Hong Kong…it’s much more than high rises ! (Part II)

Part II

Tian Tan Buddha, Po Lin Monastery, Tai O village and the cable car ride

(Read my detailed post on : https://mytravelboots.com/2020/06/12/big-buddha-is-calling/ )

I stay at Tung Chung whenever I am in Hong Kong. For those of you who know about Hong Kong, this is the place from where you get a cable car also known as the Ngong Ping 360,for a breathtaking ride to the Tian Tan or the Big Buddha as he is known and the Po Lin Monastery. This is one of the must do things and also one of the places where one feels very relaxed. A beautiful ride, a tall giant statue of the Buddha in sitting position and a tranquil monastery…all with a serene backdrop. Life is beautiful 🙂

Cable car ride to Bid Buddha and the Po Lim Monastery

Definitely, one of the most awesome cable car rides in the world. This ride shows the green and mountainous side of Hong Kong in its full glory. It takes around 25 minutes for the journey from Tung Chung to the Big Buddha. The imagery around is stunning. I highly recommend taking the Crystal Grass Cabin for the trip. It gives absolutely breath taking views of the stunning vista of the sea, the green mountains and the lovely views. See for yourself:-)

Once you reach the place after a thrillingly beautiful ride, it’s a beautiful walk through the a small cobbled street, which again has many attractions and souvenir shops. A little ahead is the Statue of the 112 feet tall Big Buddha where one can reach the top by climbing 256 stairs. The peaceful Po Lin monastery is just steps away.

One can easily spend half a day here. The Po Lin Monastery and the Big Buddha are open  between 10:00 and 17:30. There is an admission fee to go inside the Buddha.

From here, one can take a trip to the fishing village of Tai O or the “Venice of Hong Kong”, The stilt houses, built  over the waterway look very pretty. One can take a boat ride in the sea and if lucky, may get to spot “Pink Dolphins”.

I have now been to these places many times and still everytime I feel awesome. This is what appears when I am going back to Tung Chung 🙂

So please spend atleast a day in this side of the Lantau Island. You won’t regret it.

Disneyland

HK is a great place for everyone and especially for the younger ones. What better place to indulge the fantasies of children than Disneyland? Disneyland is located in Lantau Island. One has to get down at the Sunny Bay MTR on the Tung Chung Line and then take the train to Disneyland Resort Station. The Park has seven themed areas for kids to enjoy.

One can also stay at the Disney Explorers Lodge or the other hotels located in the Park. You can read more about the Park and the resort on https://www.hongkongdisneyland.com .

The place is charming, full of various gentle rides for young children and Disney themed parks. The must do is the Disney Parade in the evening time which lasts for about 35 minutes and will be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. Please remember that the place is extremely crowded on almost all days and especially so on weekends. It is advisable to book your tickets beforehand on the website. Also, please check the weather before you go. It can rain a lot, especially during July-August. Its better to carry your own raincoats since the shops inside sell very expensive plastic covers which appear to be like raincoats. The cost really pinches.

Inspiration Park (1 Kilometer from Disneyland Park)

Inspiration Park is what I would call a hidden gem. Most of the people who visit Disneyland either do not know about this place or choose to skip. Well, if you have time in hand, I would suggest go for it. It’s a beautiful 20 minute walk to the lake (there’s a bus too which goes till there). The tranquil lake has a fountain and is surrounded by green mountains. You can go boating and biking. There is a children’s park too. It’s a lovely place and if possible, one must visit it.

Ocean Park

While Disney Land is suitable for younger kids, Ocean Park is a world class theme park which can be enjoyed by everyone. The Park has eight attraction zones: Amazing Asian Animals, Aqua City, Whiskers Harbour, Marine World, Polar Adventure, Adventure Land, Thrill Mountain and the Rainforest. It has various thrilling rides and roller coasters. One of the attractions not to be missed is the Giant Panda habitat. The Park is divided into two parts by a mountain – The Summit and the Waterfront.  The Ocean Express funicular railways connects both the parts. There are various shows which are held in the Ocean Park such as Symbio (night time show that features a 360 degree water screen and lightning, fireworks etc.), Sea Dreams featuring the park’s marine animals, Emperors of the sky featuring different species of birds and Whiskers’ theatre.

To reach Ocean Park, one can take the metro till the Ocean Park Station on the South Island Line. It’s a must do and especially for kids.

To be continued….

Read the first part here : Part I

Read the third part here : Part III