A few
months back we had the chance to go on the Big Bus Tour, which is a ride on an
open deck “Hop On – Hop Off” bus. P.S
Big thanks to my Sister who gave us complimentary tickets for two.
Premium/Deluxe Package includes:
The
first route we decided to take was the green line which is the Stanley Tour and the first trip leaves at 9:45 am. The tour lasts for approximately 2 hours and
15 minutes. But I think it was longer because of the unexpected traffic. Our first stop was the Peak Tram. At this point, people have an option to either ‘hop on’ or ‘hop off’ the bus and visit the Peak, but we decided to just go straight to Stanley .
The weather that day was extremely hot! It felt like we were being pricked with needles and barbecued. Of all the things we decided to bring – we have excluded hats! The excruciating part was when we got stuck in traffic just when we were about to go through the Aberdeen Tunnel. By this time, my scalp was in pain, the heat was too much – imagine Ghost Rider? Yes! It felt like my head was literally in flames! They say that there’s a light after the tunnel, in our case there was WIND after the tunnel. After 15mins of being roasted under the sun, our ride toStanley Discovery Bay and Repulse Bay
At 6pm
the bus was packed and off we go. Jcel and I were in a quagmire whether to
sit on the upper deck or lower, the reason was that, my sister told us that if
we ever have to go through the tunnel it is best to sit on the lower deck
because, well she said we might not bare the heat. But we thought, "nahhh
it couldn't be that bad". Now I know why HK has made those non air-con
buses obsolete. If we were
toasted in the morning, we were being baked this time. The tunnel felt like an
oven! Nonetheless, we made out alive. But as the bus was stopping to pick
up more passengers near the "Avenue of Stars", my normally enthused
seatmate was sleeping like a baby . Yes people, she slept!
Eventually, when were approaching Austin Road where the tallest building
is located she was wide-awake and was taking pictures again.
The bus went to Austin Road, then to the infamous "Ladies Market" where you can Hop Off the bus, but you have to take note, that once you hop off the bus, there won't be another bus to pick you up, so that's basically the end of your tour. We got off at the very last stop which was in Star Ferry. The night tour lasted for an hour and a half, it was not as tiring as the day tour and it was relaxing, well at least in Jcel's case, as she was well rested.
Also, because we took the tour in August, the weather was very hot. So below I have listed a basic "Don't forget" items that I thought would help.
On the other hand, since winter is coming our way, I would suggest to check the weather before you leave the house that way, you won't have to regret later that you didn't bring something to keep you warm. But ALWAYS bring a hat/cap and sunglasses.
Don’t forget:
Information:
Til our next adventure!
-= bex =-
The Big
Bus Tours offers premium and deluxe packages. The Premium package is good for 24 hours tour around Hong Kong Island , Kowloon and Stanley Kowloon , Stanley plus a cruise around Victoria Harbour
They
both basically offer the same things except for the time length and the Victoria Harbour
Premium/Deluxe Package includes:
Day Tour
1) Hong Kong Island
– This will give you the opportunity to go around Hong Kong Island
2) Stanley and Aberdeen
– On your way to Stanley you
can hop off at “Repulse Bay ,”
one of the beaches in Hong Kong . This line also gives you the chance to stroll
at the beach or go shopping at Stanley Aberdeen
3) Kowloon
– This line will tour you around the area of Yau Tsim Mong district.
Night Tour
4) Kowloon
- This will give you the chance to stroll around the Ladies Market, the night
market and experience the symphony of lights.
Other inclusions:
5) Peak Tram tickets to Victoria Peak
6) Peak Tower Sky Pass
7) Sampan Boat Ride
8) Star Ferry (roundtrip)
The weather that day was extremely hot! It felt like we were being pricked with needles and barbecued. Of all the things we decided to bring – we have excluded hats! The excruciating part was when we got stuck in traffic just when we were about to go through the Aberdeen Tunnel. By this time, my scalp was in pain, the heat was too much – imagine Ghost Rider? Yes! It felt like my head was literally in flames! They say that there’s a light after the tunnel, in our case there was WIND after the tunnel. After 15mins of being roasted under the sun, our ride to
One
thing I liked about the tour was that they provide you with a complementary
headset which you can use to listen to some relaxing music and at the same time
a recorded commentary in ten languages about the historic fact of each landmark.
It was like having history lesson but in a hip and fun way. As I recall, Repulse Bay Repulse Bay Hong Kong ?!
