Hong Kong & Macau – Day 1

We took the airport shuttle from the hotel to HK station. The front desk concierge sells Octopus cards which can be purchased by paying about HK$100 which includes a refundable security deposit of HK$50 and the remaining amount which can be used for all modes of travel (trains/bus/trams). We then took the train to Lantau Island which actually is bout 2-3 connections but the travel was pretty quick.. It took us roughly 40-45 minutes. The best part about the public transport in HK is the convenience and connectivity. We never had to wait for more than a few minutes for a connecting train. Anyways, We headed out to Tung Chung station from where one needs to take a cable car ride to reach Lantau Island to see the Tian Tan Buddha and the Ngong Ping 360 Village.

All tourist attractions in HK have an extremely long queue and the wait times can be as long as 40 minutes. We had booked our tickets online and managed to skip the queue at most places. The internet tickets also provide some discounts when the tickets are booked for both to-fro journeys online. The Ngong Ping 360 website should give you all the information you need.  The cable car ride from Tung Chung station to Lantau Island is really beautiful. As you ascend, you can get a view of the sprawling HK international airport to your right and catch breathtaking views of the Tian Tan Buddha as you descend towards the end. On the way back in the evening, the sunset over the hills is a sight to watch.  The best time to visit is definitely during the winters. It is advisable to spend atleast 4-5 hours in Lantau Island and soak in the sights.  The 34 meters tall Bronze Buddha is the attraction not to be missed. The statue sits atop a small hill and one needs to climb roughly 260 odd steps to reach the top.

 After spending a few hours at Lantau Island we headed back to Tung Chung station to take our train back to HK island. This time we took the trip back to Central station and decided to visit the famous Victoria Peak and Sky Deck. The Victoria Peak is the highest point in HK and on a clear day, one can view the nearby islands around HK. We visited the PEAK in the evening. The Victoria Peak Lower tram terminal operates the famous Peak Tram. The funicular tram ride to the top takes less than 10 minutes but the wait time can be longer than 45 minutes. There is no express queue unlike the ones at other attractions. Once at the Peak Tram terminal at Victoria Peak, you can take the escalators to the Sky Deck, the highest viewing platform in HK which opens to the breathtaking views of the city skyline at night. On weekends, the laser and light show at the International Commerce Center is a nice view to be seen from the Peak. Unlike the Symphony of lights which is best viewed from Kowloon. We spent a few hours at the Peak and headed back to Central Station.

We decided to end our day by trying to keep my lady love happy, We headed down to Jordan Station from where we walked to the Temple Street Night Market for food and drinks and a lot of shopping. It’s probably one of the really nice night markets which should not be missed. Since we reached late, we managed to get some last minute bargains before they shut shop.. Try the several sea food restaurants around the area for a nice local meal. We had a few local beers which could put the big brands like Buds to shame. We headed back to the hotel after a heavy meal and an eventful day. Day 2 was gonna be exciting since we planned to cover Ocean Park and the River Cruise.

Read about our Day 2 experience (Ocean Park, Aqua Luna Cruise, Ozone – Highest Bar in the world)  or skip to another day using the links at the end of this page.

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