Dear Steemit friends:
Today I reflect back on my trip to Hong Kong, and the experience I had staying at one of their popular hotels. As a frequent traveller, you would think that I have planned everything to detail and would rarely meet any unforeseen situations. If only it were that easy. Lets move forward and find out!
My favourite place to stay in Hong Kong is Tong Lo Wan. Here you can see the characters written in calligraphy.
The main advantage is the surrounding environment, moreover how convenient it is to find places to eat, and places to shop around.
Tong Lo Wan was originally a fishing village, and yet within a century it has transformed into the most expensive shopping district in the world, commanding the most expensive rent per square foot seen anywhere in the modern world. With such expensive real estate, the rooms in Hotels are usually very small. Luckily for me, i'm not a very big person!
There are both high and low class shops here, operating seemingly without discrimination. It's really interesting just browsing through the variety on offer. You can get a strong sense of the culture here, especially how the locals go about their daily life.
People shopping in Tong Lo Wan have incredible stamina, weaving in and out of a sea of people can be very tiring and yet, each and every person knows exactly what they're doing, where they're going.
Entering Hong Kong from Shenzhen is very easy. The border gate is open 24 hours a day making it very convenient for mainlanders to crossover to Hong Kong either for work or just making a short trip. Many people who work in Hong Kong choose to live in Shenzhen, the house prices are a lot less.
Once you cross over the customs, you can take the metro, the bus or a tax to the heart of Hong Kong.
For me, I usually take the bus. I can enjoy the sunset and scenery on route to Hong Kong.
The port and harbour at Hong Kong is the largest freight transport harbour in the world.
Here is one of the cargo ships.
Ting Kau Bridge a very recognisable landmark. The suspension bridge is the dividing line between Hong Kong's Victoria harbor and the outside world.
Nearing the Urban district.
As we approach the urban district, the traffic becomes heavier. Sitting in a traffic jam seems inevitable.
Once I got off the bus, I thought I wouldn't be too far from the Butterfly Victoria Hotel but I still got lost.
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So I make my way just across the street to the Wanning Supermarket and pick up a 4G sim card for my phone. Google Maps and Satellite navigation is a lifesaver!
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It was only after using my GPS that I realised my hotel is by the Tin Hau station, one stop on the metro line from Tong Lo Wan. I didn't know that the Tong Lo Wan area had two branches of this hotel. When I made my booking, I mistakenly made the booking at the Tin Hau branch.
Butterfly on Victoria Hotel is located in Central district, but there are also branches in Sheung Wan, and Tsim Sha Tsui. It was quite a coincidence that Ned stayed in Central District branch of this hotel.
BUTTERFLY ON VICTORIA:
33 King’s Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
+852 2132 6000The hotel lobby looks very exquisite. The counter is staffed 24 hours a day.
These computers are for guests to browse the internet.
This hotel provides a number of accessories for guests for free rental during their stay. They have a portable fan, a digital camera, selfie stick, portable battery charger and even a smartphone. You can even rent a portable 4G wifi hotspot and some extra lenses for your iPhone. Like many other hotels, you can book your tickets to Disneyland directly at the hotel too.
These are my picks.
For me, the most important accessory is the portable phone charger. Since i'm almost always using my phone to take snaps of my Steemit adventures, my phone battery is always running out very quickly.
I was feeling very satisfied with how good the service at this hotel was until they told me some bad news. Apparently the hotel is undergoing some construction work and will commence each at at 9am till 6pm. Each day, the electric drills and loud banging would become my morning alarm clock. I would recommend staying some where else whilst the works are carried out here.
This is the corridoor leading to the lifts.
The walls have light fixtures which can change colour. It reminds me of the Karaoke places back home.
This is the corridoor leading to the guest rooms. I really like the font of the numbers on the doors, it's like the numbers on a digital clock.
I imagined the room to look something like this before I came.
But with the building works going on, the windows were all sealed shut. At this point, I realised that online reviews of hotels are so important because there's always a disparity with what the official website shows you and what you actually get!