After
the short stop,
the bus went straight to Stanley Beach/Market and had our lunch at one of
the best restaurants in the area, the "Boat House". Their seafood bucket is to die for, a definite must try! After that we went to
Pizza Express for dessert. :)
Once the
tum-tums are full, we headed back to the bus stop. Good thing is, the bus was
already there and was waiting for passengers. So we didn't have to wait that
long and this time, we bought hats. But apparently, Mr. Sunshine has shied away
and there was just no point of us wearing them.
Our next
destination was the Sampan Ride. When we
arrived at the boating area, two Chinese ladies immediately accommodated all of
us. They took our tickets and helped us into the boat. They were very
friendly. First, the lady boat driver brought us to the famous floating
restaurant. Though I've been in Hong Kong for over 20 years it was my first to
ever come near the floating restaurant, so I felt like a "true"
tourist at that very moment. After that, we went around the area where you can
see people who live in boats. It was actually a sight because I couldn't ever
imagine having to live in a sampan. The tour went on for at least 15 mins.
Following
the boat ride, we had the chance to just relax whilst waiting for the next bus
to arrive. We waited for about 20 to 30 minutes so you can still go around the
area if you don't want to just sit and rest; at least that's what the others
did.
When the
bus arrived, that's when we realized that we were already exhausted. So we
decided to go back to the main branch. When my sister saw us, her expression
was priceless; "WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU GUYS?" was her initial reaction.
Then we realized we looked as if we've gone through hell and back. Yes, we were
extremely drained, dehydrated and tanned! As
we no longer have the energy, we decided not to take on the Hong Kong Island tour;
instead we agreed to rest and opt for the night tour in Kowloon area at 6:00
pm. It was only 4:30 pm then, so we had plenty of time to lull around.
At 6pm
the bus was packed and off we go. Jcel and I were in a quagmire whether to
sit on the upper deck or lower, the reason was that, my sister told us that if
we ever have to go through the tunnel it is best to sit on the lower deck
because, well she said we might not bare the heat. But we thought, "nahhh
it couldn't be that bad". Now I know why HK has made those non air-con
buses obsolete. If we were
toasted in the morning, we were being baked this time. The tunnel felt like an
oven! Nonetheless, we made out alive. But as the bus was stopping to pick
up more passengers near the "Avenue of Stars", my normally enthused
seatmate was sleeping like a baby . Yes people, she slept!
Eventually, when were approaching Austin Road where the tallest building
is located she was wide-awake and was taking pictures again.The bus went to Austin Road, then to the infamous "Ladies Market" where you can Hop Off the bus, but you have to take note, that once you hop off the bus, there won't be another bus to pick you up, so that's basically the end of your tour. We got off at the very last stop which was in Star Ferry. The night tour lasted for an hour and a half, it was not as tiring as the day tour and it was relaxing, well at least in Jcel's case, as she was well rested.
Though born and raised in Hong Kong, we tend to take things around us for granted, that is why, we enjoyed this tour so much because we had
the opportunity to really take a look at Hong Kong under a microscope. Also, It was like being served a snack platter, where we get to taste every bit of Hong Kong.
Would I recommend this?:
Of course, this tour was so much fun! It is hassle free and educational as well. The plus side is it's the fastest way to go around HK in one day. So I definitely recommend this tour.
Would I recommend this?:
Of course, this tour was so much fun! It is hassle free and educational as well. The plus side is it's the fastest way to go around HK in one day. So I definitely recommend this tour.
Also, because we took the tour in August, the weather was very hot. So below I have listed a basic "Don't forget" items that I thought would help.
On the other hand, since winter is coming our way, I would suggest to check the weather before you leave the house that way, you won't have to regret later that you didn't bring something to keep you warm. But ALWAYS bring a hat/cap and sunglasses.
Don’t forget:
¨ Hat or cap.
¨ Water
¨ Sunblock
¨ Sunglasses (would suggest the Mixxed sunglasses because they really do block the sun and protect your eyes)
¨ Facial Mist
Information:
Prices:
ADULTS
Premium Tour: $350 (24 hours ticket)
Deluxe Tour: $420 (48 hours ticket)
CHILDREN
Premium Tour: $250 (24 hours ticket)
Deluxe Tour: $300 (48 hours ticket)
For more
information, please contact Tel: 31029021 or 21678995 and look for Sheilla, Marie and Candy. :) Also, you can visit their website: THE BIG BUS TOURS
Til our next adventure!
-= bex =-
