4 Days in Hong Kong- Day 1 Lantau Island

I arrived in Hong Kong at night which felt like early morning coming from Sydney. I'd done all my research and picked a reasonably priced hotel, Rosedale on the Park, (no swimming pool but free wifi- what more do you need!!) that was on the coach service Hotelink. Very good decision, lots of nice people helped me with my heavy luggage and I got to my hotel without having to think. (If you are travelling light, take the train, Hong Kong public transport is wonderful and easy)

For my first day in Hong Kong, considering the expected tiredness, I had booked a tour to make sure I see something without too much thinking! The tour was in the afternoon so I got up to find breakfast and explore the area. My hotel was in Causeway Bay on Hong Kong Island and the park referred to is Victoria Park.



This is a view from my explore of the park and you can see my hotel nearly in the middle. It has Rosedale written across the top and being able to fall out of the train and be able just to look up to check you are walking in the right direction for your hotel was a wonderful thing!

Quite a temperature difference to Sydney, my first day when the sun did not come out at all was pretty cold, around 15 degrees.

So my tour was to Lantau Island, very much a tourist attraction the first thing we did was take a cable car to the site of Big Budda.



The first glimpse of Big Budda



Then the cable car finishes in a little tourist street of Starbucks and souvenir shops!



And then because I had paid for the tour we get a coach ride up to Big Budda rather than walking the 200 odd steps.





Interestingly everyone I met on the tour was also stopping in Hong Kong on their way back from Australia, it's obviously the thing to do!

At the bottom of Big Budda's steps is grand area focused on Po Lin Monastery.







Love this next one with the little girls.



Looking back up to Big Budda






Following this we were taken to a fishing village



The markets were mostly dry fish, some of which was surprisingly expensive! And then there was this wonderful view showing off the houses on stilts.





Following the tour I got myself dropped off at the waterfront in Kowloon, this is where you look over Victoria Harbour to Hong Kong Island.



That night was the only night I was there that Symphony of Lights was being done in English. This is a light show from the high rises on Hong Kong Island. To be fair you don't need to be there for the English- they only introduce the buildings and then it's all music! I also think most people would survive not seeing the 15 min show at all, particularly in the cold! But I persisted particularly with having my big camera with me.



And then I hurried back for a cup of tea in my warm hotel room.

Next post will be day 2 of course!