My Visit To Hong Kong Disneyland (Part 1)

August 5, 2013, 11:30 pm

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On my 4th day in Hong Kong, my friends and I visited Hong Kong Disneyland at Lantau Island.

It's my first time visiting this famous theme park, so even though Hong Kong Disneyland is the smallest Disneyland in the world, I was still pretty excited!

The admission price for Hong Kong Disneyland for a 1-day pass was HK$350 (US$45 / RM145). It has since been revised to HK$450 (US$58 / RM187), probably due to the expansion of new themed areas.

We managed to buy the tickets from our hotel boss, who acted as agent, for HK$320, a savings of HK$30! That's pretty good savings, no? : )



These are two tickets with images of different Disney characters. The above is Stitch from Lilo and Stitch and below is Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story.



Before we went Disneyland, we had our breakfast in Mongkok where we stayed. Since we did not have the chance to eat roasted goose rice during our trip so far, we decided to purposely search for a restaurant serving exactly that!

Read More >Searching For Roast Goose Rice At Lan Kwai Fong

I have forgotten the name of this restaurant, but the roast goose rice was pretty good!



The roast goose rice came with glass lettuce and plum sauce. I just love their generous amount of glass lettuce!! The price was HK$31 (US$4 / RM13) which was pretty reasonable considering the huge portion.

I doubt you can get such yummy roasted goose in Malaysia. Even Canton-i's roast goose which was priced higher at about RM50 (US$15.50) was not as good as this one - and this was just an average looking (not high class) restaurant in Mongkok.

We also ordered some noodles (not sure the name) but it was not really nice.



After filling our tummies, it was time to go Disneyland. From Mongkok, we took the MTR (Mass Transit Railway) via the Tsuen Wan line to Lai King interchange station, where we switched to Tung Chung line. We alighted 2 stations later, at Sunny Bay Station and from there took the special Disneyland Resort line MTR to Disneyland.

It was all pretty seamless and very convenient! Refer and download the MTR map HERE.



The Disneyland MTR train was pretty cute with Mickey Mouse shaped windows!



The train inside was filled with Disney-themed objects and displays.



Even the handrail hangers were in the shape of Mickey Mouse!



Within a short time, we reached the Disneyland Resort Station.



The sight of the entrance archway was enough to keep any children and the young at hearts feeling happy!



This is the Disneyland Resort MTR Station behind us.



Walking further in from the entrance archway, the sight of this beautiful fountain welcome us.



Cute Minnie Mouse!



It was a beautiful morning at Hong Kong Disneyland. Breezy and cooling without the hot sun that is so prevalent during summer time. That's why you must visit Hong Kong during the colder months in March or April.



During my visit 2 years ago, Hong Kong Disneyland was divided into 4 themed areas - Main Street USA, Fantasyland, Adventureland and Tomorrowland. Now it has added 3 more themed areas - Toy Story Land,  Grizzly Gulch and Mystic Point.



Below is the Disneyland Railroad Station. You can take a grand tour of the entire theme park aboard an excursion-style train which features a stop at Fantasyland.



It's quite impossible to take pictures without other people posing in front of my camera, so just so you know, those people posing in front of that Railroad Station are not supposed to be in the picture. LOL!

Never, ever miss the Flight Of Fantasy Parade when you go Disneyland in Hong Kong! It's a scheduled daytime parade of Disney characters along the the main road at Main Street USA themed area.



The parade started with Dumbo and Timothy Mouse on a float. Notice the number 5? That's Hong Kong Disneyland celebrating its 5th anniversary!

A word of advice : Before you enter the theme park proper, make sure you take the brochures with detailed information of the parade schedules and other attractions. Then plan your activities around those schedules!



The red arrows on the brochure's map show the route of the Flights Of Fantasy Parade. You should be ready with your camera anywhere by the road side along the route before the scheduled time if you do not want to miss anything!



There were altogether about 7 different floats if not mistaken. The parade lasted about 20 minutes overall.



I have to admit I am not a huge Disney fan so I was not too excited seeing all the lovable Disney characters came to life! In fact, I found Ocean Park (which I visited on Day 2) much more enjoyable compared to Disneyland.

But all those children! You could see they were wide eyed and totally awed!



OK, I will now leave you to enjoy the rest of the photos I took during the parade. Can you name all the Disney characters in my photos?



























































Which float is your favorite? Which Disney character you like best?

More of Hong Kong Disneyland in Part 2, so stay tuned : )

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My Visit To Hong Kong Disneyland (Part 2)

August 11, 2013, 9:00 am

≫ Next: Roast Goose Rice At Kowloon Chinese Style Restaurant

≪ Previous: My Visit To Hong Kong Disneyland (Part 1)

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Continued from Part 1

There were many shops along the Main Street USA in Hong Kong Disneyland.



Balloons for the kids!




After the Flights Of Fantasy Parade was over (refer to Part 1), my friend and I decided to visit some of the shops here.

No, I did not buy many things. They were all pretty expensive!



If you are into Disney toys and plushies, you will love this store!



I saw a cute Winnie the Pooh which can be made to dance.



See how it dances LOL!



Some of the stuffs I bought here were these beautiful key chain souvenirs.



Mickey Mouse keychain priced at HK$65 (US$8.40 / RM27.25).



These 2 key chains below selling at HK$95 (US$12.25 / RM39.85) a pair.



Prices were expensive as expected from a Disneyland store, but the quality was first class. No regrets buying them!

After shopping, we walked towards the Sleeping Beauty Castle which is an entrance into Fantasyland.



On the way, we bypassed a nice garden.



The Sleeping Beauty Castle, which is the backdrop for the famous "Disney in the Stars" Fireworks at 9pm daily.



Pass the moat and the grand gates to get into the castle!



The number 5 there shows Hong Kong Disneyland celebrating its 5th anniversary.



Coming out on the other side, this is the view of the castle from inside Fantasyland.



A closer shot of its many spires.



A view from behind the castle gates.



Other buildings inside Fantasyland.



One of the first rides I saw in Fantasyland was the Cinderella Carousel.



Quite a huge Carousel but I did not get to ride on it.



There were quite long queues everywhere so I did not bother to queue for all those rides!



Instead, I was more interested in the 3D animated film at Mickey's PhilharMagic!



So, yes my friend and I queued up for this. We queued for about half an hour, but it's all worth it!

The view from inside the cinema hall before the show starts.



The 12-minute 3D animated show was excellent! This is a special cinema made specially for showcasing the 3D effects and they were so real! The Disney characters really came out of the screen like they were three dimensional. I especially like the magic carpet ride with Jasmine and Aladdin!

A huge surprise awaits at the end of the show when Donald Duck shoots out of the screen. Don't forget to turn around and look at Donald stuck in the wall behind! It was both awesome and memorable!

Guess what? After watching the 3D show here, I had since stopped watching all those 'fake' 3D movies in conventional cinemas.

If we had more time, I would not mind queuing for another round of this 3D movie. But alas, time was not on our side. Next we went to Adventureland.



Nice entrance into Adventureland. Like those fire!



The first thing my friend and I did was to queue up for the famous "Festival of the Lion King" musical. I do not know why I did not take a single picture of this musical!! Maybe I was too excited! LOL!

The roughly half an hour musical was excellent! I enjoyed all the songs, acting and dancing. Definitely worth watching a second time!

By the time we finished with the musical, it was already evening. We had to time ourselves as we had to be back at the Main Street to catch the fireworks at 9pm.

We went for the Jungle River Cruise which was more for children than adults. But it was still quite enjoyable! Then we climbed up the Tarzan's Treehouse (photo below). That was fun!



If you are wondering why there are hardly any photos on the Jungle River Cruise and the Tarzan's Treehouse, that's because I was trying to conserve my camera's batteries for the fireworks shots later.

Well before 9pm, we were already at the open space in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle.



The lightings seemed to change color making the castle look really beautiful at night.



There was a huge crowd there, all waiting for the firework show to begin.



And then the fireworks started. I managed to take a few shots.















I also took a video of the latter part of the fireworks display with my iPhone which you can watch at the bottom of this post.

Somehow, I was not too impressed with the fireworks. Maybe I was expecting too much? LOL!



It was time to leave Disneyland. But before that, we strolled along Main Street USA and visited some of the shops again just for fun.



More photos of the shops along Main Street USA...









I took a photo of the glass window display in one of the shops.



Another window display. Notice the reflection on the glass?



Almost wanted to do some last minute shopping, but stopped myself. LOL!



The City Hall near to the entrance/exit.



The place was almost deserted as many had already left. We did not feel like leaving just yet. Haha!



Remember the fountain we saw when we entered Disneyland during the morning in Part 1? This is how it looks like at night.



We had an enjoyable time at Hong Kong Disneyland, although I enjoyed Ocean Park more. Perhaps I was not really a big fan of Disney shows and all those Disney characters.



Here's the video of the fireworks display during the last 3 minutes.



Coming Up Next : Dinner And Supper In Mongkok

Roast Goose Rice At Kowloon Chinese Style Restaurant

August 14, 2013, 8:00 am

≫ Next: Polo Bun, Milk Tea And Egg Tart At Kam Wah Cafe

≪ Previous: My Visit To Hong Kong Disneyland (Part 2)

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Having eaten roast goose rice in the morning for breakfast before my friend and I visited Hong Kong Disneyland, we were craving for roast goose rice again for dinner.

So as soon as we reached Mongkok after a whole day at Disneyland, we searched for a restaurant selling roast goose rice and ended up at Kowloon Chinese Style Restaurant located at Fa Yuen Street.



The roast goose was yummy as expected. Eating the meat dipped in plum sauce was heavenly.



I saw rows of geese hanging near the kitchen area.



The plate of roast goose rice cost me HK$43 (US$5.55 / RM18.15).



After dinner, we went to Hui Lau Shan again for dessert. Yes, we actually love Hui Lau Shan so much we went there every night! But it's a different outlet each time as there were practically one Hui Lau Shan outlet at almost every street! You can read about it HERE.

