Tea at The Peninsula

live music from balcony overlooking the lobby

One more Hong Kong post before I start sifting through hundreds of pictures from Southwest China...

So at the top of my children's to-do lists were seeing giant pandas, sailing on a junk, and shopping.  High on mine was tea at The Peninsula.

I'd been to Hong Kong a few times before this trip but had never fit this in.  I've really enjoyed tea at The Empress in Victoria, BC, so wanted to give it a try.

This was in October, so the tea was "Peninsula in Pink" themed, with special pink pastries and treats.  Each pink tea sold generated a HK$20 donation to The Peninsula Hong Kong's chosen charity THE REGISTRY (Hong Kong Hereditary Breast Cancer Family Registry).

Two of my children opted for milkshakes, and both the vanilla and chocolate varieties were declared The. Best. Milkshakes. Ever.  I tried a sip of the vanilla and wholeheartedly agree.

Tea is served in the lobby and reservations are not accepted.

Here are some pics:

xoxo

Shopping Hong Kong

I am back on the Asia posts from October.  I was surprised to start off 2013 with kidney stones but am now through surgery and all the related unpleasantness.  Excruciating unpleasantness at times, I'll say -- and I know anyone who's dealt with this can relate.  Anyway, I am back...

So my oldest daughter wanted to shop Hong Kong, and we did.  From perusing jewelry at Links of London and Georg Jensen at IFC to exploring small shops along small streets where we had no idea where we were... we shopped.  1881 Heritage is lovely and we had a very nice breakfast outside at The Parlour at Hullett House one morning.  The stalls at the Jade Market (Yau Ma Tei) were great fun but I was apparently very focused on the wares as I only have one picture -- of my children with one of the shopkeepers who sold my girls some earrings right before we left.  IFC was probably my favorite for luxury shops, but we had fun everywhere we went - even the airports.

two of my children check out the display at Louis Vuitton on Canton Road, Kowloon, near our hotel (the lady is a wax figure - a very realistic one)

                                         

a decorated Neverfull... Chanel reflection in the window... nice neighborhood

                                       

window at Lane Crawford, IFC Mall

J Crew in Lane Crawford

Louboutin display at Lane Crawford

my family staying entertained while I shopped

(thank you Lane Crawford)

 

very Loubou

                                              

a stop for some treats at Le Gouter Bernardaud at IFC...

extremely helpful when shopping with children and/or husband

I don't recall what this was but my nine year old chose well

my shoe purchase at Sogo, Causeway Bay (very fun multi-level store)

the brand is Milan & Co, they were 40% off,  and I wear them often

at Marks & Spencer - I'd never seen ready-to-go plastic wine glasses with peel off foil lids (like applesauce).  Had to snap a pic.

a beautiful setting for breakfast at The Parlour at Hullett House

                                       

continental breakfast at The Parlour

I have a few more pictures from around town and also tea at The Peninsula to post before moving on to our adventures in Guizhou Province, China.  There may be a more recent shoe purchase review or two in between.

Also, remember to drink your water.

xoxo

Sailing Hong Kong Harbour on the Aqua Luna

While my younger daughter wanted to see a giant panda, at the top of my seven-year-old son's list for Hong Kong was sailing on a Chinese junk.  (He's a big Lego Ninjago fan and I believe this has something to do with "Destiny's Bounty".)

We were happy to discover the Aqua Luna, and enjoyed a wonderful 90 minute one-way sail to Stanley Market (we took a double decker bus back to our hotel). The boat's staff was wonderful, the boat itself just beautiful, and the views amazing.  I seem to recall pricing was reasonable, and included one drink.  Information (and fabulous photography) on their website here.  I would highly recommend and would definitely go again!

waiting...

perfect for lounging

gorgeous red sails

viewing Hong Kong

downstairs from the lounge-y chairs (inside)

 Ocean Park as seen from the Aqua Luna

Some pictures after we arrived at Stanley, before we were immersed in the crazy, crowded, fun shopping stalls:

My older daughter wanted to shop Hong Kong.  I have pictures from some of those outings too, up next.

xoxo

Ocean Park {Giant Pandas in Hong Kong}

Already December and I need to start packing for our next trip... making me realize how far behind I am on posting about China (October)...

Before we left I asked my children what was on the top of their to-do list for Hong Kong.  My nine-year-old daughter wanted to see a giant panda.  So we set aside a day and made our way to Ocean Park in Aberdeen.

Here they are:

And some more pictures from Ocean Park:

 entrance to the Giant Panda Adventure section of the park

my son listening to panda sounds

 where the pandas are today

beautiful goldfish room

cable cars across the park

(At one point during this ride (which seemed like about eight hours) these go incredibly high. Admittedly, I don't like heights, but I was okay on the ferris wheel and fine on similar cable cars near Huangguoshu waterfall in China... but these nearly caused a nervous breakdown... ridiculously, unnecessarily high.  Didn't bother anyone else in the family.)

lunch -- I know, not very Chinese - but we had so many interesting dishes which I'll show in the Guizhou posts -- and felt like something a little familiar

our view at lunch

jellyfish room - classical music was playing as the colored lights changed - absolutely beautiful

more jellyfish

view from the ferris wheel

roller coaster

another great view

at the Pacific Pier exhibit where my children fed the seals

The South Pole Spectacular

this is one of my favorite rides - there is one at Tivoli in Copenhagen too - the little cars go up and down and around at such a high speed you feel like you're going to fly out of your seat... I think we rode it four times

view from one of those cable cars... my husband took this picture because I had my head down, crying, but I managed to hand him the camera

My son's top to-do (ride on a junk) and my older daughter's (shopping) up next.

xoxo