Virgin Hong Kong Trip

Finally after about 9 years of friendship, we decided to embark on our first trip together! We decided on Hong Kong because Li-An and I haven't been there before while Yi Qing and Wen Xin has, so I guess it'll be nice to go somewhere which a few of us are familiar with... And also HK is pretty convenient to travel around with public transport, so we can save on cabbing around + I used to be obsessed with HK dramas and leng zais so... YEAH.

All in all, we spent about 500 SGD for both our flight (United Airlines yes indeed) and our 4-night stay at Stanford Hotel Mongkok (best choice ever), and about 400 SGD for expenses). 

I would say it's a pretty budget but wonderful trip!

DAY ONE

It was an eventful morning; Yi Qing included her not-yet-official christian name into her flight ticket and she couldn't go on board with us... So we ended up flying first and she came about 7pm.

Took a 20 SGD (per person) express train out of the airport - worst choice ever because we have to lug all our barang barang into the train and up and down the road and many many many stairs... I felt like I was a refugee. 

漂洋过海我吃得起苦 

We actually could have cabbed straight from the airport to our hotel with only about 30 SGD for all three of us... NOW WE KNOW. 

Finally arrived at Stanford Hotel Mongkok... I was so afraid that it was some dubious hotel because it's only about 250 SGD for four nights, but we were so impressed by the relatively spacious interior (I have friends who went to HK and told me their hotel was freaking small). AND the best part was, we got two connecting rooms, so Li-An and Yi Qing very conveniently just enter and exit from my door every single time.

Famished, we went to the nearest dimsum shop - Dim Dim Sum (such a cute name) to have our lunch, but the dimsum was underwhelming...

Dim Dim Sum 
112 Tung Choi Street, Hong Kong 000000, China

Honestly speaking, staying in Mongkok was the best choice ever because most of the good food and the best shopping (cheapest) places were here. 

Shortly after, we went for some light bites. Holy moly, the 鱼蛋仔 (aka Curry Fishballs) were sooooo good. Relatively smaller than normal fish balls, they are so much more bouncy and the curry was well absorbed into the fish ball. 

Thanks to Ms Tay (Li-An), I get to try different food because I couldn't finish one whole portion on my own and I just leech a bite off her food(s) hahaha.

Shopped around Ladies' Night Market and Fa Yuen Street. As the sky turns darker, the neon lighted streets were more vibrant and we snapped some nice shots there.

Ladies's Night Market
Tung Choi Street, Hong Kong, China

Fa Yuen Street
156 Fa Yuen St, Mong Kok, Hong Kong

On our way back to meet Yi Qing at our hotel, we walked past this flyer-filled shutters right outside our hotel and snap another few shots because I believe these pasting of flyers are illegal in Singapore. Lel.

After Qing dropped her luggage, we headed for dinner at some random noodle shop. It was decent but a little too flavourful and salty.

Dropped by Langham Shopping Mall and loitered around in the LINE shop, the bear was super cute!

Langham Shopping Mall
8 Argyle St, Mong Kok, Hong Kong

Headed for supper at Hui Lau Shan (许留山) before we call it a day.

DAY TWO

Headed for breakfast at Kai Kee Restaurant (right across Kimberley Hotel) as recommended by Qing.

Kai Kee Restaurant
27～33 Kimberley Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Along the way we chanced upon this cute stairs laid with small cartoon statues and being typical tourists, we took some photos there.

Arrived at Kai Kee Restaurant and had our sumptuous breakfast - 1 drink, beef macaroni, sausage, toast and scramble eggs - all for just 6 SGD omg.

Headed towards Central to check out PMQ and SoHo.

PMQ

Hong Kong, Central, 鴨巴甸街35號

SoHo

Central, Hong Kong

Walked around randomly and came across this interesting building.

Unfortunately it started to drizzle and we had to seek shelter in a random corner. So we kept ourselves entertained by taking more photos there.

The rain finally stopped and arrived at SoHo check out the Central–Mid-Levels escalator and walkway system - the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world.

Found an alley and spammed photos again.

This iconic spot in SoHo was so over-crowded so we only caught bad pictures like this below.

Popped  by Tai Cheong Bakery to try their famous egg tarts.

Tai Cheong Bakery
G/F, 35 Lyndhurst Terrace Central

Arrived at PMQ but it was rather boring for us because the items they were selling were quite pricey... This place is famous for taking minimalistic indoor photos but we were lazy to climb up so we just loitered around and left for Mak's Noodle.

