Showing posts with label Abroad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Abroad. Show all posts

Monday, January 13, 2014

Hong Kong Days 4 & 5: Shopping in Hong Kong

The last two days of our stay in Hong Kong were a blur. SRSLY. “Exploring Hong Kong” meant shopping for us. Hihi. For Day 4, we headed to the other island and explored Causeway Bay and Central.

 

Since our agenda for the day is mainly shopping, I wanted to wear something I could easily change in and out to. I chose the blouse+skirt combo. The weather was still a bit chilly since rain showers were  here and there, so I opted to add a cozy sweater.

 

fashion, travel, beauty, hong kong, ootd, outfit, selfie, forever 21, charles and keith, h&m, longchamp, otterbox

Sleeveless blouse and skater skirt (similar here) from Pixie Dust, Sweater from Forever 21, Bag from Longchamp, and Flats from Charles & Keith

 

From our hostel in Tsim Sha Tsui, we rode the MTR (Tsuen Wan Line) towards Central and dropped off at Admiralty station, where we boarded the Island Line towards Chai Wan. We dropped off at Causeway Bay station. The whole trip took us about 10-15 minutes in total.

 

First stop is, of course, Forever 21 at Jardine’s Bazaar. It’s the first thing you’ll see once you get out of the subway station. It has 5 floors, I think. Forever 21 at Causeway Bay is the flagship store in Hong Kong. Prices are relatively cheaper compared to here (duh!), so it’s worthwhile to shop here. Scored some dresses and makeup items since they have tons of makeup here. Didn’t get to “hoard” items since I was overwhelmed with the items in the store. Haha. Parang ang dami masyado, eh. My sisters and I spent about an hour or two here.

 

fashion, travel, beauty, hong kong, ootd, outfit, selfie, forever 21, charles and keith, h&m, longchamp, otterbox, family, abroad, travel

Photo from Katz

fashion, travel, beauty, hong kong, ootd, outfit, selfie, forever 21, charles and keith, h&m, longchamp, otterbox, family, abroad, travel

Photo from Tourism Hong Kong

 

We then headed to Times Square to visit SOGO, which is the last standing Japanese department store in the area. Times Square was really crowded, even if the weather wasn’t really nice.

 

SOGO is the biggest department store I’ve ever been to! It houses tons of brands, but mostly luxury brands, like Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, etc. I love their makeup “floor”! Kaso, ang daming tao so ‘di ako nakapag try masyado. They have Chanel, Shiseido, MAC, and many more! I wanted to try out the Japanese brands coz of its high quality, but I got too lazy to do so.

 

I also suggest you visit SOGO if you’re a brand-aholic (is there such a word???). Plus, as I’ve mentioned earlier, prices in Hong Kong are cheaper compared to Manila. Was able to buy a Longchamp Planetes Tote bag and LM Metal Tote bag, both large and long-handled, at only HK$1250 each (around Php6700). If bought at Rustan’s, I think the bags retail at around Php10000 to Php12000. Pretty good *steal*, huh?

 

We went to other malls as well, since Causeway is another shopping mecca. My sisters and I went cray cray at Etude House coz of the cheaper price. Since we really didn’t have enough time already to visit The Peak, we headed to Central instead. Guess what we did there? Yep! We shopped again. Haha!

 

Going to Central, we rode the tram, which cost us less than HK$4.  The tram ride was relatively slower than the MTR, but we couldn’t pass up this experience! Haha! Ang cute cute kaya!

 

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fashion, travel, beauty, hong kong, ootd, outfit, selfie, forever 21, charles and keith, h&m, longchamp, otterbox, family, abroad, travel

 

When we got to Central, the first thing we did was to visit H&M. To be honest, I wasn’t aware that there’s an H&M store near the hotel (at Silvercord City, Tsim Sha Tsui) kaya dinayo pa namin ‘tong sa Central. This is the flagship store kasi kaya ito yung pinuntahan din namin. It has four floors, and houses tons of clothing and accessories for men, women, and children.

 

fashion, travel, beauty, hong kong, ootd, outfit, selfie, forever 21, charles and keith, h&m, longchamp, otterbox, family, abroad, travel

Photo from Hong Kong Digital PhotoVision

 

The items at H&M are a tad bit pricier compared to Forever 21, but the quality’s ok din naman. I particularly like their selection of dresses. My favorite is their jersey dresses (bodycon dresses) at only HK$79 each. The fabric’s really comfortable, plus it’s really flattering on my petite frame. Too bad I only got one jersey dress.

