By Irma | Visiting June 2017
Causeway Bay - Times Square
When we decided to visit Hong Kong we couldn’t hear enough about Causeway Bay and its Time Square. This shopping centre is located at the top of the Causeway Bay train Station exit and is the area’s largest shopping centre comprising of over 200 stores. The stores offer a variety of items including a vast selection of luxury fashion. If you aren’t too excited about fashion you can also find electronics, toys, department stores and many restaurants where you can grab a bite to eat after you have been run off your feet from shopping.
Times Square has a very distinctive look and the whole Causeway Bay area has a quirky and kitschy charm which will be sure to challenge your abilities to be able to take it all in at once. Time Square incorporates extravagant displays and interesting installations upon entrance. Many people have been known to countdown the New Year around Times Square and it is somewhat indicative, although a much smaller scale of Times Square in New York (they do say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery).
One of our favourite shops to explore was the Marks & Spencer store which offered us a look into Britain’s fashion classics. The makeup variety here is also flawless offering unique and exciting products from MAC, Urban Decay and Too Faced to name a few.
The Peak
What can we say besides the Victoria Peak Tram was quite a unique experience where you step into a wooden crafted trolley which makes you wonder how it will ever carry its passengers all the way up the steep hill lurking in front! Don’t kid yourself these are some steep tracks, in fact, Hong Kong is pleased to present the world's steepest Tram to tourists. However, once you learn to relax as you realise that the tram is perfectly capable of making it up the peak you will slowly begin to absorb the incredible greenery present all around you.
The beauty of the nature around us was further heightened as we began to view the city below from a different perspective, leaving it behind in the near distance. We soon felt as though we had delved further and further into some sort of rainforest as the height of the tram increased. As a result of this, we were stunned to find ourselves standing outside two shopping centres once we stepped out onto the top of the peak. However, we quickly learned it wouldn’t be a true Hong Kong experience if it didn’t incorporate a shopping centre in some way!
Our most memorable Peak moment was when we embarked upon our journey up the escalators and found ourselves at the lookout point. The Peak made us feel as though we had an eagle’s view of the whole world. Beautifully co-existing are the wondrous mountains and the monumental skyscrapers which have shaped Hong Kong into the highly recognizable stature it has today. It is almost astounding that two such separate worlds can exist so closely to one another in humble harmony. The clouds and the spattered hints of fog seemed almost at arm’s length and close enough to touch as they glided so seemingly low compared to where we were standing.
The view was truly enriching and is ever engraved into our memory which is why it is a fantastic idea to extend the experience and dine at one of the restaurants located close to the Upper Terminus. The Peak Tower's Observation Deck is also quite spectacular if you are looking to spoil yourself that little bit more.
Disneyland
Hong Kong Disneyland has contributed to the ever expanding brand of everyone’s most memorable childhood experiences being brought to life. If you can think back to a time when you were young and the feeling you were bursting with when you first gazed upon the story of Peter Pan, The Lion King or Beauty and the Beast then you will have a pretty clear indication of what it feels like to explore beyond the gates of Disneyland.
As adults we didn’t think that Disney could give us the same sense of satisfaction and excitement as it did when we were kids, but oh how wrong we were! As soon as we entered this perfectly replicated world of imagination we felt as though we were literally living inside of our favourite childhood cartoons. In front of us were impeccably designed little cobblestone streets resized to make it feel more authentically cartoonlike. Bursting with beautifully bold colours and pastel prints we looked upon gorgeously dreamlike pink and purple lamp posts, white and yellow daisy bushes and petite colourful shopfronts (which you can actually enter into). We did not know which way to turn at first as everything looked so unreal and the colours looked good enough to eat!
This incredible feeling that can instantaneously take you back to your childhood reminded us of the fact that Disneyland is so much more than just about "adventure" rides. The indescribable experience is what makes Disneyland so endearing and magical. One of our favourite non-adventure experiences at Disneyland was the “Mystic Point” which focused mainly on visual illusions which both adults and kids can enjoy alike. The “Mystic Manor” ride actually made me tear up as everything slowly came to life and interacted while we were swept from one room to another in a mystic wooden cart on a Magnetic Track through an antiquities museum of wonders.
If you’re looking for your hit of adventure for the day then we highly recommend Grizzly Gulch, which had everything to illustrated carriage marks, a country setting backdrop and highly enjoyable sound effects. This ride is extremely fun especially once it drops you backwards when you least expect it.
If you are worried about not having enough time to visit all of the rides, Disneyland encourages its visitors to stay at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel where you can truly take your time and immerse yourself in the Disneyland experience for a few days. You can also get VIP passes which allow you to jump the cues on the all the rides!