Our Home Away From Home…

We arrived in Hong Kong at around lunchtime and went to our hotel, the Park Hotel . The ground floor lobby was undergoing renovations and there were no sofas or seats for guests to lounge in, which was quite inconvenient. However, they more than made up for it with their rooms. The hotel has just recently had their rooms renovated, so everything looked new and exuded a spa-like atmosphere. The hotel is located in the Tsim Sha Tsui area, and it is just a few minutes walk to the MTR station, Star Ferry Terminal, museums, and other landmarks such as the Avenue of Stars. There are also many shops and restaurants scattered around the vicinity.

Walking Around…

In the afternoon, we walked to Kowloon Park (about 15 mins walk). The weather was cool and we had our jackets and scarves on for good measure. It was quite relaxing to stroll through the park. There were lots of benches where you can rest and just enjoy the lush greenery. There were several water fountains, gardens, fish and bird ponds, and even an aviary for bird-lovers.

Flamingoes at Kowloon Park

I must admit, even though I don’t particularly find birds appealing, it felt good to pass the time just watching the flamingoes showing off and socializing among themselves. There was also an abundance of trees, which, given the small size of Hong Kong, was a refreshing respite from the bustle of the city.

More Walking….

From the park, we walked along Canton Road, past Harbor City and took a scenic stroll along the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade (about 30 mins from Kowloon Park). We were able see the tall buildings on the Hong Kong island side across the water. On the Kowloon side, the side we were on, we saw the famous Clock Tower, Hong Kong Cultural Center, Hong Kong Space Museum, Hong Kong Museum of Art, and the Avenue of Stars

The Avenue of Stars

A Harbor Cruise….

From there it was only a short walk to the Star Ferry Terminal , where we bought tickets for a 2 hour harbor cruise from which we had a wide open view of the famous Symphony of Lights .

View of Building Lights from the Star Ferry

I must say that given all the stuff I had read and all the pictures I had seen in the brochures about the Symphony of Lights, I was a bit disappointed with the actual performance. It was impressive, but I think the marketing materials were just too good that I was expecting something even grander. Oh well, all in all it was a beautiful end to our first day in Hong Kong.

One tip though… If you’re going somewhere where you intend to do a lot of walking, be sure to bring a couple of very comfortable walking shoes – your feet will thank you for it.