Hong Kong Trip - Day 1

It's been a while since I updated the blog... ;)

The trip went well and it was worth the money spent. Thanks to you guys...

The trip this time was different in a sense we didn't actually make any prior planning on our trip (where to go, what to do). Everything was scheduled when we were in HK. Nevertheless, we managed to 'finish' the trip and covered HK pretty well.

It nearly became a two-person trip after one of us that decided to cancel it at the eleventh hour changed his mind and decided to follow (Yes... YOU!!).

On the night before our departure, Faisal came to get his ticket and we made some last minute food-supply shopping. After that, it's packing time.

I woke up at 5 in the morning as we need to be at KLIA around 7.30-ish. Although, it was still early (Dan's going to pick me up at 6.15 a.m), I got up and surfed the internet. Although I can get at least half-an-hour more sleep, I dreaded that I might over dozed and eventually getting a call from Dan saying he's in front of the gate. That would spoil the mood of the trip wouldn't it? Getting lectured in the wee hours of the morning...

Dan arrived, we parked at the office and headed to KL Sentral to check in. On our way to KLIA via the ERL, Dan was practising with his camera, experimenting with shutter speeds etc. (Like I said before, I have high expectations on your photo-taking skills....!)

I made prior bookings for the seat and thus I got the spacious seat. The food was okay but I enjoyed the movies and shows aired for the in-flight entertainment.

We arrived at the Chek Lap Kok Airport at around 1.30 p.m the descent was a bit scary as you see only the sea beneath you. It is no surprise as the airport is built on a reclaimed land. The airport is very big and bustled with people and activity.

Our airport transfer to YMCA International House had been arranged in Malaysia and we searched for the travel agent counter located at the right of the arrival exit as per instruction at Cathay Pacific Malaysia. We booked the half-day city tour at the counter as well.

On our way to the hotel, the bus made a few stops including to Disneyland Hotel and passed trough the Lantau Link (a series of roadways and bridges linking the islands in HK). One of the famous bridges is the Tsing Ma Bridge which is the 6th longest suspension bridge and the longest suspension bridge that carries both road and rail traffic (upper and lower decks). It is tall - huge ships and tankers can pass through underneath the bridge. Probably the second Penang Bridge could emulate this bridge's design especially the MTR part. The plus point is people can commute to and fro from Penang to mainland using the LRT.

We arrived at the hotel and checked in. After we have had our complimentary drinks, we decided to go to Mongkok, which is the heart of Kowloon, by walking along Nathan Road. If you want to see lots of neon signs, Nathan Road is the place to go.

It's too early for us to do shopping at Mongkok and therefore we decided to head to Tsim Tsa Tsui for the Avenue of the Stars. Avenue of Stars is located at the southernmost point of the Kowloon Peninsula.

The MTR stations in HK is huge, but the signage is very well placed for you to locate your exits. But beware, your exits which is marked by alphabets can suddenly branch out from D to F, and subsequently to F1, F2 and F3. What I like the most about the MTR trains is that when the train moves, there is a strong gust of wind coming from the air-conditioners as if the train windows were open.

It was already dark when we arrived at The Avenue of Stars. The Avenue of Stars which is similar to Hollywood's Walk of Fame, honours Hong Kong stars by placing terrazo 'stars' along the sidewalk. The view from there is breathtaking. We could see the Central District that lines well-lit tall HK skyscrapers from afar. Central District which is situated in Hong Kong island is HK's financial and business centre.

View from The Avenue of Stars

The latest addition to the HK skyline is the Two International Finance Centre. At 420m at 88 storeys high, it is the tallest building in HK and fifth in the world. Did you know that, HK is also building the International Commerce Centre (118 story, 484 m) which is still under construction in Kowloon area? Now that's a reason for me to visit HK second time ...

We took pictures and strolled along the pier. At 8.00 p.m, the lights along the pier were dimmed the fabulous Symphony of Lights started with a bang! A red Chinese junk sailed from Kowloon towards HK island, symbolizing HK's transformation from a shipping village to the world-renowned city. The lights were dancing to the tune of the accompanying music - superb pyrotechnics effect!!


The show lasted for about 20 minutes, and I must tell you that it is an experience of a lifetime. Did you know that Symphony of Lights has been awarded the world's 'Largest Permanent Light and Sound Show' by Guinness World Records?

We later met up with Dan's friend which took us for dinner at one of the Chinese restaurants nearby. We accidentally found HK Hard Rock Cafe (mental note: must go and buy shot glasses!).



The dinner was awesome - seafood and vegetable steamboat. It took quite a while for us to finish up everything (Tu laa... order banyak sangat). The fun part is making your own fish noodle, which eventually turned up to be large intestine-like noodle. People at the other tables were staring at us as we were snapping pictures and laughing.

The dinner ended as we decided to make a move to the Central District and Lan Kwai Fong area. Clara, which had just arrived from Shenzen (China) earlier, took us around the area (that's what I call great hospitality - walking with her work shoes and heavy bag on her back) while Sunny headed home.

I found out that Central District was not only the Business District of HK, but also the fashion capital of HK. Huge designer label boutiques (Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Ferragamo, Armani) were dotted along the area and I didn't mean 1 LV shop in HK but several LV boutiques in one area!


We arrived at the HSBC building, a simple yet magnificent building with two bronze lions statues at the entrance (The lions were also depicted in HK dollar notes). There is a void ground floor area and you have to take the escalators to the reception area. It is believed that the empty space would allow the dragon to pass through the building and therefore bringing good Feng Shui. The main characteristic of the building is that the structure is supported by external trusses. It is believed that the building could be dismantled and moved elsewhere should there be a problem during HK's handover to China.

Lan Kwai Fong is a spot for night life and meeting place for foreigners. We explored Lan Kwai Fong's narrow streets and sloped gradients and settled into one of the bar. Somebody had fun here but me and Faisal were knackered and yawning every few minutes (Mind you, the next morning, we need to wake up early in order to catch the half-day tour of the city). We left the place and took a coaster which was destined for Mongkok area, luckily the driver agreed to go to Tsim Tsa Tsui and dropped us not far from our hotel.

Everyone was tired and after a nice hot shower as well as prayer we went to sleep... Looking forward for a nice trip around the city tomorrow!