Hong Kong’s proximity to the Philippines makes it an ideal destination for business and leisure travel among Filipinos who can enjoy a 90-day visa-free stay. With its distinctive parks, great museums, and nature reserves, Hong Kong is almost perfect for family hideaways. Children will have fun meeting cartoon characters in Disneyland, taking a boat ride at a fishing village, and watching science movies shown on the hemispherical dome of the Hong Kong Space Museum. Also, a shoppers’ paradise, Hong Kong offers a unique shopping experience. From trendy boutiques to traditional stores with Chinese products, from luxurious shopping malls to bustling street markets, one can find everything from the latest designer fashions and electronic products to best-value collectibles.
The highly diverse cultures in Hong Kong also bring convenience for visitors. One will find it easier to travel around Hong Kong, for many people can speak English, with many major streets and places having easy-to-read and -understand English names. Moreover, Hong Kong has direct flights connecting many major cities of the world such as London, New York, LA, Toronto, Vancouver, Melbourne, Sydney, Tokyo, Osaka, and Seoul, making it a lot easier for travelers.
Memorable HK media travel
HKTB is a government-subvented body tasked to market and promote Hong Kong as a travel destination worldwide and to enhance visitors’ experience once they arrive.
So, HKTB provided us with a coach to roam Hong Kong on February 25, our last day in HK after an experiential stay at two Regal Hotels International properties, Regala SKYCITY Hotel and Regal Hong Kong Hotel. The well-appointed couch picked up our group of PH media reps and celebrity influencer Ashley Ortega at 9:00 am. It was clean and span and our local driver, though hard up in English, is very amiable. He patiently toured us around HK destinations and dropped us to Hong Kong International Airport just on time for our 10:00 flight back to Manila.
Here are the places we visited courtesy of HKTB:
ArteM
After we checked out from Regal Hong Kong at Causeway Bay, we visited ArteM, an immersive media art interpreting the subject and space of nature under the theme of ETERNAL NATURE.
Breathtaking visuals, sensuous sounds, and elegant fragrances harmonize to create a spectacularly immersive space full of ocean. With their refreshing sounds, the waves crash against a towering wall, defying gravity as they stretch upward, only to recede and rise again.
The STARRY BEACH is inspired by the essence of waves on a dark ocean night. Originally showcased as a solo exhibition at Kukje Gallery in 2020, STARRY BEACH is the creation of d’strict, a media artist unit within d’strict. This amalgamation of art and technology creates a surreal depiction of waves that envelop the space, resembling glistening stars in the night sky.
EGRET’S STROLL IN THE MYSTERIOUS SEA. Giant, imaginary egrets are leisurely strolling through the deep mysterious ocean. Go on a fantastic journey under the sea; you will feel small next to a skewer of giant egrets.
FLOWER CAMELLIA. Meet the flower of love and the cycle of life. Camellia blooms when the wind cools. It has no scent, but its radiance allures the Chickadees to help the flower bloom. Once they reach the most exquisite flowering state, the camellia in full bloom falls as it is. Feel the beauty of their vibrant and poetic life, which resembles the FLOWER COSMOS
We also enjoyedmPINK SEA INSIDE THE FANTASY, PINK LAGOON and DANCING WHALE RESEMBLING THE SEA
Contact ArteM via TEL : 2788 3238 | FAX : 2788 3290, or email [email protected] for tickets.
Sky100
Our next destination was the Sky100, a 360-degree indoor observation deck, which offers views of Hong Kong Island, Victoria Harbour, the Kowloon Peninsula, and Tai Mo Shan. Literally housed at the top of a 100th floor structure, Sky100 used to be HK’s tallest building.
Through its stunning 360-degree panoramic views, the interactive multimedia exhibits and fun-filled facilities, one can explore Hong Kong’s fascinating history and rich culture while having fun.
Sky100 also houses CAFÉ 100 BY THE RITZ-CARLTON, HONG KONG which serves simple yet delectable cuisines literally with sea views and sunsets, and the GIFT SHOP of exclusive souvenirs and merchandises with Hong Kong flairs, which are perfect complement to your sky-high journey.
You may buy your tickets for Sky100 in advance via e-mail [email protected] or Phone Number +852 2613 3888.
M+ Museum
Hailed as Asia’s first global museum of contemporary visual culture M+ is a museum dedicated to collecting, exhibiting, and interpreting visual art, design and architecture, moving image, and Hong Kong visual culture of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
We went to see Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China, a special exhibition devoted to the legendary Song Huai-Kuei, a revered figure in Chinese art, film, music and fashion from the 1980s to the 2000s. The exhibition sheds light on Madame Song’s fascinating multiple identities and professional pursuits.
It features more than 320 objects, including rare archival materials, clothing designed by prominent fashion designers, movie costumes and footage, artworks, and large-scale tapestry installations. The exhibition chronicles Song’s life and work from the 1950s to the early 2000s and reveals Song’s previously overlooked and underestimated influence on transforming China through the Reform and Opening-up in the 1980s into the cosmopolitan and culturally diverse society China is known today.
For tickets, call (852) 2200 0022 or email [email protected].
Harbour City
Our final itinerary before we call it a day was the Harbour City for late lunch, some sightseeing and last-minute shopping until our departure flight to Manila.
Harbour City is the largest and most diverse shopping mall in Hong Kong. Located at the heart of the city alongside the beautiful Victoria Harbour, Harbour City offers a wide range of shopping, dining, entertainment and sightseeing options as a major attraction in Hong Kong. It’s a one-stop shopping paradise with over 450 shops, 80 food & beverage outlets, an art gallery, an observatory deck, three hotels and a cruise terminal all under one roof : Marco Polo Hotels, Ocean Terminal, Ocean Centre, the Gateway and the Pacific Club Kowloon. The complex is located along the west side of Canton Road, stretching from Star House and the Star Ferry Pier in the south to China Hong Kong City in the north.
Location: 3–27 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong Phone: +852 2118 8666
Thank you, HKTB, for touring us around. We will be back!
To know more about HKTB, visit DiscoverHongKong.com or email [email protected] or callTel +852 2807 6543 Fax +852 2806 0303. For onsite visits, there is an HKTB counter at Hong Kong International Airport.
HKTB office address: 9-11/F Citicorp Centre, 18 Whitfield Road, North Point Hong Kong.