Above the bed on the wall we have a mirror with a quote on it. Not sure who by..
The theme is the same as the name of the hotel, 'Butterfly Hotel'. On the bed and stool are butterflies!
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The wardrobe door and bathroom door each have their respective symbols which I thought was cute.
Because our windows were sealed shut, we had these air filters in each room instead.
Like most modern hotels there is an alarm clock that also serves as a mobile phone charger and wireless speaker.
The smart phone they provide is charged and ready to be your own personal guide.
This is what's included with the phone.
The toilet is environmentally friendly, supposedly sea water is used to flushing!
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Next lets take a look at the surrounding area.
Just across the road from the hotel there are some restaurants, a cafe, and also a bar.
Imgur
There's also a toy store next to the hotel.
Just behind the hotel is small hillside.
One of the stores seems to be owned by a really cute ginger cat.
In Hong Kong, there are escalators for the footbridges!
Just a 5 minute walk and we're at Victoria Park.
The night time sky.
The tranquil gardens.
A 15 minute walk and then we're at the center of Tong Lo Wan shopping district.
And that wraps up my little review of my experience staying at the Butterfly hotel in Hong Kong. This experience really opened my eyes to all the unexpected situations that frequently happen from lack of proper research and planning. Never the less, it was still a very enjoyable stay!
每次来到香港，我喜欢住在铜锣湾，这是铜锣湾汉字的书法。主要是因为周边的环境，住在铜锣湾，吃饭，逛街和参观旅游都很方便我喜欢在铜锣湾逛街，这里的商店高低档次都有，虽然不一定会买东西，但逛的过程能让我更全面的体会香港的文化，发掘当地独有的生活习惯。铜锣湾逛街的人们就像在跑奥运会，能消耗不少卡路里。选定铜锣湾的晋逸维园精品酒店，我就决定从深圳湾口岸坐大巴直达香港铜锣湾的时代广场。香港港口是世界最大货柜港口。运集装箱的货轮。汀九桥Ting Kau Bridge是一座斜拉索桥, 是香港维多利亚港范港内与港外的分界线。接近市区了。走进香港市区内，交通繁忙，开始堵车了。对我来说，预定酒店的时候，最重视的2个条件就是酒店位置和酒店房间。晋逸维园精品酒店在香港一共有6家，在中环，上环和尖沙咀也有4家，非常巧合的是Ned来香港也是住这家酒店的中环店。下面就和大家一起走进这家酒店吧。酒店大堂装修很精致，24小时有人服务。check in手续办完之后，服务员主动拿出这张单子。这家酒店的特点是它免费租用给游客很多旅游必备的设备，例如移动式风扇（夏天的时候香港闷热），小相机，自拍杆，充电宝，智能手机，便携式4gwifi，iphone广角镜头等等。当然还帮忙预定迪士尼等景点的门票和交通。当然酒店还贴心的提供了网线，转换插头给我。就在我准备满足的回房间的时候，酒店告诉了我这个坏消息，酒店在施工，所以每天早上电钻成了我们的闹钟。所以提醒最近去香港的朋友，暂时不要选这家酒店啦。通往电梯的走道。很可惜，由于外墙装修而把每件房价的窗户封死，使房间视觉上变小，空间密不透风。这让我意识到写酒店review很有用，因为游客们拍得图片会比官网上的图更真实且有说服力。房间墙上夕阳书法的名言。床和凳子上是蝴蝶为主题的装饰。衣柜和浴室上可爱的logo。因为不能窗户，酒店特意配置了空气清新机。可以插手机播放音乐并充电的闹钟，这个在大部分新酒店都有。桌上的智能手机正在充电，时刻准备着为我导航。接下来看看酒店州周边。希望你们喜欢我的香港酒店回顾，这一次旅行找酒店提醒了我出门在外，总会碰到很多意外的事情，所以要在做功略的时候更加认真哦。
我也想有机会去香港玩玩😊:) ps.铜锣湾有古惑仔吗？呵呵
应该是有的，不过我没有遇到，可能游客们把古惑仔淹没了，哈哈：）
What is the ginger cat selling in it's store? :-)
Maybe fish. Or catnip! Or Cat Toys!!! :D
It was actually a convenience store like 7-Eleven! I think the cat's know people don't sleep there at night.. Purrfect cause neither do they :D
Enjoyed :D
Thanks thanks :D
Great photographs and you look awesome in the photograph!
thanks funnyman, who needs a selfie when you have a mirror hehe
Haha
i hope i get to go back to hk someday!
