One of the top ten must-do things in Hong Kong (according to Tripadvisor) is to visit the Victoria Peak (commonly known as The Peak) and i was all excited as i didn't manage to check it out back in 1997!
As the iconic tram was undergoing a few-month-long maintenance, we had to make do with taking the common bus up to the peak; bus no 15 and i am so not looking forward to long bus journey when i am overseas.
After waiting for about 5 minutes, i noticed a bus no X15 on the board; a non-stop direct express bus service that will bring us to the natural attraction! Yoohooo, we can save some time then.
Strangely, there wasn't much people at the bus stop and that's quite surprising since the tram was closed, it was weekend and the only cheap mode was through the public bus! I looked around and saw signage pointing to another direction for X15!
Blindly following the directions; we got to a bus interchange right outside an exit of Admiralty MTR station where an X15 bus appeared to be waiting for passengers! Darn the 10-15 minutes that we had wasted and to think that i was planning to catch the last few glimpses of the setting sun.
Time to board.
It's really quite scenic along the way as the bus trudged upwards; navigating the many turns; there were the cemeteries with the unique layout in land-scarce Hong Kong.
The Happy Valley Racecourse - it's often featured in movies and dramas! I actually have the impression it's located in the sub-urban areas, just like the one at Kranji in Singapore.
Seated on the top deck of the double-decker bus is definitely more exciting! For the heart thumping effect, sit on the left. I didn't get motion sickness so i guess the turns were not that bad after all.
Many towering buildings; Singapore is going towards that as well but given that our land area is smaller and the location of our international airport is on the mainland; there's still a limit on our buildings' height.
Interior of the bus; similar to the ones we have in our little red dot.
Arrived at the bus terminal; journey on this express bus took about 20 minutes which wasn't that bad in my opinion. If the tram is operational, the time taken is said to be only about 8 minutes.
Uh oh - this is no good. Visibility was horrendous and at some junctures, it's hard to look beyond 20-30 meters. Temperature wise was rather cooling though although i would very much prefer a summer temperature with clearer visibility.
Checking out the rustic looking washroom at the Peak Tower!
As the peak was surrounded by huge blocks of fast moving clouds; there were the rare occasions that things started clearing up. Even then, however, it's still not as beautiful as what i saw before on the web and the above is like the best shot i took that night.
Most people seemed to be walking along this path and being hyper curious; i followed the queue in the hope that i would see something different. As you can see, i do plan my itinerary but it's sketchy with not much details. Sometimes i like it that way as the expectation is lower.
Visibility marred the spectacular backdrop. At that time, i was contemplating returning the next day so that i could at least secure some decent photographs at Victoria's Peak. I regretted not visiting in 1997 and i am not going to waste my chance!
Un-smiley Alex as he was pissed off with this group of tourists who just couldn't stop taking photos after photos. Like most tourists, we exhibit a lot of consideration and patience for others and it can indeed be frustrating.
Guess that's where people ended up; Victoria Peak's Lions Pavilion and knowing i wouldn't get a good picture, i didn't even bother jostling with the crowd at the lookout platforms.
Back to Peak Tower. Okay, decision was made there and then; we shall be back the next day. I can't stand wasting my trip and the good thing about free and easy is that time management can be flexible!
Posing with Nicole Kidman; yes lah, we popped by Madame Tussauds located at Peak Tower. Pity we didn't see the point of paying over S$30 each to have our star time with waxed replicas of famous people.
Peak Tower - an interesting looking shopping mall where you can spend a few hours eating, shopping and enjoying the attractions like Madame Tussauds! There's even a ticketed 360-degree viewing platform on top which stands at "428 meters above sea level"
Madness 3D Adventure! Please be assured that entry is entirely free but there were a few 3D artworks that only their professional photographers can help you to take photographs of and for that; you would have to fork out some money to get your hands on the printed copies. More on this on Day 5!
Prefer not to have photobombs when you take photographs of the city's breathtaking skyline? You can find a few at Peak Tower; i found one outside a toilet and another one along an outdoor corridor on the same level as Madness 3D Adventure.
The tram!!
It's actually a visitor centre and the staff there were so nice to allow me to take pictures as they were supposed to close already! Does the picture do justice to the tram in real life?
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For the summary of my seven days' itinerary to Hong Kong (with a day trip to Shenzhen), please click here.
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