Ruby Loves Adventure

Posting here because my friends want to know where I'm going =) And to serve as a guide to other people who may be reading my blog who wants to go to HK and Macau =)

The below is just a plan - please post comments if you wish to correct or suggest something to the below =)


July 8
Arrive Macau 930pm via CebuPac
Ride bus or Taxi to Metropole Hotel.
Freshen up for around 5mins
Between 1015-1030 pm - walk to Wynn Hotel from Metropole
Watch Fountain Show & Tree of prosperity
camwhore in casinos around the area at night [wynn and grand lisboa, other casinos, maybe]


Estimated expenses - 15/MOP or HKD [bus from airport to ferry station; bus from ferry station to bus stop near hotel -- will research more on this]
OR cab -- between 80-100 MOP/HKD

July 9
around 6am - wake up!
between 7-730am - leave hotel. Either 1) eat bfast at hotel [baon of food] or buy [not recommended since tipid mode]

bus from hotel to: [3.20 MOP]
A-Ma Temple [opens at 7am] then barra fortress/hill
macau maritime museum

bus to historical area of macau [st pauls ruins, etc, bus 8 - 3.20 MOP]
explore historical area **consult MAP!**
lunch
explore some more =)
Guia Hill too? if so, another bus [3.20 MOP]

early evening/late afternoon
bus to macau tower [3.20 mop]
entrance to macau tower [100MOP] - includes skywalk and observation decks

bus from macau tower to fisherman's village
dinner at fisherman's village

at around 8pm - bus from fisherman's village to nam van lake [watch fountain show]

evening - camwhore around st paul's/senado square at night!

july 10
after eating baon of bfast or eat out -
bus from hotel to coloane [5 MOP]
explore coloane
coloane village
hac sa park/beach [optional]
a ma statue
seac pai van park
lunch at lord stow's macao

after lunch: bus to taipa [4.20 MOP]
taipa village, houses, hills, etc
bus to ferry terminal then ride free ferry to venetian or bus directly to venetian [if bus to venetian will do research]
optional: watch 5pm show of cirque du soleil [188 MOP]
explore venetian and watch shows

city of dreams [watch the dragon show]
explore venetian/other hotels/casinos in the area until evening

july 11
- check out metropole and leave items with concierge for pickup
- buy stuff to bring home, last minute sightseeing at macau
- guia fortress/grand prix museum/wine museum
- lunch somewhere
- ride 1pm ferry to HK [154 HKD]
- arrive in HK around 2pm
- checkin hotel at around 230pm
- around 3/330pm - leave hotel for TST by walking [20mins walk from hotel - cheapskate mode: ON] or ride MTR from Jordan to TST station - 3.6 HKD
- ride Star Ferry from TST to HK Island - idk how much

Stuff to do in HK Island:
Wan Chai - golden bauhinia square
HK Zoo & Botanical gardens [i wanna go here puhlease? :D]
Malls in HK Island

OR

just hang around TST in the museums [except for the science one please!]

- 630pm - head to waterfront to watch Symphony of Lights [for Jego]
then malls again cos its sale.  =)

MUSTS:
H&M
Muji
Mango
Uniqlo
Cotton On

July 12
Bfast at Hotel
HK Disneyland from 10am-8pm!!! [350 HKD entrance] - avail of meal voucher too.
Temple Street Night Market/Mong Kok in the evening to buy something to bring home
Sleep

July 13.
Early check out at hotel
Leave stuff with front desk
Repulse Bay & Stanley Market
Leave for HK Airport by around 430pm
Arrive HK Airport at around 530pm for 730pm flight back to MNL
930pm - arrive in MNL

--

This is a photoblog of our fifth day in Hong Kong, one of our itineraries included going over to Sha Tin, in New Town Plaza mall to visit Snoopy's World.

A brief background: it is actually the first outdoor Peanuts playground in Asia.
To go there, ride the MTR and go down in Sha Tin Station. Then a short 5 minute walk through a mall & follow the directions to Snoopy's World.


**entrance to Snoopy's World**


**Snoopy & friends camping out**


**a more close-up view of the camping**








**Snoopy and Charlie Brown boating**


**Joe Cool**




**Shroeder**


**Snoopy playing the guitar**


**Snoopy & Woodstock**


**Sally Brown**


**Psychiatric help? Ask Lucy!**

This is the train going to HK Disneyland from Sunny Bay.
Look at the detail of the windows -- they're mickey ears! Now, can you find the hidden mickeys? :)

More photos to come from my HK 2009 trip!

Only had two hours of sleep this day since I had to wake up at 4AM to get to the airport before 6AM [ugh. traffic issues in Southern Metro Manila -- all this construction work in the so-called highways is enough to drive a person crazy in traffic, good thing for books and their handy-dandiness].