That night, we passed by a stall selling these.



It looked yummy so we bought a few to eat.



Strangely, I could not remember how they tasted like and how much they cost. I guess they were probably not that delicious after all otherwise I would remember them right? LOL!



It's also possible that they did not taste delicious because I ate them cold. If you spot this stall and buy the cakes, remember to eat them while still warm!

Coming Up Next : My Yummy Breakfast At Kam Wah Cafe 

Polo Bun, Milk Tea And Egg Tart At Kam Wah Cafe

August 19, 2013, 1:30 am

≫ Next: A Nightmare In A Haunted Bungalow

≪ Previous: Roast Goose Rice At Kowloon Chinese Style Restaurant

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One of the best breakfasts I had in Hong Kong was at Kam Wah Cafe.

Located at 47, Bute Street in Mongkok, Kam Wah Cafe is a very well known and popular cha chaan teng in Hong Kong. It is even patronized by famous Hong Kong TVB stars!

Cha chaan teng, by the way, is something like a cafe or local eatery in Hong Kong that serves comfort food at reasonable prices. They can be found almost everywhere in the streets of Hong Kong and the locals love to go there for their breakfast, lunch, tea and even dinner!



On my 5th day in Hong Kong, my friend and I decided to check out this famous cafe. We had planned to visit the Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery in Lantau Island that day, so we decided to wake up early for a good breakfast before the trip.

The cafe was quite full but not full enough for my friend and I to share table with others like what we did at another excellent cha chaan teng - Australia Dairy Company. Read about it HERE.

Kam Wah Cafe is famous for their polo bao (also spelt as boluo bao lit. pineapple bun) so that was something we made sure we order. We also ordered their egg tarts and milk tea.



The egg tart was one of the most delicious I have ever eaten! The filling was soft and smooth and the thickness of the crust was just right. Definitely beats Malaysia's famous Tong Kee egg tarts in my opinion.



The polo bun was absolutely awesome! Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, it was the best polo bun I have ever eaten in my life! No kidding!

For the uninitiated, there is no pineapple in the polo bun. It is so called because the top of the bun resembles pineapple skin. So please do not search for the pineapple and make the mistake of asking the waiter where the pineapple is. LOL!



There are many ways to eat this polo bun. You can just eat it plain as it's slightly sweet on its own. Or you can eat it with eggs sandwiched in the middle.

But the most delicious is to eat it with salted butter! Polo bao with a thick slab of butter wedged in the center is known as polo yau. This can be found in a lot of cafes throughout Hong Kong, but the best is probably at Kam Wah Cafe. Somehow, the saltiness of the butter mixed with the sweetness of the polo bun's crust makes it taste oh, so heavenly.

Gosh, I'm drooling even as I'm writing this!



I've forgotten to take a photo of the polo yau - must be too hungry that I gobbled it up before realizing I did not take a shot! LOL!

We also ate another version of polo bun which came with char siew (barbecued pork), shredded lettuce and mayonnaise sauce.  It was super delicious!! But I still think nothing beats the simple polo yau.



By the way, they provide forks for you to eat the polo bun. You need the fork to press down and compress the bun before putting in your mouth. At least that's how I see the locals eat their polo buns. Please do not use your hand and eat it like you are eating a McDonald's burger. LOL!

As for the milk tea, I have tasted many milk teas in Hong Kong during my trip and I have to say this one is the best so far!! Of course I have not been to enough places to say it's really the best, but I think you will not be disappointed with the milk tea at Kam Wah.



Their milk tea has strong tea aroma and very smooth on the throat. It's also not sweet because they use evaporated milk, not sweet condensed milk. For me, it was even better than the one I drank at Australia Dairy Company which is another cafe I highly recommend.

The brand of milk they use is the Black & White Milk from Holland as seen from the cups and also the plaques hanging on the wall.



By the way, I have to say that the pairing of the milk tea and the polo bun was just perfect! Add an egg tart to this combination and you will have the most delightful breakfast ever! I've forgotten the price but I think this set (picture below) will not cost you more than HK$50 (US$6.50 / RM21.00).



My friend and I were so satisfied with our meal here that we decided to return for breakfast again the next day!  One thing good about Kam Wah Cafe is that despite being crowded most of the time, the service is prompt and the waiters and waitresses are not rude, unlike in many other eateries in Hong Kong.

It was our 6th and last day in Hong Kong, so we made absolutely sure we would not miss another round of breakfast at Kam Wah Cafe.

This time, we went for egg tarts, thick toast and milk tea.



The egg tarts were so delicious I was tempted to take away some but in the end, I did not.



The thick toast came with melted butter. This was not my favorite as I felt it was too unhealthy with the excess fat, sugar and oil.



Of course, we also ordered the polo bun. How could we not? LOL!



I heard that pork lard were used for the top crust of this polo bun - probably that explains why it was so delicious! Further more, it was no ordinary pork lard. The pork lard was imported all the way from Holland!



Can you see the char siew (barbecued pork) and shredded lettuce with some mayonnaise sauce? Yummy! If you only eat ONE thing at Kam Wah Cafe, make sure it's the polo bun!



Besides the polo buns and egg tarts, the cafe also serves noodles, macaroni and ham in soup, and also instant noodles with luncheon meat and egg which the locals seem to love so much.

There's also a counter at the shop front where you can buy the buns and egg tarts for take-away.



I missed the Hong Kong polo buns and milk tea so much that when I came back to Malaysia, I went on a desperate search for them. Unfortunately, I could not find any that could match the quality and taste of the ones I had in Hong Kong.

The polo bun I had at OldTown White Coffee was horrendous to say the least, and the milk tea was no where near the Hong Kong standards. Even the polo buns sold at most bakery shops were far from good. Looks like I have to fly to Hong Kong again just for their yummy polo buns, egg tarts and milk tea!

If you ever go Hong Kong, do not miss this Kam Wah Cafe. It may not be the best cafe in Hong Kong, but it's absolutely one of the very best!

A Nightmare In A Haunted Bungalow

August 22, 2013, 1:30 am

≫ Next: My Ngong Ping Cable Car Ride To Tian Tan Buddha

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Jerry glanced at the table clock beside his bed. It was 9.15 pm.

He was all alone on the top floor of this 3-storey bungalow. The night was unusually quiet except for some occasional noise from cars passing by outside. 

As he laid down on the bed, he wondered if Marikit, the Filipino maid had already gone to sleep. Her room was on the ground floor and they were the only 2 people staying in his cousin's house that night. 

Earlier in the day, Jerry had arrived from Kuala Lumpur where he stays to visit his cousin Brandon's new bungalow in Johor Bahru. Well, not exactly new as Brandon had bought it second hand from a previous owner who did not stay there long. 

Jerry actually had some business meetings to attend in Johor Bahru and the timing could not be more perfect! What's even better was that his cousin had invited him to stay in his bungalow instead of putting up in a hotel. How nice of him! 

It was such a beautiful bungalow, Jerry had thought when he first saw it. Brandon and his wife had welcomed him that morning. They gave him a tour around their bungalow before flying off with their 3 young kids to Kota Kinabalu to attend a wedding dinner. They would be staying in Kota Kinabalu for 2 nights.

Jerry was out the whole day attending meetings so when he returned that evening, he was pretty tired. Marikit had prepared him a simple dinner which he enjoyed. After dinner, Jerry retired in one of the many bedrooms on the third floor. He had locked the door to his room before taking a shower. Not that he needed to, but somehow it was more out of habit than anything else.

After a good shower, he was ready for a good night sleep. Except that, he could not sleep. Maybe because it was only 9.15 pm. He's not an early sleeper.

Maybe I should send a message to Brandon and ask him how's the wedding dinner, he thought smiling to himself.

He took his mobile phone from the table, sat on the bed and started to type. In the stillness of the night, he suddenly heard a squeaking sound. He looked up and froze. The handle on his bedroom's door was moving up and down. Some one outside was trying to open the locked door!

His first thought was Marikit. Before he could open his mouth to ask, there was a sudden loud banging on the door! It was so loud and the banging was done so forcefully Jerry jumped.

What the hell was that?! 

Suddenly the banging stopped. Dead silence.

Jerry stopped breathing. What the bloody hell was that?

As if in response to Jerry's question, the loud banging suddenly resumed, even more forcefully. Jerry felt a chill ran down his spine. Oh my God, who's banging on that door? 

He could see the door rattling as if it was going to break open anytime. Jerry's heart was pounding furiously. He had never been so scared in his life!

The banging continued for a few more seconds before stopping again.

Instinctively, Jerry grabbed his mobile phone and started to dial Brandon's number. But he could not dial it. His hands were shaking so much, he kept pressing the wrong button. Even holding the phone proved to be a challenge.

Oh God, oh God help me please! He prayed.

When he finally managed to get through to Brandon, he was stammering so badly that Brandon had to ask him to calm down. After hearing about the whole incident, Brandon told Jerry to stay inside his room while he make a quick check on his home CCTV camera via his handphone for any sign of intruders.

Jerry kept staring at the door expecting it to bang again any time, but it was silent. His eyes were also fixed onto the door handle. What if it starts turning again?

It seemed like eternity but after about a minute, Brandon called back to say no intruders were shown on the CCTV camera located outside the house corridor.

So who or what was banging on the door? 

That thought made Jerry even more frightened. Brandon calmed him down saying he had called the guards from the guard house to come over. In the meantime, Jerry were to stay inside his room.

When the guards arrived, Jerry ran to the door, unlocked it and ran helter skelter through the dim hall and down two flight of stairs to the front door without looking back for even a second. The two guards could see how frightened he looked. All these commotion had woken up Marikit, who emerged from her room to listen to Jerry's scary story.

The guards went up to the third floor with Jerry and Marikit following closely behind but they found nothing. It was then that Marikit broke her silence. In her Filipino accent, she told Jerry she had experienced the same thing during the first night she stayed in the house. And just like Jerry, she had locked the door to her room on the ground floor. When she stopped locking her door on subsequent nights, there was no more banging incident.