 

After 2 hours in the store, my family and I were hungry already and were craving for rice. Good thing my tita brought us to Jollibee, which is near the Central station.

 

fashion, travel, beauty, hong kong, ootd, outfit, selfie, forever 21, charles and keith, h&m, longchamp, otterbox, family, abroad, travel

 

Jollibee in Central has two floors. The staff were all Filipinos, and most of the customers are also Filipinos. Nakakatuwa kasi ang babait nila. Hi-hello forever ang peg. Don’t convert HK$ to Php when eating! Hahahaha. Kasi, lalabas talagang mahal. When it comes to food, don’t be stingy! LOL

 

For me, the taste was quite different compared to the Jollibee in the Philippines; but heck, IT IS STILL JOLLIBEE AND CRISPY-LICIOUS CHICKEN JOY!!! Haha! Their menu is a tad bit different though; some of the items they were offering are exclusive in Hong Kong, so it’s worthwhile to visit Jollibee, too.

 

So for our last day in Hong Kong, we were supposed to visit Lantau Island to see Ngong Ping. But we had too much stuff, so it’s a hassle for us to carry all our things all the way to Ngong Ping. So, we decided to stay in Tsim Sha Tsui instead and stroll one last time. Good thing the hostel allowed us to check out later than usual at a fee (HK$20 per hour).

 

We visited the malls around the hostel. They were pretty much empty since most stores open at 11AM or 12NN.

 

fashion, travel, beauty, hong kong, ootd, outfit, selfie, forever 21, charles and keith, h&m, longchamp, otterbox, family, abroad, travel

 

Since it’s our last day, and we’d be heading straight to the airport afterwards, I wanted to wear something that would keep me warm if the airport (and airplane) would be chilly. I chose to wear this blouse my friend got for me in Bangkok, skirt, pink socks, and flats. I know I won’t be able to sport the socks+flats combo in Manila, so pagbigyan niyo na. Haha!

 

fashion, travel, beauty, hong kong, ootd, outfit, selfie, forever 21, charles and keith, h&m, longchamp, otterbox, family, abroad, travel

Studded blouse from Bangkok, Skirt and Flats from Forever 21, Bag from Longchamp, and Socks from Hong Kong

 

Picture below is my makeup loot from Hong Kong. I went gaga over the clothes, so I was able to buy few makeup items lang.

 

fashion, travel, beauty, hong kong, ootd, outfit, selfie, forever 21, charles and keith, h&m, longchamp, otterbox, family, abroad, travel

Left to right: Lash Perm Eye-long Mascara and Oh m’ Eyes Liner from Etude House, Liquid lipstick from LUSH, and Sheen Supreme Lipstick (in Insanely It) and Pro Longwear Lipglass (in Full Speed Ahead) from MAC

We had a late lunch at Paisano’s. We’ll surely miss this one-of-a-kind New York-style pizza! My parents and sister (Erika) are so funny in this picture!

 

fashion, travel, beauty, hong kong, ootd, outfit, selfie, forever 21, charles and keith, h&m, longchamp, otterbox, family, abroad, travel

 

Sadly, we had to leave to Hong Kong and end our vacation *cry*. The good thing about leaving Hong Kong is how easy and convenient to go to the airport. From our hostel in Mirador Mansion in Tsim Sha Tsui, we crossed the street towards Park Lane Shopper’s Boulevard. There’s a bus stop there, where Bus A21 (same bus from airport to TST) will pickup passengers going to the airport. Ain’t that easy???

 

fashion, travel, beauty, hong kong, ootd, outfit, selfie, forever 21, charles and keith, h&m, longchamp, otterbox, family, abroad, travel

 

We arrived at the airport at around 5PM, and our flight’s scheduled at 9:55 PM. I super love their airport! It’s really spacious, and there are tons of things to do there while waiting for your flight. This is such a convenience especially if your flight is delayed (ehem, delayed flight namin when my boyfriend and I visited Hong Kong last October. More on this later).

 

Goodbye, Hong Kong, and Hello, Manila!

 

fashion, travel, beauty, hong kong, ootd, outfit, selfie, forever 21, charles and keith, h&m, longchamp, otterbox, family, abroad, travelIMG_2698

 

I hope you guys enjoyed my first travel entry, which is my first trip abroad! I had so much blogging about this trip. You can check out my previous posts on day 1, day 2, and day 3!

 

Would love to hear from you!

Dianne

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Thursday, January 9, 2014

Hong Kong Day 3: Hong Kong Disneyland

We’re halfway through our week in Hong Kong already! You can check out my previous posts for day 1 & day 2, too.

 

For our third day in Hong Kong, we went to the happiest place on Earth: Disneyland!!! ‘Twas truly the highlight of our trip; well, at least for me, it was.

 

Anyway, just like our trip to Ocean Park, we wanted to get to Hong Kong Disneyland as the park opens (10AM). From our hostel, we walked to Tsim Sha Tsui station and boarded the train (Tsuen Wan Line) towards Tsuen Wan, which is around 17 minutes or 9 stops. We alighted at Lai King station, and rode the Tung Chung Line towards Tung Chung (around 11 minutes, 2 stops). Then, we walked to Sunny Bay station and rode the Disneyland Resort Line train. The travel time is around an hour. The fare is less thank HK$20; forgot the exact fare. Again, we used our Octopus Card.

 

Oh, a tip for you guys: you can also bring snacks and water into the park. Water costs HK$22 inside the park, but you can buy the same brand of water in 7-11 at only HK$3!!! So if you don’t want to spend so much money on water and snacks, you can bring your own water and candy.

 

2013, abroad, family, fashion, forever21, pull & bear, hong kong, travel, hong kong disneyland, disneyland, ootd, fireworks, rides

 

The train’s design is absolutely gorgeous! The theme, obviously, is Mickey Mouse. Can you find the Hidden Mickey?? LOL! But yeah, the windows are in the shape of Mickey’s head. The plush blue curved sofas are really comfortable. Also, lots of Mickey décor adorned the train. Definitely picture-worthy!

 

2013, abroad, family, fashion, forever21, pull & bear, hong kong, travel, hong kong disneyland, disneyland, ootd, fireworks, rides2013, abroad, family, fashion, forever21, pull & bear, hong kong, travel, hong kong disneyland, disneyland, ootd, fireworks, rides, family

 

HELLO, DISNEYLAND!!! Disneyland’s gate is a tourist spot on its own.

2013, abroad, family, fashion, forever21, pull & bear, hong kong, travel, hong kong disneyland, disneyland, ootd, fireworks, rides, family2013, abroad, family, fashion, forever21, pull & bear, hong kong, travel, hong kong disneyland, disneyland, ootd, fireworks, rides, family

2013, abroad, family, fashion, forever21, pull & bear, hong kong, travel, hong kong disneyland, disneyland, ootd, fireworks, rides, family

Hello Kitty top from Forever21, Highwaist shorts from Pull & Bear, heart-print tights from Hong Kong, and flats from Forever21

 

We also got our Disneyland tickets at Asia Travel because it’s cheaper. Tickets cost HK$390 (around Php2000) at the entrance, but we got our tickets at a lower price (forgot the exact price). Some hotels also sell Disneyland tickets at lower prices especially if you book with them, so do check out their rates as well.

 

Disneyland has 6 main areas: Grizzly Gulch, Toy Story Land, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Adventureland, and Main Street, USA. My favorite is Fantasyland, where Sleeping Beauty’s castle is located.

 

I enjoyed Disneyland more compared to Ocean Park. The rides are more child-friendly, less-extreme. Aside from the rides, there are loads of performances to watch, like Mickey’s PhilharMagic, The Golden Mickeys, and various Street Performances. Your eyes will drop with loads of things to see!

 

2013, abroad, family, fashion, forever21, pull & bear, hong kong, travel, hong kong disneyland, disneyland, ootd, fireworks, rides, family

2013, abroad, family, fashion, forever21, pull & bear, hong kong, travel, hong kong disneyland, disneyland, ootd, fireworks, rides, family

 

One of the highlights of the park is the Flights of Fantasy Parade everyday at 3:30 PM. It begins in Fantasyland near the entrance of Storybook Theatre. The weather wasn’t nice when we visited the park, so instead of having the Flights of Fantasy Parade, the visitors enjoyed Mickey’s Rainy Day Express Parade.

 

2013, abroad, family, fashion, forever21, pull & bear, hong kong, travel, hong kong disneyland, disneyland, ootd, fireworks, rides, family2013, abroad, family, fashion, forever21, pull & bear, hong kong, travel, hong kong disneyland, disneyland, ootd, fireworks, rides, family2013, abroad, family, fashion, forever21, pull & bear, hong kong, travel, hong kong disneyland, disneyland, ootd, fireworks, rides, family2013, abroad, family, fashion, forever21, pull & bear, hong kong, travel, hong kong disneyland, disneyland, ootd, fireworks, rides, family

 

Aside from the rides, we also got to meet several Disney characters. Do check out Disneyland’s Daily Calendar, so you’d know where and what time to catch them. They were really nice and friendly! Such a fun experience to meet the characters we love since we were kids. Each character has an assigned photographer to take “official Disneyland photos.” But you can also give them your own camera for your own copy.

 

2013, abroad, family, fashion, forever21, pull & bear, hong kong, travel, hong kong disneyland, disneyland, ootd, fireworks, rides, family2013, abroad, family, fashion, forever21, pull & bear, hong kong, travel, hong kong disneyland, disneyland, ootd, fireworks, rides, family2013, abroad, family, fashion, forever21, pull & bear, hong kong, travel, hong kong disneyland, disneyland, ootd, fireworks, rides, family2013, abroad, family, fashion, forever21, pull & bear, hong kong, travel, hong kong disneyland, disneyland, ootd, fireworks, rides, family2013, abroad, family, fashion, forever21, pull & bear, hong kong, travel, hong kong disneyland, disneyland, ootd, fireworks, rides, family

 

Disneyland also has lots of shops where you can buy gift items, clothes, and other knick knacks. My sisters and I bought matchy-matchy charm bracelets in memory of our Disneyland trip. Souvenir items here are a tad bit pricier compared to Ocean Park, but they’re too cute to pass. Oh, except for the Minnie Mouse headband, which is around HK$128 to HK$168 each.

 

Another must-see attraction is the “Disney in the Stars” Fireworks signify the closing of the theme park. At 8PM every night (9PM every Thursday until Saturday), watch the skies light up. This is best viewed on Main Street, USA. Crowds flock in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle minutes before the fireworks start, so be there earlier than 8PM to get good seats.

 

2013, abroad, family, fashion, forever21, pull & bear, hong kong, travel, hong kong disneyland, disneyland, ootd, fireworks, rides, family

 

The fireworks display was truly beautiful! I got teary-eyed (hehe) while watching coz they’re just soooo pretty! I felt thankful to God to be able to experience this together with my family. Cheesy, eh?

 

2013, abroad, family, fashion, forever21, pull & bear, hong kong, travel, hong kong disneyland, disneyland, ootd, fireworks, rides, family2013, abroad, family, fashion, forever21, pull & bear, hong kong, travel, hong kong disneyland, disneyland, ootd, fireworks, rides, family

2013, abroad, family, fashion, forever21, pull & bear, hong kong, travel, hong kong disneyland, disneyland, ootd, fireworks, rides, family

 

The fireworks display lasted for about 15-20 minutes. Then, it was the closing of the park. We lingered for a little while at the shops at Main Street because we knew the lines at the MTR will be crazy long.

 

Three different train lines after, we were back at Tsim Sha Tsui. Our feet were too tired from walking for the past three days, but ‘twas definitely worth it.

 

‘Till next time, loves!

 

Love,

Dianne

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Thursday, January 2, 2014

Hong Kong Day 2: Ocean Park Hong Kong

How’s Day 2 of your 2014, so far? Mine’s ok! Haha.

Anyway, Day 2 of our family’s Hong Kong getaway last April was dedicated to visiting Ocean Park Hong Kong. Have I mentioned how easy commuting in Hong Kong is??? I love their public transportation system; hoping we have disciplined commuters and effective commuting system, too!

I highly recommend buying an Octopus Card once you get to Hong Kong. The Octopus card is similar to the LRT/MRT card; only BETTER. Aside from using the card at the MTR, you can also use it to pay for your bus fare. In addition, you can use it for your purchases at 7-11, SaSa, and other retail stores, parking lots, and more! It’s a reloadable card that you can use to pay for almost everything! The regular Octopus card costs HK$150 (HK$100 load but HK$50 is refundable). It has other card types, such as the Tourist Octopus card. We opted to get the regular one, so we can still refund the HK$50. You can buy the Octopus card at the airport or any MTR station (that’s where we got ours). Also, fares are relatively cheaper if you use the card compared to giving cash for your fare.

