Ocean Park, Hong Kong

Favorite thing: One day we got beautiful weather and the timing couldn’t have been better because we had decided to check out the ”theme park” Ocean Park. It is pretty easy to reach this place: subway to Admiralty subway station and once you get out you’ll find buses going to the park (for 12 HK dollars). The park is located on the south end of Hong Kong Island itself and it didn’t take us long to get there. After paying the entrance fee of 180 HK dollar we started out by taking the Mine train. This roller coaster was ok but the view from it was really great. We took it twice of course :-) One thing that really surprised us was the fact that there were hardly any people in the park so we never had to wait in line for any of the attractions. There are two entrances to the park by the way and we came in on the ”Tai Shue Wan” side and we got on the 225 meter long escalator(s) to get to the top. The view here was very nice and it got even better when we got into the 72 meter tall Ocean Park Tower. The park has a nice mixture of fun rides, shows, aquariums and animals.

It was great to walk through the Atoll Reef and the shark aquarium in marine land. In the Atoll reef you start at the top and you work your way down. According to the website there are more than 2000 fish in this aquarium. And they range from tiny small fish to a 7 feet long grouper. And in the shark aquarium you go through a tunnel were you can take a pretty close look at the 70 sharks that swim around. It is pretty interesting to get this close to the shark :-)

And the roller coaster The Dragon was not great but it had some pretty nice loops. The park layout is a bit strange by the way because you have to take a cable car to get from one section of the park to another (from Lowland Gardens to Headland Rides). But hey, it didn’t really matter much because this was more or less just like a ride :-) The view was great from the little cable car gondola.

Fondest memory: In the Lowland gardens we finally got to see a giant Panda by the way. While we were in Beijing we were thinking about going to the zoo. But we had read some negative things about it so we decided to skip it. But at the Ocean Park we got to see it in the giant Panda habitat. Another cool attraction in the Lowland gardens is the dinosaur walk and the butterfly house. I’m not used to big butterflies from back home so it was nice to walk through the butterfly house and look at ”giant” butterflies. If you stand really still you’ll even experience that they come and land on you…I think that the trick is wearing bright colours :-)

Favorite thing: Visit OCEAN PARK: The kids love this place, you'll be able to see sealion, dolphins & ride on its rollercoaster! Visit its Panda (yeah, there are 2 of them here! An An & Jia Jia :-)) habitat and the fantastic Atoll Reef which is home to more than 2600 fish of 200 species including sharks in the 4-level glass paneled galleries! An amazing fun place for both children & adults alike!

Take the special CityBus (No. 629) from Star Ferry in Central & Admiralty MTR. Alternatively, take No. 6 minibus from the Star Ferry Pier on HK Island (daily, except Sunday & public holidays).

Official Website:http://www.oceanpark.com.hk

Fondest memory: A tranquil journey on the cable car & enjoying the breathtaking scenery of South China Sea.

Favorite thing: Visit the Themepark. It is not the best Themepark in the world but it is a day away from the hustle and bustle of the crowded centre. Although Hong Kong is fabulous for the first time visitor, you do run out of things to do after about three days, so a visit to the Themepark is a 'breath of fresh air'.

Favorite thing: Go on the cable car. You will experience some of the best views you can ever imagine......over the mountains that overlook the sea....just fantastic. If you are scared of cable cars or heights then take a hip flask and get sloshed first.

Fondest memory: Notice the rollercoaster rails behind us in the pic? I actually sat in the thrilling roller coaster rides THREE times!! The train was empty as it was nearing closing hours and everybody was rushing home. Serene joined me for my 1st ride n there were 2 japanese tourists for my 2nd ride but I was ALL ALONE on my 3rd ride! Actually I wanted to go for a 4th round but Serene persuaded to get out as they r closing the station soon...sigh! :/

Fondest memory: Visit Ocean Park! I haf fond memories for that place - it's like a giantic version of Singapore Sentosa surrounded by greenery mountains! Don't get deceived by the word 'Park' for it's so huge that u haf to travel from one end to another via many escalators (some areas are pretty steep) and even cable car rides! I was particularly impressed with the underwater aquariums there - Singapore's Underwater World @ Sentosa is nothing compared to that! My friend and I overslept and REGRETTED not going there earlier - we reached there very late in the afternoon aruond 1-2pm! The park closed @ 6 pm. There is a one-time charge so it's more value-for-money (typical Singaporeans' mentality?) if u visit the park early in the morning. I think it's a good idea to go there during wkdays which is less crowded - queues for amusement rides will not b as long too! Because we arrived late, we missed many of the shows held in the mornings and afternoon. :( Well, next time perhaps! :)

Lesson Learnt: Don't sleep like a pig when travelling! Time is money!!

Favorite thing: View from the Cable Car:

The Ocean Park cable car ride must be one of the longest and most picturesque in the world. In the background is Deep Water Bay, one of the many beaches on the south side of Hong Kong Island.

Favorite thing: spend a fun filled day at Ocean Park - a much smaller version of the better known/ world famous Sea World theme park in San Diego. Apparently, this is the largest entertainment complex in Southeast Asia!