After the guards left, Jerry and Marikit decided to stay inside his room for the rest of the night. Two people are definitely better than being all alone in this haunted place! 

Image source

There was a mattress in the room which Marikit could sleep on while Jerry would sleep on his bed. Still visibly shaken, he decided not to lock the door this time. It was difficult to fall asleep but somehow Jerry slept all the way till morning.

When he woke up, the sunshine was shining in through the window. Recalling the night's events, Jerry quickly glanced at the mattress where Marikit slept. She was not there. He quickly got down from his bed and went out of the room, calling her name. He found her downstairs in the kitchen.

When Marikit saw him, she quickly beckoned him to come over and then softly she whispered in her Filipino accent.

"Do you know what I saw last night in your room?"

"What?" Jerry sounded nervous.

"I saw you got down from your bed and walked past me towards the door. You opened the door and went out."

"That's not me! I was not even awake!" Jerry protested.

"I am quite sure it's you." Marikit said firmly. "The only thing is, I could not see your face. You were covered with the blanket from head to toe."


Note : This is a true story. It was related to me by a friend. Jerry (not his real name) is her friend and he was so frightened by this incident that when he returned to KL he quickly called up my friend to tell her his story. His cousin and the family are still staying in the bungalow. They did not experience anything unusual so far. According to Jerry, there is one explanation for this. None of them lock their bedroom doors when they sleep at night.

My Ngong Ping Cable Car Ride To Tian Tan Buddha

August 25, 2013, 8:00 am

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During our fifth day in Hong Kong, my friend and I visited the famous giant Tian Tan Buddha (also known as Big Buddha) at Po Lin Monastery in Ngong Ping, Lantau Island.

After our yummy breakfast at Kam Wah Cafe in Mongkok, we took the MTR (Mass Transit Railway) to Tung Chung Station, which is the last stop on the Tung Chung line. As we were departing from Mongkok, we needed to switch to the Tung Chung line at the Lai King MTR Interchange Station. Refer to the MTR map HERE.

By the way, the Tung Chung Station is just one station away from Sunny Bay Station which leads to Hong Kong Disneyland and 2 stations away from Tsing Yi Interchange Station that leads to Hong Kong International Airport.

Alighting from the Tung Chung MTR Station via Exit B, we were greeted with the Citygate Outlets which is a discount shoppers' paradise.





Citygate Outlets offers year-round discounts ranging from 30% - 70% on all merchandise, which are mainly off-season branded goods, so if you are planning to shop in Hong Kong, make sure you shop here! I did not mind the goods being off-season because whatever that is 'off-season' in Hong Kong is still considered 'new arrival' in Malaysia. Haha!

As we were planning to go to Tian Tan Buddha, we did not step into Citygate Outlets that morning. Luckily, we managed to do some shopping here on our return journey later in the evening.

There are 2 modes of transportation from Tung Chung to Tian Tan Buddha. You can either take the bus or the cable car. The bus station is just next to the Citygate Outlets. Of course the bus is much cheaper but it takes a longer time to reach there, about 45 minutes to an hour. In contrast, the cable car ride takes only 25 minutes.

My friend and I decided on the best of both worlds. We opted for the cable car on our journey there and the bus on our return journey. I could not remember the exact fare for the bus and the cable car but we paid HK$98 (US$12.60 / RM41.70) each for this combination.


The escalator leading up to the cable car station

There are 2 different kinds of cable car to choose from - the Standard Cabin and the Crystal Cabin. The difference is that the Crystal Cabin is equipped with a glass bottom, meaning you are standing on a transparent glass floor!

As someone with a fear of heights, I must be crazy to choose the Crystal Cabin which was of course, more expensive than the Standard Cabin. But I guess I just needed to experience it and face my fear!



There's actually a third and more expensive option which is Private Cabin, whereby you are given priority boarding and queue-free ticketing, but I think that's really quite unnecessary. We did not really have to queue that long for our cable car anyway.

This is my second cable car ride during my 6-day Hong Kong trip. The first was at Ocean Park. Read about it HERE.

Compared to the 15 minutes cable car ride from The Waterfront to The Summit at Ocean Park, this 25 minutes Ngong Ping cable car ride was more impressive and breathtaking.

Oh look! I could see tiny people jogging below me : )



Rumors about one of the cable cars falling off the ropeway during an extreme testing in 2007 made me a little nervous but I tried to focus on the beautiful view around me. If it's any consolation, I heard that since the MTR Corporation (which manages the MTR system) took over the running of this cable car, no major incident had been reported.

For added safety, the cable car stops operating during strong winds so be prepared to take the bus or postpone the trip if it's an extremely windy day!



The 360 degree views around me was stunning. No wonder they called this cable car project the Ngong Ping 360 - a tourism project that involves not only the cable car but also the Ngong Ping village near the Tian Tan Buddha. Check out the map of the Ngong Ping 360 system HERE.



I have totally no regrets choosing this cable car ride.



Just look at the amazing view of Tung Chung Bay! Awesome!



The Ngong Ping cable car is actually a 5.7 km long bi-cable gondola lift system. Quite similar to the cable car system in Genting Highlands although the one at Genting is only 3.38 km long. Do you know what's the difference between a cable car and a gondola? I have no idea, but they call this a cable car anyway.



The weather was just perfect to take photos from inside the cable car. Although the reflections from the glass windows were a bit of a hindrance.



We soon reached an angle station at Airport Island. Yes, this is the area near the Hong Kong International Airport. Why angle station? That's because at this station, the cableway makes a 60 degree angle turn!



Surprisingly, the transparent glass floor of the Crystal Cabin did not seem too frightening for me. Well, I did not purposely try and jump to see if the force of my weight would break the glass, but I was pretty calm. LOL.



I thought the glass bottom was a great way to see uncluttered bird's eye view of the ground below.

This is the view ahead of us as we moved away from the angle station at the Airport Island.



The vast scenery of the South China Seas and the high rise buildings were fantastic sights to behold!



One of the many cable cars that passed us going the opposite direction towards Tung Chung.



Ahead of us was the green mountainous terrain landscape of Lantau Island. Beautiful!



That's the Hong Kong International Airport on the left of the angle station which we left behind. I guess the planes were too tiny to be seen in this photo?



Can you see the 60 degree angle turn of the cableway?



If not mistaken, I think there were altogether 2 angle stations and 8 towers supporting this cable car system. That's one of the towers in the photo below.



Each cable car can carry up to 17 people with a seating for 10. During our trip, there were only 4 people (including my friend and I) in our Crystal Cabin. I was glad I could move around freely to take photos.



This is one reason why you should never visit Hong Kong during the peak periods. Imagine sitting in a crammed cable car, unable to take photos of the surrounding 360 degree view! Besides, a crammed cable car with glass bottoms sound a bit risky and scary to me. LOL!



I remember we also went through another angle station although I did not take any photos of it.



I would say the best view is from this photo below where you can see the serene South China Sea and the green verdant landscape of the mountains.



Soon, the Tian Tan Buddha statue came into view. It is one of the biggest Buddha statues in the world although it seemed tiny from here.



As we got nearer to Ngong Ping Station, the Tian Tan Buddha statue appeared larger.



After riding the impressive cable car for about 25 minutes, we reached our destination. I could not wait to visit the Ngong Ping village and the Tian Tan Buddha!



For more information on Ngong Ping 360, visit this official website.

My Piano Version Of The Little Nyonya Theme Song

August 27, 2013, 11:30 pm

≫ Next: My Visit To Ngong Ping Village

≪ Previous: My Ngong Ping Cable Car Ride To Tian Tan Buddha

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I am quite fond of Singapore's MediaCorp TV drama series. Sometimes I think they are better than some Hong Kong TVB dramas!

A few years back, I watched a MediaCorp drama called The Little Nyonya. Have you watched this series before? It's a period drama set in the 1930s about an extended Peranakan family in Melaka. The story spans over 70 years involving several generations of three families. 

I was quite hooked to it when it was first shown on our local NTV7 station. But guess what? When I went to Hong Kong for a holiday in 2011, I remember sitting in my hotel room at night watching the drama as it was shown there too! LOL!

Anyway, this TV series was so popular that it became the highest rated TV drama in Singapore and won several accolades including the Best Drama Serial at the Singapore's Star Awards 2009. It also won the Best Drama Theme Song which was sung by Olivia Ong. 

And that's really what I wanted to blog about today. TheLittle Nyonya theme song. Have you heard this song before? It was a huge hit back in those days. Listen to it now on YouTube below. 

I like the song and had played it on the piano a few years back. Recently, I decided to play it one more time and recorded my playing on SoundCloud. Here's the result. Hope you like it! : )



Over the years, I have played some other theme songs on the piano. Here are four of them ....
Cloud Atlas Theme Song
1Malaysia Theme Song
Angry Birds Theme Song
Age Of Glory Theme Song

My Visit To Ngong Ping Village

September 2, 2013, 10:00 am

≫ Next: The Amazing Tian Tan Buddha On Lantau Island

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On our fifth day in Hong Kong, my friend and I visited the Tian Tan Buddha in Ngong Ping. We had reached Ngong Ping via the memorable cable car ride from Tung Chung.

Before we reached the Tian Tan Buddha, we walked through the Ngong Ping Village.



We passed by Linong Tea House but did not go in. The building looked rather impressive from the outside with its Chinese style architecture.



Strolling along the walkway which was filled with shops on both sides, I could see the Tian Tan Buddha (also known as the Big Buddha) in the distance.



Cute dolls in front of a shop.



There were a couple of attactions at Ngong Ping Village but we did not visit any of them. The first is  Walking With Buddha, an interactive multi-media attaction that takes visitors through the life of Siddharta Gautama, the man who became Buddha.

Another attraction is Monkey's Tale Theater which is a short animated film for kids. You need to pay for both the attractions.



We also came across a Bodhi Wishing Shrine under this Bodhi tree. It is believed that wishes made at this shrine will come true. The Bodhi tree was the tree under which Siddharta meditated and eventually attaining Enlightenment and becoming Buddha.



