Hong Kong Travelogue by Kaelyn Papa

I have been travelling in and out of the country since I was a little girl mostly for business but we also do fun things while visiting that certain place. The one place that we seem coming back to is Hong Kong. I remember it differently each time we visit. The first time I came to Hong Kong was extremely cold, we were freezing; it even got to the point where my dad’s lips were bleeding because the skin on his lips came off. The second time we visited was hot, we thought it would be cold though but surely it wasn’t because we were sweating like pigs. While the third time we came back, it was at the end of October of 2016; it was both hot and cold. Hot in the morning but not humid, and cold in the evening but not that cold that it would get to the point where I would be freezing to death. I would suggest coming to Hong Kong on the month of November and April. When you are going to travel to Hong Kong, I suggest bringing at least two jackets if you’re not used to the cold temperature because it will get cold once the sun is gone.

(This is a picture of my mom and I looking at the airport flight number and the boarding time which is the first thing you should do when arriving in an airport.)

When you are on a tight budget, I suggest going to guesthouses. Hong Kong's guesthouses provide clean and comfortable budget accommodation, with air-conditioning and individual washrooms. In order to stay safe, stay at licensed guesthouses. If you can afford it, you can stay in one of the three hotels I would suggest. 

The first hotel I would suggest is the first hotel we stayed in while we were in Hong Kong last month, Harbour Grand Kowloon Hotel. From what I know, it’s a pretty old hotel but it surely hasn’t lost its quality; they’ve maintained the cleanliness of the room and also its five star. The room we stayed in had a pretty spectacular view and the beds in the rooms are queen sized and you can also have an extra bed put in. One of the perks staying in this hotel is that there is an amazing authentic restaurant that is a walking distance from the hotel, the place is amazing that everyone was so hospitable and even the owner would go around asking everyone how their night is and if they were enjoying the food. 

(This is a panoramic picture of our hotel room in Harbour Grand Kowloon Hotel)

The second hotel is the five star JW Marriott Hotel. Everyone’s reaction to when they were suggested this hotel is that it’s too far away from everything else but the thing is, it’s actually not. It’s pretty close, it’s 10-15 minutes away. This hotel is fantastic! If you want to stay in a hotel with really large rooms and amazing food, this is the hotel for you. Even the standard rooms are like suite rooms already because it’s very spacious. 

(This is a picture of the standard room in JW Marriott Hotel)

Now, save the best for last. The Penta Hotel. Even though this hotel is only a four star, it’s certainly the best one for me. When I first walked in, there was some kind of friendly vibe that I really liked. The first thing I liked about this hotel is that the staff were extremely friendly, they are instructed to wear jeans and not working pants to make the visitors feel at home. Unlike the other hotels I have been to, the staff wouldn’t even look at us and barely smiled at us because we were little kids but in this hotel, the staff were even interacting with us and showing us everything. The hotel is really chic and they have amazing ideas. Instead of selling overpriced foods at the minibars in the hotel rooms, they put a vending machine in the lobby where people can just buy from there with really cheap prices. Even though the rooms are small, the interior design of the whole hotel is just fascinating and it has amazing lighting from outside.

(This is a picture of the suite room in the Penta Hotel, great lighting and interior design)

Certainly, we did not come to Hong Kong just to stay at hotels, 

we also went to tourist spots. The first tourist spot we visited was Hong Kong Disneyland where we first inspected the Disneyland Hotel and then the theme park. But I wouldn’t recommend staying here unless you have a lot of money because a little bit of breakfast here costed us a lot of money. The theme park wasn’t what I remembered though, it had a lot of new rides and sections. There are rides for the little kids and also for the adults. Since I am a teenager, I would recommend for you to ride the extreme space mountain in the Tomorrowland section of the theme park. Then every October, they put up a villain parade where Maleficent, Jafar and other villains were there. After that, they move on to the fireworks show that they put up every night which is amazing! The fireworks were so bright even when you’re at the train station that is right across the castle. After that, we went back to the hotel with the help of Asian Links. 

(Disneyland Hotel)

(Disneyland Hotel)

(This is the bus station going from the Disneyland theme park to the Disneyland hotel or the Disneyland hollywood hotel)

(My sister and I on the bus on the way to the Disneyland theme park)

(One of the new rides in the new section of the Disneyland theme park)

(A picture taken by my wonderful sister of my dad, mom and I at the entrance of the theme park at night; all buildings have lights around it that turn on when it's dark)

Before I forget to tell you, when you go to Hong Kong, I would suggest booking with Asian Links or KASEL Travel; I have personally met with the owner of Asian Links and he is extremely kind and very intelligent. They would always make sure to provide you your needs whenever you need them and they have two staff that can speak Tagalog fluently. While my family owns KASEL Travel, it’s still a small company but we would also provide you your needs whenever you need it, my mother would stay up all night just to make sure everything is alright.

The second tourist spot I would suggest on going is the Ngong Ping 360 Cable car leading to The Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery. The Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car is a fifteen minute ride going to the big Buddha or rather, the village. There are shops here where you can eat at and buy souvenirs from and you can climb the two hundred plus steps up to The Big Buddha where you can buy ice cream at the top or just enjoy the breathtaking view.

(The Big Buddha view taken from the cable car)

(When you get off from the cable car, you will be meet by the village)

(There are cows here since cows are sacred to them, this is where the expression "Holy Cow!" came from.")

(A picture of me in front of the big buddha)

(A picture I took of my sister fooling around when we walked down from the big buddha)

The third and last tourist spot I would suggest on going is  the Ocean Park. Here in the Philippines, the Ocean Park have just an aquarium and animals for people to interact with but the Ocean Park in Hong Kong have a bunch of fun rides too! The theme park is huge with aquariums and animal shows that comes with it.

(The dolphin show in the Ocean Park)

(Just like I said, there are lots and lots of rides in Ocean Park)

So far, this is what I know I can recommend to you in Hong Kong for when you want to go there. To know more, just contact KASEL Travel or my parents so you will be able to know what to do when you visit a certain place. 


**********ALL PICTURES USED ARE TAKEN BY EITHER ME OR MY SISTER AND WILL BE USED FOR FUTURE USES IN OUR BUSINESS**********