Mint.Music

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Over-Spent HongKong Trip from Day 2 - 5 in Tai O & Within Hong Kong Island

I guess my post-holiday trauma for my Hong Kong trip last month has finally simmered down.

As much as I enjoyed certain aspects of this holiday, that would have to be my travel mates and the beautiful Tai-O village, I am still quite traumatised by how much I've splurged on for this trip.

I think what surprised me most was the cost of our meals and admission tickets for the mainstream tourist attractions. It was only until the 3rd or 4th day that I came to realise I should be dividing the currency exchange rate by roughly 5 instead of 20 (Taiwan's about 20).

For something which I thought I was spending S$10 on, it was actually S$40!

Which explains how damage sprouted out of control.

To round it up, here are the places I visited in Hong Kong from Day 2 - 5 and some items I've spent on (estimated value). Check out the rest of my damage on top of the amount I spent in Day 1. Unless it's for a business trip or a short getaway to the quieter parts of Hong Kong island like Discovery Bay (which again is an expensive place), I don't think I'm going back to Hong Kong anytime soon.

Now just before the picture-bombs begin,
THANK YOU Colin, Yongwei, Smith and Chris for keeping me sane and bringing me so much laughter throughout the trip, best travel kakis! I couldn't have survived the 5 days without these fun-loving people. In fact, this trip was made most memorable and fulfilling solely because of the company I was with.

THANK YOU for the fun and love!

Day 2: Tai-O Fishing Village, Big Buddha & Ngong Ping Crystal Cable Car

Colin and I decided to check out earlier from Discovery Bay > Sunny Bay > Tung Chung station.
Travelling time: About 30min.

The baggage storage area is NOT at the MTR station.
You'll have to cross the overhead bridge to the opposite shopping mall to deposit your baggage. We took another 10-15min to find the lockers for the baggage. Then another 10-15min to settle the luggage storage.

1. The coin-changing machine next to locker is not working.
2. You can only use coins for the lockers.
3. You have to give EXACT change.
4. The lockers only accept HKD$10 coins.
5. The customer service counter does not provide any change either.
6. Shop owners are not willing to provide change for you. Colin finally found a kind soul at Life convenient store to help us with the change.

HIGHLIGHT: Please bring exact change if you wish to use those lockers.

The lockers were spacious and clean on a lighter note.
We used the Large locker, enough for 1 x biggest-sized luggage.
For the jumbo size locker, my luggage only occupied about half of the space.

Estimated size of my luggage:

Total cost for 6HR luggage storage: HKD$80 = SGD$16
(Estimated Currency exchange rate from Singapore Dollars to Hongkong Dollars is about 5.0)

The mall to store your luggage at Tung Chung MTR Station:

There are TWO bus terminals at Tung Chung.

1. One is next to Citygate Mall.

2. The other one is a 2min walk pass Ngong Ping Cable Car Station.

To go to Tai-O Fishing Village, take bus 11 from the bus terminal further down as you walk pass Ngong Ping Cable Car Station. Tai-O is about 40min bus ride away with plenty of scenic views.

Alight at the entrance of Tai-O fishing Village.

Easy to know when to alight because the name of the stop is reflected on the LED screen in front of the bus.

It says 'Tai-O Ferry Terminal'.

My favourite HK bus journey. :)

20min bus ride to visit the village and catch views of the Wild Dolphins.

Ride: HKG$20 per person (SGD$4)

Tai-O is a beautiful place to chill and take lots of ootds.

Experience a different type of holiday when you dine at any of their river side cafes.

The place is so small you can finish exploring the whole village within 1 hour by foot.

From the Tai-O, take another 15-20min bus ride and you'll reach the Ngong Ping + Big Buddha.

My first visit there and i like the peace and serenity in the area.

We also walked further in to explore a deserted village and wisdom path.

A breezy place despite Summer.

Visit Ngong Ping: FREE.

WARNING:
Please DO NOT eat anything from this stall right at the entrance of Ngong Ping Village.

Not nice and expensive.

We had a bowl of Sesame paste, cold Tao Huay & 3 Siew Mais.

Siew Mai: Hard

Taohuay: Blend

Sesame Paste: Blend

The cleanest chinese ingot i've ever seen!

Actually it's the first clean one.

The ones in Singapore and Malaysia will be vandalised with lots of 4D numbers.