What made you leave in the first place?
it was only a stopover i wish i could've got to see it more and spend more time it was so exciting from what I did see, especially those boats in the water!
only other time i saw boats like this was in the rush hour movies i think lol so it was exciting
This is incredible.. I saw some like this whilst I was there, but for some reason they didn't look as striking as this..
@sweetsssj
it is indeed!
It's awesome that they use sea water to flush
and my! HK is so well developed having a roofed escalator on the footbridge!
We still have to walk on our back in the PH
that's a very nice review you gave!
complete and gives you a full idea how accessible the city is from the hotel and what it really looks like inside .
I would guess that Japan and maybe Dubai are the only other places with roofed escalators for footbridges.. Still, the city is awfully expensive to live in, see where all the money is going to..
@sweetsssj really?
I thought its a shopping paradise?
my friends and I wanted to explore it for just a week or two to score some branded bags - women he he
That's not a bad idea, certainly there are lots of high end fashion brands there. They're everywhere actually. But i don't see many local customers. The prices are higher than say somewhere like London or Paris.
@sweetsssj - I see, never been in HK so I got no idea about the prices
I normally just take advantage of duty free privileges - but then it's quite limited when it comes to design back when I was in Asia - someone tipped us they were cheaper than in Singa - if you're in Asia.
ah yes, i think the tax rebate is definitely a good thing. Be careful of counterfeit goods though. They are aplenty over there. Unless of course that's what you want to buy!
@sweetsssj replying on your nested comment. Yes, it's about the tax - as for the counterfeit - darn we have a lot in Ortigas - no need to fly to HK for fakes the real ones are in Greenbelt Makati and Rockwell Power Plant or The Fort - near my place but the price are like 4x than here :0 - sighs
HK is always an interesting place to go.
"Satelite " should be "Satellite "
thank you ace. Talking about Hong Kong, today marks the 20th year Hong Kong is returned to China.
You're welcome. Oh yes, 1997+20=2017.
So, you will be there 1st July to catch the fireworks and write about it?
Nice post, and a good summary of the experience of travelling in Hong Kong. The photographic diary was particularly interesting.
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ColdMonkey mines Gridcoin through generating voluntary BOINC computations for science...
Thank you coldmonkey, I really appreciate your comment!
I've not been to Hong Kong for a few years. I always enjoy going there.
Interesting to see sea water used for flushing. Guess should be a new hotel.
I'm not sure how long the hotel has been around, but it feels very new. I do like that they have a bit of moral obligation to protect the environment. I have no idea how they do it though, they aren't t hat close to the sea..
HK is on my list to visit - hopefulyl this year!
Do it!! You'll have a blast!
I hope to go there this year on my way to korea :)
Nice! I want to goto korea!!
haha, we should meet there :)
Interesting read. Now I really want to visit Hong Kong 🇭🇰
Do it!! Just prepare to live in very small rooms!
Haha! I'm not much of a big person also so I guess I'd do just fine. Would I find you there?
Small people unite haha! I'm not in Hong Kong usually, but I do make trips down fairly often so who knows !
Ah great!
Mind following me to help me grow?
Read my intro post. It could convince you maybe? 😊
WOW)))) It is a town of future=) People who have chance to see this town, I think is very happy) And they want to say: we can see future=) It's marvelous. Thank you for your review=)
Nice review of Hong Kong.
Thanks for uploading so many pics from your trip. I just came back from there myself and uploaded some pics in a post on SteemIt.
Nice job!
@sweetsssj