Bus 973 going to Ocean Park, Stanley and Repulse Bay.
On our second day, I promised myself I will wake up extra early for our Ocean Park Adventure. Normally people traveling to Hong Kong will not miss a visit to Mickey and Friends at The Disneyland. But I guess I am one of those few who will miss Disneyland instead for Ocean Park. Oh I love Mickey Mouse ever since, so do not mistake me for not being a fan of the cute Mouse, but I promised myself I will be visiting Disneyland when my daughter is old enough to appreciate things when we go there together. So yeah, I scraped off the Famous Disneyland for this trip. I hope I made sense there.
The Science of asking around for right directions are quite a challeng in Hong Kong.
It was kinda funny when you get lost. I am proud with my excellent direction skills, but in our HK trip, I kinda failed here for a few times. Moral Lesson: When a driver nods does not mean he understands you. Well at least he nodded and smiled.
The Tin Hau Temple at Stanley.
Visiting Stanley Plaza and Blake pier was nothing but an accident. From Chungking Mansion, It is a few meters walk to the Tsim Sha Tsui Bus Terminus at Modi Road. Basically it is at the back of Chungking. Walk to mody road towards the end, and you will find the Bus Terminus there. Board bus 973. The travel by bus would be quite long. About an hour or so, depending on the traffic. The route is driving along narrow road at the mountains, and you will realize how fearless the drivers are. And did I say the bus is a double decker. They are almost drifting. lolzzzz. If you are saving time and want to reach Ocean park faster, you can board the MTR towards Admiralty Station. Walk to The Admiralty Bus Terminus and Board bus 629. You can also take a cab, but believe me it will be expensive. So better slap your lazy arse and do some walking and save a bit of moolah for your next meal or for The Ocean Park Ticket which costs, $345 for adults, $173 for children ages 3-11. 3 years old and below are free admission,
The Murray House at Stanley.
To save more time, and a less risk of getting lost, Just ride the MTR than taking the Bus 973. There is a high percentage of you sleeping along the road and missing out the bus stop at the Ocean park, Just like what we have experienced. So we got off at Stanley Plaza. It was so hot that we decided to have a snack at Mcdonald’s for a while and walk around the Plaza.
The whole Bus ride was actually quite relaxing. Too relaxing in fact, that’s why we fell asleep. Hahahaha. There will be nice views of the Mountain side, The beach, the Ocean, and the Different residential buildings.
The Stanley Plaza is not the famous Stanley Market. Stanley Plaza is a few storey Mall with Beautiful concept stores, Restaurants, The Murray House, The Tin hau Temple, The Blake Pier and an outdoor amphitheater where concerts are usually held.
Tin Hau Temple( Temple of the Queen of Heaven) in Stanley was built in 1767 and is one of the oldest temples in Hong Kong. Tin Hau is the Goddess of the Sea and is worshipped by the Hong Kong fishermen. During the time when Japanese attacked Hong Kong, Two bombs hit Stanley but people who stayed at the temple where unharmed, Thus From then on, People worshipped Tin Hau not only as The Protector from The dangers of the sea but also of any perils. Besides this Temple in Stanley, There are numerous Tin Hau Temples nationwide.
Murray House is one of the oldest surviving public building in Hong Kong. It has served as officers’ quarters during the British Era and became the Japanese Command center during their Occupation here. It has been said that it has also been the Execution area of many Chinese people. Before it was situated at the Central, But due to the fast growing economy, they have to dismantle the Building and keep the old blocks that makes up the Murray House. In 1998 the Government decided to beautify Stanley and Rebuild the Murray House here. Now the Murray house has concept restaurants that are worth a visit.
Blake Pier was called the Royal Pier before because it has served as the landing Pier for British officials and dignitaries. It is a nice place to spend time just relaxing while watching waves and the do some fishing. It is still operating as a landing pier for many ferries traveling to Kowloon side.
A few walks from Stanley Plaza is the ever famous Stanley Market and the New Ma Hang Park. Ma Hang Park boasts its beautiful view of the sea. Inside it are fitness areas, Bird watching deck, butterfly garden and a lot more. It is just behind the Murray House.
