This trip was very special for a few reasons. It was our first family trip after Icai went through her chemotherapy treatment. It was Icai and Hopesie’s first time in Hong Kong. Needless to say, we were very excited! We were in Hong Kong for 5 days and we wish it could have been longer.
Day 1
We took an early morning flight at 7:30 am from Singapore to Hong Kong and arrived just in time for lunch.
After taking an Uber and checking into our hotel, Cordis Hotel in Mongkok, we headed out for a meal. We walked to One Dim Sum, a popular spot favored by both locals and tourists. The food was delicious and reasonably priced, with a distinctly local vibe. A good first local meal to start our trip.
Since we had an early morning, after lunch we returned to the hotel to rest and unpack.
After a much needed nap, we walked over to Ladies Street Sik Fan Co for dinner. This place is 10/10 must go! When you step inside the restaurant, it is as if you travelled back in time, from its neon lights to glass bottled softdrinks. Beyond the nostalgic ambiance, the food speaks for itself! Every dish was full of flavor and authenticity. Although the wait for a table can be lengthy, we waited for more than an hour, the experience and the quality of the food make it well worth the visit.
Day 2
It was an exciting day as we had a full itinerary planned for Disneyland.
We left the hotel around 8:30 am and headed to Central to pick up pastries from Bakehouse, both for breakfast and as snacks for Disneyland.
We arrived at Disneyland around 11 am and stayed until the evening fireworks show. We enjoyed toddler-friendly rides suitable for a 2-year-old, such as the Cinderella Carousel, Jungle River Cruise, and the “It’s a Small World” ride. We also attended live shows including “Moana: A Homecoming Celebration,” “Festival of The Lion King,” and of course, the “Momentous” Nighttime Spectacular.
Even though the day was long and tiring, we enjoyed every moment of it. I have been to HK Disneyland before but it hits differently when you have your own child. Truly magical.
Day 3
Another long day out exploring the city.
We began the day with local HK breakfast at the well-known Australia Dairy Company. The queue was long but moves quite fast. We waited for around 15 minutes. The food was good, though it wasn’t significantly better than other local breakfast spots we have tried. The dining area was quite cramped, and we felt rushed to finish our meal quickly.
Afterward, we walked to the Hong Kong Science Museum. Despite the long walk, we enjoyed the pleasant weather and came across a small playground that Hopesie enjoyed. The science museum was fantastic, offering a lot to do and explore, especially for children.
We then made our way to Shun Hing Restaurant in Causeway Bay for lunch. Despite being a bit out of the way, we absolutely loved the food and would definitely return. The dishes were simple yet comforting, and they truly do omelette rice justice. We also appreciated the restaurant’s charming back alley location.
We had dinner plans near Central so to let the time pass, we walked around Causeway Bay area. Icai bought more pastries from Bakehouse and I had coffee at Elephant Grounds.
We then had dinner at Dara Restaurant. From the ambience to food, it’s truly Filipino. If we were living in Hong Kong, Dara would definitely be our go-to spot for Filipino food. Even the isaw looked and tasted like from the streets of the Philippines.
Day 4
Our last full day in Hong Kong and we’re making the best out of it.
We started our day with a local breakfast at Cross Cafe (Sai Ying Pun) to fuel up before our hike up Victoria Peak. We’ll certainly miss Hong Kong’s local breakfast! The trek up Victoria Peak was lengthy but manageable. It became quite challenging when Hopesie decided to be carried and took a nap. Quite a workout.
At the top, we enjoyed cup of coffee while people watching, tram watching. We then took the bus down to Central, where we had lunch and did some shopping at Slowood and Patagonia. Icai particularly enjoyed finding items at Slowood for our home.
Afterward, we walked to the ferry terminal, took the ferry to the other side of Hong Kong, and then took the bus back to Mongkok. Feeling exhausted, we decided to just have dinner at a food court in Langham Place, directly across from Cordis Hotel.
That pretty much sums up our Hong Kong trip as day 5 was just another local breakfast at Hollywood Café (Mongkok), packing our things and then off to the airport for our afternoon flight back to Singapore
It was indeed a short but memorable trip. Till the next time Hong Kong!
