Our last family trip to Hong Kong was in 2007 and the kids were still very young back then. Now that they have grown up, this is really an excitement for all of us as we will spend 8 days 7 nights in Pearl of the Orient (東方之珠) during the September school holidays!
01.09.2012 - We woke up at 4 plus in the morning to catch the SQ flight at 7 plus. Denver and Gladys were so zest up that you cannot spot any sleepiness in them despite the early hours.
We love to arrive early at the airport. That gave us ample time to snap photos and shop around. :)
This is the first time our kiddos taking the Singapore Airlines and they LOVE it! The games and latest movies kept us entertained throughout our flight journey. Denver and Gladys had no problem getting familiar with the gadgets giving Daddy and Mommy some moments of peace. :)
Our lunch! Yummy and filling!
HELLO HONG KONG! We have finally landed and were welcomed by poster of Disneyland which we will be visiting real soon.
Unlike our previous visits, this time we took the Airport Express from Chek Lap Kok Airport (赤鱲角機場) to the city. Situated strategically at the Arrival Hall, the Airport Express departs at about 10-minute intervals taking passengers to Central in just 24 minutes!
There was a long queue at the airport and the MTR staff advise us to take the train first and purchase our fare tickets before exiting our designated station! To add on to our delight, we realised there was a current promotion for visitors and locals where children with a valid Child Octopus card gets to enjoy a free ride on the MTR Airport Express! That adds on to our savings. :)
The ride on the airport express was quick and comfortable. We enjoyed the scenic view as the train took us to Hong Kong station.
Before leaving the airport, Hubby bought a prepaid SIM card from the local 7-eleven stall costing HKD$60 (~SGD$10). You can choose to activate 1 day, 7 days or 30 days data plan to stay connected during your trip. :)
For more information, check out the China Mobile website.
After taking 1.5 hour transferring between stations and dragging our luggage, we finally reached our resting point - CHI Residences 279.
Before we embarked on our vacation, Hubby and I have been shortlisting and deciding which hotel to stay. Most of the rooms in Hong Kong, especially those located in Kowloon are small and expensive. This makes it extremely challenging for us as we want to rest comfortably, yet not too far from the MTR and of reasonable pricing.
After many months of searching and reading the reviews and advise from Tripadvisor, we finally settle down for CHI Residences 279. We booked the serviced apartment through Agoda for 7 nights at SGD$1480 (~SGD$211 per night).
Located at Shanghai Street, Chi Residence is about 10 minutes walk to/fro Yau Ma Tei MTR Exit C. Despite being situated along the buzzing streets, security is excellent and well thought of. We have to enter a passcode before entering the main entrance. The Residence is under 24-hour security monitoring and guests are also given an electronic magnetic card where you have to tap it in the lift which will bring you to your designated floor only. Entrance to the room is then via another key. These extra security measures makes us feel at ease when we are away. :)
Stepping into the boutique serviced apartment makes us feel very cosy and at home. A staff (Uncle Johnny) warmly welcome us and helped us with our luggage. Looking at the photos that are pinned on the board and all the Thank You letters by their previous guests further assured me that we will have a great stay here!
Denver and Gladys WOWed when they saw our room. It was spacious, modern looking and clean! There is a lot of space for the kids to roam about and we loved the softness and comfort of our queen size bed.
Every detail, equipment and gadgets that are place in the living room, bedroom, kitchen and toilet makes us feel at home. Plus, there is free in-room WiFi and Internet access on the LCD TV screen which comes with a DVD player. ^_^
The toilet is really big which is considered rare for the rooms in Hong Kong. The seating area in the bath area and the powerful showerhead jet from Grohe is so relaxing that all of us enjoy our shower everytime. :)
Apart from the various TV channels to select from, Denver and Gladys were delighted to see the range of DVDs that they can rent for free! Each room can borrow up to 2 DVD titles and to be return in 2 days. Our kiddos had "Movie World" almost every night! We were very happy with our stay at Chi Residences 279 and our children looked forward to returning to their temporary home every day.
It's time to roam the streets of Hong Kong after having a good rest. We were famished but the good thing is finding food is never a problem here. There are many food and street stalls near our apartment. We bought a jumbo hotdog and fishball stick as our appetizer.
Spotted Yee Shun Milk Company (義順牛奶公司) at Nathan Road (near Yau Ma Tei MTR) and we ordered their famous "Double Stewed Milk" (雙皮燉奶) at HKD$25. It is a milk-based sweet dessert with a thin layer of milk skin at the top. The texture is smooth and thick. Hubby and I had our first stewed milk at Yee Shun during our first visit to Hong Kong which was more than 10 years ago. Revisiting and tasting it again really brings back good old memories. ^_^
Denver had a beef sandwich (HKD$20) while Gladys prefers her sausage with eggs (HKD$22). It is not cheap to makan in Hong Kong but we spent a lot of time and dollars munching along the way. It has been a great enjoyment and I guess that whats make our trip so fulfilling.
Langham Place (朗豪坊) is a 15-storey trendy shopping mall in Kowloon which is within walking distance from our apartment. With direct access to the 5 star hotel, Langham Place Hotel, apart from fashion, food and beverage outlets, there is also a cinema within.
Snack attack time and our kiddos like to have a taste of the yummy cupcakes (HKD$28 each) from Awfully Chocolate. Its a funny thing that we did not bother to try them in Singapore but now in another country. :)
Another thing not to be missed when you are in Hong Kong is trying out the street-side food stalls (大排挡). From fried octopus, fermented beancurd to yu dan (fish balls) and meat balls. These stalls are commonly seen and have been our energizers for the next few days. Not to mention, our kids LOVE the food.
More food and scenic views of Hong Kong in Part 2! :)
Summary of Day 1 - Part 1
- Airport Express from Airport to City. *
- Purchase Octopus Card from MTR station.*
- Purchase of prepaid SIM Card (from China Mobile) at 7-Eleven stall.
- Apartment stay @ Chi Residences 279
* Check out if there are any local promotions during your visit.
Shopping
Langham Place
Address: 8, Argyle Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon
How to Get there: MTR, Mong Kok Station, Exit C3.
Food
Yee Shun Milk Company
Address: G/F, 513 Nathan Road, Yau Ma Tei
How to Get there: MTR, Yau Ma Tei Station, Exit B1
Awfully Chocolate
Address: Shop 20 Level 4, Langham Place, 8 Argyle Street, Kowloon
How to Get there: MTR, Mong Kok Station, Exit C3.
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