Crystal Cable Car Single Trip: HKD$180/pax (SGD$36/person)

Q-time: 10min

*Afraid of heights*

Day 3: Mongkok, Eaton Hotel

For the rest of the trip, Smith took us around most of the time and we're thankful for that.
We were mostly exploring the streets, local culture and staying around ur area - Mongkok.

Eaton Hotel is pleasantly affordable, clean and spacious.
It comes with free access to their gym, roof swimming pool and massage chairs.
About SGD$120 per night.

It is located just opposite Temple Street, 5minute walk to Mongkok, 5min bus ride to Tsim Sha Tsui and the public transport to the airport is just across the street!

Stay at Eaton Hotel if you're going to Hong Kong!

Xi Chap Lala is THE BEST FOOD ever!

Smith and I alone whacked 1 plate each.

SGD$10 per plate.

Hui Lau Shan: HKD$35 per cup = SGD$7

We had the mango ice 2 days in a row.

Day 4 & 5: Ladies' Street, Tsim Sha Tsui, Lan Kwai Fong, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, Temple Street

Mostly touch-and-go visiting.
We ate non-stop.
Minimal Shopping.

Shopping Damage
1 pair of normal leggings at Trendy Zone: HKD$210 = SGD42
1 3/4 pvc/leather skirt at Trendy Zone: HKD$450 = SGD$90
1 x Vivienne Westwood watch: SGD$450

*Hole in the pocket*

I LOVE the food sold at Leng Leng eatery in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Address: Shop 22, G/F, New Mandarin Plaza,, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Expensive or not, you decide.

As for me, I don't mind lavishing on the food again because it's really very yummy.

Rough Food Pricing

5 Curry Fishballs cost HKD$20 = SGD$4

Large Pig Intestines: HKD$12 per stick (SGD$2.40)

We bought 5 sticks and finished it in 5 minutes.

We spent about SGD$50 for a few sticks & a bowl of Che Zhai Noodles.

Enjoyed the live band performance along the street of Wan Zhai! :)

Managed to step into Causeway Bay once in my lifetime just before last train. :)

The pricing for their set breakfast at Australian Dairy Co. has risen to HKD32 per set instead of HKD$29 last year.

Scrambled eggs

Toast

Macaroni Soup

1 cup of Tea/coffee

Service: still as bad as forever.

They never seem to allow you to browse the menu.

Steamed milk for HKD$26 (SGD$5) per bowl.

The mantis shrimps were so yummy but cost a bomb.

Cravings satisfied though.

Those I find in Singapore can never taste as fresh.

HKD$100 per shrimp (SGD$20 per shrimp)

We decided to try their mcdonald's just before we board the airport bus opposite Eaten Hotel.

Mcdonald's value meals are about HKD$35 per set (SGD$7).

About the same price as Singapore and some even more expensive.

Look at the menu, do the math.

They taste about the same as that of Singapore's.

Mummy Chris and I choping the seats while the boys went to get mcdonalds.

The packaging is too cute to resist!

Box: Actual serving.

The box of chicken looks so stingy so we tried to stack potato croquettes and nuggets underneath to make this picture look fuller and more appetising!

#PotentialFoodArtiste

#FoodBloggerWannabes

The cheapest way to Hong Kong International Airport is perhaps taking the public transport A21.

The bus ride is about 1hr from Temple Street and cost HKD$33 per trip (SGD$6.60).

We waited 30min for the bus.

Very packed and some of them had to stand.
We're fortunate to get some seats for ourselves.
It's a double-decker and you can only place your luggages at the lower deck.

Someone is extremely happy to be coming home.

Homebound.

Colin and I spent a total of about SGD$3800 in total for this 5D4N HK trip.

For the first time in my life, I felt the pinch.

Bye Hong Kong!

See you in a long long time.

Friday, September 18, 2015

Is Hong Kong Really Worth Going On A Holiday Trip Anymore? - Day 1 Disneyland and Discovery Bay

I simply did not recall spending so much during my first visit to Hong Kong last year (September 2014). Colin and I burst our travel budget like nobody's business.

痛。真的很痛。

First of all, there really aren't as many attractions to visit as compared to Taiwan.
In fact I've visited almost all the recommended tourist attractions my previous visit, except for the Big Buddha in Lantau Island.

