I am going to continue sharing to you my wonderful readers what transpired during my short but sweet getaway to Hong Kong. After the journey to Diamond Hill (Nan Lian Gardens and Chi Lin Nunnery), Olive and I decided to go to The Peak. We were supposed to stop by the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens but we got lost because there were too many tourists and it was so humid that exploring the place wasn't that much of an option at all. This is one thing I regret not doing though (I still dream about it right now). I will be posting bus numbers at the end of this article so you know what to hop in to and not get lost like us. I guess the McDonalds pancake breakfast I had was not enough to fuel my brain eh?
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| My breakfast. See the arc detail on the butter? I kinda like it. |
From the Diamond Hill MTR Station (Kwun Tong Line-Green), we alighted at Mong Kok Station (Tsuen Wan Line-Red) so we could take the train passing by the Central Station. At this point in our travel, I was thinking to myself how convenient this mode of transportation not to mention how quickly it gets you from Point A to Point B. It also helped that we each bought Octopus cards (can be used to pay MTR, bus, fast food, among others). It may be ironic but I think Hong Kong is chaotic in an organized way. If you know how to read a map and follow directions, exploring it won't be rocket science. All you need is a conditioned pair of feet and legs for walking, maybe an umbrella for any sudden downpour and your Octopus card.
We took the J2 exit to get out of the subway and passed by Garden Road (where OFWs congregate especially on Sundays for some picnic and the like). Across the park is the Bank of China Tower, you have to walk a steep cemented path (about 500m) and then you will see this:
I guess we weren't as early as we thought we were, there were already more than a thousand people in line ahead of us. Again, it was a good thing that we have our Octopus card because it was accepted as mode of payment for the entrance fee. By the way, the Peak Tram opens at 7AM until midnight (Monday-Sunday including public holidays) and the tram departure schedule is every 10-15 minutes. Not that bad, I should say. We paid HKD$65 (about Php400) for a Peak Tram Sky Pass (return trip on the famous Peak Tram and the fabulous panoramic views of Hong Kong from The Sky Terrace 428, the highest 360° viewing terrace in Hong Kong).
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| This is the 123 Anniversary The Peak I Love You HKD$1 Promotion poster. It started on May 1 and ended June 30 this year. Tram tickets, special items, restaurant coupons and etc can be bought for only a dollar if you have a Hong Kong Resident ID. You can also bring home a wax hand souvenir for only a dollar. Too bad the promo has ended when we went there. Maybe next year...(first I must find a friend with a Hong Kong ID). |
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| This is the tram station at The Peak. The Peak is locally known as Mt. Austin or Victoria Peak. |
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| The view of Central, Kowloon and Victoria Harbour from the Victoria Gap, near the top of Victoria Peak. |
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| Some trinkets and souvenirs that you can buy at The Peak Market. Items here are sold with a mark-up so I didn't buy anything from here. My stingy self won... |
The view was amazing up there if only it didn't rain. You guessed it right; we didn't get to experience the Sky Terrace because it rained, the guards discouraged for us to go up. We didn't insist and just opted to get inside the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. And that's another story...
As promised, here are the bus numbers you can take depending on your origin: Route No. 15(First Bus) Normal
Central Pier 5 to The Peak
Daily : 10:15 am to 12:15 am(from Man Kwong Street outside Central(Pier 5))
Daily : 9:10 am to 1:00 am(from The Peak)
Frequency : 7 to 15 minutes
Fare : HK$ 9.80
Route No. 15B(First Bus)
Causeway Bay(1 King's Road inside Park Towers) to The Peak Sundays and Public
Holidays only : 12:00am - 7:00pm(from Tin Hau)
12:40am - 7:40pm(from The Peak)
Frequency : 20 minutes
Fare : HK$9.60
(Available on Sundays & Public Holidays only)
By Mini Bus
Minibus No. 1
Central(Two IFC) to The Peak
Daily : 6:30am - 12:00am (from Central)
Daily : 7:10am - 12:25am (from The Peak)
Frequency : 10-12 minutes
Fare : HK$8.00
By Bus to Garden Road Peak Tram Lower Terminus
Board the Peak Tram shuttle bus No. 15C at the Central(Near Star Ferry Pier 8) Bus Terminus.
Daily : 10:00 am to 11:40 pm(from Man Kwong Street outside Central(Pier 7) )
Daily : 10:15am to 11:55pm(from Garden Road Peak Tram Lower Terminus)
Frequency : 15 to 20 minutes
Fare : HK$4.20
And for you map novices, here's a detailed guide on how to get to the Garden Road Peak Tram Lower Terminus:
From Hong Kong Island
Take the MTR to Central station. Take exit A (World Wide House exit) out of the station to the surface. Once above ground, at the corner of Connaught Rd Central & Pedder Street, take the stairs to go up to the pedestrian walkway overhead. Walk north toward the Victoria Harbor along the pedestrian overpass (above and along Pedder St. and then it turns into Man Yiu St.) You'll see the Star Ferry pier with its clock tower. The bus terminal for the number 15C bus (often open-top) is on your right on street level just in front of the pier below the clock tower. The bus will take you to the lower Peak Tram terminal (a 5-minute ride). Ride the tram all the way up to the upper terminal.
From Kowloon
Take the Star Ferry heading for Central from Tsim Sha Tsui. Once you get off the Star Ferry in Central and out of the pier to the road, walk a bit to your left along the road to the the bus terminal for number 15C bus (often open-top). The bus will take you to the lower Peak Tram terminal (a 5-minute ride). Ride the tram all the way up to the upper terminal.
NEXT POST: Madame Tussauds Wax Museum Experience