You can write your wishes on a card and post it at the Bodhi Wishing Shrine for your wishes to come true. There's a catch however. You would need to spend at least HK$150 (US$19 / RM63) at Ngong Ping Souvenir Shops to redeem that wishing card. We did not bother.



I was not impressed with the place. Somehow, I felt that the Ngong Ping Village was more like an excuse to squeeze as much money as possible from tourists. The souvenirs sold here were quite expensive - you can get the same souvenirs at cheaper prices at the Ladies Market in Mongkok - and the place did not even looked like an authentic village to me. Definitely a tourist trap and an overrated place if I may say so.



Since our main intention was to see the Big Buddha statue, we did not spend too much time at the village.

Soon, we reached the entrance arch leading to the Tian Tan Buddha.



Nice arch with beautiful rooftop carvings.



Passing the arch was a huge open space with statues lining up on both sides.






It was a short walk before we finally reached the Tian Tan Buddha.



We were at the foot of a 268-steps staircase leading up to the giant Buddha statue at the top. More about this incredible Tian Tan Buddha in my next post, so stay tuned! : )

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The Amazing Tian Tan Buddha On Lantau Island

September 5, 2013, 10:30 am

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The Tian Tan Buddha (also known as the Big Buddha), is a popular tourist attraction in Hong Kong. Located next to the Po Lin Monastery at Ngong Ping on Lantau Island, it is one of the world's tallest outdoor sitting bronze Buddha statues in the world.

During our fifth day in Hong Kong, my friend and I visited the Big Buddha for the very first time. From Mongkok, we took the MTR to Tung Chung where we experienced the awesome cable car ride to Ngong Ping Village.

After walking leisurely for half an hour at Ngong Ping Village, we reached the foot of the 268-steps staircase leading up to the Big Buddha.



This is the stairs that separated us from the famous Buddha statue. Did we climb up to the top? You bet!



Fortunately, the weather was not hot, so it made climbing the stairs easier. In fact, I was quite surprised at how easy it was. I did not even break into a sweat climbing the steps - it was definitely easier than climbing the steep 272 steps of Batu Caves in Malaysia!



There were quite a lot of tourists that day but luckily, it was not overcrowded.



Halfway up, I snapped this photo below. The Big Buddha looked almost ethereal from here.



After climbing for about 15 minutes, we finally reached the top! The 34 meters tall bronze statue looked really awesome! Weighing about 250 tons, the Big Buddha sits on a giant lotus flower on top of a three-platform altar.



Every feature of the Buddha statue has a symbolic meaning of religious significance. With broad forehead and elongated ears reaching to the shoulders, the Buddha is an embodiment of wisdom and perfection.



If you are wondering why the Big Buddha is called Tian Tan Buddha, well, that's because its base is a replica of Tian Tan, the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.

The raised right hand is in the mudra of imparting fearlessness, which represents removal of affliction and sufferings. The left hand which rests on the lap, with the palm faces upwards and fingers pointing slightly downwards is seen as a gesture of giving dhana or generosity in granting blessing and happiness.



The Big Buddha is surrounded by six smaller bronze statues, three on each side. These statues known as "The Offering Of The Six Devas" are posed offering flowers, incense, lamp, ointment, fruit and music to the Buddha. These offerings symbolize charity, morality, patience, zeal, meditation and wisdom - all the qualities necessary to enter Nirvana.



Front view of one of the statues making offerings to the Tian Tan Buddha.



There are 3 floors beneath the Buddha statue which are exhibition halls - the Hall of Universe, the Hall of Benevolent Merit and the Hall of Remembrance. The third floor houses the relic of Gautama Buddha, including some of his alleged cremated remains.



Access to the Big Buddha statue is free, but to enter the three floors of Exhibition halls, a fee of HK$25  (US$3.20 / RM10.65) is charged. Also, no photography is allowed inside so I could not show you any photos.

Alternatively, you can purchase a simple vegetarian lunch for HK$60 (US$7.70 / RM25.55) or a deluxe vegetarian meal for HK$100 (US$12.90 / RM42.60) - both of which entitles you free entry into the Exhibition halls. My friend and I bought the HK$60 vegetarian lunch, which I shall blog about in the next post.



It is said that on a clear day, the Big Buddha can be seen from as far as Macau. Standing up here, I could see the view of the surroundings which was serene and beautiful.



Soon, it was time to leave the Big Buddha and descend the stairs.



The view from the stairs looking down was pretty awesome.



My stomach was rumbling as it was way past lunch. I could not wait to eat the vegetarian lunch at Po Lin Monastery.



As I descended the stairs, I took one last look at the Big Buddha. It looked as if the Big Buddha was bidding me a good farewell.



For more detailed information on the Tian Tan Buddha especially on how it was built, check out the Po Lin Monastery website.

Awesome Vegetarian Lunch At Po Lin Monastery!

September 8, 2013, 9:00 am

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≪ Previous: The Amazing Tian Tan Buddha On Lantau Island

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During our trip to the Big Buddha on Lantau Island in Hong Kong, my friend and I had one of the best vegetarian meals ever. The vegetarian lunch we had was at the Vegetarian Kitchen in Po Lin Monastery.

Luckily, we did not eat anything at the over-rated Ngong Ping Village on our way to Big Buddha. If you ever go to Big Buddha, you will definitely pass by Ngong Ping Village. Make sure you don't have your meals there because trust me, you don't want to miss the vegetarian meal at Po Lin Monastery!



Before we climbed the stairs to visit the Big Buddha (aka as Tian Tan Buddha), my friend and I had bought the tickets for our vegetarian lunch at the Meal Ticket Office counter.

There are two types of vegetarian meals - Regular and Deluxe. You can purchase ticket for regular vegetarian meal at HK$60 (US$7.70 / RM25.55) per pax or the deluxe vegetarian meal at HK$100 (US$12.90 / RM42.60) per pax. We went for the deluxe meal.

After we were done visiting the Big Buddha, we headed straight to the Vegetarian Kitchen at Po Lin Monastery. This is how the interior looks like.



We were given table number 1. Not bad, eh? : )



There were 5 dishes altogether with a bowl of rice for each of us.



We started off with the mixed mushroom soup. The warm soup contains assorted mushrooms and fungus and also bean curd. It was yummy! Perfect for a cold rainy day.



Black mushrooms with vegetables. The green leafy vegetables were absolutely tasty!



Deep fried bean curd sheet with lemon sauce. This is my favorite! It was so delicious I think it could give the lemon chicken dish that I love to eat a run for its money!



Mixed vegetables dish. This contains asparagus, celery, mushrooms, peas, capsicum and cashew nuts. A really nice mix and oh, so yummy!



Lastly, the deep fried vegetarian spring roll. There was nothing really special with the fillings but the spring rolls were crispy and light, and not too oily which were really satisfying for me!



Overall, the vegetarian lunch at Po Lin Monastery was excellent. I give it full marks! And just so you know, I seldom rate vegetarian restaurants very highly. The food here was clean, flavorful, aromatic and simply delicious!



The ambience was pretty good, although there were not many people dining at that time. Perhaps most people prefer to choose the cheaper HK$60 regular meal? Those who choose the cheaper meal dine at an open air seating area outside probably with different sets of dishes.

I even like their nice moist tissue packet which contains some words of wisdom! : )



Below is another shot of the dishes we ate. My friend had re-arranged the dishes and asked me to take another photo. LOL!



After the satisfying lunch, we walked over to the Vegetarian Desserts and Snacks Counter (sorry forgot to take picture!) There were many choices of vegetarian dumplings and cakes but for some unknown reasons, we did not buy anything there. Oh well, I will definitely buy some if I were to re-visit this place in future.

We also walked over to the Main Shrine Hall but stopped short of entering it.



Some of the photos I took around the shrine.



These plants look beautiful!





Soon it was time to leave Po Lin Monastery. There were more photo taking opportunities. Here's a photo of the monastery's arch gate and the Big Buddha up on the hill.



The flags area with Big Buddha in the distance.



The main arch gate that separates Ngong Ping Village and Big Buddha/Po Lin Monastery area.



We had earlier came to Ngong Ping from Tung Chung via the cable car ride across the picturesque Tung Chung Bay and Lantau Island's verdant hills. But for our return journey, we decided to take the bus instead.

Our bus tickets. OK, some of you might be surprised at the date, so yes, this trip was 2 years ago and I only managed to blog about it now. Hahaha!!



We took the New Lantau Bus (NLB) back to Tung Chung where we did some shopping at the Citygate Outlets before rushing off to catch the Symphony Of Lights at Victoria Harbour.



I would say that compared to the cable car ride, the bus ride was pretty boring. Nothing much to see throughout the roughly 45 minutes journey. If I were to visit Big Buddha again, I will just take the cable car ride.

Coming Up Next : The Symphony Of Lights 

Watching The Symphony Of Lights At Avenue Of Stars

September 12, 2013, 9:00 am

≫ Next: Happy 50th Malaysia Day!

≪ Previous: Awesome Vegetarian Lunch At Po Lin Monastery!

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My last night in Hong Kong was spent watching the Symphony Of Lights taking place at Victoria Harbour.

Right after we returned from the Big Buddha, my friend and I did some quick shopping at the Citygate Outlets in Tung Chung before rushing off to the Avenue Of Stars to catch the Symphony Of Lights.



Named as the 'World's Largest Permanent Light And Sound Show' by Guinness World Records, this Symphony Of Lights is a synchronised multimedia light and sound show involving 44 buildings on both sides of Victoria Harbour.

It is held nightly at 8pm for a duration of about 14 minutes.



There are a few good spots to watch this Symphony Of Lights - among them are at the Avenue Of Stars on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, the promenade outside the Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai and on the Star Ferry running across Victoria Harbour.

We chose the Avenue Of Stars. When we reached there, it was full of people all waiting to catch the show!



I found it very difficult to take photos with the huge crowds in front of me. Since I was only using my humble Lumix LX3 camera, I did not manage to capture good photos. Most appeared grainy and the lack of light did not help.



