Hong Kong, Macao & Suzhou 2018
map
itinerary
highlights
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Day 1 Itinerary
Places visited: Kowloon Public Pier
Sundowners in HK🥂
After a long journey from Nanjing with a half day "layover" in Shenzhen (we went out and explored the city a bit), I was ecstatic to finally arrive in Hong Kong! We checked in to our ridiculously small hotel room, and then the first stop was the Kowloon Public Pier to see the sun set over the skyline. After taking a few photos, my friend and I headed out to a bar to meet some people.
Day 2 Itinerary
Places visited: Ngong Ping 360 - Tian Tan Buddha - Kowloon Public Pier
Next stop: Lantau Island
Despite my insane fear of heights, I enjoyed the cable car ride up to Lantau Island to see the Tian Tan Buddha statue. This was such an awesome experience and definitely worth doing! The views you get from the cable car are something you won’t experience from anywhere else in HK!
Tian Tan Buddha
The first (and currently only) big Buddha I’ve ever seen. After making some new animal friends we headed up a few flights of stairs to the top. Not only is the Buddha even bigger up close than you’d imagine, but the view from up there is incredible!
A night out
After the trip to the Buddha, we headed back to the Kowloon Pier to meet up with an old friend and to see the city all lit up. I wish I’d taken the opportunity to do one of the cruises. I imagine they offer a great 360 -degree view. Next stop: HK night life!!🎉
Day 3 Itinerary
Places visited: Man Mo Temple - Peak Tower
Wandering
Much of this day was spent recovering from the night before and walking around as much as possible. We happened to stumble upon this little temple.
Peak Tower
This was the highlight of the trip! The tram you take to the top is adorable and I have never experienced a more beautiful city view than this one! Another bonus is the Forrest Gump themed restaurant at the top which seems so out of place but just made me happy.
Day 4 Itinerary
Places visited: Macau - Chinese New Year Parade - Hong Kong
Macau
We hopped on a ferry to Macau for the day and while it was extremely (like, beyond explanation) busy, it was so worth it! I never knew much about the history of this place and seeing all the Portuguese influence left here was really great.
Chinese New Year Parade
Another highlight: the parade for Chinese New Year.
I’d never experienced a parade before this and I was blown away by how much was going on. It was so well-organised and very entertaining. I’d gladly go back to HK to see this again!
Until next time, Hong Kong❤️
After a few expensive days in this bustling city, it was time to make our way back to the mainland. We spent a night in Shenzhen and in the morning we took the train to Suzhou.
Day 5 Itinerary
Places visited: Humble Administrator's Garden - Suzhou
Humble Administrator's Garden
We arrived in Suzhou the night before and met up with our friends. We all went out to see what the nightlife was like and got locked out of our hostel at 3am😶 after some extended shut-eye, we chose to have a relaxing day strolling around these famous gardens in the rain. I loved seeing everyone’s bright coats and umbrellas! It added a little colour to the grey day we were having.
The Venice of the East
We spent a lot of time walking around the streets and seeing the canals in Suzhou. If it weren’t for CNY, I imagine it would’ve been a very tranquil environment and perfect for a "real China" experience. There was so much street food and so many vendors selling all kinds of adorable souvenirs.
Day 6 Itinerary
Places visited: Suzhou Railway Station
Time to go home...
A wonderful holiday has come to an end. Back to Nanjing and sadly, back to work!