Disneyland Hong Kong..... Fantasy land!!

Can you imagine being a child again? Without fear and worry? Can you imagine believing in magic carpets, mermaids & Santa? That was me!!!!



Last year we celebrated my daughters birthday at Disneyland Hong Kong. She had a blast… it was the best birthday ever!!! But Me…. I had the best time of my life…. I wanted to run around like a little child and believe in Santa again.



We took a bus to the Disneyland Resort, and as we entered … stood Santa. Oh my God.. I cannot tell you how real he looked… I had to run and hug him.



The place itself is magical. All the staff members are friendly and accommodating. My daughter was given a badge that stated ‘its my birthday’… so she was obviously on top of the world. She felt like a princess is what she said! Her eyes sparkled with delight as she got to meet & greet the Disney characters… specially all the princesses. They stopped to write a birthday message and autograph her book. Each character spent time talking to her… and made her day!!



We then went onwards to the Disneyland Park. Its just amazing.. Its like stepping into another world… of magic & happiness. Everyone around you… has a huge smile!!







Here are a few pictures of how the park is decorated.

The shows that take place ... all day long!!

The rides are fascinating. My younger daughter loved Dumbo the Elephnat, while my older one loved the Tea cup ride, my husband and brother had be dragged from the Techno / Space age rides… Me on the other hand… was living in fantasyland!!!

The parade was fantastic. Here is a picture of Mickey. My kids followed the parade, holding on to the rope…. Till the very end!!

By day … this is how Cinderella’s castle looked…





And by night… it was absolutely stunning. And when the fireworks started… my heart just skipped a beat!!!

And after a long night, when we went back to the hotel… there was so much to see!!! This is a picture of the goodies in the toilet!!!

I switched on the TV and it played all the Disney cartoons and movies… Sorry!! I just had to stay awake!

We left Disney via train to the airport… and the windows were Mickey shaped… and it had loads of momentos… We just did not want ot get off!!

I’ve promised to take my younger kid to Disney in Oralando for her 6th birthday!! I’ll go back to Disneyland for sure… I loved the experience… and the simplicity of live!!

Hong Kong - the land of skyscapers

Hong Kong looked like a Chinese version of Dubai (to me!!). Its long endless roads and soaring skyscrapers didn’t have much to say. Driving from the airport…



To most people, Hong Kong doesn’t need much introduction at all. Its one of the greatest large cities in the world, with lots of things happening at any given time and lots to explore. But primarily it is a sanctuary for any skyscraper fan!!

Hong Kong consists of some 235 islands of which Hong Kong island & Lantua are the tallest. The peninsula’s of Kowloon, Sai Kung & the New Territories all together form Hong Kong which is now a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China.

It is very crowded place with nearly 7 million people living on a total space of almost 1100m2. Yet Hong Kong is busting with life & is a city that never sleeps.

A picture from the Victoria Harbour….

Saying that what impressed me most is the usage of space. Hong Kong is not a flat land, its got the sea on one side and mountains on the other. Its amazing to see how the buildings are built…

Our first day in Hong Kong was a tour on the ‘Shining Star’ ferry of the Victoria Harbour. The views are truly breath taking. The Double-decker ferry is a magnificent customs built, reproduction of the ferries used in the 1920s mainly as a means of transportation. They have coffee shop and deck for sunbathing. For the best views, the deck is by far the best place to be seated.

The Victoria Harbour tour is a must see when in Hong Kong. You can take the tour by day (which is what we did), or by night and be a part of the light & sound show. Don’t miss this unique tour, it is definitely memorable and the best tour in Hong Kong.

Most of these pictures were taken on the Harbour tour. However, I was split between enjoying the breeze…. Sipping my coffee… or clicking pictures. It’s the best I could do in the giving situation.

Hong Kong is a shopper paradise for sure… I’ll have to do a separate post on where to shop… Here is a shop keeper!!

Here is me trying to read a Chinese menu. When you are there, you have to taste the fresh fruit and the fruit juices. Its lovely. You can see these everywhere!!!

Don’t forget to see the light and sound show. It starts every day at 8pm near the harbor. More on that in my next post.

Shopping in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is truly a shoppers paradise, from glamour & glittering shopping malls to endless streets of market shopping. One thing for sure, the walking, street markets are not kid friendly and they are extremely crowded. Do bargain… you will get a good deal for sure!!




Here are a few places to go shopping when in Hong Kong.








Ladies' Market (Tung Choi Street)




Location - Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon (MTR Mongkok Station Exit E2). From afternoon – 11:30pm




This was my favourite place to shop. Ladies market is a place for bags, accessories, toys, shoes & inexpensive items of clothing for men, women & kids. There is also one street with electronic goods like mobile phones, i-pods and anything you can think of.




I purchased a few bags from here. Surely nice gifts for friends and family.








Temple Street Night Market




Location - Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon (MTR Jordan Station Exit A. Turn right into Jordan Road, then right into Temple Street). Open from 4pm till midnight.




The perfect place to pick a few bargains is this chaotic Temple Street night market. Here you will find endless rows of bright & twinkling lights. The stalls include a large variety of electronic gadgets, hardware, luggage, pens, watches, CDs, clothes. There are lots of busy stalls that offer a range of delicacies including fresh sea food & hotpot dishes. It will tempt your appetite for sure!! What amazed me most is the cluster of Fortune – tellers. No.. I didn’t try it out!! But if you do.. let me know!! This is simply a memorable experience.













Stanley Market




Stanley Market Road, Stanley, Hong Kong Island (MTR Hong Kong Station Exit D and take bus 6, 6A, 6X, 66 or 260 from Exchange Square Bus terminus, Central) Open from 10:30am – 6:30pm




Stanely Market is slightly more upmarket than Ladies market. It is definitely a perfect place to buy something special for family & friends. The lanes are jam pakced with vendors selling Chinese artwork, silk collectibles, curios & items of clothing. This is a nice place to buy Chinese outfits for your kids. You can surely spend a few hours here. Once you are done with shopping, don’t forget to dine at one of the fine resturants in the restored Murray House or along the streets on the waterfront.











Jardine's Crescent




Jardine's Crescent, Causway Bay, Hong Kong Island (MTR Causeway Bay Station Exit F). Open from 11am – 9:30pm




This is a long, endless, jam packed roadside market. You will find lots of Chinese goods, inexpensive clothing, accessories & hair related items, bags, cellphones & house hold items.




At the end of the market, are extremely pretty flower stalls with such low prices… that you cannot stop yourself from buying something.










Li Yuen Street East and West




Li Yuen Street East and West, Central, Hong Kong Island (MTR Central Station Exit C then walk along Des Voeux Road Central towards Sheung Wan) Open from 10am – 7pm




Here you will find ready made garments. But you can also have ‘made to order’ in a few hours. Look for great designs, fine silk & other fabrics, traditional styles, prints & patters & beautiful colours.










Harbour City




The only shopping mall I visited was ‘Harbour City’.




Location 3 - 27 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Open from 10am to 9pm




This is by far the main tourist attraction in Tsim Sha Tsui. Under its roof are some 700 shops of all kinds, around 100 food outlets, a three star hotel & two cinemas. You are sure to find something you like here!!! It also has a Marks & Spencer & all other designer store. The Gallery by the Harbour is a must see!!




Transport: MTR Tsim Sha Tsui Station Exit A1, walk along Haiphong Road for five minutes, or take the Star Ferry from Central or Wan Chai to Tsim Sha Tsui.