The light and laser displays turned out to be quite interesting. I could see different lighting effects such as laser, searchlights, LED lights and projection lighting.



I heard that during public holidays and during Chinese New Year, they would add in special pyrotechnic fireworks display.



If you want to see better photos of the light and laser show, please google it! LOL. Anyway, after the show was over, we walked around a bit and I took some photos of the night scenery.

There were many boats passing by and it was quite nice to watch them running across the water with the brightly lit Hong Kong skyscrapers in the background.



I particularly like this red junk boat!



Did you know you can take a cruise on this junk boat?



Regrettably, I did not get the chance to sit on any boats during my Hong Kong trip. I will make sure I sit on one if I ever go Hong Kong again!



We continued to walk leisurely around the place. I just soaked in the atmosphere. It's my last night in Hong Kong after all. We would be leaving for home the next day in the afternoon. I could not help feeling a tinge of sadness that my holidays would be ending soon.



More photos below....







We also passed by the famous Clock Tower landmark.



It was too dark to capture anything at the Avenue Of Stars so I had planned to return to this place the next morning.



I managed to capture a photo of this Clock Tower the next morning so perhaps I will talk a bit more about this it in my next post : )



We walked the streets and it was nice to take some night photos of the beautiful Hong Kong streets!



But it was time for dinner. We decided to return to Mongkok to search for our favorite food!



Hong Kong is always alive at night! That's one thing I like about Hong Kong.



Guess where we ended up eating our dinner? Why, it's back to Ming Yuen Noodles Restaurant for their yummy wonton noodles soup! I have already blogged about this restaurant - read HERE.



Look at those big juicy wontons, those yummy fresh glass lettuce and those chewy noodles! I am really missing this right now!!

If I were to choose between watching the Symphony Of Lights and eating this bowl of wonton noodles, I will definitely choose the latter. Haha!!

Coming Up Next : Walking The Avenue Of Stars

Happy 50th Malaysia Day!

September 15, 2013, 9:01 am

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Happy 50th Malaysia Day to all my fellow Malaysians!

Today September 16th, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Malaysian Federation. A historic day back in 1963 where Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore helped to form Malaysia, although Singapore left two years later.



What are your plans for the day? For those in Kuching, Sarawak, perhaps you may want to attend the Malaysia Day Parade at Padang Merdeka. Some of you are probably already somewhere enjoying your holidays since last Saturday.

Whatever your plans are, one thing's for sure. There will be no Monday blues today! Yippee!!

Anyway, to celebrate Malaysia Day today, I would like to play the 1Malaysia Theme Song on the piano. If you recall, I already played it last year - Listen to it HERE.

But this time, I shall improvise the song a little bit by adding an introduction and adding new material halfway. I shall call it '1Malaysia Theme Song Version 2'. Hope you like it! : )

Walking The Avenue Of Stars

September 17, 2013, 7:30 am

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On our last day in Hong Kong, my friend and I visited the Avenue Of Stars located along the Victoria Harbour waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui.

We were there the night before to catch the Symphony Of Lights show but since it was too dark to explore the Avenue Of Stars, we decided to return the next morning. From Mongkok, we took the MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui Station, walked through a passageway leading to Tsim Sha Tsui East Station before getting out via Exit J. (Refer to the MTR map HERE)



From there, it was roughly a 3-minute walk to the Avenue Of Stars. Along the way we passed by Hong Kong Museum Of Art. Due to lack of time, we did not visit this museum.



The first sight that greeted me at the Avenue Of Stars was this 4.5 metre tall replica of the statuette award given to winners at the Hong Kong Film Awards.



There's a promotional poster of Hong Kong's tourist attractions by the Hong Kong Tourism Board featuring famous Hong Kong actor Tony Leung at the promenade.



We saw this giant statuette the night before when we watched the Symphony Of Lights but it was too dark then. Now I could see it clearly in the bright day lights.



The Avenue Of Stars, which is modelled after Hollywood Walk Of Fame, honors celebrities of the Hong Kong film industry.



Built at the cost of HK$40 million, the Avenue Of Stars was first opened to the general public on 28 April 2004.



Oh! Is this cute or what? : )



Took another photo from a different angle to show the car hidden behind it : )



Set into the 440-metre long promenade were plaques honoring Hong Kong celebrities, both alive and dead.



Some plaques contain hand prints and autographs of the stars set in cement. This one below belongs to veteran actress Josephine Siew Fong Fong.



For those who are already deceased, their plaques only contain their names, like this Bruce Lee's plaque.



I think there were more than 100 plaques here - it was not practical for me to take photos of each and every plaque LOL! By the way, this is Jackie Chan's.



And Kenneth Tsang's.



Oh, I stumbled upon the late actor and singer Leslie Cheung's plaque. There were wreaths and flowers on top of his plaque.



For the benefit of those who are not into Hong Kong stars, Leslie committed suicide on 1st April 2003 by leaping off the 24th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Central District, Hong Kong Island. Pretty tragic, no?



Nice film reel design on the floor.



A film making scene with the cameraman and the director.



Bruce Lee immortalized in this bronze statue.



Just took another shot with the cruise liner in the background. LOL!



More statues showcasing the filming industry in Hong Kong.







I thought the Avenue Of Stars was a great tourist attraction with stunning panoramic view of the Hong Kong Island skyline.



But why was it so hazy? Was it due to air pollution?



Took two more pictures of the Hong Kong Island skyline.





We then walked over to the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower nearby.



Built of red bricks and granite, this Clock Tower stands at 44 metres high. Can you see the long lightning rod at the top?



Walking further, we reached the Ferry Pier. Here, I saw the cruise liner Ocean Princess docking so I just snapped a photo of it.



It was time to return to our hotel in Mongkok to check out before heading straight to the airport. Our 6 days in Hong Kong had been both exciting and memorable. So is this the end of my Hong Kong posts? Well, not quite. Stay tuned for my next post coming soon! : )

Food I Ate During My Hong Kong Trip

September 22, 2013, 7:30 am

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Hong Kong is a food paradise. To me at least. During my 6 days in Hong Kong back in 2011 (yes that's how long it took me to blog about the trip LOL!) I had enjoyed most of the food there.

Despite the inconvenience of sharing tables with complete strangers and having to put up with rude waiters, I still find eating in Hong Kong a pleasurable experience. I guess tasty and quality food really matters. And the big portion is definitely a plus point!

Anyway, here is a round up of most of the food I ate in Hong Kong.

1. Beef Ball Noodles at Lok Yuen



Oops! I think I forgot to blog about this one! Maybe because it was pretty forgettable. LOL!



So it's true not all food are nice in Hong Kong. But the not-so-nice food are clearly in the minority. I guess I have eaten better beef noodles in Malaysia, so this did not impress me much.



Located at Fa Yuen street in Mongkok, Lok Yuen has other types of food in their menu, but they are most famous for their beef balls.

2. Scrambled Egg Sandwich at Australia Dairy Company



One of the best cha chaan tengs (cafes) in Hong Kong, Australia Dairy Company offers the yummiest scrambled egg sandwich, egg custard and fantastic milk tea!



I still do not know how they make their scrambled egg sandwich but it tasted heavenly!!


Located at Parkes Street in Jordan, Australia Dairy Company is a MUST VISIT! Read more about my breakfast at this place HERE.

3. Mango Desserts at Hui Lau Shan

Easily one of the best desserts I had in Hong Kong was at Hui Lau Shan. They have the best mango desserts ever!



The mango ice cream was something to die for!



I ate at Hui Lau Shan almost every night in Hong Kong. Or was it EVERY single night? I could not really remember hahaha!



Hui Lau Shan can be found at almost every street in Mongkok. No kidding. Check out the various types of desserts I ate at Hui Lau Shan HERE.

4. Dim Sum at Dao Xiang Restaurant

It is a MUST to eat dim sum in Hong Kong or you will be missing out on this fine Cantonese cuisine. Hong Kong does serve one of the best dim sums in the world!



Although I did not visit enough dim sum restaurants to say that Dao Xiang has the best dim sum in Hong Kong, I think they were pretty good! Of course, I do have my fair share of not-so-nice dim sum in Hong Kong like the one I ate at Dim Sum Specialist.

Anyway, one dim sum that really stood out for me at Dao Xiang was this red dates dim sum! So yummy!!



Located at Nathan Road in Mongkok, Dao Xiang Restaurant also serve steamboat meals.



You can read more about my experience eating dim sum at Dao Xiang HERE.

5. Wonton Noodles at Ming Yuen Noodles Restaurant

I fell in love with wonton noodles during my trip in Hong Kong. The wontons were big and juicy, the noodles were springy and the glass lettuce was tasty!



My favorite wonton noodles were at Ming Yuen Noodles Restaurant located at Soy Street, Mongkok.



If you like to eat innards and liver, they do serve some very delicious ones, although I must say I do not like eating innards!



Read more about this Ming Yuen Noodles Restaurant HERE.

6. Polo Bun and Milk Tea at Kam Wah Cafe

Hong Kong is famous for their polo buns so do not miss these yummy food when you are there. One of the best polo buns I tasted was at Kam Wah Cafe.



Eating polo buns with a cup of hot milk tea is one of the best breakfasts I had in Hong Kong! Adding an egg tart made it totally awesome! If you fancy polo bun with barbecued pork, then this is THE place  to go!



Located at Bute Street in Mongkok, Kam Wah Cafe is another of my favorite cha chaan teng besides the Australia Dairy Company mentioned earlier.



For more details about Kam Wah Cafe and their yummy food, read HERE.

7. Roast Goose Rice at Kowloon Chinese Style Restaurant

I went on a wild goose chase trying to locate good roast goose rice in Hong Kong but ended up at this Kowloon Chinese Style Restaurant in Mongkok.



The roast goose was yummy and dipping the meat into the plum sauce was heavenly!