Stanley Market is known to any travelers as a part of the usual Hong Kong travel itinerary. It is known for its quaint ambiance and the unique shops selling various items like clothes, souvenirs, toys. It is also famous of their nice restaurants with good food. After Shopping here, you can stroll along the Promenade and enjoy the view of the sea.
You can spend roughly 2 hours at Stanley if you are planning to visit Ocean Park After. Since our second day is solely dedicated to Ocean Park, but because of our sleeping habits on bus rides, we have to cut short our side trip to Stanley. We should make the most out of our few hours at Ocean Park. ( because it is freaking expensive for a stingy lady like me ahahahah )
From Stanley Plaza, Take bus 6X and alight at Hong Kong country Club. Walk a few minutes to the entrance. From the outside you can see the Ocean Park’s Entrance on an elevated part. Actually there are other bus that will pass by Ocean Park. If you want to save a few bucks travel around Hong Kong through the Green mini bus. ( although I have trouble with buses here in Hong Kong, Is is not as organized as in Singapore. Something I have been used to ever since.)
It is actually better if you will spend the whole day at Ocean Park. Arrive early when the queues are not as long. People will usually flock there before lunch. When we arrived after lunch, it was a shock that the Ticketing booths are not even crowded. That is when I realized that coming early to avoid queues has been planned by not only me, but all those who came in earier than me.Yes, I am not the only one who wants to plan smart.lolzzz. At the booth they will give you a map of the Park. Make sure you will get the english Version, because the lady gave us the Chinese version.Yeah, maybe we really looked like chinese.
Do not forget to check the Show timing. The map shows the Different shows you can watch complete with the loaction, the type of show and the duration. Organize your time by picking your top choices and just watch what you really want and not waste your time on things that you are not really interested with. One full day will never be enough if you plan to cover everything at the Park. I swear.
Ocean Park is located at the southern end of the Hong Kong Island. The Half of the Park is Located at the Lower valley of the Wong Chuk Hang and is called the Waterfront, and the other is elevated on Nam Lang Shan Mountain and is called the Summit.
The Park is a mixture of an amusement park with thrilling rides, A marine Park, a Zoo and an animal laboratory. I won’t miss the cable Car ride to the summit. For me that is the best way to appreciate the whole place.
I am a acrophobic, So riding the cable car was a crazy challenge for me. From the cable car terminal at the waterfront , I was Like yeah I can do that. Coz from there the view , it was just like a short trip. And then When We are at the top of the Mountain, I saw that the Ride is quite long. We will be passing by few mountain slopes, so the Ride will Be ascending and descending for a few times. I actually enjoyed it though my palms were crazy wet and I was like holding my breath every now and then. Of course I must enjoy it. I will not queue under the heat of the sun for more than 30 minutes for nothing, hehehehe.
Experience everything if you must. We were unable to finish all the rides coz I was not in a good shape anymore. Extreme exposure to sun exhausted me and triggered my allergy so I was like mustering all the energy my body has to at least enjoy the rest of the day. There are lots of rides to choose from at the summit. There are lots of animal shows. I loved the dolphin show. I especially loved the penguins and the sharks and the rays at the aquarium. The koalas were sleeping when we arrived so I was not able to see them up close. The Panda was so Cute but it was sleeping as well.
Tip: Eat before you enter Ocen Park. The are strict in inspecting your bags when you enter. We brought with us some snacks but I was not able to hide them properly so in the end we have to finish them outside. If your bag has a secret place to hide snacks, it is ok I guess. Since snacks inside the park are quite pricey. The cheapest inside is at Mcdonalds. Maybe if you can bring small bread just hid them properly. hehehe. buy drinks inside so you will drink it cold. They have water stations where you can refill your water bottles.
To view all the attractions at the Hong Kong Ocean Park, you can plan your visit here.
Hoping to See the Jelly Fish Aquarium next Time,
Maria
Maria went to town 