Arrived at the airport around 515AM [yes, that early] -- went to the Cebu Pacific check-in counter, then paid the P1620 travel tax, got my boarding pass & paid another P750 in airport taxes. So much taxes here in the PH! The taxes almost amount to the plane ticket I paid, which I booked during the Cebu Pacific promo.

Surprisingly, the 8AM flight from Manila to HK took off earlier than expected. We arrived in HKIA at 9:35AM. Lucky lucky =) We then hurried off to the bus that would take us to the Evergreen hotel.


*Central area. Shot from the TST Waterfront*

Arrived at the hotel around 11:30, but since check-in time is 2:00pm, we walked around the area to familiarize ourselves: we looked for the MTR and looked for a place to eat. We ended up at McDonalds. We were not in the mood to actually look for a Chinese food stall so we settled for one we know and are familiar with.

Headed on off to Mong Kok -- where I was looking for a camera to get. I finally settled in Wing Sing, and I now have my new baby =)

We then went to Tin Hau temple after for a bit of sight-seeing and photos =)

Then back to the hotel to check-in and rest.

In the afternoon, we walked to TST [oh yes, no MTRs since we wanted to explore the place] and headed off to the HK Science Museum -- the entrance is free on Wednesdays and who wouldn't say no to freebies, right?

After that, we took a long walk down Avenue of the Stars -- most of the stars there are virtually unknown to me except for Bruce Lee & Jackie Chan.

Dinner at Food Paradise in Sogo.

Went out at 715pm at the TST Waterfront to get a good area at the second floor viewing deck for the Symphony of Lights. It was a long wait but the Symphony of Lights was very good. I was amazed at how the lights on the buildings were choreographed with the music.

Then off to Harbour City in the evening for a bit of window shopping before calling it a night.



Some tips for your trip:
- Do come at least 30 minutes before the Symphony of Lights show so you could get a good seat. When we came down at 8:15, there were a number of people crowding around the lower decks.
- Do bring bottled water along with you at all times. If possible, buy your water at Wellcome or at a grocery because prices in the vendo machines or at 7-11 are exorbitant! But if there's no Wellcome stores near your area, then 7-11 would do just fine. You need to drink & rehydrate, especially if you're travelling in the summer time.
- Bring an umbrella with you at all times -- HK weather in July is weird -- sometimes it rains, sometimes it's scorching hot!
- Do research on the specifications of the electronics first before you get anything in HK. And as per PEX, don't buy anything from the stores in Nathan Road. I myself bought my camera from a trusted electronic store in HK, Wing Sing. Make sure you get a warranty & try to haggle for freebies or a discount =)

Have fun, enjoy! If you have further questions on itinerary or what I did for this day, feel free to comment :) Will post on the rest of my other days in HK in subsequent posts.



* Book/Telly Stats *
Books read on day 1st holiday: None. Only brought one book with me in the trip, "My Take" by Gary Barlow, which I only got to read a few pages of whilst in the airport. I was pretty much asleep nearly the whole flight to HK.

I am overwhelmed at the number of things I could do in this place! It's less than 2 wks before I leave MNL for a relaxing [but quite an expensive] experience with my mum! I am trying to plan our itinerary [we're doing a DIY trip] and hopefully we'll get to go to all the places we want plus some shopping along the way, after all, we are going there during the sale season!

I'm gonna be broke but happy!

I'll try to post photos and my final itinerary during or after my trip :)

So far, here's our proposed itinerary, we'll be staying 6d 5n in HK! :D Trip next year would also cover HK but more on Macau & Shenzen. This is it! I will be a jetsetter! :D

July 8th
-- arrive at 11am in HKIA via Cebu Pacific [booked via their sale last May :) ]
-- grab bags & head on to shuttle service of hotel [will be staying at Evergreen Hotel in Jordan] OR go around the terminal for a while & grab some lunch.
-- Check-in at hotel
-- After check-in, go to Sha Tin District: 10,000 buddhas, Snoopy's World, New Town Plaza & other areas of interest in Sha Tin
-- Evening: TST/Mong Kok/Avenue of the Stars/Symphony of Lights [subject to the time we arrive back]/Jordan Night Market

July 9th:
Hong Kong Disneyland [10am-8pm]
9pm onwards -- more shopping. Where exactly is subjectie.

July 10th:
Ocean Park
TST/Avenue of the Stars [subjective

July 11th:
Noah's Ark, Park Island. [10am onwards]. Nan Lian Gardens.

July 12th:
Ngong Ping 360, Lantau Island, Giant Buddha, Tsing Yi Bridge, Citygate Outlet Shops, The Peak

July 13th:
More shopping/TST/HK Science Museum [subjective]
- 6pm - leave hotel for airport
- 9pm - leave HK for MNL


Happy Happy! :) Can't wait for more adventures!