Been there on my first trip:
The Peak, Avenue Of Stars, Lan Kwai Fong, The Light Show, Hongkong Disneyland...

No doubt the food is delicious and spoilt for choices, the taste is also easily adaptable for Singaporeans like myself - the fried intestines, night stalls, noodles and rice with side dishes, Dim Sum... In general, their hospitality services has also improved at departmental stores as well as shopping malls since the previous time I visited however, I'd say it is really expensive to shop and dine in Hong Kong now.

I simply don't recall spending this much the last time, really.
I lost count of how many times I had ~~complained~~ mentioned to my travel kakis about the attitude, the fast-pacing locals, the quality of services and the cost of living when we were there. The only thing I could adapt really quickly (despite Yongwei's daily rants) was the summer weather. He was perspiring like mad and would request to go back for a shower almost after every place we visited. Colin and I were okay because we have experienced warmer climate in Taiwan last July.

The standard of living in Hongkong now, in my opinion, is Singapore-comparable, or maybe even higher.

On a lighter note, the first two days were most enjoyable for me because I felt I was truly on a vacation. Colin, Yongwei and I visited and stayed on Lantau Island.

For convenience sake, I'll try to remember and convert whatever I've spent on into SGD currency.

~~HKD$1 = SGD$5.47~~ (rounding it off to about SGD$5) from Arcade Mall at Raffles Place.
SGD$1 = HKD$5.47
Thanks Weida & Christina for spotting this!

Alright, time to spot the damages I've made on this trip.

Disclaimer: I cannot remember the exact amount of some of the items which I've spent in Hongkong so I've given a rough estimation instead. For accuracy purposes for people who intend to travel to HK soon, please assist to leave a comment to correct the amount if the price difference is +- HKD10 or more. Thanks for your help!

The Flight
Cathay Pacific was having a DBS credit card promotion in Sept.
We booked an economy flight to Hong Kong for SGD$239.30 per ticket.
Best Deal Ever!

Benefits of flying with Cathay:
Convenient booking with minimal information required, online check-in up to 48hours before flight, self deposit baggages, mobile boarding pass sent via email and SMS, Sms reminders, There's also complimentary in-flight entertainment, 20KG check in baggage, 7KG carry on baggage, standard meals, seat choice, blanket and pillow for our night flight.

We had yummy chicken mayonnaise sandwich, sponge cake, Kit Kat, Orange juice and fruits for breakfast.

We landed safely in Hong Kong after 3hr 50min.

Essentials

It is essential to get an Octupus Card (similar to our Ez Link).

You can take a ferry, a bus, an MTR train, even purchase something from selected merchants with this card.

Damage: HKD$150 per card (SGD$30).

Every card comes with HKD$100 value (SGD$20 value).

You may top up a minimum of HKD$50 at every MTR station.

Wait for 7am when the I0I0 shops open to get a prepaid Card.

Anyway the shop name read like TOTO.

Damage: HKD$118 (SGD$23.60) for 5 days of 8GB data and unlimited local calls.

Spent SGD$10+ on horrible breakfast that I don't even bother to take the Hong Kong Cafe name located just opposite the bus terminal at the airport. The staff even sulk at Yongwei when he stood at the counter trying to keep his change.

Was told to take a cab to Disneyland by the MTR service crew.
Taking the MTR would cost about HKD$60 per person to travel to Qsing Yi alone.
We still have to transit to Sunny Bay > Disneyland Station from Qsing Yi.

Grabbing a taxi for 3 of us would cost around HKD$250 (SGD$50)

I will never forget that stern advice he gave to us in that cantonese accent while pointing his finger at Colin, as if to reprimand a child who'd just broken a window, "You BETTER take taxi ah~ Only HKD$250."

Day 1 - Disneyland + Discovery Bay at Lantau Island

Damage: SGD$92 per admission to Hongkong Disneyland.
Souvenirs and meals: SGD$200+

This time round the train is working yeah!
Thank you Yongwei for taking all the thrill rides with Colin because I was scared. :)

Hidden Perk:
Approach any of their crew, staff, cleaners or security officers to get adorable Disney Summer Collection stickers. I collected 11/16 of them.

I'm not sure if they have these sticker collecting task during any other seasons but it was fun approaching people and asking for stickers. Kept myself very entertained.

Image from Google Search

Realisation

Brace yourselves.

