Manly Ferry Ride

One of our most memorable things that we do in Sydney was our travel to Manly Island. To me, this is the highlight of the trip. We took the ferry to Manly island. There are a number of  types of ferry to go to Manly Island. Among it is the Manly Fast Ferry (Circular Quay, No. 6 Wharf) which will take 20 minutes to reach Manly and the Sydney Ferry (Circular Quay, No. 3 Wharf) which will take 30 mins. Not much difference.  

Because we were using the My Multi Pass 3, we didnt know how much it costed to go to Manly Island. On a side note, it was not worth to buy the 61AUD MyMulti3 for us as we didnt really get to use the pass. The original plan was to go to Blue Mountain but we didn't get to go because it was raining the whole day on the day we were supposed to go there. We walked a lot as our hotel is very near to all attractions. We even walked from Circular Quay to the hotel! So, if your visit is confined to the city, you don't really need the MyMulti IMHO. 

Back to the Manly Boat trip. As I have mentioned before, after the Langkawi boat ride incident last year, I'm really nervous about boat rides and try to avoid them as I possibly can. However, reading the reviews about the Manly Island boat trip on TripAdvisor, etc, Im compelled to try it. I was quicly relieved when I saw the ferry. It was big and sturdy and stable, so no worries there :) The journey to Manly was smooth and a little bit choppy nearing to Manly. The view is stunning especially the first few minutes leaving the dock as the view of the City and Sydney Opera House bid you farewell.  

Inside the Ferry

Arriving at the Manly Wharf, you will be greeted with a candy stall, which immediately catched Q's attention. So first pitstop, the candy stall. There are also a number of restaurants and right outside is Nandos, which is Halal Certified. So we had an early lunch there. Then, we head to the beach. The walk to the beach was a pleasant one. I just love strolling the area.. The atmosphere is laid back and it feels very good to breathe in the air from the sea. The beach was not too crowded as its the winter season but we did saw people swimming in the sea. 

First pit stop

Manly Wharf

Manly Beach in Winter

Manly Beach in Winter

After we've had enough of the sea, we head back to the Wharf and visit the Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary , since the admission is already included in the Sydney Attractions ticket that we bought. The admission ticket costed AUD63 and include admission fees to Madame Tussauds Sydney + Sydney Aquarium + WILD LIFE Sydney + Sydney Tower Eye + Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary. And we  are proud to say that we get to visit ALL the attractions, which is quite an achievement for us :D So, that was a purchase that was well worth it.  

There's nothing muc in the Sealife Sanctuary. Its a small place compared to the Sydney Aquarium. The area around the Sea Life Sanctuary is VERY VERY windy and were almost blown away :P But weirdly, I liked it:) 

Manly Sea life Sanctuary

It was REALLY windy here

We head back to CBD in the afternoon. The sun was setting and even though its kinda dreary, the sky is still beautiful with a golden horizon. Such a breathtaking view and perfect way to end the day.. 

Sydney CBD in the horizon

Sydney Opera House at dusk

KLIA 2

Just recently the brand spanking new Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) 2 was opened to public. I did not know much about the new airport, just that it is supposed to replace the temporary Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) which hosted the low cost airlines; i.e. Air Asia, etc. Last couple of weeks, I went to check out the new terminal - my house is like a stones throw away from the airport and KLIA has always been our hangout place since we moved here a few years back. I went without any expectation but I was in for a big surprise. Little did I know that the airport comes with a shopping mall! I mean, if you stay in this neighbourhood, you'll know that this is HUGE ok. haha.. As far as i am concerned, it is the only decent mall in the district. Upon entering the building, the citygirl/shopaholic in me is jumping with joy and gleefulness (if there is such a word). Im glad that I have an alternative to spend my off days other than venturing into the city :D. Descent coffee place, loads of FNB choices and also my fav brands are here including UNIQLO! More information about the mall can be found here . 