It looks as if a lot of yummy food can be found in Mongkok itself, so staying here may be a good choice if all you want to do in Hong Kong is to eat, eat and eat! LOL!

For more details on the roast goose rice, click HERE.

8. Deluxe Vegetarian Meal at Po Lin Monastery

If you are searching for vegetarian food in Hong Kong, look no further than the Deluxe Vegetarian Meal at Po Lin Monastery in Ngong Ping, Lantau Island!



After climbing the steps to reach Big Buddha, you will surely get hungry and will appreciate the vegetarian meal at this monastery.



Check out the awesome vegetarian lunch I had at Po Lin Monastery HERE.

Besides the food mentioned in this post, I also ate some street food like stinky tofu, pancakes and fried food on skewers but they did not really stand out for me. Of course, there are many more food and restaurants in Hong Kong that I have yet to try, so I hope I will be able to try them the next time I visit Hong Kong!

Top 5 Places To Visit In Hong Kong For First Timers

September 26, 2013, 10:00 am

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If you have never been to Hong Kong and are planning to go there, you have probably come to the right place! Today, I would like to share with you the top 5 places to visit in Hong Kong.

Personally, I do not think it's necessary to follow a tour group. You can easily do some research online, plan your itinerary and explore Hong Kong all on your own without much problem. For first timers to Hong Kong, these are the top 5 places I recommend visiting.

1. Ocean Park

Located at the southern part of Hong Kong Island, Ocean Park is a marine park, amusement park and educational theme park all rolled into one! It's really huge and you need to spend at least a whole day here.



Ocean Park is divided into 2 areas - The Waterfront and The Summit, which are separated by a mountain. You need to either sit the cable car or the Ocean Express train to commute between these two areas.

At The Waterfront, you can see real giant pandas at The Giant Panda Habitat, enjoy underwater sea creatures at the Grand Aquarium, entertained by birds at the Amazing Bird Theatre, go up a hot air balloon at SkyFair and relive the olden days of Hong Kong at The Old Hong Kong.



If you are into adrenaline pumping rides, The Summit is the place for you! Besides the thrilling rides, you can also enjoy watching the beautiful sea jellies at the Sea Jelly Spectacular and explore the history and culture of China's Yangtze River at the Chinese Sturgeon Aquarium.



After a whole day of fun, don't forget to watch two dragons fight at the amazing 360 degrees water screen fountain show called The Symbio Water Screen Show scheduled at 7.30pm daily. I highly recommend Ocean Park and do not mind going there again in future!

Check out my experience at Ocean Park in a series of posts HERE.

2. The Peak

As the highest mountain at Hong Kong Island, The Peak is an ideal place to escape the heat and to catch the panoramic view of Hong Kong city. To reach the top, you will need to ride the Peak Tram, which is an experience in itself!



You can shop, dine and visit Madame Tussauds Wax Museum inside The Peak's unique building known as the Peak Tower. And on top of this tower is the Sky Terrace 428 which boasts the highest 360 degrees viewing platform in Hong Kong!



Do not miss the night views of Hong Kong city from the Sky Terrace - it's an amazingly beautiful sight from up there!



I would suggest half a day should be spent at The Peak probably going up there in the early afternoon, and time your itinerary well so that you end up at the Sky Terrace at night. Check out my activities at The Peak HERE.

3. Hong Kong Disneyland

Located at Lantau Island, Hong Kong Disneyland is the smallest Disneyland in the world.



I did not quite enjoy myself at Hong Kong Disneyland. But if you are a kid or you are an adult but a huge fan of Disney characters, then it might be a different experience for you. While you are there, do not miss the Flight Of Fantasy Parade, which is a scheduled daytime parade of Disney characters.



I did not fancy any of the rides there but then again, if you are a kid, you will most probably love all the rides! However, I highly recommend the 3D animated film at Mickey's PhilharMagic and the Festival Of The Lion King musical - they were pretty awesome!

And of course, you have not really visited Disneyland if you did not catch the nightly fireworks display with the Sleeping Beauty Castle as the backdrop.



If you have been to Disneyland in other parts of the world, I suggest you skip Hong Kong Disneyland. Unless you really have no other places to go. LOL! Read more about my visit to Hong Kong Disneyland HERE.

4. Avenue Of Stars

The Avenue Of Stars, located along the Victoria Harbour waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui, is a tourist attraction that honors celebrities of the Hong Kong film industry.



Besides enjoying the stunning panoramic view of the Hong Kong Island skyline here, you can see plaques of Hong Kong celebrities complete with handprints and autographs, modeled after Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Below is a photo of Jackie Chan's plaque.



At night, you can catch the famous Symphony Of Lights from here. Performed nightly at 8pm for a duration of 14 minutes, this Symphony Of Lights is a synchronised multimedia light and sound show that should not be missed for a first timer to Hong Kong.



Read more about The Avenue Of Stars and The Symphony Of Lights HERE.

5. The Big Buddha

Also known as the Tian Tan Buddha, the Big Buddha is a popular tourist attraction in Hong Kong. Located at Ngong Ping on Lantau Island, the Big Buddha is just next to the Po Lin Monastery.

To go there, I highly recommend riding the cable car which will bring you across the picturesque South China Seas and the green verdant mountains of Lantau Island.



However, I do not really like the Ngong Ping Village which to me, is like a tourist trap. Still, it's just a short walk across the village to reach the Big Buddha.



The sight of the Big Buddha sitting on a lotus flower at the top will blow you away. After visiting the Big Buddha, do not miss the yummy vegetarian meal at Po Lin Monastery nearby.



Check out my trip to Big Buddha HERE.

Of course, there are many more places to visit in Hong Kong, but the above are my Top 5. If you have more time, do visit the Wong Tai Sin Temple as well. It's really quite interesting!

For shopping, I recommend the Ladies Market at Mongkok for cheap souvenirs and other products and the CityGate Outlets at Tung Chung for discounted high quality branded goods.

And if you are interested in the culture and heritage of Hong Kong, do check out the brochures provided by the Hong Kong Tourism Board.



In fact, for my next visit to Hong Kong, I will explore more non-touristy areas on foot guided by this Hong Kong Walks booklet.



If you are a first timer to Hong Kong, don't miss some of the yummiest food on this side of the planet! Check out the food I ate during my Hong Kong trip!

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The Smallest Budget Hotel Room I Have Ever Stayed!

September 29, 2013, 10:30 am

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This is my last post on my Hong Kong trip. I almost did not want to blog about this. By this, I mean the hotel which I stayed for 5 nights in Mongkok, Hong Kong.

It was, without the slightest hint of exaggeration, the smallest budget hotel room I have ever stayed in my life! No kidding. I have traveled to quite a number of countries in Asia - China, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia - and none of the budget hotels I stayed in these countries could beat this one in terms of size.

After blogging about all the wonderful places I visited and all the delicious food that I ate in Hong Kong, a few readers had started to ask me this horribly annoying question : "So, where did you stay in Hong Kong?"

My reply had always been ... "It's a lousy hotel. I won't recommend it."

One or two very observant readers had told me this : "I don't remember reading about the hotel you stayed in Hong Kong." Haha! They knew me well. I tend to blog about every single hotel that I stayed in every single country. And of course they were right - it's just that I did not want to blog about it!

Others went so far as ... "Can you recommend me a good hotel in Hong Kong?" With a sigh, I would reply, "Why don't you try Agoda.com for some of the best choices?" LOL!



But then, I decided to change my mind. Why should I not blog about it? It's after all a record breaking feat! I did stay in this tiny hotel room for 5 freaking nights and survived to tell the tale! Haha!

And so, if you must know, the smallest budget hotel room I have ever stayed in my life was at MK Hotel, Sincere House located at No. 83, Argyle Street, Mongkok.

Now we all know that Hong Kong do not have a lot of land space, so most people stay in high rise flats or apartments. When my friend told me he had booked the hotel for our trip, I had already expected the hotel room to be small. But I did not expect it to be THIS tiny!!

Note to self : I MUST be the one doing the research and the booking next time!!

To save space, the bed they have in the room was a bunk bed. In fact, it's a twin over full bunk bed. Wow! First time in my travels I slept in a bunk bed! My friend chose to sleep at the top, while I slept at the bottom. The bottom bunk is actually meant for 2 person, but I could not imagine how that would fit!



Anyway, this bed already filled up most of the room. I am not kidding. We barely had space to even put our luggage! There's a small table next to the bed right below a tiny window. Yes, thank God there's a window!!

The person in charge actually told us that he had given us a very good room with a window! How amusing! But guess what did we get to see outside our window? The run-down rooftop and the sky. Nothing else.

Oh, there's a TV too. A flat screen TV hanging oddly at the corner of the wall. I still remember both my friend and I watching this TV every night. It was indeed our source of entertainment. Our only source. Free wifi Internet access? Didn't even believe it existed! LOL!



The room was so small we could barely walk in it. So most of the time, we would be sitting on our beds. It was so claustrophobic to me that I doubt even petite Asians would be able to last long staying inside. If you are a Caucasian or somewhat bigger size than the average Asians, please do not even dream of staying here!

Now if the room was that small,  can you imagine how small was the bathroom?



It was so damn small that the shower head was right above the toilet seat and that's about the only place you could stand to take your shower! Due to this, the toilet seat became wet and you know, I just hate to sit on wet toilet seats!! My friend hated it too, so we purposely went to the toilets in shopping malls to do our big businesses! Haha!

But what's worse was that during our first night in the hotel, there was no hot water! The weather was already freezing cold and without hot water, we did not take any bath on our first night in Hong Kong. Yucks! Luckily, after we complained to the person in charge, the problem was rectified by the next day.



There's also a small kitchen with a sink next to the bathroom. Surprising right? Even with such a small room, they have a kitchen! Anyway, this sink also doubled as the place for you to brush your teeth. Just for your information, only one person could walk in this narrow kitchen. Two people would feel way over-crowded!

Oh, and guess what? The hotel did not provide any towels or soap. Not that I would even dare to use their towels! But with 7 Eleven at close proximity to the hotel, we had no problem getting soaps and shampoo ourselves.