4 SGD wanton noodles LOL I honestly felt that it was rather underwhelming; small, bitter and meh.

Walked 20 minutes all the way to Victoria Harbour to catch the famous HK light show - A Symphony of Lights... SUPER UNDERWHELMING. We felt so bad for the chinese tourists who travelled all the way there just to catch the light show. MBS did a way better job than that lel.

A Symphony of Lights

8PM

18 Harcourt Rd, Admiralty, Hong Kong

 

DAY THREE

Thanks to Ms Tay, we get to have wonderful breakfast every single morning... She literally wakes up at 630am and bought breakfast for us on her own. <3

My favourite food out of the entire trip is (sadly not dimsum) this freaking tasty stew accompanied with a chicken/pork cutlet burger from Macau Tsui Yuen Cafe, located above a bus interchange near Langham shopping mall.

Macau Tsui Yuen Cafe
7AM–6PM
Mong Kok Complex, 號 旺角 熟食 中心 2 樓 8 號 舖, 557 Shanghai St, Mong Kok, Hong Kong

We were supposed to hike up Dragon's Peak, however Qing was not feeling well so Wen Xin impromptu located this Instagram Pier and we decided to head towards there.

Along the way we spotted this cute little corgi; its owner made it sit down for us to take photo of it hahahah.

Finally arrived at the Instagram Pier - it's a 15 minute walk right outside Hong Kong University MTR station. Despite the sunny weather, it was really very windy there. And spot the lengzai at the corner of the photo kekekeke.

Instagram Pier
8 Fung Mat Road, Hong Kong

Such a debut album worthy cover photo.

Loving the environment.

Please be careful if you wanna attempt such photos - Qing almost tripped and fell hahaha.

After lunch we headed to the "Chinese Garden" of Hong Kong - Kowloon Walled City Park. It is really like an ancient garden located among high-rise buildings.

Kowloon Walled City Park

Tung Tau Tsuen, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China

Lovin' these ancient elements.

Wanted to check out this industrial area that seems like Bugis Street with many clothes but none of the shops are opened so I only got a cup of juice.

Hong Kong Industrial Center
Hong Kong Industrial Centre, 489-491 Castle Peak Rd, Cheung Sha Wan, Hong Kong

Chanced upon some random boy-band EKids filming their comeback MV at Mongkok.

 

DAY FOUR

Bought my favorite luncheon meat fried egg toast from the bakery just right outside our hotel and it's only 1 SGD holy moly. Headed out for a full breakfast at 皇后冰室 Queen's Garden and the entire set is also around 6-7 SGD.

皇后冰室 Queen's Garden
12:10–11:30PM
194A Sai Yeung Choi St S, Mong Kok, Hong Kong

Checked out this free-entry zoo on top of a hill - nothing much just animals and that's all.

Tried the famous cheese noodle with chicken chop at this run-down plaza and it was really good. But it got quite gelat after a while...

Sun Kee Cheese Noodle
Champagne Court, Kimberley Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Went back to Argyle Shopping Mall at Mongkok (we have been dropping by almost every single day hahaha) it probably is the cheapest mall with fashionable clothes in HK - just like Bugis Street and we got all our gifts and clothes there hurhur.

Argyle Shopping Mall
11AM-10PM
One Mong Kok Road Commercial Centre, 1 Mong Kok Rd, Mong Kok, Hong Kong

Headed out for dinner for the last time and caught some night-city-lights shots.

Went to Temple Street Night Market and got some really cheap phone rings at 2 HKD each oh my.

Temple Street Night Market

Jordan and Yau Ma Tei in Kowloon, Hong Kong

LAST DAY

Spammed some lovely photos before we left our hotel. Don't they look "professional"? HAHAHA kidding.

Headed for our last meal at the famous One Dim Sum, oh my we queued for a good 30 minutes. BUT THE FOOD WAS REALLY WONDERFUL. We spent on average about 12 SGD per person and ate like a king? 10/10 recommend if you do not mind waiting haha!

One Dim Sum
10-12:30AM
Hong Kong, Prince Edward, Playing Field Rd, 15號號 號 地舖 1-2 號 Kenwood Mansion

Ended our 5-day HK trip and I would say it is pretty fun and tho some food places we went to were underwhelming, we had a good laugh about it and overall the trip was splendid :) 

BUT I HAD TO SAY we started our trip with a mishap and almost ended with one because we were running late - about 10 minutes before the gate open we just ended dinner LEL so we literally ran for our lives (I was freaking lugging 12 boxes of Laopo Biscuits and praying to God to give me energy to make it for our flight) but oh well we made it anyways. HAHAHAH eventful indeed.

Here's to more trips ahead!

And don't forget to check out my vlog below: