Hong Kong - Wetland Park

An electronic ringing tone resounded persistently in the distance. It got closer and closer, I opened my eyes. It’s 7:00 am and the morning call was right on time. It was Day 2 in Hong Kong, and I’m going to the Wetland Park. I pulled the curtains open and bright sunlight immediately saturated the room. It was a glorious day to be embraced by Mother Nature!

Getting There : From Tin Shui Wai MTR Station, use Exit E and board the Light Rail nos. 705 or 706 and alight at Wetland Park Station.

I made my way there from Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station, transited at Mei Foo Station to reach Tin Shui Wai Station. The whole journey to Wetland Park took me approximately 1 hr 20 mins and costs HK$22.50.

Located at New Territories, the Hong Kong Wetland Park was created to preserve and study the diversity of Hong Kong’s wetlands as such natural landscapes are rapidly lost to urban developments.

The park sprawls over 60-hectres of natural swamps and indigenous vegetation and is home to many species of birds, insects and aquatic animals. It is also affiliated with Singapore’s Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and London’s Wetland Centre. They are kind of like hotels for migratory birds. And I reckon the Hong Kong one would be the equivalent of staying at The Mira.

Opening Hours : The park is closed every Tuesday (except Public Holidays). For all other days, it is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Entrance Fee : HK$30 (Adult), HK$15 (Child)

The Hong Kong Wetland park is very well-kept and encompasses a Visitor Centre, interactive exhibitions, themed galleries, a theatre, a souvenir shop, an children’s playground that even I want to play in, a fastfood restaurant (大家乐) and of course the main attraction, the wetland reserve.

There are various zones at the reserve such as the Stream Walk, Succession Walk, Mangrove Boardwalk and three Bird Hides, situated next to a fish pond, mudflat and riverside. This allows visitors to see different species of birds in their habitats. The whole morning I was there, I only saw a white heron.

Clear sign-posts points the way to the various attractions and there’re park guides (in yellow uniform) within the wetland reserve area whom you can approach for a guided tour. They come equipped with binoculars so you can get a magnified view of dragonflies, birds, lotuses, etc.

The guide who approached me was very enthusiastic in sharing information despite a basic command of the English language. The staff at Wetland Park were all very friendly and welcoming. Even when I ‘accidently’ went on the prohibited balcony area at the Visitor Centre to snap photos of the scenery, I was asked to leave politely.

Hot Tips :

• If you don’t want handbag makers to lust after your skin, be sure to cover up, protect your skin with sunblock, bring umbrella, wear a hat, neck towels, etc.

• There’re no drinking fountains in the wetland reserve so be sure to fill up your water-bottle at the water cooler in the fastfood restaurant.

• Always stay on the designated paths and walkways as there may be snakes or other hidden defenses of nature. A salt water crocodile was found in at the nearby Shan Pui River in 2003. It now lives in an enclosure within the park and given the name, Pui Pui. The park is safe, but do take precautions to avoid ending up as something’s lunch.

For me, the most striking thing about the park is its close proximity to residential developments. Views from the park looked as if it is located at some ulu faraway boondocks, but it’s closer to home than you think. Well, at least to the homes of people living there. The view up in those flats must be breathtaking.

As I’ve just started learning nature macro photography, one of my main purpose was to photograph wildlife species not found in Singapore. During my time at the Wetland Park, I didn’t see any animals, didn’t see many birds, and the insects were just too active to photograph.

Usually I would go really early in the morning between 7 am to 8 am to shoot the bugs because that’s when they’re just waking up and not too active yet. But Wetland Park opens at 10 am. By then, my skill and equipments are inadequate to capture them well.

But what the place had no lack of was dragonflies. Lots of them around in a wide variety of colours and designs. Woohoo! Belonging to the insect order known as Odonata (which means ‘toothed jaws’ in Greek), dragonflies undergo incomplete metamorphosis as their life stages all revolve around bodies of water and are carnivorous from young to adulthood.

Dragonfly Facts :

• They can fly forward, backward, upward, downward or sideways and preys on mosquitoes, flies, and aphids.

• Male dragonflies frequently perch on eye-catching points to show-off their bright bodies to attract females.

• Tropical dragonflies can live a few months up to a year, while those living in temperate climates have a lifespan averaging only one to six weeks.

Other than dragonflies, there’re also a few lotus and waterlily ponds. I saw some yellow and pink variegated lotuses for the first time and they were beautiful!

Having baked under the hot sun for half a day, the air-con at the Visitor Centre was more than comforting. There, I browsed through the “Fantastic World of Insects” exhibition and visited a gallery that showcased life at the different types of wetlands – mangrove swamps, tropical rivers, and continental marshes.

The exhibits were pretty interesting with lots of info about the secret life of insects and wetland dwellers. My favourite was this very colourful tortoise. I’ve not seen anything like it ‘live’ before!

It was a good thing I got back to the Visitor Centre because the earlier sunny weather was replaced by a rainstorm. Since I was stuck there, I went into the theatre for a performance about insects thinking I just want to sit and rest.

But I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the stage performance! It was funny, creative and highly educational. I really learnt a lot about the insects in a fun and easy to digest manner. The only grouse was that the show was in Cantonese and I couldn’t understand some of the phrases.

Overall, I find the Wetland Park a very enjoyable and educational experience. My plan was to stay there till 1:00 pm but by the time I left, it was almost 4:00 pm, being stuck in the rain notwithstanding. If I go Hong Kong again, I will definitely come back again and hopefully the next time, I’ll get more photos of bugs!
For more photos, please visit my album A Lingering Fragrance.

Hong Kong : 'Scuse Me While I Kiss the Stars

After delighting my eyes with the sparkling skyline of Hong Kong at night, I headed three floors down from the Sky Terrace to Madame Tussauds (MT). I got the 3-in-1 Combo which included a 2-way Peak Tram ride and entrances to the Sky Terrace and MT for HK$200.

Here’s the adult price if you buy them separately : Return Tram ticket – HK$36; Sky Terrance – HK$25; MT – HK$160. Total price – HK$221. You save about S$4.00, which is not much, but you save on the queue time to get the tickets separately.

Hot Tip :

• Buy the Combo ticket from the MT ticketing booth at the Peak Tram Terminus. This booth is across from the Peak Tram ticketing booth which sells Tram ride tickets or Tram ride with entry to Sky Terrace only. I was queuing at the Peak Tram line for a long time before I realized the 3-in1 MT Combo was not sold there! *gua gua gua…*

If you have not heard of Madame Tussauds, it is an exhibition where you can get really up-close and personal with wax figures of celebrities, sport stars, politicians, and historical personalities.

The stars are made with an almost 100% likeness so it is as good as seeing them for real. Even though there are so many ‘people’ there, I’d never felt more alone. I was there by myself so there’s no one to take photos of me with the stars! Even if I did ask someone to help take a photo for me, I was too embarrassed to do wacky poses. If a friend was taking the photos, they would’ve been very different.

It’s so much fun watching people posing with the famous personalities. Some of the poses were, well, let’s just say I’d seen obasans come out of menopause, young girls misplacing their chastity, and guys exploring every part of the female figures as if they’re curators making sure the wax statues were not damaged.

Out of curiosity, I did a little checking of my own and confirmed that the wax dudes have no ‘wicks’, and except for the raisins on Aaron Kwok’s exposed chest, there’re no chocolate coins on the chests of other male and female figurines. I didn’t check every one but from those that I can see, I generalized.
Lest you think I’m a pervert, I did it to see how far the replicas would go because more than 200 measurements (including the crotch and breasts area) are taken to make each figurine. And it takes more than 800 hours to complete each one. The bulk of the time is spent on inserting hair, strand by strand onto the wax scalps.

So, let’s test your knowledge of the Asian stars… how many can you recognise and name?

What about the following Hollywood movers and shakers?

Or these famous politicians and cultural icons?

For personalities who are still alive, they’ll be invited for a Sitting where their measurements are taken. But for the long-deceased such as William Shakespeare, the figures are constructed based on paintings and photos.

Of all the wax celebrities, I thought the one that looked most ‘fake’ and unlike the star it should resemble was that of Cecilia Cheung (张伯芝). I thought it was a younger Maggie Cheung (张曼玉). Well, maybe I didn’t recognise Cecilia because she wasn’t wearing a policewoman uniform. Oops!

But my main target at Madame Tussauds was to take a photo with Anita Mui (梅艳芳). Among all the Hong Kong celebrities, she’s one of my favourite because she’s a great performer and actress. I grew up listening to her during her 妖女 (vixen) days and loved her comic performance in the movie 钟无艳. So I was pretty saddened when she passed on due to cancer in 2003. But thankfully for Madame Tussauds, the likeness of her is preserved and made immortal…

Here’s my favouritest song from her. It is a duet with Jacky Cheung called 相爱很难 (Love is Difficult). Enjoy… :)

For more photos, please visit my album A Lingering Fragrance.

Hong Kong - Peak Peeks

Upon arriving in Hong Kong, the first thing on my mind was taking a photo of Hong Kong’s aerial skyline from Victoria Peak. It is the view of Hong Kong that must not be missed. No wonder there’re throngs of people going up and down the hilltop at any given time.

Getting There : From Central MTR Station, take Exit J2, and turn right once you come out of the exit. Walk in the direction of the iconic Bank of China building. Along the way, there’re many signposts to point you to the Peak Tram Terminus on Garden Road. It is pretty straightforward.

There’re a few ticketing options available such as a single trip or return trip on the Tram. And you can choose to include the entrance fee to The Peak’s Sky Terrace as a package as well. I bought the 3-in-1 combo from the Madame Tussauds ticketing counter by the side. That includes a 2-way Tram transfer + entrance fee to The Peak Sky Terrace + entrance to Madame Tussauds (HK$200). MT is located inside The Peak Tower.

Hot Tips :

• Sit on the right-hand side when going up and left when coming down. That way, you can see the skyline of HK unfold by the window. The slope is rather steep and at some points, the angle of elevation is about 45 degrees so it’s kinda bizarre to see the surrounding residential blocks slanting at that angle. The effect is more dramatic when coming down as it looks as if the buildings are ‘falling’ towards you.

• When planning a visit, do allocate extra waiting time for the Tram. I waited about 30 mins to board on the way up (about 5 pm), and almost an hour on the way down at 9 pm.

• Frequency and duration of Tram ride : 10 – 15 mins

There’re two shopping complexes at the top – The Peak Tower and The Peak Galleria. Both offer lookout points on their roofs. The Peak Galleria is free but since it’s behind The Peak Tower, the view is slightly blocked. But it offers a great view of the surrounding islands.

The Peak Tower’s Sky Terrace offers an unobstructed view of the skyline for a fee of HK$25 (adult) and HK$12 (child and senior). A short walk in the downhill direction will bring you to a lookout point called the Lions View Point Pavilion which is also free. My photo of the skyline taken during the day was at Lions while the night view was taken at the Sky Terrace.

Hot Tips :

• In summer, the sky starts getting dark around 7 pm. That’s when the lights on the buildings start coming on too. I was there at about 6.30 pm to stake out a front row spot for the view.

• At 7.30 pm, there’s a photo service that charges HK$120 to have your photo taken with the night skyline. Choose a spot just out of the camera range so as not to be chased away.

Apart from taking in the aerial view, you can also shop at the two Peak complexes and visit Madame Tussauds. It was really magical watching the Hong Kong skyline transit from day to night… almost as if it took off its business suit and donned on a Technicolour coat to party!

For more photos, please visit my album A Lingering Fragrance.

Hong Kong - Not a MIRAge

For the trip, we are put up at The Mira Hong Kong. Other than the destination, I think the hotel is the next most important factor that makes or breaks a vacation. I think many of us put a lot of time into finding the best hotel that’ll meet our budget, needs and be at an easily accessible location.

Price-wise, The Mira commands a premium with rates starting from HK$1,600 (approx. S$280) a night. But after checking into it, I would say it’s worth every penny! Located at a prime area along Nathan Road, the hotel’s visage doesn’t seem like much. But it beguiles the avant-garde design and luxury within. Ok, I’m easily satisfied and impress.

Well, here’re some pics for you to decide…

When I entered the room, I was literally jumping up and down in joy! First or all, the room isn’t a sardine jacket that most hotels are in Hong Kong. Secondly, it comes equipped with a full range of hi-tech gadgets – web surfing with the TV and a wireless keyboard, iPod dock with speakers, and a multimedia player (DVD, USB, memory stick, etc). There’s even a handphone provided in the room although I have no idea what it is for.

Next, there is quite some cool designer stuff in the room… silver packed sundries, specially designed water bottles, and we’re using Salavatore Ferragamo toiletries! My hair and skin feels expensive already.

On top of that, the service was impeccable and the staff are really courteous and friendly, Walk out the doors of The Mira and it’s a different world out there. I would only say that the services I’ve experienced so far from places I visited today is that the Hong Kongers treat you like family. So it’s a ‘get the job done’ kind of attitude.

But the thing that delighted me the most was the welcome treats they left in our rooms. Designer sweets, black truffles chocolate and fresh, juicy strawberries and lychees. I almost didn’t want to go sightseeing. Such a waste to leave the room empty.

Before coming here, I checked out the hotel from its website and the photos made the place looked really good. Now that I’m here, the photos weren’t a smokescreen or a mirage. The place does look as good as the pics make it out to be.

And I’ve yet to visit the gym and swimming pool, which are supposed to be another ‘wow’ in the waiting…

For more photos, please visit my album A Lingering Fragrance.