How much did I pay to stay here? Well, we paid HK$1,350 for a total of 5 nights. That means it's HK$270 (US$34.80 / RM112.30) per night. Even after splitting the amount between the two of us, I still find it rather expensive for such a small room!

My friend and I had actually wanted to move to another hotel after seeing our room. But when we talked to the person in charge, he said it would not be fair to him as we had already booked for 5 nights earlier. Besides, he said all other budget hotels in Mongkok also have such tiny rooms.

So, we decided to just stay put. In retrospect, we should have searched for other budget hotels and did some comparison. Since it was my first time in Hong Kong, I really had no idea which was the best hotel to stay. It would be easy to just choose a 4 or 5-star hotel to stay but that would be out of our budget, at least for this trip.

If you know of a good, clean budget hotel with bigger rooms and reasonably priced, do let me know! It will be helpful for my next Hong Kong trip! Thank you! 



The one good thing about staying in this hotel was the location. It was in the prime area of Mongkok, close to all the eateries and shops. Cabs were aplenty if you wanted to take one. It was within walking distance to the nearest MTR Station, to the Ladies Market and even to Langham Place shopping mall.



Another good thing staying here was that the boss actually helped us get tickets for Ocean Park, The Peak and Disneyland at a discounted price. That was quite some savings!

And despite the room being absurdly small, it was luckily not too dirty. But will I stay here again? Never!! It's definitely for backpackers who just want a place to sleep for the night. You definitely cannot stay inside this hotel room the whole day - you will go insane!


Hui Lau Shan and Aji Ichiban - two shops you can find in Mongkok near MK Hotel

Apart from the hotel, I had enjoyed almost everything else about Hong Kong. So it was with a pretty heavy heart that I left Hong Kong. Good bye, Hong Kong! I hope to visit you again in the near future!

If you had missed any of my Hong Kong posts, feel free to check out the complete list below.

1. My First Day In Hong Kong
2. I Bought Something Naughty At The Ladies Market In Mongkok
3. Yummy Mango Desserts At Hui Lau Shan Hong Kong!
4. My Breakfast At Australia Dairy Company
5. Pandas Galore At Ocean Park Hong Kong! (Part 1)
6. Pandas Galore At Ocean Park Hong Kong! (Part 2)
7. The Waterfront At Ocean Park Hong Kong
8. The Cable Car Ride At Ocean Park Hong Kong
9. The Summit At Ocean Park Hong Kong
10. The Symbio Water Screen Show At Ocean Park Hong Kong
11. Searching For Roast Goose Rice At Lan Kwai Fong
12. A Steamboat Dinner At Dao Xiang
13. My Dim Sum Breakfast At Dao Xiang
14. My Visit To Wong Tai Sin Temple In Hong Kong (Part 1)
15. My Visit To Wong Tai Sin Temple In Hong Kong (Part 2)
16. Riding The Peak Tram In Hong Kong
17. My Visit To The Peak In Hong Kong
18. A Tribute To Hong Kong
19. My Visit To Madame Tussauds Hong Kong (Part 1)
20. My Visit To Madame Tussauds Hong Kong (Part 2)
21. Night Views Of Hong Kong From The Sky Terrace
22. Dinner At Ming Yuen Noodles Restaurant
23. My Visit To Hong Kong Disneyland (Part 1)
24. My Visit To Hong Kong Disneyland (Part 2)
25. Roast Goose Rice At Kowloon Chinese Style Restaurant
26. Polo Bun, Milk Tea And Egg Tart At Kam Wah Cafe
27. My Ngong Ping Cable Car Ride To Tian Tan Buddha
28. My Visit To Ngong Ping Village
29. The Amazing Tian Tan Buddha On Lantau Island
30. Awesome Vegetarian Lunch At Po Lin Monastery!
31. Watching The Symphony Of Lights At Avenue Of Stars
32. Walking The Avenue Of Stars
33. Food I Ate During My Hong Kong Trip
34. Top 5 Places To Visit In Hong Kong For First Timers

Coming Soon : Spiritual Feng Shui By Lillian Too

The Bridges Of Putrajaya (Part 3)

October 2, 2013, 11:30 pm

≫ Next: Spiritual Feng Shui By Lillian Too (Part 1)

≪ Previous: The Smallest Budget Hotel Room I Have Ever Stayed!

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Last year, I started to blog about the bridges of Putrajaya, a city located 25km south of Kuala Lumpur. There are altogether 9 bridges spanning the man-made Putrajaya Lake, and I have only mentioned about 2 of them.

If you have forgotten, or if you missed those posts, you may want to click on the links below...

Part 1 : Seri Wawasan Bridge
Part 2 : Seri Gemilang Bridge

My sincere apologies to readers who have been waiting so long for my Bridges of Putrajaya series. After almost a year, I guess it's time to resume blogging about the remaining bridges, so today, I shall continue with another bridge simply called the Pedestrian Bridge.



This bridge is very near to the Seri Gemilang Bridge and in fact, the photo above was taken while standing on the Seri Gemilang Bridge.



It is a very short bridge, only about 135 metres in length.



The weather was really cloudy which made it hard to take good photos. As I walked towards the bridge, I could see far ahead and above me, the iconic UFO-shaped Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) building.



There were actually dark clouds gathering in the sky and I prayed it would not rain as I did not bring an umbrella with me.

Reaching the front part of the bridge, I was surprised to see that it was barred and there was a 'No Entry' sign.



Somewhat resembling a butterfly, this bridge is actually a pedestrian or footbridge specially designed for pedestrians and cyclists crossing the Putrajaya Lake to enjoy the scenic beauty of the surrounding area.



I love the design of this unique looking bridge, but too bad I was not able to walk on it that day! I wondered if the bridge was temporarily closed for some reason or it was no longer in use - anyone knows?



It would be a great pity if such a nice bridge is closed down for whatever reasons. Since I visited this bridge last year, things may have changed recently. Maybe I should visit it again soon.



I continued to walk further to take photos of this bridge from different angles.



Then I saw the waters of Putrajaya Lake dropping to another level right below this bridge!



A magnified shot of the water drop.



I guess this must be some sort of a dam. What do you think?



Built as a double asymmetrical tubular arch bridge, the design was pretty unique, at least in Malaysia.



Located at Precinct 5 at the southern part of Putrajaya, this pedestrian bridge no doubt adds to the beauty of the scenic Putrajaya Lake.



I wish I could go here for my morning jog, but unfortunately Putrajaya is just way too far for me to go everyday or even a few times a week!



I spent about half an hour walking around taking in the sights. Luckily, the rain did not come although dark clouds continued to hover above.



But I was not taking any chances. I decided it's better to get back to my car which was some 15 minutes walk away. And before it really pours, I had better get on to the next magnificent bridge of Putrajaya!

To be continued ....

Spiritual Feng Shui By Lillian Too (Part 1)

October 7, 2013, 7:30 am

≫ Next: A Relaxing Afternoon At Gurney Drive

≪ Previous: The Bridges Of Putrajaya (Part 3)

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"There are many spirits in the hall today. If you are psychic, you can see them..."

Those were among some of the opening words uttered by feng shui expert and world's best-selling feng shui writer Lillian Too during her Spiritual Feng Shui Seminar at the Gardens Hotel Ballroom in KL on the 28th July 2013.

It was a full day event and a very interesting one too! Interesting because for the very first time in Malaysia, Lillian Too were talking with us about ghosts, spirits and the cosmic world!

If you are wondering why I took such a long time to blog about this event, well, that's because I had wanted to first read Lillian's ground-breaking new book called Spiritual Feng Shui - The Vital Third Dimension. I needed to gather my thoughts too before writing this post as there were simply too many things to mention.



It would be highly impossible for me to reveal every single thing that Lillian had talked about that day. So I shall just try to keep it simple and to the point.

But first, what is Spiritual Feng Shui? If you think Spiritual Feng Shui is all about ghosts and spirits, you are not very far behind. Yes, it's about that and more. Googling about this topic did not prove to be  very helpful. There were not many websites or information on the Internet regarding Spiritual Feng Shui.

In Lillian Too's own words, Spiritual Feng Shui is about engaging the spirits around us and living in harmony with them. If this sounds scary to you, Lillian made it worse initially by saying that not everyone can see these spirits (although she can), but it's better not to see them because some of them look very fearsome and horrific. Yikes!!

However, she was quick to tell us that first and foremost, we must NOT be afraid. Ghosts and spirits - they do exist - but we must not be scared of them. She also dispelled fears that this was about religion, that we need to convert to Buddhism to practise Spiritual Feng Shui. Instead, Spiritual Feng Shui has nothing to do with religion, but more about having faith in oneself.

For the uninitiated, there are basically three dimensions to the practice of feng shui. They are the Space dimension, Time dimension and Spiritual dimension.

Most of us who study feng shui or have some interest in feng shui are already familiar with the first two dimensions ie. Space and Time feng shui. Honestly, I had no idea about the third dimension ie. the Spiritual dimension until Lillian mentioned briefly about it during her Feng Shui Extravaganza in KL back in 2011.



However, Spiritual Feng Shui is not a new fad or something that Lillian just discovered by accident. It was in fact, being practised by many good old feng shui practitioners especially in Hong Kong - it's just that they never talk or reveal about it. When Lillian was at the height of her career in Hong Kong back in the olden days, she noticed that many developers called in the feng shui master before they start construction work on a new building. Many thought the feng shui master was there to do the Space and Time feng shui but the truth of the matter is, he was there to bless the land and appease the spirits so that the construction could continue without any obstacles.

We have often heard about accidents and deaths happening at construction sites. Could it be that the developers had offended the spirits of the land and the surroundings when they started to dig and build?

According to Lillian, the REAL secrets to feng shui is neither the Space nor the Time dimension as practised by many modern feng shui practitioners today, but the Spiritual dimension. To her, Space feng shui is easy. It's all about compass directions, landscape, formulas, the art of placement of furniture and decorative objects, and arranging your physical space to improve the energy flow. When she first started writing her first feng shui book more than 15 years ago, Lillian talked mainly about Space feng shui.

