HK 2023 - Day 5 - Trams

Trams day with an added bonus short visit to the flower festival display. Weather's better today with clear skies. We made our way to Central by MTR after breakfast. It was quite an uphill, literally, track to the Peak tram station. The kids were complaining all the way and 阳阳 kept wanting me to carry him.But we eventually made it and were able to get good seats on the tram. I like how they have created a sun roof so passengers get a wider and grander spectacle on the ride.

 

Thankfully it was a clear and sunny day with a constant cool breeze. We were able get a number of pictures though the sun was in our eyes as we took the shots. We took to a trail and just enjoyed the peaceful stroll around the hill. It wasn't long though before the kids complained of tiredness so we headed down to Central again for the next Tram ride.

There is a flower festival at Victoria Park so that's where we took the train. We went upstairs and found seats at the back of the train. It's a nice experience for the kids to take in the sights of the city.

The flower festival was very crowded and it was such a hot day we didn't stay long. Everyone was drained from the terrible heat so we quickly took a few photos and escape to lunch.

We made our way via Ting-ting tram again to Wan Chai to eat at Honolulu Cafe. I don't have any pictures ... well I took some ... but lunch was such a misery that none of it was good. The kids were great to try and eat the mediocre food. And don't get me started on the flat out crappy service. Never again will we eat at the cafe ... its not the old Honolulu Cafe that we know of.

Overall we tried to make it a relax day but both kids were still beat from the trip out. 

HK 2023 - Day 4 - Disneyland

Disneyland! We were smarter this time and rented 2 strollers. It was a day of waiting for rides, eating crappy amusement park food and generally trying to get as many nice photos as possible. Again I'm glad we came here, the kiddos can at least appreciate this more than walking the streets of Hong Kong.

HK 2023 - Day 3 - Free & Easy

It's free and easy day as we had a video call with 婆婆 after lunch.

So first order of the day is a trip to Kam Wah Cafe which seems to be a favourite amongst tourist. We wanted the kids to try authentic Hong Kong breakfast noodles hehe. Glad they loved the food. We'll be back again another day.

After breakfast we went for a stroll through a roadside market. There was a lot of people and it quickly became tough to walk the kids through the crowd. They don't seem to be interested in observing the hustle and bustle of the place. I guess they don't even know what it's like in Singapore to make a meaningful comparison. We should bring the kids out more in Singapore haha.

In the evening we made our way to the waterfront at Tsim Sai Tsui to see the nice coastline of buildings across on Hong Kong Island.

We ended the day with a simple taboo meal of roasted meats from a nearby restaurant. Even though we didn't do much the kids were still beat and slept pretty quickly. Good that they rest early as we have more adventures tomorrow!

HK 2023 - Day 2 - Ocean Park

Day 2 is Ocean Park day. We did the most touristy thing and bought both photo shoots from the sea aquarium and the cable car ride. We had the old photos from years ago when Meimei and I came here when we just got married. 萱萱 and 阳阳 have always been fascinated with it and we wanted to create the same picture for us. 

It was drizzling with we arrived at the Ocean Park entrance. So we rented a stroller and got rain coats. The kids were excited with the rain while Meimei and I were struggling to make sure everyone stays dry haha.

First stop was the red panda exhibit. I've always thought the red pandas are cuter and better in photos than the giant ones. We happen to be there when its feeding time so the red panda was out and about.

We spend some time in the gift shop after the exhibit but thankfully it was still early in the day and Meimei and I held out buying anything till we see the rest of the place.

We were going slow as its raining and the two were fighting over who gets to sit on the stroller. Haiz we should have gotten two instead. We stop for a snack break but there were not much choices. None of the restaurants were open. I guess Covid has not been kind to the amusement parks too. So we basically fed them junk though they were not going to complain.

Once we were done with snacks we went to take the cable car to the other side of the island. This is the highlight of the trip for me. It's one of the few things I remembered of our trip years ago. This time it was even more impressive as I wasn't cowing in fear in the cabin and could wholly enjoy the scenic ride.

Lunch was just as crappy as the snack. We were trying to find the McDonald's but went to a wrong direction instead. The park seems to be structured the walkways to direct guests to the rides instead of the older area where the Mac was. So unfortunately we went to the amusement rides section but 阳阳 was too short to ride on any of them.

We left quickly and somehow managed to hit the dolphin show just in time for it to start. It was great to see the sea creatures but the whole area of kinda old and unkempt. The park must have fallen on hard times due to Covid and couldn't upkeep the place.

Overall it was an ok experience for the kids and us. I doubt there would be superb fond memories of the place but I guess we achieved what we set out to do ... which was to get pictures of us with the Ocean Park motif. 

HK 2023 - Day 1 - Meeting Relatives

This week is our first real family vacation and the second time the kids are getting on an airplane. Naturally they were super excited about the trip to Hong Kong. 萱萱 like to call it as her birthday present haha.

We spared no expenses to get a good family room at Cordis. The rates were twice what we would normally pay at other hotels but having beds for all 4 in the same room is just so much more convenient.

The room comes with a kitchenette, complete with pots, pans and utensils. It's not like we're going to cook in Hong Kong but it helps that there's this option. The only problem is the single bathroom so we were careful to plan out the mornings so everyone quickly gets their turn.

We were up on the 38th floor and the view of the city is stunning. Interestingly I didn't get any phobia looking out and at the cars on the street.

 

Since it was the first day we didn't have much planned except a quick trip out to dinner with relatives. It's great to meet them in person again.

Happy 8th Birthday 萱萱

Happy Birthday 萱萱! 

Reading To 欣宇

The beauty of staying together is having people around to help each other out. 萱萱 displayed her 大姐 instinct and entertained Xinyu while Nyama and Siti were busy preparing dinner for the rest of the family. 

It's so rewarding to see her being able to read to others and showing that sense of care and compassion.

Kiddo Talk & Pic Feb 2023

Meimei: "Last night Emily came to the master toilet to pee and found no toilet paper. She went to replace a toilet roll in the dark without waking me up. #laobaksai"

Meimei: "One for the memory lane hehe"

Meimei: Use “dad” in a sentence 

阳阳: "I miss dad because he was in US"

阳阳: "I miss the cutie pie. I miss those cheeks. She’s just so cute"

阳阳: "I miss those cheeks ALOT"