Hongkong

Trip to Hongkong, Macau, and Shenzhen

Part I

Travelling ~ it leaves you speechless, and turns you out to be a storyteller

What a good start of 2017, I can go travel again at the beginning of this year. I went to Hongkong, Macau and Shenzhen. Departed on 2nd of January. I went travel with my dad, mom, grandma, and my parent's friends. We used Cathay Airline to go Hongkong, because it is direct flight. If you love to travel, lots of promotions ongoing lately. The ticket we bought only around IDR3,000,000+ not more than 3,500,000 though and it is return ticket. And, it is direct flight. Only Cathay and Garuda Indonesia that provide a direct flight from Jakarta to Hongkong. the other airlines, you should transfer first, either in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, etc. But we bought it around 4 months before the flight, that's why it is cheaper. So, if you plan to go to Hongkong, or travel to other place this year, plan it well. Find some travel exhibition and buy cheaper ticket. Save up some money. :) :)

My flight was early in the morning. 5 am, and reached HongKong around 10.30 am (GMT+8). Once i reached airport, me and others tried to find transportation to go to the place we going to stay. We found out there are buses from airport that going to the city. Let me tell you, Hong Kong’s public transportation is incredibly convenient! From airport itself, you have buses, airport express train, or taxi. You can use bus, and change to mtr/subway as well, as there are lots of buses will stop on the mtr station. They provide sufficient information on the board, clear enough to be undersood, or else, you can ask the person at information counter, which bus that going to specific area, the place you want to go. It takes me 43HKD to go Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui area. 

Just additional information, If airport express:

	Adult (incl. 65 and above) Round trip single journey/same day return/octopus	Child (3-11 y.o) Single journey/same day return/octopus
Hongkong - Airport	180HKD / 100HKD	50HKD
Kowloon - Airport	160HKD / 90HKD	45HKD
Tsing Yi - Airport	110HKD  / 60 HKD	30HKD

Group Travel	Group of 2	Group of 3	Group of 4
Hong Kong - Airport	$170 $85 per person	$230 $76.7 per person	$280 $70 per person
Kowloon - Airport	$150 $75 per person	$210 $70 per person	$250 $62.5 per person
Tsing Yi - Airport	$100 $50 per person	$140 $46.7 per person	$170 $42.5 per person

(Means if you buy 2 tickets, or more, you will get special price)

We stay in  Pearl Premium Guest house for first night only. Basically if you choose guest house, usually it is very small, even hotels in Hong Kong, the room mostly smaller than normal hotels in other countries. It is located in one building, the reception is on 6^th floor of that building, but actually the building not only for the guest house. Once you see the building, you can see a lot of stores inside the building. Start from certain floor only used for guest houses. Don't feel shock, k! The elevator only two, one is going to even number's floor, and the other is odd number. 

Rooms are very simple, got TV and aircond inside. The Bathroom definitely super duper small. But there is a water gallon nearby the office so you can refill the mineral water for free. They provide amenities like shampoo, soap, towel too. I have to stay that eventhough it is super small, but the guest house is clean. Free wi-fi too. Surround this area is always busy, lots of shops surround the building, easy to find local food, just few minutes, walking distance you can find Miramar Shopping Center, and 1881 Herritage. Just across the road, you can find the Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station. Really convenient.

Address : Room 6A, 6/F, Mirador Mansion, 54-64 Nathan Road,

                       Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Telp: +852 581 977 14.

After check in to the room, and put my luggage, I go to Café de coral, which is located in one of the building nearby, tooks only 2mins walking. Café de coral is a Chinese fast food corporation that has more than 140 branches in Hong Kong. They usually provide Sets Meal, you can choose which one you like, price is below 50hkd.

Café de Coral Nathan Road

Address: 2/F, Chung King Mansion (Woodhouse),

                     36-44 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

Phone: +852 2367 0802

Operating Hours: Mon – Sun 07.00-21.30

http://www.cafedecoral.com/

After filled in our tummy with enough food, then me and parents go to Tsuen Wan area, to send my Grandma to meet her friends. It is super far from Tsim Sha Tsui. But fortunately, by mtr, we don’t need to change line, Tsuen Wan is at the end of the red line, which is the line of Tsim Sha Tsui too. Per person is 14hkd, but I used Octopus Card (Public transportation Card), so there is small discount, around 10 only. After she already met her friends, and go to her friend’s house, three of us go to central, IFC mall, using mtr again. And again, no need to change line because Central and Tsuen Wan is located at red line. But it is quite far, from one end to the other end. IFC Mall is in Hong Kong Island already. If you confuse why I mentioned "island" at the end, because inside Hong Kong itself actually separated into 3 Islands, Tsing Yi, Kowloong and Hong Kong Island. (Check Google Map to see further :D)

IFC contained an exclusive combination of reputable offices, shopping malls, and finest hotel (Four Season Hotel). one of the Airport Express station is here as well. So place extremely huge, there are buses, MTR (interchange station), airport express, ferry terminal, altogether in this place. And if you stay around the Central area, you can find there area free shuttle bus to some hotels around Central. Every 20minutes. Even if you stay at the hotel that is not include in the list, you just tell the driver your hotel's name, the driver will drop you at one of the hotel that he will pass by based on the route, which is the closest to the place you stay. The counter located nearby the airport express train station. So, we had our dinner at IFC, my dad's friend brought us to the famous dim sum called Tim Ho Wan. 

Tim Ho Wan is a well-known Michelin one-star Chinese restaurant, Dim Sum Specialist (添好運點心專門店), they ensure the freshness of the food, mean that all the dim sums are cooked right after customers order. Most famous dish is Barbecued Pork Bun Pastry - 21HKD (酥皮焗叉燒包) . Then we ordered Steamed Dumpling Chiu Chow Style - 14HKD, Traditional Style Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf - 30HKD (古法糯米雞), Steamed Rice Rolls stuffed with Barley and Pig's Liver - 23HKD (黃沙豬潤腸), and 2 kind of soups. 

If you love Dim Sum, you should come to Tim ho Wan, and go get a try. People said, Tim ho wan always has a long queue. Even last September I came here too, we came at 8am, the store hasn't opened yet, but the queue has been there. Win liao! But it is definitely worth to wait.

Tim Ho Wan
Address: Shop 12A, Hong Kong Station, Podium Level 1, IFC Mall, Central, Hong Kong
Phone: +852 2332 3078
Open Hours: Mon to Sun 09.00-21.00
Exit A from Central MTR Station

#really sorry that I didn't take photos of the food for the today. 

to be continued.....

:D


have a good weekend! 
thanks for reading,

regards,
pris

pricillchandra@Hotmail.com // @pricillchandra