Eventhough I have been frequenting the LCCT countless of times, I certainly wont miss it - I have always had issues with LCCT but im not going to dwell on the past :D.. IMHO, this airport could easily one of the most exciting airport in the region. I will no longer embarassed when talking with friends from the region who are using AA :). Well, enough rambling here, check out the pics below.. 

Guardian

Jaya Grocer? In the airport?? :D

My Fav

Jelly Bunny!

Toys R Us

Opening Promo

Yeay!

HONG KONG HIGHLIGHTS

Earlier this year we went on a short vacation to Hong Kong. This time we rented an apartment in Mongkok via airbnb as our parents is tagging along and we need a kitchen to do some simple cooking to feed the Family. The booking process was smooth and our host was very responsive. However, upon arriving to our apartment, we were very surprised to see that the apartment was REALLY REALLY small. It was not the hosts fault though as the pictures were already there on the website and with the description and everything. It was me who didnt expect that it would be THAT small. There is not even a space to properly store your luggage and any big size person will have a problem with the toilet as it is VERY compact. So, peeps, when u book an apartment in HK, do take note of the size beforehand ya. I think apartments in other areas are a bit bigger than the ones here. Thinking about it, am really thankful for living here where space is still something that we don't really have to worry about. However, in terms of location, its the best place to stay if u love to be in the tick of action. The sneakers street is just in front of your doorsteps, the Ladies Market 3 mins away and the MTR 5 mins away. 

HKIA

Intersection heading towards our apartment and the Ladies Market

To our pleasant surprise, we found a halal restaurant nearby - what more can u ask? :D Through my desktop research, I have not been able to locate any halal restaurant in Mongkok  except for one kebab stall which I was not able to locate during our stay in the area. I will deliberate on this place later. 

Just some tips here, upon arrival, u can opt to get a local sim card at the departure hall (level 7). Look for the 1010 booth. Also, u can buy ur attractions tickets in 1 go here at the China Travel Services (CTS) Booth  at the arrival floor. We bought our the peak tram + sky terrace and Disneyland tickets here to avoid the que. TIckets for other attractions  are also available. You can also buy Disneyland Tickets at the Avenue of Stars Disneyland shop. We took a taxi from the airport and it costs HKD240 from the airport to Mongkok. 

Peak Tram + Sky Terrace

We went to the Peak on a Sunday and it was PACKED! It took us 1 hour ++ to board the peak tram but to me it was worth it. Maybe because that was my first time taking a tram.. The rail was very steep and to tell you the truth, I was a little scared at that time :P.. But the view was well worth it.... Up at the peak there was kind of a shopping mall and the viewing deck. The view was breathtaking albeit it was foggy that day. If you're scared of height, you might have a little bit of a problem standing on the deck :P There is a Hard Rock Cafe shop here and you can buy ur souvenirs here. And also, i noticed that fridge magnets are cheaper here compared to the ladies market. If im not mistaken, I saw the sign board 100HKD for 10 magnets. Whereas in Ladies Market, its 5 for HKD 100. 

Odw to the Peak. Just follow the signboards from the metro station

odw to The Peak Tram Station

odw to The Peak Tram Station

odw to The Peak Tram Station

The queue to board The Peak Tram. Madness!! 

Inside The Peak Tram

Inside The Peak Tram

Sky Deck. Not for the acrophobics :)

View from the Sky Deck. HK on a hazy/foggy day

Hard Rock Cafe merchandise shop

Avenue of Stars

The original plan was to come here at night.But as usual, there was a change of plan and we went to the place directly from the Peak to the Avenue of Stars. It was quite a walk from the Tsim Tsa Tsui station. I noticed upgrading works are being carried out at that moment and it made the place looked kinda dis-organized. I wish I could stay longer to enjoy the night scenery but it was freezing cold. So, from there we went back to our hotel.

the crowd at the Avenu of Stars

most famous

buy Disneyland tickets here and get a free gifts :)

HK Skyline at dusk

 Ladies Market and Fa Yuen Street (Sneakers Street)

This is the only market that we get to go in Hong Kong. I know that there are a few other markets but we do not have the time to pay a visit to those places. Practice your haggling skills here cos the initial price which they offer is always high. Normally you can haggle to 50% of the price if not lower than that. But, make sure you really want the item before you haggle ya... I found it worth to buy branded sneakers/sport shoes here. Generally the price is about 20% lower than the retail price in Malaysia. And for crocs, they even have up to 

70% discount on their shoes! Sports shoes are sold everywhere you will be spoilt for choices. I noticed many HKites wears sports shoes, maybe that's the reason why..  