We wanted to get there as the park opens (10AM), so we left the hostel at 9AM. Mirador Mansions is very near the MTR station (Tsim Sha Tsui station), so commuting was really easy for us. To get to Ocean Park, ride the Tsuen Wan Line train towards Central, and get off at the Admiralty Station. Walk to Admiralty West Bus Terminus (Exit B) and wait for the 629 Bus that will take you to the Ocean Park Main Entrance (bus trip is around 25 – 30 minutes). The bus will drop you off the entrance; ride the escalator going up, and HELLO, OCEAN PARK!!!

hong kong, ocean park, family, love

hong kong, ocean park, family, love, ootd, fashion, forever 21, Pixie Dust, Longchamp
Lace longsleeves top from Forever 21, Aztec print skirt from Pixie Dust, black tights from Hong Kong, Red jelly flats from MEL, Le Pliage Longchamp bag

We got our tickets at Asia Travel because it’s cheaper there compared to buying it at the gate. I think, during our trip, tickets cost HK$290 (around Php1500) at the entrance, but we got our tickets at HK$252 each (around Php1300) instead. Few hundred bucks cheaper ;)

Ocean Park Hong Kong is soooooooooooo big. Unlike Manila Ocean Park, HK OP has tons of rides and other amusements aside from the usual aquariums. It has two areas (The Waterfront and The Summit), which are connected by the cable cars and the Ocean Express.

The Waterfront area has 5 “sub-areas” : Amazing Asian Animals, Aqua City, Waterfront Cable Car Station, Ocean Express Waterfront Station, and Whiskers Harbour. The Summit has 7 sub-areas: Submmit Cable Car Station, Ocean Express Summit Station, Marine World, Adventure Land, Thriller Mountain, Polar Adventure, and Rainforest.
hong kong, ocean park, family, love, old hong kong

hong kong, ocean park, family, love, old hong kong

hong kong, ocean park, family, love, parents, old hong kong

We visited The Summit first, and we rode the cable car going there. IT WAS AMAZING! ‘Twas my first time to ride the cable car. A bit terrifying, yes, but the experience was worth it. Take the cable car option if you’re a thrill junkie; if you’re afraid of heights, I suggest you take the Ocean Express instead. My parents visited Ocean Park Hong Kong in 1994, and they swore the cable car ride wasn’t that loooong then. I guess the park underwent tons of renovations since then.

hong kong, ocean park, family, love, cable car, experience

hong kong, ocean park, family, love, cable car, experience

hong kong, ocean park, family, love, cable car, experience, mountain

hong kong, ocean park, family, love, mountain, cable car, rides

The Summit has more rides compared to The Waterfront. However, we weren’t able to ride everything ‘coz most were scary! The most adventurous ride we went on was the Mine Train! The track is more than half a kilometer long and is 85 meters off the ground. Plus, it was beside the ocean! We felt like we would fall off to the ocean!

hong kong, ocean park, family, love, mine train, ride, rollercoaster, ocean
Here’s a picture of the Mine Train!

My favorite attraction at The Summit was the South Pole Spectacular. Was able to  meet real live penguins!!! They were really cute and playful! Be warned though, it’s verrrry cold inside! Around 8-10 degrees inside the building.

hong kong, ocean park, family, love, penguin, south pole

hong kong, ocean park, family, love, penguin, south pole,south pole spectacular, king penguin
 hong kong, ocean park, family, love, penguin, south pole, south pole spectacular

We also got to watch the dolphins show. It was quite similar to the show at Ocean Adventure in Subic.

hong kong, ocean park, family, love, dolphin show, dolphins, sea adventure

They were many things to see at The Summit, but we were really tired from all the walking. We then headed back down to The Waterfront via the Cable Car. Once there, we visited my next favorite attraction: the Giant Panda Adventure!

hong kong, ocean park, family, love, gian panda, panda, giant panda adventure, cute

This was the highlight of my trip to Ocean Park! I loooove pandas <3 Good thing the pandas there were awake! One of the pandas just woke up from his nap and he was hungry, so he ate in front of us! UGGGGH. CUDDLY PANDAS!!!


hong kong, ocean park, family, love, giant panda, panda, cute, lazy
hong kong, ocean park, family, love, cute, selfie, panda, giant panda, giant panda adventurehong kong, ocean park, family, love, giant panda, panda, bamboo, panda eating

I also bought a souvenir: a panda plushie. My boyfriend and I named him (CHESTER) [apparently, Chester is my TIGER plushie. Haha! #confused] GAO.

hong kong, ocean park, family, love, panda, panda plushie, cute

The dancing lights fountain show marks the closing of the park, which is at 6PM. So be there before 6PM, as people would flock that area. We didn’t wait for the show since we were too tired.

hong kong, ocean park, family, love, fountain, show

hong kong, ocean park, family, love, fountain, show, lights

We went back to Tsim Sha Tsui the same way we went to Ocean Park: 629 bus and MTR ride to Tsim Sha Tsui. We headed back to our hotel and rested for a while. After, we headed out to scout for dinner, and we landed at KFC. Haha!

‘Till next post, readers!

Love,

Dianne


(See previous posts about our Hong Kong trip here and here!)

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