Later, when people were familiar with Space feng shui, Lillian started to introduce Time feng shui in her books. Time feng shui is about the changes in energy with the passing of time. Most of us who were practicing Space feng shui began to realize that energy changes with time and does not stay the same forever. In other words, we have to keep updating our feng shui from time to time.

Unbeknownst to many, Lillian was already practising all three dimensions of feng shui long before that. Her meeting with Lama Zopa Rinpoche in India in 1997 was also the turning point where her interest in Spiritual feng shui was fuelled. From this very high lama of Tibetan Buddhism, she learnt many things that helped her share with us all the secrets of Spiritual Feng Shui.

According to Lillian, it was difficult to talk about Spiritual Feng Shui. Writing the book on Spiritual Feng Shui was not easy. A lot of research and years of disciplined practice were necessary before she could bring herself to share with others. I certainly have no regrets attending her seminar as I think she had successfully put it all together in a way that is comprehensive and easy to understand for the layman.

During the seminar, Lillian explained the powerful role of Spiritual Feng Shui - how it enhances the Space and Time dimensions so that our practice of feng shui is complete and is more effective. There were some interesting moments when she said she could feel the energy of the hall was very heavy as if it was crowded with spirits who were also there to listen to her talk. Lillian said this always happens when she gives all her feng shui talks. To our amusement, Lillian then proceeded to ask the spirits to give her some space, so as to lighten up the energy in the hall.

Next, Lillian introduced us to the topic of King Gesar and the Spirits of Shambhala. She equated Spiritual Feng Shui with the Spirits of Shambhala. To the Tibetans, Shambhala is a mystical paradise that is supposed to be located somewhere in Central Asia. King Gesar is the King of Shambhala.

King Gesar is also widely revered as a manifestation of the 4 Buddhas - the great Guru Rinpoche, Avalokiteshvara (the Buddha of Compassion), Vajrapani (the Buddha of Power) and Manjushri (the Buddha of Wisdom). Invoking King Gesar and chanelling the Spirit of Shambhala will help you fend off evil forces and learn profound spiritual truths. It also make your inner spirit essence or 'lung ta' strong. A strong inner spirit will prevent you from getting bad luck, being disturbed by spirits and falling victim to black magic!

Lillian also mentioned about the Kalachakra symbol. It is a principal protective symbol that keeps you safe. When worn, the Kalachakra can be seen by spirits and they will leave you alone. Lillian mentioned that The Dalai Lama, who is considered a warrior of Shambhala, has been spreading the knowledge of the Kalachakra to the world.



Spiritual Feng Shui involves connecting with various kinds of spirits and invoking different levels of Protectors. How do we connect with the spirits? How do we invoke the cosmic protectors to protect us from harm? Lillian promised to teach us that day.

But before that, we need to know who these spirits and protectors are. We need to understand how the cosmic realms work. And THIS is where it got really interesting.

Don't miss Part 2 where I will share with you what Lillian Too taught us about the parallel worlds and the different realms of existence.

To be continued ....

A Relaxing Afternoon At Gurney Drive

October 9, 2013, 9:00 am

≫ Next: The Bridges Of Putrajaya (Part 4)

≪ Previous: Spiritual Feng Shui By Lillian Too (Part 1)

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Today I would like to introduce my brand new piano composition which I actually recorded on my iPhone last month. I call this song "A Relaxing Afternoon At Gurney Drive".

The Gurney Drive I'm referring to is the one in Penang, not the one in Singapore. Haha! If you don't know, I visited Penang more than 3 months ago (how time flies!) and have not even started blogging about it yet!

Well, I have to finish up my Hong Kong posts (which I did!) and my Bangkok posts (still ongoing) before I can blog about my Penang trip. You can read a preview of my Penang trip HERE. But for now, let me bring you to Gurney Drive in Penang - not physically, but musically LOL!



Judging from the title of this song, I'm sure you are expecting a song that is relaxing and calming, like how I felt when I was walking along the seaside promenade of Gurney Drive one afternoon. It was actually the very last day of my Penang trip and the sky was especially cloudy and overcast. I even thought it would rain, but luckily it didn't.



Instead, I had an enjoyable stroll looking at the sea, with the breeze blowing and the ocean waves crashing onto shore. In a somewhat hypnotic state of mind, a tune suddenly emerged. I found myself singing the tune and quickly recorded my own singing on my iPhone.



You know, when a tune comes into mind, you have to quickly record it or it will be gone forever. That's always the case with me. Inspiration comes at the most unusual time and that's why I am so thankful to have my iPhone with me at all times! Luckily, no one saw me singing into my phone. Haha!



Anyway, when I returned from Penang, I forgot all about it until one fine day (which was a month ago), I accidentally played back my recording. It was then that I attempted to play the tune on my piano and THIS is the result. Click and listen yes? : )


Note : This work and recording is copyrighted. All Rights Reserved. 

Because it's played spontaneously with no preparation beforehand, I made a glaring mistake on the 49th second. Sorry about that. The melody and the chord were simply wrong there but I just did not feel like doing another recording to correct it. Somehow, first recordings are always the best and sound the least forced.

Someone told me it sounded almost Richard Clayderman-ish. I don't mean that I played as well as him, but the music sounded like his type of music. What do you think?

If you enjoy, do listen to it again. And while you are at it, continue to see the remaining photos I took along Gurney Drive below.


The Evergreen Laurel Hotel where I stayed.



Really overcast sky. I was taking a huge risk of getting drenched. But this is the kind of weather I like!



That's a catchy slogan! Bali Hai's "If It Swims We Have It". Nice.



The brand new Gurney Paragon mall.



Tall and I suppose, expensive condos?



The trendy G Hotel - maybe I will stay here next time!



Did you know that Gurney Drive was a victim of the 2004 tsunami? Heard many cars parked along the road were washed away!




If you like my 'A Relaxing Afternoon At Gurney Drive' song, perhaps you would like to listen to my other compositions as well? Check them out by clicking on the links below.

My Very First Composition
A Thai Pop Song
A Tribute To Hong Kong
1st Of December

The Bridges Of Putrajaya (Part 4)

October 13, 2013, 8:30 am

≫ Next: Spiritual Feng Shui By Lillian Too (Part 2)

≪ Previous: A Relaxing Afternoon At Gurney Drive

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One of the unique things about Putrajaya, a city that serves as the Malaysian Government's administrative centre, is the bridges spanning the man-made Putrajaya Lake.

A total of 9 bridges link the different precincts in Putrajaya, and 7 of them connect the Mainland to the Core Island surrounded by the lake.

Initially, I wanted to cover all the 9 bridges, but later I decided I would just highlight the more interesting ones. So far, I have blogged about 3 of them. You can check them out by clicking on the links below.

Part 1 : Seri Wawasan Bridge
Part 2 : Seri Gemilang Bridge
Part 3 : Pedestrian Bridge

In this Part 4, I would cover one of my favourite Putrajaya bridges - Jambatan Seri Saujana or the Seri Saujana Bridge. 



Looking rather impressive, this Seri Saujana Bridge is located at the main entrance into the Core Island from the South via the B15 road and the KL-KLIA highway.



It links Precinct 4 of the Core Island to Precinct 7 on the Mainland.

If you are still wondering why there is an island in Putrajaya, well, it was man-made. In creating the Putrajaya Lake, the earth was dug up around a piece of land and filled with water. This piece of land is now the Core Island and it is separated from the mainland around it by the Putrajaya Lake.

To reach the Core Island, you would of course, need bridges! And so a total of 9 bridges were built. Ingenious? Or a total waste of money? I shall leave that to you! LOL!



I walked under the bridge. It looked pretty majestic from here, almost like a giant spaceship hovering above my head.

Further ahead is another bridge - the Putrajaya Monorail Suspension Bridge.



Unfortunately, this Monorail Suspension Bridge was left uncompleted. The project was 'suspended' due to financial constraints. More about this bridge in another post.

Can you see another bridge behind the Monorail Bridge? Looks familiar? That's the Seri Wawasan Bridge which I already blogged about in Part 1.



The above photo combines the Seri Saujana Bridge on the left and the Putrajaya Monorail Bridge on the right.



At a length of about 300 metres, the Seri Saujana Bridge is a unique combination of cable stay and steel arch design.



Don't you think it looks beautiful with its unique design? By the way, did you notice those small little balconies for people to stand to admire the view from the bridge?



It was already late evening when I took these photos of the bridge.



Luckily, it didn't rain although it did drizzle a little bit. I was afraid of a heavy downpour earlier while I was at the Pedestrian Bridge in Precinct 5.



Another beautiful view of the bridge spanning the Putrajaya Lake.



I wanted to climb up the bridge and walk on it. But first, I took some photos of the evening sunset scenery. Wonder who lives in this house? Must be great to have such a nice view of the lake!



The sun setting in the horizon.



Before it started to get dark, I quickly went up the Seri Saujana Bridge.



The architectural design looked amazing from here. It seemed kind of futuristic to me.



Look at those cables!



The evening sky with beautiful clouds provided an awesome background!



A magnified view of the structure.



More photos of this awesome bridge to take advantage of the beautiful sunset sky!

I almost wanted to stand in the middle of the road to take photos, but I guess this is good enough. I love this angle! It makes the bridge looks even more amazing.



The bridge is made up of dual three lane carriageways and has a total width of about 32 metres.



I guess covering four bridges in a day is more than enough. It's time to leave Putrajaya, although I should have just stayed on to capture those bridges at night.



Surely they will be colorfully illuminated at night! Oh well, maybe I will do that next time.



I returned to Putrajaya a week later to capture the remaining bridges. Of course, I did not just go Putrajaya to take pictures of the bridges. That would be crazy! But visiting all the bridges were part of my agenda, and it was truly satisfying! LOL!



Don't miss Part 5 where I will blog about the Putrajaya Monorail Bridge.