. You board the tram at the back and exit at the front where you also pay the flat fare of only 3.30 HKD (32p).

In the evening we went to watch A Symphony of Lights which is a free light show on over 40 skyscrapers. It has been running everyday since 2004 and lasts for 10 minutes.

The next morning we woke up bright and early to skip the queues for The Peak Tram. It is an iconic funicular railway operating since 1888 to take people from Central to Victoria Peak in only 10 minutes.

Upon ascent people can experience an illusion where the skyscrapers appear to be leaning. Once reaching the top you can visit the Sky Terrace 428 (428 metres above sea level) which offers 360 degree views of the city.

Just nearby the entrance/exit for the Peak Tram is HK Park. Inside the park there many different attractions to see, the first being Edward Youde Aviary. There’s over 80 bird species that you can see when walking through on the elevated platform.

Then we climbed up to the Vantage Point tower which sits in the middle of the park giving great views of the city from within.

Afterwards we checked out the Forsgate Conservatory which has three distinct areas showcasing different types of plants. The dry plant house, humid plant house and also a section for different themed exhibitions throughout the year.

Just in front of the greenhouse is a lovely man-made pond with lots of fish and lots of terrapins enjoying the midday sun on the rocks. You can also walk behind the man-made waterfall.

In the evening we went to try some Beef Brisket Noodles that are very popular in HK. We found a place a short journey away from us called Eight Treasures and what a find it was! The beef just melted, lots of Asian radish and a lovely broth. Even the iced teas were great!

On Saturday morning it was time to check out and head to HK West Kowloon Station. We decided to take the star ferry back across the river for a more scenic route. When we got into the station we were blown away by the sheer size of it.

After making our way through immigration we boarded the high speed train to our next destination… Shenzhen! The train only took 15 minutes and was extremely smooth. Of course, it was exactly on time.

Shenzhen is known as the ‘Silicon Valley of China’ and is one of the most technologically advanced cities in the world. Let’s go find some robots!