The Chinese really like to cut queue.
They will seize to jump the queue at every opportunity.
No manners at all.

We were queuing up peacefully for the gates to be opened at 10am.
The moment it did, the chinese rushed (RAN) forward and you could hear many locals shouting at them in their cantonese-accent mandarin "Oi, queue up, queue Up!!!"

When no one bothered, the locals and other tourists started running forward too.

The Chinese can never seem to follow instructions.
1. No running and pushing to watch the show - they ran and pushed anyway to watch the Lion King show.
2. No standing up in the train while train is moving - The staff had to continuously make annoying chants "请坐下，坐下，坐下, 坐下，坐下，坐下！ " to the ADULTS.
3. This chinese kid was standing right in front of me. Basically we were first in the queue but the kid cut right in front of us and his family surrounded us. (omg can you give us some privacy for goodness sake). When the next train hailed to a stop but the gates were not opened yet, he asked the adults why and you'll never believe the atrocious conversation.

Here's what one of the adult told the kid, "No worries, I will tell the staff off and ask them to open the gates for us quickly. Then we can take the joy ride together. See he's coming. I will tell him off now."

The crew walked past us but he kept quiet.

Within a minute, the kid asked the same question again.
"Yeah, I will scold the staff and demand he open the gate for us now. He will do that for us immediately." This adult proceed to shout at the crew, "怎么门不开呢？！"

Eh Hello.
Who are you to DEMAND that the gates be opened when the safety procedures have not been met?
You're teaching your kid all the wrong things. They need time to open the train gates and ensure the safety of all passengers. What's your freaking problem?!

Anyway, I decided that this would be a small episode which will not dampen the rest of my disneyland experience. Be patient. Let them cut the queue, run and perspire like mad in the hot sun. The disney crew would help us get seats anyway, just not the best seats even though we were first in the queue. Oh well.

Since we're there, might as well enjoy to the best we can.

If self-encouragement fails to work, take more quirky wefies and selfies!

Damage: Disney portable mist-fan

I think it's about HKD$135 (SGD$27)

- Posers alert -

If whacky selfies still don't work, entertain yourself by spotting the disney characters painted on your nails.

Here's my Tsum-tsum disney-inspired nails done at Manicure Mermaid SG just before my trip.
Woots~

If all above fails, get your favourite popsicles!
Estimated Damage: HKD$30-$60 per stick (SGD$6 - $12)

Or enjoy the disney tunes played by their talented musicians.

Everyone is so talented at disneyland.

So proud of them!

About 6PM, we left Disneyland to Discovery Bay to look for our hotel for the night.

It's called Auberge Discovery Hong Kong Bay Hotel.

Beautiful place, damn chill.

The room is spacious, clean, neat and the room view is AWESOME.

There's a swimming pool with jacuzzi, 24 hours gym, a handful turkish and western bars located next to the hotel.

If you're looking for a staycation, you can try Discovery Bay Hong Kong.

DO NOT STAY HERE IF YOU ARE INTENDING TO SHOP TILL YOU DROP AND EAT CHINESE FOOD AT HONG KONG ISLAND. There's literally NOTHING here except views, chill and more chill.

Oh yes, transportation is so convenient from both the airport and disneyland!

There is a 15minute shuttle bus or public bus from Sunny Bay MTR station to Discovery Bay.

The waiting point is also easy to find and shuttle bus timings can be easily found online HERE so you'll know when to catch the next available bus.

Follow the signs when you exit Sunny Bay.

It's so BIG piak across every single pillar you can't miss it.

The bus stops right outside the hotel. :)

Our room view!

Spot the purple bus?

That's the bus stop.

The Pentagon-shaped building is the mall (DB North Plaza) where you can find some westerns bars and a supermarket.

FULL Morning View.

I can wake up to this every morning.

*relief*

Auberge Discovery Hong Kong Bay Hotel

Our stay per night booked via Hotels.Com: SGD$195.68.

Breakfast: HKD$500++ (SGD$100+) for 3 pax

Dinner at DB North Plaza (random western bar): About HKD$350+ for 3 pax (SGD$70+)

We ordered a BBQ pork spare ribs set, Caesar salad, Soup of the day & I think chicken/pork chop for Yongwei. Too dark to take pictures and the bar doesn't serve alcohol yet.