Ladies Market

Ladies Market

Disneyland

To me, this is a MUST GO place in HK especially if you have kids 3/4 yo and above. They would enjoy the place to the max! Like, my daughter did :) One of the tips is to avoid weekends as the crowd is crazy.. We went there on a Monday, but the crowd is still there nonetheless. But i bet weekends are much worse.Waiting time for each ride can go up to 1.5 hours. Sad to say, we only get to enjoy a couple of rides as the lines were long and it was freezing cold that day. My daughter enjoyed meeting all the Disney characters though. She was more crazy about them than the rides.. haha... We also get to watch the Disney Parade.. loved it! I don't know if its me, but i went crasy shopping in their giftshops.. haha.. all those little things were soooooo cute its so irresistable. In fact, i shopped here more than the citygate factory outlet.. :D

In Disneyland there is a Halal Tahitian Restaurant located in Adventureland. The food was decent, we were famished when we took a break at 3.30 pm.. For muslims, you can recite your prayers at the Town Hall. Disneyland staffs will provide you a room to pray. However, the room is very small and there are a lot of people queing , so you are given a time to go in there. I think it's high time that Disneyland provide a proper prayer room to cater to its muslim guests which is on the rise. We departed from Disneyland around 5ish to proceed to our next destination - Citygate Factory outlet. To me,  I felt that i did not have enough of Disneyland and wish I could return one fine day in the future. I would return to HK just to go to Disneyland :D. 

Mickey Mouse's BIGGEST fan :D

The Parade

Citygate Factory Outlet

We decided to put this place in todays itinerary as this place is just one stop away from Disneyland. This place is huge and we were exhausted from Disneyland so we didn't shop much even though there were numerous big designer stores here. I just grabbed a Crocs shoes from the newly opened space on the 10th floor if im not mistaken and just that. We were supposed to have dinner here as from my research there is supposed to be 1 halal stall in the Food Republic food court.. But, to  our dissapointment, we couldnt found any. We just had dessert at one of the stall which sells Malaysia dessert. We end up going back and had 

dinner at Miss India, again. 

This is Langham Place actually, not the Citygate FO.. haha

Miss India

When I made a search on halal restaurants arround the area in the Foursquare apps, a number of restaurants turned up. But i was too lazy to go and look for the places so we ended up at Miss India during all mealtimes. The staffs were not that friendly, but i must say that the food is delish! Even the locals dine here and it is packed everytime. I fell in love with their Keema Nan. Awesome! Just 1 tip, If you want to dine here, come early as early as 6pm to avoid the queue during peak lunch and dinner time. Even if get in, youll have to squeeze in with strangers at their table as the place is VERY compact.They it not even have space to put ur shopping bags , u just have to squeeze it at any nook you can find.   

Miss India - halal food in Mongkok , Hong Kong

Miss India - halal food in Mongkok , Hong Kong

Miss India - halal food in Mongkok , Hong Kong

Miss India

Keema Naan

Just one more insignificant observation, I cannot help but noticed the line in the ladies room in Hong Kong are ALWAYS long. There is not a time when the queue is less than 10 people at a time and I find this discovery kinda weird :O. 

Well, i think that sums up our short trip to HK. Im sorry for the lack of pictures as I was not in the mood to take pics.. The crowd was just too overwhelming for me, huhu.. If you have any questions, just raise it in the comment box. Will try my best to answer them. On another note, our next adventure is just around the corNer.. :D till then, da..